Knotty Affairs

by Chirag Bagadia

  Ashwin laughed, ‘What are you two up to? Are you both fooling around with us or what? Aneri feels she needs to support Aakash and Aakash feels he should not let Aneri walk away from her chance.’

  Becoming serious, he said, ‘Aakash, if you feel this is really required, go ahead. I have never stopped you from pursuing your goals and won’t do so even now. ‘But, Aakash, you need to consider this as well. You both were striving to make our live-in relationship work. From emotional blackmail to childish pranks, you tried all the tricks in the book. Now that we are finally moving in together for good, do you really want to lose out on it because you feel that your careers needs an international upgrade? Think about it, children. Is it really what you wish for?’

  Aneri spoke this time.

  ‘Papa, I really don’t think that we are losing out. You just gave us a winning trophy when you said that you wanted to get back together.’ She looked across at her father and said, ‘Dad, how can I forget the dream I have had for years now? But, I cannot forget either that it is Aakash who has brought me so close to my dream of being with you even after the marriage. So what if we are taking a break from our dream of being together with you all of you? It does not imply that the dream has shattered!’ She laughed, ‘It’s still our collective dream, but we will make a bit of a late entry into it.’

  No one in the room had the tiniest idea of what Aneri was trying to say. Even Aakash looked at her with wide eyes. She drew a long breath and tried to clarify. ‘Dad, my only reluctance in doing this course earlier was due to my concern about how you and Mom would manage all alone. Now, you have found people who care for you, who feel that your life is as important as theirs. I do not want you to let it go, Dad. That’s my final wish, Dad and Mom. You all just said that you are better off together. I want you all to stay together, with or without us.’

  Dinner had turned cold, but nobody seemed to care. In the long silence that followed, someone in the room whispered only one word,

  ‘Impossible!’

  Chapter 28

  A few months later Parking-lot podium, Ambrosia Apartments

  Hiranandani, Powai

  CHEERS ERUPTED from the open-air podium of the Ambrosia building, accompanied by clapping and whistling, as the spectators shouted: ‘Chhaya Aunty, you’re awesome! Yoo hoo… Kinnari Aunty, superb…Bravo!’ The loud whistles refused to stop. Chhaya and Kinnari gracefully whirled their yellow duppattas in the air and landed them on their heads with perfect rhythm, arousing another round of whistles and applause. The duo danced to the Hindi film song, ‘Ghar aaja pardesi, tera des bulaye re’ from DDLJ.

  Their husbands watched them with admiration, as it was rare for them to see their better halves put on their dancing shoes. Aakash, who was standing next to them, suddenly fished out his ringing phone from the pockets and went to a quieter place to have a conversation.

  It had been barely six months since the whole family had shifted to Ambrosia and they had become the hot favourites of the entire neighbourhood. Some considered them their icons, while some criticized them behind their backs for veering from the traditional route. Some still felt they were out on a holiday, while others prayed for their bonds to last forever. There was not a single soul in the neighbourhood that was oblivious to their existence.

  When the Doshis and Mehtas announced a party at the podium, all the residents, park buddies and relatives were surprised and wanted to know the reason for it. But the hosts decided to be creative and told the guests to guess through clues scattered throughout the party. From Kinjal, stepping on the stage dressed like Charlie Chaplin and dancing to ‘Mera joota hai Japani, ye patloon Englistani, to Mr Jawdekar, playing the tune of ‘Lambi Judaai’ on his flute, to the ongoing dance by Kinnari and Chhaya to ‘Ghar aaja pardesi’, the theme, a few suspected was related to moving out, saying goodbye or a declaration of patriotism! Devyanshi, the eight-year old granddaughter of Mr Pande snapped her fingers and said in her innocent childish tone, ‘All the performances are about NRIs and moving abroad. Kinju didi, have you got a marriage proposal from America?’

  Kinjal turned a bright red.

  As she ran outside, she almost collided with Aakash, who was returning back to the party. He heard Kinjal muttering under her breath, ‘That was close!’ At around the same time, Ashwin Mehta, who had climbed the stage, exclaimed loudly banging his hands together and rubbing them casually, ‘Aah…that was close!’ A loud applause filled the air as everyone clapped for the final speech and the big revelation. Aakash, who was out to receive the call, snuggled behind Aneri and whispered into her ears, wrapping her arms round her.‘Hello Mrs Aneri Doshi-Mehta, the authorities have approved of your new identity.’ He winked and placed a short peck on her left cheek. Aneri jumped in excitement and hugged Aakash. Their conversation was cut short by Ashwin’s voice booming from the stage.‘Wow! What an evening! As it draws to an end, I can see eager anticipation in everyone’s eyes about how it will end. Will we stay together? Are we separating? Has our “out-of-the-box” experiment worked? Or have we failed? It is but natural for you all to be excited and curious as most of you have been the part of this journey.‘Over the past three months, you have seen us dragging suitcases in and out, wondering what we were up to. Honestly, we ourselves were completely new to the turn of events and did not have answers to many things happening to us.‘Many of you have asked if we are migrating anywhere. That’s partially correct. Aakash and Aneri are shifting to London for a couple of years, owing to some fantastic career opportunities for both of them.’

  As he moved his eyes around, he witnessed few expressions of shock and disbelief and heard gasps and murmurs. Still smiling, he further revealed,

  ‘But…but…that does not mean that our so-called experiment has failed.’ Pointing to Bharat, Chhaya, and Kinnari, he pronounced, with a twinkle in his eyes, ‘We have decided to stay back…together! The kids will make a re-entry at a later stage.

  ‘Jawdekar, Pandeji, so, we are not done yet. A decade ago, I thought that Aakash didn’t want to grow up because he preferred to stay at home instead of moving out for higher studies. Over the years, I came to realize his refusal to grow up was really a mask for his love for his family. One day, he dropped the bombshell that we had to live with his in-laws. I tried to dissuade him from doing so as any of you would have done when faced with this choice.’

  He took a deep breath and looked at Bharat and Chhaya.

  ‘I am sure Bharat and Chhaya must have done the same thing. We, old ones, pride in abiding by societal norms. So had not we been compelled by our kids, we would have never realized that the autumn days could be this beautiful. In their concern for us, they showed us a dream which, albeit unique, is achievable. Aakash and Aneri told us that it was their dream to be with both their parents together. Never did we realize that one day their dream would be ours. Today, whenever I see an old person looking lonely and out of place, I wish an Aneri and Aakash in their life!’

  Teary eyed, he got off the podium and hugged Aakash and Aneri amidst huge applause and hoots. The whole family crowded around and held each other. Kinjal slipped a small gift-wrapped box into Aneri’s hands.

  It was a crystal globe with a 3-D photograph of Aakash and Aneri during their pheras, with their parents inside the circle!

  Aakash was jerked out of his reverie as the engine revved to life, making a deafening sound. Aneri was going through her mental checklist to see if all was in order, listening with one ear to the flight attendant’s litany of safety procedures.

  Aneri nudged Aakash and asked,

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  Aakash looked away from his window and turned towards Aneri.‘You know what? I was thinking of all the clichéd Hindi movies which always end with an airport climax. A divine realization dawns upon the hero and he throws the airport authorities in a tizzy to get to his love. I feel exactly the same way right now. I so wish I could stop this aircraft by some means and run home to the arms of our family.’

&nb
sp; Aneri pushed herself and leaned against Aakash. Folding her arms, she asked Aakash,

  ‘Do you really want to do it? I can easily bail you out.’ She winked. ‘You see, your wife is a pretty good lawyer.’

  They both looked at each other and shook their heads, exclaiming a ‘nah’ together. Aneri looked deeply into Aakash’s eyes and sighed. ‘Aakash, I hope we are doing the right thing. I mean, our dream has come true and we are not there to enjoy it. Will they stay together? Or did they just make a false promise so that we don’t feel hurt. I feel pretty anticlimatic here, as if the main leads disappeared before the curtains came down.’

  Aakash played with Aneri’s fingers. ‘I feel the same. But, maybe, behind those curtains, the show is still on. I am tortured by hundreds of questions in my mind right now. Imagine if you had not got your internship letter, I would have had to go alone. Or the other way round. We are lucky to have each other.’ The plane had now picked up speed on the runway. Aneri grinned and said, ‘Is there any chance yet? What was that movie we saw where the guy escapes even after takeoff?’

  Aakash laughed and punched Aneri mockingly. With Aneri around, he knew, they would always have fun and be happy. He looked out of the window again as Aneri rested her head on his shoulder. He admired the aerial view, as his mind raced back to the thoughts of past and future. The early morning sun spread its light on the earth, illuminating it to the core. He jerked his shoulder and asked, ‘By the way, do you know why Kinjal asked me to book a flight with a Dubai layover?’ he asked Aneri. ‘Kuchch toh hai! All her friends are returning from their Dubai trip tomorrow, while she has cut her trip short by a day to meet us at the airport. She has timed the flight arrivals to perfection. When I asked her, she said she wanted to talk about something important.’ He looked at Aneri sharply, ‘You both were talking a lot before her trip. Do you know anything about this?’

  Aneri drew her feet up on the seat and said, ‘Nope. Let’s just wait to hear from her.’

  One look at Aneri and Aakash knew she was lying. But he decided to leave the topic alone for the moment. He put earphones in his ears and shut his eyes.

  Epilogue

  A TALL HANDSOME man, in his late twenties, entered the coffee shop in Dubai Airport. Clad in a brown leather jacket over a blue denim shirt, he dragged along a heavy suitcase. Inspite of his dishevelled look, he managed to look attractive enough to turn a few heads.

  Aakash, who was sipping hot chocolate, saw the young man enter the café. He was seeing him for the first time. Aneri discovered as she followed his gaze. She also saw the look of shock on his face at the sight of the man’s companion. The companion, a young lady, had her eyes fixed on Aakash as they moved towards their table.

  To add to Aakash’s bewilderment, Kinjal swiftly got up from her chair to hug the handsome man. She then turned to Aakash and said, ‘Bhaiyya, would you like to make the introductions or shall I do the honours?’

  At a complete loss of words, Aakash took a moment to gather his wits about him and got up to greet Kashish as well as introduce her to Aneri. ‘Aneri…this is…she is…I mean…you have seen her in photos before. She is….’ He made a desperate attempt to sound normal again, ‘Aneri, this is Kashish Banerjee, my dental colleague. We used to be good friends back then.’ He said what came to his tongue first.

  Before he could finish talking, Aneri had extended her hand out to Kashish. ‘Thank you,’ she exclaimed. ‘You don’t know how much you helped in making our dream a reality by finding us the flat!’

  Kinjal then turned to the young man and said, ‘Bhaiyya, bhabhi, this is Abhishek Banerjee, Kashish’s brother. For a long time, I have wanted to tell you about him, but never found enough courage to do so. We love each other and would like to take our relationship to the next level. But before we involve our parents, I want to discuss the matter with you. Abhishek and Kashish have specially flown from the US to have a word with you here.’

  Aakash unclenched his fists as he slowly recovered from the shock. ‘Kinju, are you kidding me? Where and when did you meet Abhishek? Wasn’t he in the US all this time? I never had a chance to meet him for that reason.’ Aakash shook his head in disbelief and felt a vague sense of betrayal. His own sister…with his ex’s brother! ‘Bhaiyya, after you and Kashish separated, you were so shattered that we all reached out to whomsoever we could for help. Kashish had given me Abhishek’s email address earlier and I reached out to him for solutions to salvage your relationship. Nothing worked, but Abhishek and I stayed in touch. One thing led to the other and we soon realized that we had bonded very deeply.’ Stupefied, Aakash looked at Aneri, but she looked unfazed. She calmly said, ‘Kinjal had told me about Abhishek during the time we shared a room. Around the same time that you met Kashish, Kinjal took me to meet Abhishek, who was also in Mumbai for their father’s operation.’ Aakash looked accusingly at Aneri, ‘I knew it. I just knew that you are aware of it all this time. Why did you hide it from me? I am the only one in the dark.’ Abhishek, who had been quietly listening spoke now.

  ‘We are really sorry, Aakash. But after what happened back then, Kinjal was not sure how you would take it. I told her often to tell you about us, and each time she thought she would, she lost her guts.’ Aakash was in no mood to take the matter lightly. He looked at Kashish and said, ‘You know your dad will never accept them as a couple and yet, you allowed Kinjal to go ahead with this. Even after everything we went through.’

  Kashish spoke with a great amount of strain in her voice, ‘Aakash, Dad has changed a lot. He is no longer the same adamant old brute you knew him to be. And, Aakash, please don’t start comparing love. It was not meant to work out between us. But look at them. They are genuinely in love. Let them do what it takes for their story.’

  Aakash sighed. He knew what Kashish was saying was true. But, he didn’t want his sister to get hurt if things didn’t work out.

  Kinjal looked at his brother with a pleading expression, ‘Bhaiyya, you have no idea how you and bhabhi and your dream of a joint family have inspired me. You have instilled your dream in all of us. I know, you never intended to be a hero, but you have become one, willy-nilly. Today, I sincerely believe that I can dream of living with my parents and in-laws together. I know, circumstances worked for you both. The dream you have shown us seems far-fetched, but I can atleast dream about reconciling mom and dad with Abhishek’s parents. I am simply dreaming about achieving something, which failed a few years ago! Am I wrong, bhaiyya?’ Aakash suddenly felt lighter in his heart as he understood unequivocally that love could conquer all, and his arms embraced his sister. A heaviness that he had carried since his college days suddenly left him. It still sounded weird to him. His sister with Kashish’s brother. But then, he had accepted weirdness as the trademark of his life. Nothing wrong with it, was there?

  The final announcements for the Mumbai flight drummed through the speakers and Kinjal clutched her travel bag. Aakash hugged Abhishek and wished him luck. He looked at Kashish and whispered, ‘Please watch out for them. Make it work for them.’ As Kashish silently nodded, he embraced her with a feeling of deep companionship.

  They all parted in different directions with new dreams and goals to realize. It certainly was, mused Aakash, the dawn of a new day for everyone.

  About the Author

  DR CHIRAG BAGADIA is a Mumbai-based dentist who runs his own private clinic, Moonsmile Dental Care and Multispecialty. He has completed his BDS from YMT Dental College in 2008 and holds an MA in Yogashashtra from Somaiya College. When he is not busy designing smiles for his patients, he works as a yoga consultant, catering to high profile clients on a personal basis.

  His debut novel, Knotty Affairs is a powerful story questioning the roots of Indian marriage. A heart-warming tale about friendship, love, family, and everything in between, this book is a result of his longstanding aspiration and acute interest in creative fiction-writing.

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