by Varsha Dixit
‘You do know the announcement of the engagement, did not happen as planned?’ Sneha hummed.
‘You’re kidding? I heard the fireworks!’ Nandini said, surprised. In order to avoid her parents, pressing ice packs to her swollen lids, she had left the house, at an unearthly hour.
‘The impending baby became the reason for all that noise and smoke pollution,’ Sneha replied, dryly.
‘But why wasn’t the engagement announced?’ Nandini asked. AB had made grand preparations for the announcement. Gold-plated, lotus-shaped, cards were to be handed out to the guests with the date and venue of the engagement. Truckloads of finest champagne shipped and stored. After the fireworks, few Bollywood stars would do the unthinkable dance to their songs, for no apparent reason other than moolah.
Sneha’s voice broke in. ‘For the longest time no one could locate Aditya. Finally, they found him... completely sloshed, near the pool. Ajit and a few others actually carried him to his room.’
‘Oh wow!’ Nandini breathed, stumped. Just then, her cell buzzed. The room was filled with the signature song of a form-over-content remake, of a content-over-form classic, ‘Mujhko pehchaan lo mein hoon Don!’
‘Yes mom?’ Nandini answered. After mouthing, ‘What?’, ‘How would I know?’, ‘Wow!’ and ‘I’ll call you if I hear something!’ she hung up.
‘That was the most cryptic and one-sided, conversation I’ve ever heard. What was all that about?’ Sneha demanded.
‘Seems Aditya has gone off! All by himself to no one knows where,’ Nandini shared, frowning.
‘Now I am sure, solid khichdi pakk rahi hein! You suddenly leave the party... Aditya gets all drunk and now he lurks off into a self-imposed exile. Puke it out! What happened between the two of you last night?’ Sneha grilled, positioning herself on Nandini’s desk.
Few imperious raps on the door interrupted the two friends.
‘Go away, whoever it is!’ Sneha hollered. The door swung open, to reveal Gayatri poised in all her finery.
‘Hi Gayatri, do come in.’ Quickly, Nandini got to her feet.
‘I would like to speak to you... in private, ’ Gayatri stiffly informed, still standing at the threshold.
Nandini glanced at Sneha. ‘Sure!’ her friend muttered, heading out of the room. Childishly, she made a rude sign behind Gayatri’s back.
‘Have a seat,’ Nandini warmly offered.
Gayatri lowered herself. After taking in the cluttered cabin, her eyes settled on Nandini. Irked by the silent scrutiny, Nandini murmured, ‘Is everything alright?’
‘You tell me?’ Gayatri riposted, like..B grade detective in...C grade movie. Nandini immediately knew that Gayatri knew that Nandini knew. About what? About Aditya’s abrupt departure! (Keep up people.)
‘I’m sure he’ll be back and everything will be as it was,’ Nandini said, awkwardly.
‘I am sure Aditya will come back. However, there is something, I would like to change. I don’t like it as it is!’ Gayatri replied, firmly.
‘As if her fiancée wasn’t enough, now this phirangi Lalitha Pawar, will also have to be suffered?’ Nandini’s conscience muttered. ‘What would you like to change?’ Nandini asked, politely .
‘You!’ Gayatri simply answered.
‘Excuse me?’
‘I want you to change. Actually, not change, just stay away from Aditya and his family,’ Gayatri asserted, leaning closer.
‘Even though I don’t figure in any equation with Aditya.’
‘Not just one crow but an entire nation of crows, will bite your backside off!’ Nandini’s conscience chuckled.
‘Shut up!’ Nandini hissed. Gayatri appeared indignant.
‘I’m sorry, that wasn’t for you. Anyway, as I was saying, I can still understand why you desire to keep me and every other woman away from Aditya. But from his family?... Why should I distance myself from them?’
Gayatri sighed and spoke. ‘I know about you and Aditya. He told me of the fling he had with you.’ Cooked truth, unlike cooked food, only burns, sooner or later. Gayatri observed the hurt flit over Nandini’s face.
‘Look Nandini, till you are around, Aditya’s mother and the rest of the family members, will somewhere on some level compare me with you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scared of any competition. But why complicate our lives? As if, we women don’t have enough to do already?’
Confounded, Nandini shook her head. ‘You’re their daughter-in-law. I am no threat to you!’
Giving her an irritated look, Gayatri coldly stated, ‘You are not the daughter of that house or merely a family friend. You are somewhere in between. Why would you want to be in these half-baked relationships, it’s not like you lack your own family?’
Because Missy, the so-called, half-baked relations to you, are family to me! Nandini wanted to shout, however, she kept silent .
‘Moreover, in some vulnerable moment, I don’t want Aditya to ever reach out to you. I am sure you don’t want to be considered a dish-on-the-side. You get my drift, don’t you?’ Gayatri, feigning innocence, rambled.
‘Oh gosh, never !’ Nandini agreed. Every word that Gayatri let loose, felt like a sledgehammer to her ears and heart, but there was biting logic in the girl’s words. Exhaling heavily, Nandini conceded, ‘You are right! I never realised or thought that I was invading your space.’
‘No harm done! Unintentional mistakes happen all the time. I’m just glad that we have now, reached an understanding?’ Gayatri altered her words into a question.
‘Yes! We have definitely reached an understanding,’ Nandini vouched.
‘Well wonderful then! I should leave now; I have wasted enough of your time.’ Gayatri stood up, so did Nandini.
‘I’ll walk with you to the door,’ Nandini offered.
‘Please don’t bother. You don’t show one, out off their own office, now do you?’ A tinkling laugh accompanied Gayatri’s rude words.
‘Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s the immediate children and grandchildren who are named in the wills. The daughter-in-law only gets joint accounts and sometimes not even that!’ Nandini griped, once Gayatri exited the room.
35
Do Jasoos
W hat a chudail! That conniving tramp! I cannot believe you bought her BS. I should have never left you alone with her!’ ranted Sneha, peeved. Nandini had just finished the tell all.
‘Sneh, she’s right!’ Nandini argued.
‘Nonsense, she’s scared that’s what she is. Obviously, she cannot manipulate Aditya or any other Sarin, so what does she do? She picks on you. Nandi, you are such a simpleton! You actually fall for all those lies and totally misplaced blame.’
‘No point talking about it. I am done,’ Nandini insisted, stubbornly.
‘Please!’ Sneha gave her a disbelieving look.
‘No Sneh serious, I am done here.’
‘What do you mean bimbette?’ Sneha questioned, affectionately mocking.
‘Bimbette yourself! Anyway, I mean I’m done with AAA, with this city and maybe even this country!’ Nandini announced .
‘Oh, now at this very moment, you shall press that invisible button on your head and self destruct or swallow that cyanide pill hanging in your neck?’ In pure sarcasm, Sneha widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hands.
Tossing a pen at her friend, Nandini said, ‘Shut up! Resignation and migration is what I am thinking of.’
‘Please do tell!’ Sneha, swaying back and forth, dramatically placed a hand over her heart.
‘You may find it hard to believe but I have it all figured out!’ Nandini declared.
Sneha, repeatedly, fluttered her eyelashes, almost breaking the collective record set by all heroines and few heroes of the 50s.
‘Behave! Fine, here it goes. Today is a Thursday. Aditya mentioned in the note that he is gone for a few days. I can bet my bottom dollar he’ll be back by Sunday.’
‘So?’
‘I’ll resign to you on Friday around 5.35 p.m. Simi goes for the day
around 5.30 p.m., so by the time she sees your notifying email on Monday morning... the deed would have been done. On Saturday, I will proceed to take a flight to Mumbai and stay there for a couple of weeks and consider all my options,’ Nandini revealed, tapping her head thoughtfully.
‘My head is spinning! What options are you talking about?’
You know whether I want to work somewhere, out of this city. Or go and live with chacha in the USA and pursue masters there.’
‘You are going to uproot your life, just because of that silly jealous woman?’ Sneha accused .
‘No Sneh, for myself. To move on in the true sense, I have to first move away . There are too many memories of my past here,’ Nandini for once was being practical.
‘That sounds logical... but you can’t just waltz out of our lives, your parents, me and Advey. I am not prepared!’ Sneha, unexpectedly, bereft sat down.
‘Sneh, I’ll be back. Once all the hoopla is over and done with, I’ll make a trip here just to spend some time with all of you, especially you. I promise... but right now, I have to leave ASAP. Please!’ Nandini implored.
‘Nandi, what will I do without you?’ Sneha croaked, miserably. She was not used to a life without her best friend. That is how women BFFs function – till death do us apart or the next man, whichever happens first.
Nandini immediately came over and hugged Sneha, tightly. ‘You’ll be fine. Maybe you should hook up with Gayatri; I see some similarities between you two!’
‘Hey! Watch your potty mouth, young lady,’ Sneha protested, returning the hug.
Nandini chuckled. ‘Listen, I’ll head home for an hour or two. Update my resume, make copies of degrees, etc.’
‘Won’t your parents question why you’ve come home? I am guessing, you’ll drop the bombshell last on them,’ Sneha said, wryly.
‘Absolutely! Right now Mom is at the Sarins calming Badi Maa; and Dad, I can handle. All I have to mumble is, “women stuff” with a grimace and he won’t ask me a thing for a fortnight.’
‘Yena rascala! You’re mean!’ Sneha wailed, but Nandini had left the room .
Drumming her fingers on the table, Sneha addressed Nandini and Advey’s picture on her table. ‘Aditya should know that the bird is about to fly coup. How can I do it without breaking Nandini’s confidence? If she ever finds out, regardless of the outcome she’ll slaughter me first and thank me later.’ Spying someone in the corridor... close to the HR Department, Sneha perked up.
Loudly, rapping on the door, Sneha asked, ‘Hi Simi, do you have a minute?’
‘Sure shoot!’ Simi replied, pushing the open file to the side.
‘Peer managers can resign to each other, right?’ Sneha
quizzed.
‘Yes, are you resigning?’
‘Puhlease, I do not take such momentous decisions on Friday.’
‘But are you resigning?’ Simi persisted.
‘No ways! I am not the one who is a thorn in the boss’ side!’ Sneha droned.
Simi guessing became quiet. ‘Oh Rajesh is resigning. Don’t know, though, why Mr Sarin is perpetually on his case.’
‘Anyway, keep this between us, will you?’ Sneha requested.
‘Of course! In HR everything is confidential,’ Simi assured. ‘Sure, except for the wide open files on her desk, the unlocked cabinets and her big mouth.’ Sneha rambled, heading back to her room.
‘Oh! Hi! I almost didn’t see you behind that potted plant,’ Sneha breezily greeted someone. Once inside her office Sneha praised her alter ego, ‘Inspector Clouseau that was a job done well. Khush keetha!’
36
Shshsh...Koi Hai!
F riday afternoon, the phone on Nandini’s desk rang. Reading the extension, ‘1212’, she let it ring a few times.
Pick up the darn thing!’ Sneha muttered crossly, focused on the artwork she was putting together.
‘Yes?’ Nandini answered, tentatively.
‘Ms Sharma, this is Simone.’
‘Hi Simone, What can I do for you?’ Nandini asked, haltingly. Sneha looked up on hearing the name.
‘I just got an email from Mr Sarin,’ Simone began, Nandini’s hand unconsciously clenched around the receiver.
‘He’s returning tomorrow evening and wants to go over all files on the open projects. Reesse pen is one of them,’ Simone shared.
Nandini relaxed. ‘The file and the presentation are ready. I’ll swing by your desk and drop it closer to the end of the day. ’
Simone shot an awkward laugh, ‘Actually Ms Sharma, I’m leaving early today. Do you think you or anyone else could deliver the stuff to me right away? I’d really appreciate it.’
‘Sure! Give me a few minutes.’ Nandini hung up. ‘Sneh, could you drop this file with Simone? She wants it right away!’
‘What Mr Midas is here, already?’ Sneha casually questioned, not looking up from the laborious work.
‘Nope! He’s coming tomorrow evening,’ Nandini disclosed.
‘Then what’s the problem? Just leave the damned file on that woman’s desk. I am finally getting this thing together. Please babes !’
Nandini chewed her bottom lip, the prospect of going anywhere near Aditya’s office made her uneasy.
‘Have one of the minions drop it,’ Sneha suggested, well aware that their team was out for a late lunch.
‘Good idea!’ Nandini agreed. Grabbing the file and presentation, she stepped out of the room, only to pause, startled. Where is everyone, she wondered, gazing at the three empty desks.
‘It’s no big D. I can just drop it and run right back!’ Nandini bolstered her flagging courage. Apprehensively, she stepped out of the elevator on the third floor, which appeared deserted.
‘Yoo-hoo here!’ came Simone’s voice.
Nandini turned to see the PA squatting on the floor near a file cabinet, at the far side of the lobby. Files lay scattered all around, her hands full of loose papers.
‘Do you need help?’ Nandini offered, the atypically dishevelled woman.
‘No thank you. I have it under control. Do you have the file?’ Simone asked .
‘It’s all here!’ Nandini held up a brown interoffice envelope.
‘Oh good. Please leave it at my desk; my hands are kind of full.’
‘Of course!’ Nandini moved towards her desk.
‘Or better still, could you pop it in Mr Sarin’s inbox? On his desk, it’s the tray on the left,’ Simone requested.
Swallowing, Nandini glanced at the lion’s liar. Seeing the door ajar, butterflies began somersaulting in her stomach and just about every part of the body. ‘Why is his office open?’
‘I had it cleaned. You don’t think I misuse the place do you?’ Simone responded.
‘I did not mean to imply anything like that. I am sure you are fantastic at what you do,’ Nandini sputtered, hurriedly entering Aditya’s office. The sooner I get out of here the better, she thought. Unexpected wetness clogged her eyes. ‘Even when you aren’t around, this bloody place smells like you!’ she whispered, thickly.
Swiftly placing the file in the inbox, Nandini turned to head out. Her eyes fell on the chair behind the desk – Aditya’s chair. Driven by some inner yearning, she walked over to it. Reverently, Nandini ran her hands up and down its contours. ‘I am going far away from you!’ she mumbled, brokenly, to the empty chair.
‘I heard!’ Aditya answered.
37
Kya Love Story Hai
N andini startled, pirouetted! Her movement nearly tipped the chair and herself.
‘Steady! I have that effect,’ Aditya teased, stepping away from a dark corner of the room. He moved towards Nandini whose eyes widened, just as a gazelle caught in the head-lights.
Aditya did not look away either, taking in the loose, shiny hair framing the gorgeous face. Beautiful, bright eyes staring back at him, flushed cheeks, pink lips chewing each other nervously, a pulse beating at the neck and her delectable body clad in short pink kurta, tight blue jeans and of co
urse...
As after a collision one tends to remember silly details, Nandini noticed Aditya’s slight stubble, very sexy! His perfect physique covered in all black. The modern day pirate any woman between eighteen and sixty would willingly give herself to. Some might pay too .
‘Your PA lied to me!’ Nandini accused. Her limbs refused to move an inch... even though her mind hurtled at the speed of light, 300,000 km per second. (Chick-lits, are pit-stops of important knowledge.)
‘I had Simone lie. Even promising her a raise if she actually got you here,’ Aditya confessed, casually.
‘Whatever!’ Nandini voiced, weakly. She hobbled towards the door. Aditya had something else in mind. He swiftly put himself between her and the door.
‘I have the answer,’ Aditya said, tipping her face when Nandini refused to look at him.
Briefly meeting Aditya’s eyes, as she wrestled to free her chin of his warm touch, Nandini rejoined, ‘Good! Then I hope you have the question too.’
Aditya gave a crack of a laugh. ‘You had the question, remember?’ He languidly thrust his hands in the pocket of his jeans, waiting for a reaction.
‘Huh!’ was all Nandini could voice. Her vocal chords and brains had again taken off, though in separate directions. I should zip-zap out of here, with minimal to zero eye contact, Nandini decided. Bullishly lowering her head, she attempted skirting around Aditya.
Hooking a strong arm around her midriff, Aditya stalled her exit. Nandini coldly said, ‘Do you mind?’
‘Absolutely I mind!’ Aditya mouthed. Seeing his smile only widen, Nandini gave up all pretense of haughtiness. She forcefully tugged at his strong hands to free herself.
Ignoring her pitiful attempts, Aditya using, both his hands pulled Nandini in front of him. His arms at her waist, held a glowering girl, in place .
‘Then why the hell can’t you leave me alone Aditya? Why?’ Aditya did a squeaky high-pitched impression of a woman’s voice. Nandini gave him a have-you-totally-lost-it look.
‘Isn’t that what you asked me that night?’ Aditya reminded his voice and eyes sobering.
‘That was only heat of the moment talk,’ Nandini spoke, acutely aware of Aditya’s physical proximity.
