Only Mine Chapter 3: The Revenge Game

The Sunday mornings in Agarwal house usually started with Mahabharat, and then it was time for an unhealthy but delicious breakfast of fafda-jalebi. This Sunday however was little bit different for Naina as she sat near the window hearing Draupadi quote Prahalad, “revenge is not always better, but neither is forgiveness; learn to know them both.” She looked at the faded marks on her palm, and knew that she had to take revenge even this time. If earlier it had been because of him not helping her then this time it has to be because of the punishment she had had to bear because of him. She would have and had forgiven the plastic wrap on cycle as it was tit-for-tat for slashing his bike tyre. And she even admired the idea of using transparent cellotape to make things more difficult for her, and also thought that the balm trick was brilliant. She had stored it in her brain to use in future on someone. Taiji had scolded her at home, demanding to know who had done such a prank on her, and why hadn’t she got that student punished; but she had said that she didn’t know who had played the prank hence she can’t punish. As a result she had had to carry the same soiled bag to school for the remaining of the week, and she hadn’t even been able to sling it over her shoulders for fear that it could soil her uniform.

That day she had been so frustrated that she had wanted to immediately settle the score with him, but then everything she had thought of seemed to be too simple and childish. Sameer… the name sounded still so alien to her, and she liked to think of him more in terms of “that boy”; but she had to grudgingly accept that he didn’t just look good but some brains too, whether he applied the same in studies or not was another story but when it came to pranks or revenge he had outdone her the first time surely. Not again… That was why she had calmed herself, and tried to think what was it that they had done different. And the answer here was information and planning. He had found out quite a few details about her, how she didn’t know, but he had. And then he had spent some time to plan out things and acted the next day. So she had waited… even though she had seen him twice again in these three days on her way to school, she hadn’t done anything. She had noticed that he had looked at her with a puzzled frown, probably wondering why hadn’t she done anything, but still she hadn’t shown any sign of action.

Information however was difficult to collect. She had been to his school, sneaking in early morning, and wandered around, but there was nothing she could find. His name wasn’t on noticeboard under any class monitors; neither was he a member in the prayer group, nor among the toppers. She didn’t know which standard he was in, though he looked to be the same age as her, but then he could be a year older and study in 12^th too. She had looked through all the classes of 11^th and 12^th, scanning each bench carefully, but nothing… except a few really funny sketches and quotes inscribed in the wood. She had wondered if he had done it, if it was a clue, but then the sketches were spread so randomly all over the classes it would have meant that he sat in different classes on different benches each day. Cutting the wires of his bike was one thing she had thought of, but then no matter that he had gotten her punished, she couldn’t to the extreme end of harming someone physically. If she cut the wires and he used the bike, he could meet with an accident, it could be far more severe that being hit by a wooden scale. And if she cut every wire she could see then there would be a lot of expense in repairing the bike, which would mean it’s not exactly a punishment for him but his parents, unless of course they made him walk to school or use the bus, but being from a rich family that would hardly be the case. If his bike was out of order, then maybe his parents would drop their pampered prince in a car.

She didn’t know how to proceed, how to get information, and had been dispirited until yesterday when suddenly she had lucked out. When she had been standing outside her school gates after school, Sameer had gone past on his bike with his friends, slowing down some to stare at her, and after a few seconds she had heard a voice behind her, “why are they driving past this road?”

She had turned to see Kamya, her classmate, and asked, “why? They shouldn’t?”

Kamya had replied with a slight confusion, “Munna and Pandit live behind your society… and their friend Sameer, he lives about 3 kilometers away. They could directly take the main road from their school, no need to turn in this lane.”

Naina had been surprised, “you know them? All three of them?”

Kamya had smirked, “Sameer is the grandson of our trustree Jayprakash Maheshwari… Munna and Pandit are cousins, I know because… umm… Pandit had been trying to approach me since some time but I am not interested in him.”

Maheshwari… of course… why hadn’t she made the connection? How many Maheshwari’s and that too rich Maheshwari’s lived in Ahmedabad. He had told her his name; she could have used the directory to find out.

Naina had tried to contain her excitement at this information and enquired further, “what else do you know about them? I need to settle some scores…”

Kamya’s eyes had lit up; she had witnessed quite a few pranks of Naina and admired them, “really? With Pandit… please… say yes.”

Naina had laughed, “well… no. With that rich boy… Sameer. But, you tell me what you know and I extend my prank to Pandit as well. Deal?”

“Deal”, Kamya had jumped in excitement. And then information had started to flow about how Kamya had noticed Pandit loitering around the school and her home, how she had asked her younger brother to find out about him without letting her parents know, and all the facts that she had collected over the last two or three weeks. After she was done Naina had asked, “by the way… if you are not interested in this boy… Pandit… then is it anyone from the other two?”

Kamya had blushed slightly and replied, “umm… Sameer.”

Naina had choked, “what!!?? That rich spoiled boy? Are you mad?”

“He is so handsome”, Kamya had sighed, “but, he already has a girlfriend.”

“Poor girl”, Naina had muttered, and had left a day-dreaming Kamya behind.

Kamya might be foolish enough to be attracted to a spoiled boy, but her information was good. Naina now knew that Sameer and his friends liked to visit Law Garden to eat, they also sometimes smoked there apparently as preparation of growing up, and they liked to eat pani-puri with sweet chutney every alternate day after school at a specific laariwala. She also knew that on weekends they would go to watch movie, or play cricket, or loiter around Rajshri park. This much information was enough for her as of now.

She had taken the whole night to plan, and now today while watching Mahabharat she wondered about how to arrange for sources. After the breakfast was done she discussed with Preeti who was as usual ready to contribute in whatever way she could, and then she called up Swati who just enquired once if she was sure she wanted to carry it forward, but when she said yes, Swati also agreed. The remaining Sunday went in preparations.

On Monday morning, she woke up early and went to visit the temple first. It was a regular visit for her as she would come here every week, earlier when she had been small Chachiji would accompany her, but since some years she had started to come alone. She liked these visits, there was a sense of peace here, and often she would sit under the huge tree in the courtyard and dream about her future. This too she liked… She had many dreams for herself; about studying, about career… some about marriage too, but she didn’t like to think of them. She knew that her dreams about studying would be surely fulfilled by Chachaji, about career she was not so sure, and about marriage she knew that her family wouldn’t allow anything but arrange marriage… and probably they would choose some oily haired, chubby, pampered mumma’s boy who had a 9am-5pm job about which he would be super proud, and would only want a wife to cook and clean, and of course for other needs. That kind of boy would never express love like she wished for – there would be gentle smiles and silent goodbyes in-front of family, instead of mad and passionate love and screaming expressions of how much he loved her. He would take her on family holidays to Badrinath or maybe Nasik, but never take her on romantic dates on a beach or convert their own home into a dating place. He would show his love only when they would be in bedroom while outside that door she would be a dutiful daughter-in-law with pallu over her head, he would never try to steal kisses and hugs in kitchen or sneakily touch her in-front of family members. There would be restrictions and moral law, but no freedom to be what she wanted to be. He would gladly come with her to the temple, but if she wanted to dance in rain then she would be certified mad.

There were lot of such comparisons in her mind, yet she understood that nothing was wrong in real world. Pooja didi was happy with just this kind of man, but she… she wanted more from her life. However, she didn’t know how much she would be able to get in reality, which is why she stole whatever moments she could. If her destiny indeed was finally getting married to such a man then she wanted to give her hundred percent in that relationship, she never liked to do things half-heartedly, but maybe there would be some time in future when she would again dream of more, then she could close her eyes and think back of today and be happy that she had lived how she wanted to at least for some time in her past.

Sometimes she also wondered how it would be if she fell in love, but she would quickly withdraw from such thoughts… Love might be great, but it came at a great cost. Dreamy rich hero type boys liked to play around, make you believe how much they care for you and love you, but when the time would come to stand the test of love they would turn into featherless chickens and run to hide behind their mother. She had seen it happen to her older cousin, Anuja di, who used to live in the same society as them. She had fallen in love with a boy she studied with in college. There had been heavenly dates, romantic gifts, the rush of first hand-hold, first hug and then even the first kiss. But then… when the time had come to talk to families, she had done it, while he couldn’t. As a result when Anuja’s parents had gone to talk to the boy’s family they had been badly insulted for even daring to think of fixing their daughter’s alliance in such a prestigious family. When Anuja had confronted the boy he had said that everything they had shared was good but he couldn’t bring her into his family and anger his parents, so if she wanted they could continue their secret relationship until their parents appropriate match for them, otherwise she could choose to say goodbye. And Anuja had chosen to say goodbye… not just to the boy but to her life as well. A bottle of poison would have ended everything if Arjun bhaiya hadn’t found her unconscious in her room and rushed her to the hospital.

Even after one year of the incident Naina still remembered the horrible blue tint on Anuja di’s lips, her sunken eyes, the retching sounds from the hospital room as doctors tried to recover her, the loud screams of trauma as she cursed being alive again, the helplessness of her parents. She remembered how Taiji had made herself and Preeti sit down and given a long lecture about relationship between boys and girls or man and woman, and how girls needed to be careful. Chachiji had calmly explained to them that night about how sometimes men needed things in relationships, but if things progressed to that level, only women are blamed in the society. Pooja didi had gushed after her marriage about how wonderful everything was, and that Taiji and Chachiji had scared them for nothing. But even then Naina had understood… She hadn’t understood the details but knew that some things in a relationship happened after commitment or marriage, and if a girl is taking such steps with any boy before marriage then it is solely at her own risk. Society wouldn’t look at the trauma the girl was facing, just like they hadn’t understood Anuja di, and finally their family had to leave and move back to their ancestral village. She didn’t think Anuja di was wrong, she had truly loved someone and had been unfortunate that the boy hadn’t been able to reciprocate it, but she also thought that it was rather foolish to love someone so much as to cross boundaries without thinking of impact on family. Naina hoped she never fell in love, but if she ever did then she wanted to be capable enough to fight for it with her family and if needed also with the boy himself… If there was heartbreak involved it should be for both, it shouldn’t he just her loss but his loss too, and she would make sure he knew what he had lost… And if possible she would want it to be a successful relationship, not a fairytale which soft and sweet, but a real deal with its share of quarrels, pacification, fun, anger, with lots of trust and respect. And for that she needed to have her own identity, not be a girl who was always lost in the man she loved, but rather have her own independent life as well… She never wanted to be a damsel in distress but rather a warrior who might need an emotional shoulder but also would be able to stand by her man and fight, and if needed against him too.

The sound of ringing bell brought her back from her thoughts and she opened her eyes to check the time. Oh no… she would be late. She quickly got up and rushed towards the stairs, in her haste she collided with someone and fell down, a clang of metal rang in the air as a puja dish fell near her face.

“Ouch”, she yelped, and then immediately looked around to see a man sprawled near her, wiping his face which was smeared with turmeric and kumkum he was probably carrying in the plate. She got up and brushed her skirt hastily, then extended a hand to the man, “are you alright uncle?”

The man squinted at her, “yes, I am okay.” Then he accepted her offered hand and stood up. Naina noticed that he was quite tall, and was dressed in a white dhoti and maroon kurta. She apologized quickly, “I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

The man wiped his face with his handkerchief, and smiled benignly, “it is alright. I am used to a teenager rushing around at my home too.”

Naina’s eyes widened in recognition as the smears of turmeric cleared, “Oh… sir… I mean Mr. Maheshwari.”

The man raised an eyebrow, “you know me?”

Naina nodded, “I study in Pragati Vidya ka Mandir. My name is Naina Agarwal.”

He looked thoughtful, “Naina… Naina… It seems I have heard your name… uhmm… Oh yes, the topper! Principal Pandey talks about you often. You are… in 11^th standard, right?”

A quick grin flashed on her face, “yes, that’s me.” She knelt to pick up the dish and diya, and the scattered flowers. He also helped her, and smiled when she handed over the dish back, “thank you.”

Naina shook her head, “it’s nothing. And I am really sorry, I made you drop everything and your clothes are also dirty.”

Mr. Maheshwari chuckled, “just some turmeric powder… it will wash off. Now you run along, I suppose you were running so that you won’t be late for school.”

Naina nodded, “yes. Thank you sir. Have a good day.”

Mr. Maheshwari stood staring at the girl ascending the steps quickly and smiled… Such a bright, beautiful, and well-mannered girl. It would be a pleasure to meet her again.

Naina cycled back to her home and thought about how pleasant and kind Mr. Maheshwari was and look at what he had for a grandson. Though she hadn’t missed the fondness with which he had mentioned about being used to teenagers. And that brought her thoughts back to Sameer… This afternoon… The time for her first plan was this afternoon.

That day she again saw Sameer and his friends on the way to school, this time Munna was driving, and Sameer was sitting at the far end. He looked back at her, frowning, and she was tempted to smile at him… but controlled herself, as that would make him realize that she had planned something. Instead she tried to look bored, and glanced around apparently quite interested in the non-existent sceneries.

Sameer watched her check out the dull houses and shops on the road and scowled hard before turning back. What’s happened? Was their little game over? She didn’t have any more plans? Or had she given up? He had noticed that she was still carrying the soiled bag. Did that mean her family was not going to change it for her? Was she scolded so much that she thought it is better to back off? Sometimes he forgot that not everyone was like his Nanu… If he had gone home with a soiled bag, Nanu would have questioned him but then bought a new bag for him as well. But what about Naina? Her father already looked like heartless Hitler. Was the remaining of her family like that as well? And what about her mother? Pandit had told him of her father, Tauji, Chachaji and so many other people but nothing about her mother… And he hadn’t even thought to ask. He himself was so disassociated with the term mother that it was not a reflex for him to enquire. He had just assumed that Naina had both set of parents. But what if she was like him…? Just one parent, and maybe a step father or mother? And what did it matter anyways… What mattered was her complete lack of interest in executing anything against him. He had waited and waited… even drove by her school to instigate her. But she had simply looked back at him with solemn eyes not reacting even a bit. The calmness in her eyes should have put him at ease, but rather it hinted him of a storm… and the fine hairs on his body stood up in anticipation of the little hurricane she might bring in his life. He totally failed to understand his excitement, but he was looking forward eagerly to what she had in store for him. All these days he had been unable to forget how calmly and determinedly she had replied “yes we are” to him. It was as if she would ensure they met again and again, even it was against destiny. And he had waited for her to act… in fact he was still waiting…

That day as soon as school ended, the three girls rushed outside to their cycled and pedaled fast to their destination. They didn’t have much time. Stopping at the turn of a lane, Naina signaled Swati and Preeti to go ahead. At some distance, just in-front of a pani-puri vendor Swati’s cycle suddenly wobbled badly and she fell down. Preeti let out a convincing scream, jumping to help her. That did the trick. Surrounding people also rushed to help, including the pani-puri vendor who didn’t have any customers at that time. As they fawned over the girls, Naina stealthily walked up to the vendor’s cart, did what she had to do, and then moved to the crowd herself.

“Oh my God, Swati”, Naina exclaimed in horror and rushed to help, “are you okay?”

Together she and Preeti helped a limping Swati, and they moved along walking their cycles. At some distance when they were sure no one would look, Naina left Swati’s hand, and the trio hopped on their cycles taking a long turn to hide in the park behind the vendor.

“Let’s wait here”, Preeti suggested a spot.

Naina hissed in low voice, “no, not here… there. I want to see his face. And also that is the most likely place to park his bike.” She pointed at the parked cycles and bike to clear what she meant. In less than ten minutes Sameer came by with his friends, all laughing and chattering. They parked the bike just where Naina had anticipated; and she smiled to herself, “Well… Hello Sameer…”

They saw the boys walk up to the vendor, and Preeti brought out something from her bag. Quick as a flash Naina took the stuff, went to his bike, and didn’t take even a minute to finish her task. Then they waited, and watched.

Sameer ordered three dishes of sweet pani-puri, but the first large water filled puri that they gulped greedily made all three of them cough. Sameer commanded irked, “it is so spicy, add more sweet chutney.”

The vendor nodded and added more of the date-jaggery sauce, but his customers kept saying it was spicy and kept coughing until they were red in the face. The trio left their dishes and hunted for water. Helpfully the vendor poured them water in three glasses from a small jug he kept for his customers but when they took a large swig from their glasses, they spat out the entire content.

“What the hell”, Sameer roared, “this is full of salt. First you make us eat so much spicy pani-puri and then this…”

The vendor looked flummoxed, “b…but sir… I did not add much spice in your masala.”

Pandit wiped his nose, “why don’t you taste it then?”

Frowning, the vendor picked up a bit of masala and tasted… it was perfect. He mused, “this isn’t spicy at all… then what is it…” He dipped a spoon in the tamarind water and tasted, even that was okay. He took another spoon, and cautiously took a bit of sweet chutney from the small steel vessel he kept, and tasted… Oh God. He coughed… It was full of chilly powder. No wonder the more he added, his customers felt more spice. He sipped some water too, and it was indeed full of salt.

Spitting it out, he commented angrily, “someone has added chilly in this sweet sauce and salt in my water… what a prank to play. Must be some kids… Please wait sir, I will make another dish for you.”

“It is okay”, Sameer said, “we will come by tomorrow.” He pulled out money to pay, but the vendor refused to accept it as what he had served was horrible.

They boys walked back to the bike, with Sameer lost in thoughts wondering if it was just some random kids or Naina. How would he know…? He slung a leg over his bike and sat, and just as usual Munna and Pandit hopped on too even before he could start the bike. And the three of them together exclaimed, “ewww.”

The seat and handlebar were slippery; Sameer looked at his hand, soiled with something black… Grease? Oh hell… This has to be her.

Just then he heard laughter and soon spotted Naina, Preeti and their third friend whose name according to Pandit was Swati, emerge from behind the low park wall.

“You!?”, Munna and Pandit exclaimed, but Sameer watched Naina laugh with some amount of fascination.

Naina caught his eyes, and flashed a bright grin at him, “so… like the sweet pani-puri?”

Sameer raised an eyebrow, “it was as sweet as you, thank you. And nothing to say about this grease?”

She struck a pose like a doll or a kid with her hands clasped on the left side, body angled at her waist to the right side, and fluttered her lashes at astonishing speed, speaking in a honey like voice, “oh what to say… Black looks so good on you Sameer…”

His eyes widened at the flirtatious tone, and before he could reply the three girls fled from there. He craned his neck to watch her leave, and for some time even forgot his greasy hands and bottom, over the joy that he felt on the confirmation that their game was not over. She had pulled off a prank again… and had again let him know it was her. That meant he could do something too…

Munna tapped on his shoulder, “done watching her? Then maybe you could think about how to go home now with our black asses?”

“Damn this girl”, Pandit cursed, “how are we even going to explain this at home?”

Sameer chuckled, somehow his spirits not at all dampened, “let wipe the bike down, and we can’t do anything about our clothes as of now.”

And so the three of them used their handkerchiefs, borrowed bit of cloth from the pani-puri vendor and wiped the bike seat and handle, all the while trying to hide their blackened bottoms from the people on the road.

That night Sameer sprawled on the bed with his walkman in his ears, but didn’t pay attention to the song, rather kept laughing to himself at regular intervals as he thought of the prank she had pulled off, her fluttering lashes, her voice and wondered how to continue this game now.

Nanu walked past his room hearing to his grandson’s giggles, but didn’t interrupt… It was so rare of Sameer to laugh like this at home, usually he would be occupied in his boxing or music, but today it was different. He wondered what Sameer was thinking about… maybe it was the grease on his trousers about which he was so amused this evening even though he had tried his best to appear dejected… Nanu smiled and silently prayed to protect the reason of his laughter forever.

While at the other end, Naina stood in her room’s balcony, watching the moon and smiling. She felt so good… It was not just the satisfaction of pulling off a prank but also the fun of having an equal partner. She had to admit that Sameer had indeed taken everything sportingly, not groused or grumbled, but rather his eyes had sparkled with something… It seemed he was also enjoying this game. Good for him… Anyways she had played her turn, now it was up to him again to continue their little game… As she went to sleep, she never even noticed that, she had started to term their equation or sparring as game, and not as revenge.