Bombay Heights- Sleepless in the City of Dreams

by Adite Banerjie

  “Thank you, Mr. Kale. I’d love to. Why don’t you all carry on to the restaurant. I need to take a shower and I’ll join you all at Neo’s in about half an hour.”

  Sanjana looked at him, “Be there…”

  The elevator pinged again and they all trooped in. As soon as Sanjana was about to step in, he called out, “Sanjana, just a second.”

  She stepped out and told the others, “Carry on. I will be down in a minute.”

  “Why do I get the lamb-who-is-being-taken-to-the-slaughter-house feeling?” he asked, as soon as the doors had shut.

  “Aren’t you being over sensitive?”

  “This morning, you made it very obvious that you didn’t want to see my mug and now suddenly, I’m the ‘nice’ neighbour who deserves to be introduced to the family?”

  She sighed and let out a breath. “Don’t overcomplicate things. What do you want me to do? Beg?”

  He grasped her hand. “I don’t, but do me one favour.”

  “What?”

  “Make sure that your ex and I are not seated next to each other.”

  She took in one swift breath.

  He laughed. “Not such a complicated request, eh?”

  “I don’t believe you’re scared of him!”

  He growled, “I’m afraid I’ll be too tempted to smash his face in.”

  “Be my guest,” she laughed, and then pulled a face. “Just kidding, okay! See you soon.”

  Her laughter—the best sound he’d heard all day. He turned the latchkey on the door and stepped in to his apartment. Sonu had lit a diya and some incense sticks in the room. The room smelt nice and the glow from the diya added a tinge of warmth to the room.

  He missed Ma; she had been big on Diwali celebrations. Their house would be filled with the warm aromas of festive cooking. After she’d gone, he stopped celebrating. In fact, every Diwali he would escape the city, to keep the memories at bay. This time was different, though. Curiously, he’d forgotten all about fleeing the city. And today, he felt a new beginning was just around the corner—that indeed was something to cheer about. As if on cue, Dumbass did his little dance, his rump wiggling furiously.

  “How do you do it, you mutt?” he asked him fondly. “Is it because I’m smiling like a Jackass? What a pair we make!”

  The restaurant was spilling over with people and more were waiting to get in. Soft music, laughter, conversation made for a celebratory ambience. Luckily, Meghna had managed to get a reservation for a table in the far end of the room which gave them a little more privacy than the other tables.

  Meghna squeezed in next to Sanjana on the comfortable sofa and hissed, “What are you doing, Sanju? Why did you invite that neighbour of yours?”

  “Why, you don’t like him?” Sanjana smiled at her innocently.

  Her sister rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding me? He’s absolutely droolworthy! But Chetan’s not going to like it.”

  “He can take a flying leap into the Arabian Sea for all I care.”

  “You definitely are in a mood, today!” Meghna looked at her as if her eyes would pop out. “Oh my God! You’re not having an affair with Ash, are you?”

  “You did say he’s droolworthy!”

  “Sanju, be serious. You’re just a whisker away from being a betrothed woman.”

  “A fling before the betrothal is definitely a good idea.”

  Sanjana didn’t know why but for once she felt like she’d the upper hand, even though she was teasing Meghna. It somehow took away some of the edginess she felt about the evening.

  Gauri was carrying on a discussion about the menu and drinks with the hostess, who had introduced herself as Tina.

  From the corner of her eye, Sanjana saw the man they were discussing walk in. Her heart did a little impromptu jig and she wondered if she should confess to her sister that she was contemplating a ‘fling’ very seriously. She watched Ash as he talked to a waitress, who pointed him in their direction.

  Meghna was still hissing in her ear. “Chetan is probably thinking of asking Pappaji to fix a date for your wedding tonight.”

  “Read my lips, Meghna. I’m not marrying him.”

  Meghna gave her younger sister a thoughtful look. “I really do think you mean it.”

  She pumped her fist in the air. “Finally! Thank you God!”

  Her action caught Gauri’s attention. “What’s up with you girls? Have you decided what you would like to drink?”

  Tina offered some suggestions and Meghna turned her attention to the drinks menu.

  Sanjana though had eyes only for the man who was approaching their table. With every step he took, her heart beat a tad faster. She hadn’t missed the desire flash in his eyes when he’d stepped out of the lift and given her a thorough look-over. She wondered how he’d have greeted her if she’d not been surrounded by her family. More importantly, how would she have reacted to him?

  Meghna turned to her for advice. “These cocktails sure have funky names. Would you like to go for ‘Sex on the Beach’?”

  Ash heard that and his eyes sparkled mischievously as his gaze fixed on Sanjana. “You definitely must try it sometime.”

  Right-o. Her breathing stuttered. His eyes conveyed most eloquently that he was not referring to a cocktail!

  Luckily she hadn’t yet swallowed her tongue, even though she was afraid she might start salivating at the very sight of him. How did the man manage to look so gorgeous in a simple cream-coloured silk kurta over black trousers? Tearing her eyes away from him, she said, “I’ll go for the coffee amaretto if you have it.”

  Tina nodded appreciatively and assured her they did have it. She turned to Pappaji who was still making up his mind over the red wine that he wanted to order.

  Ash pulled up the chair closest to Sanjana and sat down. Leaning towards her he said, “I’m glad you enjoyed the amaretto.”

  Meghna ears perked up. “So, what exactly is this amaretto thingy?”

  “It. Is. Simply. Divine.”

  She really needed to calm her nerves, what with Meghna watching her like a hawk, and Ash looking at her as if he would eat her up alive.

  Meghna called out to Tina. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

  Ash’s snort of laughter at Meghna’s inadvertent reference to the Meg Ryan Orgasmic Moment sent heat coursing through her veins.

  After the drinks had been ordered and Ash had said his hellos to everyone, Gauri instantly homed in on Sanjana. “Okay, Sanju, you wanted to say something before we left your apartment.”

  Sanjana’s light mood evaporated like so much smoke. She glanced nervously at Ash and took in a deep breath, who instantly caught the vibes.

  “If this is some private family issue, I can make myself scarce,” he offered.

  “Not at all. Please stay.”

  All eyes were now fixed on her.

  “It’s something I have been meaning to tell you guys for a while but something or the other...” She stuttered and came to a halt.

  “Everything is okay?” Meghna asked softly, her eyes warm with concern.

  “Of course.” She fumbled for her clutch and opened it. Pulling out a bunch of cards from it she said, “Well, I have written it down. And it will save you all the bother of listening to a long speech from me.”

  A small self-conscious laugh escaped her lips and Ash gave her a supportive wink. She felt awful for being so nervous in front of her own family. Somehow she could never imagine not telling Ash what was on her mind. She still remembered that night when she had shared her innermost thoughts with him, and not once had she stuttered and stammered like she was doing right now.

  “Hello!” Chetan’s voice cut through the air and she nearly leapt out of her seat. “Why so grim, guys?”

  Sanjana gawked at her ex who stood before her in a black T-shirt adorned with sparkly bling that should come with a statutory warning—look away or risk eye damage! “Whoa! I need my glares.”

  Chetan’s attention was totally focused on Ash and if
looks could kill, her neighbour would definitely be dead meat by now.

  “I thought this was meant to be a family get together,” Chetan said, pointedly.

  “In that case you definitely aren’t invited,” Sanjana muttered.

  She heard Meghna’s gasp of shock next to her. Chetan’s swagger deflated only a tiny bit.

  “Why don’t you sit down?” Gauri said pointedly.

  Sanjana watched as Chetan’s eyebrows scrunched up and he looked like he was about to have a hissy fit at the thought of having to sit next to Ash. She could feel Meghna begin to offer her seat to him and she caught her arm, muttering sotto voce, “Don’t you dare!”

  Chetan waited with uncertainty for a few moments before reluctantly sitting in the only available seat—the one next to Ash.

  Pappaji tried to fill the awkward silence. “Chetan, this is Ashwin, Sanju’s neighbour. Ashwin, Chetan’s dad and I started off our careers together at the same office. In fact at one point, we were neighbours. ”

  “So, you see, we have a tradition of celebrating Diwali with family and neighbours,” added Meghna. But Chetan didn’t look mollified at that.

  “Better order something to drink for Chetan,” said Sanjana. “He looks like he needs it.”

  Chetan didn’t miss the amused look on Ash’s face. “What the heck are you grinning at?”

  Ash didn’t take the bait. “Ah, here comes the champagne.”

  Tina had rolled a trolley containing a bucket of champagne to their table.

  “Who ordered champagne?” Gauri squeaked.

  “I did,” said Ash, “and the tab is on me.”

  “Wow, what’s the occasion?” Sanjana asked.

  “It’s Diwali,” Ash said.

  Sanjana turned to Pappaji. “Do you remember how Aai would insist we buy champagne for Diwali. And you’d say people drink it during Christmas and New Year’s.”

  Meghna butted in, “Her reply would be, ‘Diwali is our Christmas and New Year’.”

  Pappaji smiled. “Then she would proceed to get drunk on one measly glass.”

  “Did she? I don’t remember that.”

  “You were too young, Sanju,” Gauri said.

  “But she was so much fun,” Sanjana whispered, almost to herself.

  As Tina poured the champagne for everyone, Ash raised his glass in toast. “Here’s to your Aai, and my Ma, up there. God bless them wherever they are. Happy Diwali!”

  “Happy Diwali!” they all echoed, except Chetan.

  Sanjana took a large sip of the champagne. The bubbles tickled her nose and as the cool liquid spread its warmth inside her, she looked at the cards still in her hand. Yes, this one was for Aai.

  “So, here are the cards that I wanted to give you all.”

  Chetan smirked. “What a strange idea to hand out Diwali cards in person!”

  She smiled sweetly at him before offering him one. “I have an extra special one for you.”

  Pappaji groaned. “Now, I’ll need my reading glasses! You wouldn’t have it with you by any chance, Gauri?”

  Gauri replied, “Pappaji, I can read it out for you, if you wish.”

  Chetan had ripped open his card from the envelope and was staring at it as if he’d spotted a vile thing inside it.

  Meghna nudged her, “What the heck, Sanju? What did you write in his card?”

  “Why don’t you ask him?”

  Chetan’s ears had turned beetroot red and he looked like he was going to have an apoplectic fit. “Is this your idea of a prank, Sanjana?”

  “Just what I have been telling you for some time. But it didn’t seem to register – so I thought reading the words might help.”

  Gauri had just finished reading hers and looked as flabbergasted. “Sanju, I had no idea. Pappaji, you need to know this. Can I read out your card?”

  Pappaji looked mystified. He handed his card to her. Chetan jumped out of his seat and lunged for it. “No, this is just a silly joke.”

  The card flew out of Gauri’s hand. Her glass skittered on the table, splashing champagne all over Gauri before shattering to the floor.

  A loud gasp went round. Gauri hastily pushed herself away from the table, brushing at her damp clothes in vain. “What the heck are you doing, Chetan?”

  Meghna gawked at Chetan as if he’d lost it.

  “I’m sorry,” Chetan stuttered, as he swiped his napkin and started dabbing at Gauri’s wet kurta.

  That only infuriated her further. “Keep your hands off me.”

  Tina was now at the table, trying to do some damage control. Pappaji urged Chetan to sit down. And in a matter of minutes Tina had gotten somebody to clear up the spillage.

  Chetan glared at Sanjana who refused to meet his eyes. She looked at Ash who simply shook his head and muttered, “Your idea of ‘ripples’ is more like a tsunami. What did you write in the cards?”

  She grinned back mischievously. “Keep guessing.”

  One of the cards had landed near Ash’s feet. He picked it up and his face cracked into a smile as he read the message on it.

  Pappaji asked grimly. “What’s all this drama about? Can someone please enlighten me?”

  Gauri was about to speak up when Sanjana raised her hand. “Pappaji, it’s my fault. I should have… ”

  Chetan burst out. “That man sitting next to her. He’s the reason for all this drama.”

  Pappaji gave him a look that froze the word on his lips. “Did I speak to you, Chetan?”

  Chetan shook his head. Pappaji turned to Sanjana, “Go on.”

  The air bristled with tension. Sanjana’s tongue clung to the roof of her mouth. She risked a glance at Ash who pushed the card he’d picked up towards her, “I think it’s time for me to leave.”

  The words on it – “Chetan, Fuck Off from My Life” – were like the boost she needed.

  Taking a deep breath she stuttered. “Ash, do stay. Chetan has dragged you into this drama—and I don’t see why you should not see this through.”

  At that Ash simply nodded. She felt a sense of relief—as if there was someone in her camp to root for her.

  “Pappaji. I know you have set your heart on my marriage to Chetan. But the thing is, I don’t want to marry him.”

  “And how have you arrived at this sudden decision?” Pappaji’s voice was colder than ice.

  “It wasn’t sudden. Before I came to Mumbai I’d told Chetan that.”

  “You didn’t think it was necessary to inform me and your sisters?” The quiet words cut through her confidence like a sharp knife.

  She looked at Chetan who gave her a confident smirk. She wanted to see it wiped off his face and turned away from him. She glanced back at Pappaji whose face resembled dark thunder. Waves of disapproval emanated from him. She knew that no matter what she said, it would make no difference to him.

  “Would it have mattered? You had already made up your mind that Chetan and I were to be married. My protests wouldn’t have changed anything.”

  Pappaji was stumped. But Sanjana was not done. “When Meghna came home after her in-laws abused her, you wanted her to go back to her husband. I remember how Meghna cried and pleaded but did you listen? No, you were only worried about what people would say if her marriage broke up.”

  Meghna squeezed her arm and spoke up gently. “Pappaji, she is right. Aai pushed you and pushed you till you finally gave in.”

  Pappaji turned angry eyes at her. “I don’t believe that relationships are meant to be broken at the first sign of trouble. There is always scope for compromise.”

  “No,” Sanjana burst out and it came out more forcefully than she had intended. “There isn’t, when it comes to abuse of trust in a relationship.”

  “How exactly did he abuse your trust?”

  Sanjana turned angry eyes at Chetan. “Want to fill in the details?”

  There was a stunned silence for a few moments before Chetan spoke up. “I made a mistake.”

  “Mistake? Really? And when I’d confronted
you about Sheela, you had said, I was jealous and making stuff up.”

  Gauri’s swift intake of breath was followed by Meghna’s cry, “You vile man. You cheated on my sister?”

  Chetan’s face had lost all colour and he turned to Pappaji, “I’m sorry for what happened. It shouldn’t have. But I swear, it will never happen again.”

  The hurt in Pappaji’s eyes soon turned into steel. “It’s best if you never show your face again to me or my daughter.”

  A huge wave of relief swept through Sanjana. But then the ‘drama’ wasn’t over yet. Chetan turned to Ash and said, “This guy is responsible for ruining my chances with Sanju. She’d have forgiven me if it weren’t for him.”

  Gauri’s shocked retort came swiftly. “Don’t do this to yourself, Chetan.”

  “Yes,” Sanjana agreed. “Ash definitely showed me that I don’t need to put up with a creep like you.”

  Chetan was like a wounded animal and he snarled back. “Oh, so I’m the creep and he is the hero? Wait, no, he is the one who seduced you with his smooth talk and his sophisticated ways. But believe me, when it comes to the crunch, he’ll not be there to protect you.”

  “I can protect myself, thank you very much,” she snapped back. Her heart was beating faster than a runaway train and she didn’t know from where she found the words she hurled at him. “No one was supposed to know about Sheela, right? But the strange thing is that Sheela felt guilty and confessed to me that you and she had… that you had even told her that it was just going to be a one-night stand and you were not really interested in her. Is that your idea of ‘protecting me’? Is that what you plan to do after you marry me?”

  The hushed silence around the table was now like a living, breathing thing. Pappaji’s sharp intake of breath, followed by his steely command shattered it. “Chetan, get out from here. And never ever show your face to me or my daughter again.”

  Chetan leaped out of the chair as if he had been singed. As he veered away from the table, he crashed straight into a waiter who was carrying a plate of hot pasta. For the second time in the evening, all eyes turned towards them, as pasta flew all over the place, some of it clinging on Chetan’s sparkly T-shirt.