Love Me Tonight Chapter 17: A Grandson vs. A Husband

Naina was glowing… There literally was no other word for it. Her eyes sparkled; her plump cheeks shone pink as if they were coated with an expensive blush, her voice jumped through several decibels in a span of mere minutes. Sameer had read somewhere that shopping was similar to therapy for women. He hadn’t believed it then, but now upon seeing his wife spend hours to find the exactly correct shade or perfect size, he had to accept that what he had read was exactly right.

 

It was Monday evening and they were in a shop that supposedly specialized in marble temples some ready to buy, or they can even get one customized. Upon seeing the wide range of designs available, Sameer was somehow sure that customization was not needed, however he had left the final decision on Naina. She was currently stuck in front of a temple that was way too big than the initial size she had suggested buying. However, even he had to admit that the temple was very eye-catching. It was designed similar to an actual temple with three arches, the centre one bigger than the other two. All the arches were adorned with burnished gold domes, again the middle one being bigger in comparison. The four corners of the rectangle temple had miniature domes. Intricately carved pillars separated the three arches in the main space of the temple, where the shopkeeper was suggesting Naina to keep bigger idols in the middle space and smaller idols or photos on either sides. The entire temple was raised upon a rectangular block that doubled as a storage space, with three separated compartments, apparently to store things that were regularly needed for puja like cotton, oil / ghee, matchsticks, prasad etc. The temple came with a short settee that was the width of the middle arch, and again made of marble, but had a soft cream cushion on it. As Sameer looked at it, he realized that it was indeed perfect because Dr. Suchitra had mentioned that with time it would get difficult for Naina to sit and get up from the floor.

 

“Let’s buy it”, he blurted.

Naina blinked in surprise at his input, hesitation clear in her voice, “lekin yeh bahot bada hai. Mere paas toh sirf ek chote se ganpati hai.”

“Toh kya hua”, he defended, “mandir rakhne wale hai ghar me toh bhagwaan ki murtiya ya photo bhi le aayenge. Jo bhi tumhe chahiye.”

She brightened up even more at this suggestion. Soon she was rambling about what she wanted to buy while Sameer signalled for finalizing the purchase. As he paid the money and arranged for it to be delivered, he kept one ear on her rambling and deduced that they would have to make a stop at some shop selling idols and also at a silver shop. He mentally added them to his list. Next stop was a furniture shop where they finalized a teakwood dressing table that came with a deep bronze cushioned settee, two small rosewood cabinets for the puja room and a teakwood antique sofa with cream cushions. While the dresser had a deep spiced walnut, the furniture for the puja room were stained a light maple as Naina said she didn’t want dark colors in that room. Apparently darker shades would disrupt the tranquil atmosphere in puja room, whatever that meant, he wasn’t sure but was happy to go along with her wishes.

 

Before their next destination, he insisted on feeding her as the time for her evening snack had already passed. After a snack of grilled sandwich and an unhealthy amount of chips along with some strawberry milkshake, they finally went to a shop called Aakar that was famous for beautiful idols, as he had been informed by Aman while they were having their evening snack. Indeed as always, Aman’s information was perfect, the idols were beautiful. Naina immediately chose a white-gold ganpati to keep in the centre. She also got a few other idols, a small brass bell and an aarti thali. At the silver shop, she got a set of small dish, glass, diya and agarbatti stand. Finally, on their way back home, she urged to make two more pit stops where she bought a few more things, which were apparently essentials for puja.

 

It was almost dinnertime by the time they lugged their purchases home. Now they only had to wait for the delivery of the temple and furniture, which was committed for tomorrow. As they sat down to a meal of sprouts, matar-paneer and roti, Naina kept talking about their shopping trip. He chuckled, “it’s funny… kal tum itni excited nahi thi jitni aaj ho.”

Her eyes narrowed, lips pursed in disapproval, “obviously… maine 2-3 saree kaha tha… 10 nahi.”

Sameer grinned, “10 liye bhi nahi… 5 liye hai.”

“Aur 5 dresses”, she added, “bina kisi zaroorat ke.”

He added some more sliced carrots and tomatoes to her dish, “zaroorat toh hai hi na… hum har weekend ghumne jayenge tab zaroorat padegi.”

She paused with a carrot halfway to her mouth, her eyes widening, “har weekend?”

“Uhmm”, he hummed with a mouthful of sprouts, once more devoted to his meal. Naina chewed slowly; her mind unwillingly flashing back to her early teenage days when Chachaji would propose to take them out for a stroll in law garden or to eat pani-puri, but Taiji would never let her go, citing how she was a motherless child, and so, instead of roaming around on streets she ought to stay at home, and learn household chores that would benefit her post her marriage.  She had witnessed Tauji getting angry several times on Sunday when Taiji would suggest visiting relatives, citing that a man worked hard the entire week to earn money for his family and so on Sunday he deserved rest. When she had stayed with bua-dadi, her anger and anguish hadn’t let her explore Mumbai, also if she was honest with herself she had never had the courage to do so by herself. But this man in-front of her was so different. Not only he was willing to take her out on weekends, but he also kept his promises to her. Despite being overworked, exhausted and fatigued, he had still woken up early on New Year and taken her out to see sunrise. He had drove around the city yesterday and today, not being irritated for a single moment, never hurrying her for anything, willingly giving up his free time to do shopping instead of taking rest.

 

Sameer was ahead of the times; where every company believed in making the employees slog for as many hours as possible, he had taken the bold decision this year to keep a half-day work timing for Saturday in his office for all his employees. When she had asked for the reason he had said that people work for fulfilling their dreams, for taking care of their family, for having the ability to spend on things they like and enjoy; but what use would that be if they didn’t even have the time and energy at the end of the week. He believed that if they got some rest on Saturday afternoon then they could spend a joyful evening and Sunday with their family, as  a result of which they will come to work on Monday refreshed and happy, which in turn would increase their productivity and efficiency. She had never met such a man before him…

 

 

On Wednesday afternoon, Sameer sat in his office, staring at the phone wondering how he would frame the words to tell Nanu everything. Finally, when the clock struck 1pm he dialled Nanu’s office number, and waited, crossing the fingers of his left hand, hoping for some luck.

 

“Sameer”, Nanu’s jovial voice rang in his ears, “main wait kar raha tha tumhare call ka. Kaise ho?”

Despite his worries, something eased inside him on hearing his grandfather’s voice, “Hi Nanu. Main theek hun… Aur aap?”

His grandfather chuckled, “mujhe kya hona hai… sab badhiya ekdum. Tum batao… Isse pehle toh kabhi aise alag se kehke call nahi kiya… Peechle hafte call kiya tab aisa laga jaise appointment le rahe ho.”

“Kuch aisa hi tha”, Sameer agreed, “aap itne important clients ke saath busy the toh main beech me apni baat nahi karna chahta tha.”

Nanu sighed, “Sameer…  Tum jaante ho na ke hamare business aur ghar bhale alag alag hai, lekin main ab bhi tumhara Nanu hun. Tumse zyada important koi client nahi hai.”

Sameer smiled, “jaanta hun Nanu. Lekin ek achcha businessman banna bhi maine aapse seekha hai. Isiliye samajhta hun ke kabhi kabhi kuch kaam ke saamne thode time ke liye hi sahi par personal life ki importance thodi kam ho jaati hai.”

“SJM se behes me main nahi jeet sakta”, Nanu grinned, “batao kya baat hai. Koi problem toh nahi hai na?”

Sameer closed his eyes; it was time – Taking a deep breath he said, “yaad hai Nanu jab main peechli baar Ahmedabad aaya tha tab maine kaha tha ke kuch sahi karne aaya hun. Tab main kisiko dhund raha tha…”

Nanu gently asked, “kise?”

“Jis ladki se main pyaar karta hun use”, Sameer replied equally softly, and added on before any questions could come forth, “aap toh jaante hai na main kuch na kuch gadbad kar deta hun… Iss baar bhi kiya… Bahot mushkil se usko dhund paaya hun, aur usse bhi zyada mushkil se use apne zindagi me laa paaya hun.”

Nanu hummed thoughtfully, “agar tum kisise sach me pyaar karte ho toh mujhe yeh jaanke khushi hogi. Lekin tumhari baato se aisa lag raha hai ke ya toh tum khush nahi ho ya mujhe puri baat nahi bata rahe ho.”

“Main khush hun Nanu”, Sameer tried to assure, “lekin khushi adhuri hai ab tak… Isiliye aapse baat karna chahta tha. Nanu… Kya aap Mumbai aa sakte hai?” After a pause, he added, “I need you Nanu… Please.”

After years of experience in every facets of life, rarely anything shocked Jaiprakash Maheshwari. However, in that moment, he sat stunned by his own grandson’s words. Sameer’s childhood had been extremely difficult, sometimes he felt even he didn’t know the extent of trauma he had been through. Yet, Sameer had never asked for help… Ridiculously independent, hot-headed, toughened by the harsh life he had been forced to live, he rarely ever sought comfort from others. Sameer had lived in Ahmedabad for only two years, but he had seen the gentle heart his grandson possessed; he had also seen how the young boy had barricaded the same heart with a wall so thick that it surprised and equally saddened him.  When Sameer had returned from London, he had sensed that something had deeply affected his grandson, but no matter what he did, Sameer never opened up to him. And now… today… he was asking for help. Sameer had said he needed him. And one thing was sure, that there was nothing that would stop him from supporting his grandson, especially as it was the first time he had asked for something. He assured, “main aaj hi ticket karwata hun Munshiji se kehke… Tumhe bata dunga konse din ki mili. Jitni jaldi ho sake aa jaunga.”

“Thank you Nanu”, Sameer sighed.

 

 

Talking to Nanu had relieved some of his tension, and he could manage to eat a sandwich finally. However, soon he started thinking about how he would explain the situation to Nanu. He didn’t want any blame to fall on Naina, he wouldn’t be able to bear if Nanu didn’t like her. She had lost so much in her life, and had to tolerate the hatred of her own family. He still didn’t know what was the case with her ex-fiancé, only knew that he was one of the reasons of her fear and sadness. Plus, unintentionally he had also added on to her troubles initially. He would never forget the fear in her eyes, the tears, the insecurities he had witnessed when he had managed to find her once more, and never wanted to see her like that again. He had told her time and again that Nanu would definitely be happy for them, but if he was honest he was slightly worried about the first reaction of his grandfather. Even though he knew for sure that Nanu would eventually be happy for him, but still, this was not just news about falling in love, it was about marriage plus an unborn child. Essentially, he had robbed his grandfather of his chance to see his grandson’s wedding.  It didn’t matter that he would be able to witness Rohan’s wedding, this revelation would still hurt him. He just wanted the reaction of this hurt to be contained to himself, and not touch Naina at all.

 

A day later, on Friday morning 8:30am, Jaiprakash Maheshwari stepped out in the arrival zone of Mumbai airport, and immediately spotted his grandson in the crowd of excited people awaiting their relatives and friends. Noticing that Sameer was talking to someone of his phone, he stood aside for a moment, observing the young man. Given that in the beginning of the year there is usually less pressure in business, he had expected a different picture than what stood before him. His usually immaculate grandson looked sleep rumpled in a wrinkled green shirt and faded grey denims. The silky locks that usually were artfully tousled looked to be actually bedraggled. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he wasn’t even wearing a watch, something his grandson never forgot ever since he had started wearing it from the age of thirteen. The curiosity that Sameer’s phone call had aroused turned into concern on seeing his state. What could have happened to drive him to this condition?

 

Just then, Sameer disconnected his call and looked around, his eyes widening in surprise for a second on seeing his Nanu standing near him, before his face split into a wide welcoming smile. He stepped forward to take the bag from Nanu’s hand, and then knelt to touch his feet.

Nanu blessed him and then gently patted his cheek when he stood up to his full height, a few inches taller than his own self, “kaise ho beta?”

“Theek hun Nanu”, Sameer replied, “chaliye.”

They walked to the car in companionable silence. However, once the drive started Sameer asked about the important meetings that had kept Nanu busy. Business was a common topic for them, a safe area to venture into. Sameer wouldn’t ask about his family, and years of separation had made Nanu realize he knew little to nothing about his grandson’s life, so they struggled with topics to talk. Sometimes Nanu missed the endless conversations they had for those two years when Sameer had stayed in Ahmedabad. He wished he could have same level of comfort once again with his grandson, but he had no idea how to bridge the gap that had widened over the years.

Sameer took a turn towards his office, and suddenly yawned. Nanu chuckled and commented jokingly, “aisa kya kiya hai tumne ke theek se so bhi nahi paa rahe ho? Aur aise achanak itne saalo baad mujhe yahan bulaya… Apne nawase ko jail jaane se bachana hai? Ya uski shaadi karwani hai?”

 

Sameer went unnaturally still, his grip on the steering wheel tightening until his knuckles turned white. He didn’t join in Nanu’s jovial laugh… Letting out a tired sigh, he kept his gaze on the road as he replied, “I am married Nanu.”

 

Nanu couldn’t help but laugh out loud in delight… His grandson who had seemed so tensed earlier was now joking. But… Soon he realized that there was no adjoining sound of laughter. His heartbeats increased, as he looked at his grandson – the way the young man’s brows had furrowed, his jaw clenched, his tight grip as he steered the car – all of these were enough of an indication that Sameer was not lying. His immediate next thought was to ask who the girl was and how could he do this to him… He wanted to demand explanation on how could he deprive him the chance to attend his grandson’s marriage… But he couldn’t do it… His heart knew that no matter the distance between them; the rare few visits or the infrequent calls, the lack of common things to talk about; Sameer would never intentionally hurt him. This meant that if his grandson had taken such a drastic step then there had to be a reason behind it. And so finally he settled on the question he wanted to ask – “wajah kya hai?”

 

Sameer stayed quiet as he stopped briefly near the gate of his office building. The security guard saluted him as the iron gates rolled open. Even though Nanu was surprised to have been brought to office instead of home, he didn’t mention it as he descended at the underground parking area. Sameer used his office card to access the door, and then called for the lift. While designing the building Sameer had decided to keep the basement parking only for employees, while the visitor parking was at the back of the building on ground level and each visitor would have to register at the reception on ground floor and take a guest card to access the lobby where the lifts were.

 

As they exited on the 5^th floor, they were immediately greeted by another man who seemed to be few years younger than him. Sameer introduced, “Nanu, yeh Aman hai. Mera personal assistant, aur dost bhi.”

Aman folded his hands in greeting, “Namaste sir. Aapke baare me bahot suna hai. I am really lucky ke aapse milneka mauka mila.”

Nanu though slightly puzzled, returned his greetings and followed Sameer into his office, and then through another door at the other end. This opened into an area that was completely bare when he had visited the first  time after the opening of SJM Enterprise, but now it was a tastefully decorated lounge.

“Main yahan kabhi kabhi client meetings karta hun. It’s sometimes easier to finalize deals in an informal environment”, Sameer informed.

Nanu was quite impressed with the décor. The floor to ceiling glass wall offered a view of the surrounding city. The remaining walls were painted a muted grey. The wall in-front of the glass wall was partially hidden by a huge vintage wooden almirah – the right side of which was designed as mismatched open shelves holding books, decorative figurines and geometrical vases, while the left side was a glass door cabinet that held all the awards SJM had won in all these years. The wall opposite the entrance door was adorned with an enormous painting of some misty mountainous landscape over which the sun was rising. Two tall floor lamps stood in each corner of that wall, and long rectangular lights hung from the ceiling with cables almost invisible to the naked eye, thus giving it an illusion of being suspended in mid-air. The carpet on the floor was a mix of white and shades of grey with no particular design. A huge semi-circular cream sofa sat facing the glass wall, with two cream coloured comfortable armchairs opposite to it. And in the centre was a considerable sized round coffee table in a shade of wood so dark that it looked almost black. On top of it sat today’s newspaper and a couple of business magazines.

 

Sameer moved towards the wooden almirah, and only then Nanu noticed the bar cart next to the glass side of the furniture. He walked a bit to see it properly and noticed the top shelf had an electric kettle that was currently running. Two coffee mugs were placed on the side, and he could see the paper tag of tea bags dangling on the side. Sameer poured the boiling water in both the mugs and then turned. He smiled at Nanu, “Let’s sit.”

 

Nanu sat on the sofa while Sameer took seat on one of the armchairs. He offered a mug of green tea to Nanu, that he knew his grandfather liked, but it was a fairly new drink to him. He had started stocking them up recently at home and office both when Dr. Suchitra had recommended it for Naina. In their last check-up Naina was told to cut down on her caffeine intake, and so now she was only eligible to one cup of sin every morning, rather than her regular two cups daily. She hated the green tea, said it had no flavour, and unfortunately, this made her cranky which in turn was making his life difficult. Combined with this was the sudden start of her midnight cravings. Midnight was probably the kinder word for it, as last night she had woken him up at 2am demanding a tomato sandwich. He was running on low fuel since past few days due to disrupted sleep, but he uttered no complains.

 

Nanu took a sip of the hot concoction and asked, “tum kabse green tea peene lage?”

Sameer snorted, “jabse Naina peene lagi hai…”

Naina. The name sounded familiar, and Nanu had an immediate impression of a shy smile, two pigtails, collision in a temple, teary eyes… A small smile tugged at his lips at the memory of the girl he had once admired in PVKM. She was an exemplary student and he had high hopes of her future. Sadly, she also had a strict, almost unloving father, and the last he had heard of her was that she was to be married as soon as she turned eighteen. For a moment, Nanu wondered if Sameer was talking about the same girl, but immediately discarded the notion, as it was practically impossible. She was definitely married with at least one or maybe two kids by now. This Naina, who his grandson was talking about, was surely a different girl. After all, the name wasn’t uncommon.

He took a fortifying sip of his tea, and asked, “Naina kaun?”

Sameer set his cup down before replying, “my wife… the woman I love… And…”

Nanu knew enough about his grandson to know that since returning from London, he almost always switched to English in two scenarios, one if he was talking about some business matter, and second if he was agitated or nervous about something. It felt like a premonition of something he was sure he wouldn’t like to hear, and so he also set his cup down, giving his full attention to his grandson.

Sameer closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. It was tempting to keep his eyes closed, avoiding his grandfather’s gaze so that he didn’t have to witness the disappointment on his face. However, he had left the young boy who always ran from his family in the past, and now he was a determined businessman who faced every problem head on. So he opened his eyes, meeting his grandfather’s apprehensive gaze and divulged, “the woman who is the mother of my child.”

 

Jaiprakash Maheshwari was sure that if he were standing then he would had stumbled over his own feet and fallen to the floor. But as he was sitting, the back of the sofa caught his slumped form and he had to grip the arm rest to make sure he was still connected to reality. “Child”, he whispered, shock written all over his face, “bachcha… Tumhara bachcha… Yeh kya bol rahe ho tum?”

Sameer nodded, “sach bol raha hun Nanu. Naina…”

“Bas”, Nanu interrupted, the sheer force of his disappointment and anger driving him to his feet, “yeh kya bakwaas kare jaa rahe ho? Hosh me to ho?”

Sameer tried to calm him down, “Nanu please… meri puri baat suniye.”

But Jaiprakash Maheshwari shook his head, “kuch nahi sunna mujhe… Tumhe yeh sab mazak lag raha hai? Shaadi… Bachcha… Kitni ehmiyat rakhte yeh ek insaan ki zindagi me samajhte bhi ho tum? Yeh koi school ki shararat nahi hai… Lekin tum yeh sab kaise samjhoge? Hostel me the tab na jaane kya karte the… Delhi me apni maa ke paas rahe tab ek ke baad ek zidd aur shaitani karte rahe… Aur Ahmedabad me shehzaade ki tarah rahe – bike, car, bahar ghumna, aaye din bahar khana… Aur uske baad London chale gaye. Kabhi life ko seriously nahi liya.” He started pacing, lost in his anger, “Mujhe laga Mumbai aake sudhar gaye ho kyunki business itna kamyaab hai. Lekin lagta hai galti kardi Mumbai aaneki ijazat deke. Agar sach me tumhara bachcha hai jiske baare me kisiko pata tak nahi hai toh iska matlab yahi hai ke tum puri tarah haath se nikal gaye. Aur yeh Naina… Kaun hai yeh ladki? Kahan se aai hai? Kuch pata bhi kiya hai uske baare me? Ya koi bhi anjaan ladki bachcha leke aa gai tumhare saamne aur kaha woh tumhara bachcha hai aur tumne shaadi karli? Aisi chaalbaaz ladkiya bahot ghumti hai inn bade shehro me… Paiso ki lalach me kuch bhi kar sakti hai… Kaisi charitraheen hogi……”

 

“Enough!” Sameer interrupted in a loud voice, standing up as well. On witnessing his grandfather’s outburst, he had been silenced in shock. Nanu had never scolded him… Ever… And it took some time for the words to make sense. When he noticed how his entire life had been summarized as him being careless and irresponsible, he felt as something sharp pierced his heart… But, then he heard hateful demeaning words for his wife, and that was something he couldn’t accept.

 

Nanu had stopped pacing on hearing the loud rebuttal, and was now standing facing his grandson, his mouth slightly open in shock. Before he could recover, Sameer continued in a much controlled tone, “aap mere baare me aisa sochte the yeh mujhe nahi pata tha Nanu.”

 

Only then Nanu recalled the harsh words he had spoken in anger, and immediately tried to say something, possibly to excuse what he had uttered. But Sameer stopped him with a raised hand, “koi baat nahi… aapko mujhe jo bolna hai boliye. Mrs. Somani ki sunta tha itne saal, toh aapki baate bhi sunn lunga. Lekin please… please Naina ke baare me kuch bhi ulta-seedha mat boliye… Woh mujhse bardaasht nahi hoga. I really love her Nanu.” He turned away facing the glass wall, “maine aapko Mumbai bulaya taaki aamne-saamne aapko sab baate keh saktu. I never wanted to hide from you… Lekin haalat hi aise ho gaye the ke main isse pehle bata nahi saka. But now the choice is yours… Main aapko abhi bhi sab batane ko ready hun lekin aapko shaanti se sunna padega, Naina ki insult kiye bina. Aur agar aapko wakai me lagta hai ke main ek irresponsible insaan hun jisko rishto ki ehmiyat samajh nahi aati toh aap…” He swallowed to control the tremble in his voice, “aap Ahmedabad apne parivaar ke paas wapas jaa sakte hai. Main aapko rokunga nahi, aur naahi kabhi aapse apni personal life ke baare me kuch share karunga. I am sorry agar aapko yeh condition strict lag raha ho toh… Lekin ek husband kabhi bhi apni wife ki insult tolerate nahi karega.”

 

Nanu rubbed a hand over his forehead, feeling a headache building up. He knew he had said things in anger that had hurt his grandson, and he wouldn’t be able to take them back. He also knew that he didn’t really believe what he had said, but the damage was done, and he was not sure if he could reverse it. He could literally feel the gap between him and his grandson widening. Sameer had issued his ultimatum… He had cut ties with his mother, and he was ready to do the same with him. Nanu still didn’t like what he had heard about his grandson’s supposed wife, but still he decided to push back his anger and hear the rest of the story. He sat down on the sofa again, “main sunn raha hun Sameer… Batao mujhe apni saari baate.”

 

Sameer didn’t turn towards him, but he gave a slight nod and started speaking, “first of all… mera naam Sameer Jaiprakash Maheshwari hai. Aapka naam maine apne naam ka saath joda tha kyunki mere liye sirf aap hi meri family the. Main jaan-bujhkar koi aisa naam nahi kar sakta jisse aapka naam kharab ho. I respect you Nanu… Main shayad sach me irresponsible tha bachpan me, lekin tab me aur ab me bahot farq hai. Dusri baat yeh ke main SJM hun, ek asia insaan jisne kuch hi saalo apne business ko India ke top list me laake khada kiya hai, ek aisa insaan jiske baare media bhi gossip nahi kar paati, ek aisa insaan jiska naam uska power hai… Naina meri life me pehli ladki nahi hai. London me ladkiya meri shakal dekhke peeche bhagti thi, aur Mumbai me shakal aur paise dono dekhke; kaafi o ne fasaneki koshish ki hai. Aapko kya lagta hai? Mera personal assistant ek ladka kyun hai? Aman se pehle teen ladkiya uss position pe kaam kar chuki hai, aur koi do mahine se zyada tika nahi hai, kyunki unko laga tha SJM ko fasana easy hai. Don’t forget Nanu… Sameer aapka pota hai, lekin SJM ek brand hai.”

 

Having said this he turned around, and there was no trace of hurt or anger on his face anymore. Rather, as he sat down on the chair once more, crossing his right ankle over left knee, his face was set in a stoic indifference that made Nanu’s heart stutter. Jaiprakash Maheshwari realized that earlier he had been talking to his grandson, but now he was talking to SJM, someone he had never met before. His entire demeanour suddenly screamed of barely concealed power that if unleased could destroy every obstacle in his path. Being a businessman since so many years, Jaiprakash Maheshwari had met several powerful and influential people, in fact he himself was considered one of those influential businessmen; but in that moment everyone paled in comparison to the man sitting in-front of him. The dark circles, dishevelled hair and wrinkled shirt didn’t subdue his aura even a bit.

 

Sameer took the silence as acquiescence of what he said, and continued, “Naina ko samajhne ke liye aapko meri life ke baare me kuch aisi baate jaan ni padegi jo maine kabhi kisiko nahi bataya hai… Kyunki aaj bhi mujhe sharm aati hai. I feel embarrassed. Aapki di hui seekh, aapke values ke according maine life jeeneki hamesha koshish ki hai. Aur kaafi hadh tak kamyab bhi raha… Life me kabhi cheating nahi ki, jo rishte nibhaye woh poore dil se nibhaaye, aur kabhi apne kiye hue kisi bhi waade se peeche nahi hata. Bas ek part hai meri life ka jisme main aapke diye hue values maintain karne me fail ho gaya… Mere romantic relationships. London me jab padh raha tha tab mera pura focus sirf apna college successfully pura karne me tha… Kisise dosti karneki bhi koshish nahi ki thi. Lekin ek din ek ladki ne padhai me help maangi mujhse… Shaili… Ya Bristishers ki language me kahu toh Shelly.”

Knowing where the story was going, it was embarrassing to talk about it to his grandfather, but he didn’t let any of his emotions show on his face. Instead he kept speaking, “Course se related questions dheere dheere personal questions me badal gaye. Anjaano ke sheher me ek dost mil gai. Aur ek 20 saal ke ladke ko ek khoobsurat ladki ka attention. London me pyaar ka izhaar nahi hota tha… Dating hota tha… Isiliye jab Shaili ne mujhe date ke liye pucha toh maine haan bol diya. Coffee shops, movies, late night walks… Dastaan kuch hi mahino me uske bedroom tak pahoch gai. Mujhe sirf aapke aur Naniji ke relationship ke baare me pata tha, aur main bhi apne liye waisa wala hi pyaar, waisa hi zindagi bhar ka saath chahta tha. Aur mujhe woh sab Shaili me dikhne laga. Isiliye jab relationship ke physical cheezo me usne pehel kari toh maine mana nahi kiya… Lekin uske bedroom me bitaai uss ek raat ne mujhse mera sab kuch cheen liya. Shaili ke liye main ke mazak tha… ek challenge… India se aaya hua studious, akela rehne wala ladka jisko woh kuch time ke liye try karna chahti thi. Uske baad usne mujhe dump kar diya aur college me sabko yeh baat pata thi… Relationships ko lekar mere sapne, mera belief sab khatam kar diya usne… Use bhulane ke liye pehli baar sharab pee… Itne nashe me tha ke apni khud ki zindagi ke kuch din theek se yaad nahi hai mujhe. Aur tab samajh aaya ke London me yeh forever wale rishte nahi hote… One-night stands hote hai.”

 

He heard his grandfather suck in a sharp breath, and understood the impact his story had created. Nanu had probably never ever imagined his grandson straying like that… But this was just the beginning… There was more to go… And he was determined to be brutally honest. Only his downfall in his Nanu’s eyes would make him understand Naina’s pureness. He tilted his head to one side, gazing at the sunlight reflecting on the polished wood of the almirah, “yeh meri life ka naya rule ban gaya… Khud ko itna toh sambhal liya ke wapas padhai pe focus kar saku. Lekin yeh baat naa aapko bata sakta tha, naa Munna aur Pandit ko… Kuch mahino me ek baar kisi pub ya bar me chala jaaya karta tha aur itna handsome toh tha hi ke koi na koi ladki mil hi jaati thi. Jab Ahmedabad wapas aaya toh apni life ka woh hissa peeche chod aaya lekin wahan rehna bhi mere liye possible nahi hua… Ghutan hone lagi thi mujhe uss ghar me… Isiliye Mumbai aaya… Khuli hawa me saans lene… Kuch banne, life me kuch haasil karne. Bahot struggle kiya… Kitni raate railway station ke bench pe soya… Lagatar teen din bhuka bhi bitaya… Pehli baar khud ki fati hui shirt seeli… Ek chote se kamre me saal guzara… Jali hui roti aur adhi paki hui dal bhi khai… Khana banane ke chakkar me khud ka haath bhi jalaya. Lekin phir bhi khush tha… Jaise jaise business me kamyabi mili, dheere dheere khud ke liye bhi thoda waqt milne laga. Tab phirse wahi routine start kiya… Ek hi silk shirt thi aur Mumbai me kaafi bars the… Pahoch jaata tha kisiko dhunde wahan pe. Phir aur kamyaab hua tab ek business party me Sakshi mili… It was the regular thing… Just a one-night stand. Lekin phir mujhe woh dobara mili ek aur party me… Phir teesri baar ek coffee shop me… Uss time jab usne mujhe apne saath jaaneko kaha main mana kar diya. Kyunki one-night stand yaane ek hi baar, aur Sakshi ke saath toh main woh rule pehle hi tod chuka tha. Sakshi ne ke proposal rakha mere saamne. Hamesha alag ladke ke saath jaana uske liye risky tha, kabhi kisine uske gharwalo ko bata diya toh… Isiliye usne kaha ke who mere saath ek arrangement karna chahti hai. Sirf physical relationship… Kabhi kabhi milo ek raat ke liye… Kuch personal nahi. Main pehle mana karne wala tha lekin uski baate sunke socha ke risk mujhe bhi hai… Mera business successful hota jaa raha tha, aur usike saath mujhe kaafi saare log jaanne lage the… kabhi aise kisise bar ya pub me takra gaya aur mujhe pata hi na ho ke woh ladki hai kaun lekin usko pata ho main SJM hun, toh kaafi bada risk hai. Yeh sochke maine Sakshi ko haan bol diya aur usko apni pehchaan bhi batai. Usne kaha usko koi farq nahi padta ke main kaun hun… Boyfriend thodi na hun jo farq pade…”

 

“Sameer…”, it was a small whisper from Nanu, a sigh of disappointment probably. He stubbornly kept his gaze averted, focusing on his words, “aapne sikhaya tha ke agar galti ho jaaye toh uss galti se seekh ke life me aage badhna chahiye. Lekin main nahi seekha, isiliye shayad kuch mahino me Sakshi pe aasani se bharosa kar liya. Uske friend ke chote se apartment me mujhe le jaaya karti thi woh… Ek din usne kaha ke woh kaam me fas gai hai aur uska car kharab hai, toh main use pick karne gaya… Dinner time ho raha tha toh maine hi kaha saath me dinner karne ko, kyunki usne kaha ke kaam me koi problem ho gai thi toh usne khaya nahi tha poore din. Uske baad yeh silsila jaari raha… Kabhi coffee, kabhi dinner… Uske friend ke apartment ke bahar hum waqt bitane lage… Jaise kamre ki deeware hat gai mere dil aur dimag me banai hui deeware bhi hat gai. Ek baar phirse ummeed karne laga ke shayad life me khushiya mil sakti hai mujhe… Isiliye jab hamare relationship ko ek saal hua toh maine use propose kiya.”

 

Sameer put his leg down, leaning back in his chair, and finally looking at his grandfather. He was surprised to see an expression of grief rather than disappointment on the older man’s face, but he held onto his mask desperately. He determinedly continued, “16^th October 1998… Sakshi ka birthday… Meri life ka sabse kharab din… Aur sabse achcha bhi… Kharab isiliye kyunki uss din maine Sakshi ko propose kiya aur usne bataya ke woh toh sirf life enjoy kar rahi thi… Serious kuch nahi tha… Kuch feelings nahi thi uske side se. Jab mera dil hazar tukdo me tut raha tha woh mujhse keh rahi thi ke main bewakuf hun jo soch liya ke uski life me sirf main hun… Jab mere itne business trips hote hai toh how can I expect ke woh mera wait kare? Ladko ki kami thodi na hai Mumbai me… Uss first night ke baad mujhse uska dobara milna was a plan… Usko pata tha main SJM hun… Isiliye jab main usko apni girlfriend samajhke usko shopping karwata tha, usko gifts deta tha toh usko koi aitraaz nahi tha… Woh yahi chahti thi… Lekin SJM paise kharch karne ke liye aur raate beetane ke liye theek hai, zindagi thodi na beeta sakte hai uske saath… Dil tuta toh phirse sharab ka sahara lene nikal pada… Club Vortex… Yeh jagah shayad aakhri jagah hoti jahan main zinda dikha tha logo ko agar uss raat mujhe Naina nahi mili hoti.”

 

Nanu gasped, “Sameer… beta… kya bol rahe ho?”

“Sach”, Sameer replied dispassionately, “Bathroom jaate hue ladkhake gira tha tab Naina ne sambhala tha… Usne mujhe turant pehchaan liya… School me dekha tha usne mujhe aur shakal yaad thi usko… Mujhe sharab ke wajah se thoda waqt laga lekin maine bhi usko pehchaan liya. Padhaku, Behenji, Teach ki chamchi kya kya nahi bulata tha main usko school me…”

Despite promising himself that he wouldn’t interrupt, Nanu couldn’t help but ask, “konsi school?”

Sameer blinked a few times, as if coming back to the present from a distant memory, “Pragati Vidya ka Mandir, Ahmedabad…”

Nanu was unable to hold back his surprised gasp, “Naina Agarwal?”

Sameer’s sharp gaze landed on him, his eyes narrowing, “aap jaante hai use?”

“School me thi yaad hai”, Nanu supplied, “kaafi hoshiyar thi… Mujhe hamesha lagta tha ke life me kuch haasil karegi. Lekin jab woh college me pad rahi thi tab suna ke uski shaadi ho rahi hai…”

Sameer nodded, “haan… wahi Naina ki baat kar raha hun main. Uss din woh mere saath bethi, mujhe zabardasti nimbu paani peelaya taaki mera nasha kam ho… Aur jab main gusse me club ke bahar nikal gaya toh woh apne dosto ko chodkar mere peeche aai… Mujhe gaadi me bethne se roka. Mujhse jhagdi, main uspe chillaya phir bhi peeche nahi hati… Main almost anjaan hi tha na uske liye? Sirf do saal ek class me padhe the, jahan maine sirf use dusre ladko ki tarah pareshan hi kiya tha… Lekin phir bhi usko meri parwah thi… Mere haath se car ki chaabi cheen li aur kaha ke agar meri yahi zidd hai ke car me jaana hai toh uski bhi zidd ke car woh hi drive karegi. Pata nahi kyun maine finally uski baat maan li. Usne jab mera address manga toh life me pehli baar maine kisiko mere ghar ka pata bataya. Office me tak Aman ke alawa aur koi nahi jaanta mera address, lekin maine Naina ko bata diya… Agar uss din usne mujhe nahi roka hota toh main nashe ki haalat me car leke nikal padta aur pakka accident me zinda nahi bachta… Bhoot sawaar tha mere sar pe… Gussa, sharab ka nasha, dil tutne ka dard… Ho sakta hai jaan-bujhkar hi kuch kar bethta… Lekin Naina ne sambhala…”

He was getting an itch in his throat due to speaking constantly. As he got up to get some water for both of them, Nanu asked, “usne tumhe bachaya isiliye tumne usse shaadi ki? Uske bachche ko apna naam diya? Aur uske pati ka kya?”

Sameer drank almost half of the glass before answering, “Naina ki shaadi hui hi nahi thi… Kya wajah thi woh ab tak mujhe bhi nahi pata. Bas itna pata hai ke usne apni sagai tod di thi… Aur iss wajah se usko uske gharwalo ne ghar se bahar nikal diya. Uspe haath uthaya… Aaj bhi uski behen Preeti ke alawa kisiko uski kuch padi nahi hai. Uski bua-dadi usko yahan Mumbai lekar aai, aur woh tabse yahi reh rahi hai. Yahin par usne apni padhai puri ki… Aur uss din club me apne dost, Suraj, ka birthday celebrate kar rahi thi jo uss club ka maalik bhi hai. Aur haan… Maine Naina ke bachche ko apna naam nahi diya hai… Woh bachcha mera aur Naina ka hai… Meri Naina pregnant hai… Date of conception – 16^th October 1998.”

Nanu dragged in a deep breath, “iska matlab… tum… aur Naina…”

Sameer nodded, answering the unasked question, “it was so different… Jaise hi maine usko kiss kiya main samajh gaya ke Naina alag hai… Kyun alag hai… Kya alag hai… Kuch socha nahi uss raat… Bas ek zaroorat thi jo Naina hi pura kar sakti thi… Koi aur ladki nahi… Lekin agle din subah jab aankh khuli toh Naina nahi thi mere paas… Sirf ek letter, aur woh ring jo maine Sakshi ko propose karneke liye use kiya tha aur club me phenk diya tha. Pehle toh bahot gussa aaya uspe… Ke aise kaise chodke jaa sakti hai woh… Kamsekam mere jaagneka toh wait karti… Laga woh bhi baaki ladkiyo jaisi nikli jisko sirf mere saath physical relationship me interest tha… Lekin thoda dimag shaant hua toh samajh me aaya ke kuch missing hai… Naina aisi nahi hai… Uss raat se pehle uska koi relationship nahi tha… Mujhpe jo bharosa usne kiya tha woh asaan nahi tha… Aur uss letter me usne kuch baate aisi likhi thi joh kaafi ajeeb thi… Dimag par zor daala toh raat me kahi hui baate yaad aai… I was so dumb… Car me usse one-night stands ki baat kar raha tha… Rules… Daawa kar raha tha ke Sakshi ko bhulaane ke liye mujhe bas ek raat ki zaroorat hai. Naina ko laga uske baat hui raat woh raat thi… Main use bata hi nahi paaya tha ke uski care, uski hasi, uski aankhen itna hi kaafi tha Sakshi ko bhulane ke liye… Uske baad jo bhi hua woh mere liye bhi special tha, kyunki uske pehle naa toh koi ladki mere ghar me aai thi, naa maine kabhi kisi ladki ke saath puri raat bitaai thi, aur naa hi mujhe kabhi kisi ladki ki parwah hui thi.”

 

Sameer’s mobile rang breaking the tense atmosphere. Nanu thought he would disconnect, but upon seeing the number, he immediately received the call. It was at that moment that Nanu understood that despite the frivolous lifestyle of one-night stands that his grandson had told him about, he truly was in love with Naina… Because he witnessed the stoic and determined SJM, mellow down into a soft and happy man, which was even different from the Sameer he knew… Because this was not Sameer, this was Naina’s husband… The lips that were set in straight line curved into a smile, his dispassionate gaze turned warn, his indifferent expression filled with love, as he talked to his wife, “Hi sweetheart… Tum theek ho?”

Naina’s reply must have satisfied him because he nodded and then said probably in answer to her question, “haan Nanu aa gaye… Theek hai woh bhi… Office me hai abhi hum, baat kar raha hun.” Another pause, and then he assured, “tum kisi cheez ki tension mat lo. Sab theek hai. Aur rahi khane ki baat toh Bhavna Tai bana degi. Tumhe kuch karne ki zaroorat hai.” He chuckled, shaking his head in fond exasperation, “haan Nanu bhindi khate hai. Aur meethe ki fikar mat karo, main aate hue kuch leke aaunga. Rasmalai?” He laughed softly on hearing the reply from the other side, “okay… Rasmalai done. Aur kuch chahiye?” A brief pause before he ended the conversation, “theek hai… sab lete hue aaunga. Tum rest karo thoda. Bye Naina.”

 

“Tum sach me usse pyaar karte ho”, Nanu blurted as soon as the call disconnected.

Sameer frowned for a moment, before his expressions once more melded into the SJM mask, “haan… bahot pyaar karta hun. Kaafi mushkilo ke baad mujhe Naina mili hai aur ab tak hamare beech sab theek nahi hua hai.”

Nanu asked what he meant. Sameer sighed and explained how his misleading careless words had led Naina to believe the worst of him and she had left him. He talked about his search for her, how he met bua-dadi and got to know that Naina had left the only home she had in Mumbai, how he got to know she had quit her job and closed her bank account as well. He detailed out the way he had used his status as SJM in-order to get secured personal details from the bank manager, how even before he had succeeded he had accidentally met Naina at the gynaecologist when he had gone to get second opinion about Munna’s mother’s ailment, how he had realized that Naina’s visit to that particular hospital meant she was pregnant and then how he had recalled about foregoing protection that night… He talked about finding her in that tiny apartment in Shivshakti housing society and his days there, his struggle to rebuild the trust slowly, Naina’s doubts and his efforts to assure her… He told Nanu about the day they got married, the reason behind Naina’s agreenment, that she hadn’t wanted a husband for herself but rather a father who promised to protect the child. He talked about Naina’s counselling and how she had slowly started to talk to him, tell him about her life, and in return he had told her about his life. He explained how fragile the trust was, though their bond was deepening day by day, but even now Naina was a mother only, she wasn’t ready to be a wife. And finally, he told her about how she had finally agreed to let him talk to Nanu about them as she understood it was hurting him to not be able to share such a big step in his life with his grandfather and how it would hurt Nanu more if more time passes without this conversation. Sameer’s voice reflected the worry he felt for her and also the admiration he held for her as he said, “usko apne khud ke parivaar koi ummeed nahi hai, lekin woh parivaar khone ka dukh samajhti hai isiliye woh maan gai ke main aapko sab bata du taaki main aapko na kho du… Uss insaan ko naa kho du jisko main apna ek lauta parivaar manta hun… Meri family me sirf aap the Nanu, aur ab usme Naina aur hamara hone wala bachcha jud gaya hai. Iss puri situation me agar kahin se bhi kisiki galti hai toh sirf meri hai, Naina ne kabhi kuch galat nahi kiya hai. Isiliye please… main aapko ghar le jaau usse pehle aap decide kijiye ke aap hamare rishte ko mauka denge ya nahi. Aap sochiye, main tab tak kuch khane ke liye bolke aata hun.”

 

Nanu nodded, thankful for the solitude as he thought about what he had heard. Several years of his grandson’s life summarized in an hour or so… It had been painful to hear about the betrayals he had faced, and he couldn’t help but wonder if just hearing about them was painful then how had Sameer lived through that time. He had never been one to believe in revenge, but at that moment, he wanted to do something to destroy Shaili and Sakshi’s life for hurting and using his grandson like that. He wanted to be angry on Sameer as well, for creating such a mess of his personal life… One-night stand… Just the thought of it was abhorrent… How could Sameer have spent so many years like that? Why didn’t he talk to him after what Shaili did? Even if he left out the detail about physical relationship, he could have talked about having a girlfriend who dumped him and hurt him… But even as he thought about it, he knew it was not possible. The physical relationship was the motivator behind the entire situation. Shaili hadn’t just wanted to date Sameer, she had wanted to sleep with him, and then had used that private information to humiliate him in college. She had taken something Sameer had believed in and twisted it for her own selfish motive. And then Sakshi… The situation with Shaili had ended in months, while his relationship with Sakshi had stretched out for a year… The vile girl had planned and plotted to trap his grandson for money, and then had the nerve to cheat on him and blame him for it. He shuddered to think what would have happened if Sameer had not proposed that night, how much more time would he have been stuck with that girl… Shaili was in London, maybe there was nothing he could do about her, but Sakshi was here in Mumbai… Thankfully, his grandson had moved on, but he vowed to find out every information he could about this girl.

And then there was Naina… Sameer had not held back in expressing his utter devotion to her. It was for sure that Sameer loved Naina… But what about Naina? Did she love his grandson? Or was she in his life just because of the pregnancy? From the story Sameer had told it seemed that Naina was honest, and that she had not even intended to let Sameer know about the child, rather she had been ready to be a single mother. But there was evidence of two other girls trapping Sameer… He couldn’t blindly trust Naina just based on Sameer’s words. It was also to be noted that even Sameer didn’t know what happened in her past relationship… Breaking an engagement was not a small thing. And yet she had done it, risking the wrath of her family… Why? And if all she had wanted was a father for her child why had she waited to get married to Sameer for so long? They could have been married as soon as Sameer had found her and expressed his intention, but she hadn’t… Instead she had made Sameer stay in her tiny apartment, made him sleep on the floor, live out of the bag, made him cook and clean… The mighty SJM had bowed in-front of her and she had milked that opportunity and then she had suddenly decided to get married and move to a bungalow where she was now living like a queen… SJM’s wife who wouldn’t even wear the symbols of marriage. What did she want from Sameer? Was she really going to be with him for life? Or did she plan to give birth and then abandon both her husband and child? The girl he had met in Ahmedabad was innocent and kind, a girl he would have thought to be perfect for Sameer… But that girl would have not broken her engagement… That girl wouldn’t have slept with a man beliving it to be for just one night… So, no… He couldn’t trust Naina right now. But he couldn’t also dismiss her… Sameer had made it clear that if had to choose between his Nanu and his wife, he would choose his wife. Thus, his decision was made…