Part-Time Devdaas...

by Rugved Mondkar

  “...And I owe you for saving me from Renzil.”

  “I give up.” I said blowing air out, “So what now?”

  She grinned.

  “Let’s find you a girl first...” She frantically looked around the venue for a couple of minutes, “There...” She said finally zeroing on a girl, “...the girl in the red saree at the bar counter.”

  “She looks old ya, Aditi.”

  “You aren’t exactly a teenager either, so go, talk to her...”

  “Promise me you’ll stop irritating me if I speak to her?”

  “I promise, now go score some booty...” she slapped my behind.

  “I must be really out of my mind.” I muttered as I began to walk to the bar counter.

  “Hi, can I get a large of double black with ice and water?” I said to the bartender as I anchored my elbows on the counter. I checked her from the corner of my eye. The red low waist saree fit perfectly on a curvy, well-worked-out body. Golden brown hair tied in a bun, green eyes glinting warmth, diamond studded nosepin on a cute nose, blushing red dimpled cheeks, toothy heart-squeezing smile, pink perfectly carved tiny lips. I have to agree the girl was a total ten on ten. She smiled at me as she caught me looking at her.

  “Hi...” I smiled back.

  “Hi...” She said as her smile grew into a more complex one as if she knew me.

  “You seem to love drinking,” I said pointing at the two glasses she was holding.

  “Something like it.”

  “Cheers!” I clinked my glass on hers.

  “Cheers!”

  “So are you related to Raghu?”

  “I’m a friend.” She said, “You?”

  “Me too, his school friend actually.”

  “Really? I didn’t see you at Shashank”s wedding.”

  “I… wasn’t around then.” I said taking a sip. “You know Shashank too?”

  “Yeah a little bit.” She smiled.

  Not that I was trying to eyeball her cleavage or anything, but my eyes caught a glimpse of her mangalsutra that had been hiding behind her saree all this while. She’s married, a voice yelled in me. Whoever she was married to was a lucky bastard. As for me, it was time to abort ‘Project Finding Love’, for the moment at least.

  “I’m sorry, it feels really stupid, my friend back there...” I said pointing at Aditi, who in the meanwhile was getting hit on by Raghu’s cousin, “...pushed me to flirt with you. I didn’t know you were married. I’m so sorry.” Taking a sip from her glass she turned to look back at Aditi.

  “Does it matter if I’m married?” She said huskily and moved a step closer to me.

  “Yeah... it bloody does...” I stepped back.

  “How Arjun? How does it matter?” she said and grinned, leaving me confused.

  “First you bunk my wedding and then you have the balls to flirt with my wife?” I heard a familiar voice say before a mighty slap landed on my back.

  “Yaarrr, Shashank!” I wailed in pain. “It hurt...” It was so painful that tears spurted out of my eyes.

  “Does it, now? Bitch!” He said strangulating me with his long hand. “Haan? haan? haan?” Pressure of his hands around my neck increasing with every haan, “Do know how much it hurt me?”

  “Arrrggghhh...I’m sorry I missed your wedding...” I managed to speak in a choked voice. “Please leave me...”

  “Bloody bitch, at least tell me you seriously didn’t think I’d let you go that easily.” He was now punching me in my stomach.

  “Fucker, let him go or he’ll miss my wedding too and I won’t even get a chance to hit him if he dies.” I heard Raghu’s voice saying. Shashank delivered yet another mighty slap on my back before pushing me away. I breathed in small bursts that was coupled with coughing. I bent down holding my knees. Shashank’s outburst might have been a bit too nasty, but if it had been me in his place, I would have been only more brutal. It took a nice five minutes for the pain in the body to subside. I took a couple of deep breaths and stood upright. Meanwhile, everybody was staring at me.

  “I’m really sorry...” I said smiling at Shashank.

  “Come here, bitch!” he said and hugged me tightly. “Now we are even.”

  I had really missed him badly. Thank god everything was back to normal.

  The sangeet after-party, needless to say, was an amazing affair. Considering the possibility that it was the last one Raghu would ever get to organise, he left no stone unturned to make it unforgettable. Huge draperied shamiyanas were erected over a ten acre lawn, the top DJ in town played mind blowing music, Mumbai’s number one caterer served mouth-watering food and premium imported alcohol, and on call drivers waited to drop the drunken guests. The icing on the cake was, however, the personalised escorts he had hired to serve and refill drinks for the guests, and in some cases to give dateless guests company on the dance floor. It was by far the best Raghu-organized-party I had attended. It was its warm vibe that made it more special for me. I roved my eyes at all the happy faces around – Raghu, his to-be-wife Ruchika, Shashank, his wife Ragini, Mom, Dad, Raunak Uncle, Uma Aunty, and all our family members. Finally, I was around my people and there was no need to fake the smiles or hugs. The alcohol had done a magnificent job on me, so at the first opportunity, the bar girl in me erupted and took to the dance floor. The trademark down-market steps suppressed within me for all these years broke out making me the centre of attention. I had almost forgotten how it felt having fun with the people who you cherish the most. As the night progressed, the elders left, leaving us behind with never-ending alcohol and mind-trancing music. Raghu, Shashank and I were so busy bromancing with each other that we were totally oblivious of Ruchika, Raghini and Aditi dancing around us.

  “Raghu!” Ruchika said interrupting his raunchy booty shake.

  “Yes, yes, what happened?” Raghu said in a fright adjacent tone.

  “Shall we go home?” she said stroking his back, “It’s our wedding tomorrow, remember?”

  “But I want to stay!” He looked at me and Shashank for help; Shashank nudged me with his elbow.

  “I am not asking her. She scares me man, you ask.” I slurred to Shashank.

  “Pussy!” He said and macho-walked to her, “Can we please borrow our friend for just this one night. you can shred him from tomorrow on!”

  “Please, please, please?” I jumped in to make my contribution.

  “Baby, it’s too late. Let him sleep he’s got a long day tomorrow,” Ragini said to Shashank.

  “No, it is alright. He’ll be fine.” Ruchika smiled, as she shared a look with Raghu. “Have fun you guys.”

  “Hey Ruchika...” I said, “Can you please drop Aditi home?”

  “Yeah sure... come Aditi,” Aditi pecked me before leaving.

  “Honey...” Raghu slurred to Ruchika as she walked away, “Can you please ask the DJ to fuck off?” She smiled and nodded yes.

  “She’s crazy for you Randy...” Shashank said making a drink. “...I can tell from the way she looks at you.”

  “I know, who could have thought I’d find love in arranged marriage.” A smile propped on Raghu’s face. “I sort of love her madly too...”

  “Yes, that explains the ‘Honey…’ Sheeeee Raghu!” I said. “Cheap you have become.”

  “Aww honnneyyyy don’t be jealous, come hearrr, come let me kiss you...” Raghu said as he pushed his weight on me.

  “Oh yes honey, I’m coming, I’m comingggg too...” Shashank jumped on us as the laughing took over and choke-slammed us on the lawns.

  “I missed you guys...” I said as the laughing died down, “...I was so lonely without Devika and you guys.”

  “Oh yes, where’s Devika man, why didn’t she come?” Shashank asked Raghu. I cringed.

  “I had called her, she was being all weird, no idea why.”

  “What?” Shashank asked me sensing my discomfort.

  “What?”

  “Your face?”

  “What about my face?”

  “
This bhenchod pakka did something!” Raghu jumped as the guilt took me over.

  “What the fuck did you do Poncho?” I went silent.

  “He fought with her too, confirmed.” Raghu declared, “Chutiya Poncho she was the only one who stood by you, you kicked her too?”

  Silence.

  “What?” Shashank pushed.

  “Even worse...” I mumbled, realising it was pointless to hide the reality. besides, I had been carrying the weight of guilt on my chest for long. I had to share it with someone. “I got her pregnant...”

  A minute of silence after I told them what happened with Devika, floodgates of abuses opened on me.

  “Devika? Seriously?” Raghu was asking animatedly, “How could you?”

  “What the fuck were you thinking, Arjun?” Shashank was relatively less agitated.

  “I told you I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Is that supposed to justify what you did?” Raghu said.

  “How could you not even talk to her after it… she is ‘Devika’ man?” Shashank asked.

  “I was so ashamed, I just couldn’t face her. I screwed up big time, didn’t I?”

  “You literally screwed Devika!” Raghu chucked his glass and stood oscillating in front of me, “You listen to me Poncho, you are going to make this right, immediately, or the thrashing that Shashank gave you will be nothing as compared to what I’ll do to you. you understand?” I nodded a yes.

  A long period of silence later.

  “Poncho...” Shashank said, “How was it?”

  “You fucking bastard, she is like a sister to me...” Raghu threw a plate full of peanuts at Shashank.

  The hangover in the morning after a drunken escapade is a royal punishment. What makes it worse is the lack of sleep. My head felt like a jamming ground for percussion artists. I stood on stage behind Raghu with a thumping head. God bless the man who invented glares, for it masked my red puffy eyes and saved me from public embarrassment. Surprisingly, there was no trace of distress or aftereffects of all the alcohol we drank on Raghu’s face. In fact, he was glowing with happiness. I had never seen him having such clarity about anything in his life. I stared at Raghu in awe as he confidently clipped the mangalsutra around Ruchika’s neck. I guess you don’t need to prepare yourself for things like wedding. When the time is right, you just know it from inside. I looked at teary-eyed happy faces of Raghu’s parents, contentment in the form of the tears trickling down their faces. Karan Johar was right, it’s truly all about loving your parents. so now after Raghu, it was my turn to get my parents happy high on my wedding. I roved my eyes all over the venue, searching for prospective girls, who I assumed my overzealous mother would have already tapped for me. Yet again my glares provided me cover from being caught staring at girls standing between the sea of guests who were ready to pelt rice at Raghu and his almost wife on the mantra-ranting pundit’s cue. My radar so far had picked no match when my eyes fixed themselves on the entrance as she entered, looking ravishing as always in the golden and red anaarkali suit. Without a single blink, my eyes followed the face I had known forever, till it made its way to stage through over-enthused guests.

  “Sorry I’m late...” Devika whispered in Raghu’s ears before she came and stood beside Shashank. “Hi guys... did I miss much?” She said looking at Shashank, my eyes still glued on her.

  Finally the pundit was done reciting all the mantras needed to tie Raghu and Ruchika to each other for eternity. He took away the traditional cloth between the bride and the groom, and the barbarian pelting of rice at Raghu began. Our boy now was officially married.

  It had been more than two hours that Devika was around but she hadn’t spoken a single word to me. The reason, surely was my moronic response in the past, but I preferred to assume it was Advait, her fiancé who had accompanied her. Who Advait? Remember Mr Francisco? At last Devika’s father had succeeded in convincing her into getting engaged to him. I waited for the rest of the seats at the lunch table to be occupied so that I would get a chance to sit beside her, but when the time came, ‘The Mother’ chose to put me on display to a bunch of kitty party type aunties. By the time I reached the table, the seat was occupied by Advait. Muttering abuses to my bad luck, I took a seat Ragini had saved for me.

  “So Raghuvir?” Shashank said loudly enough to score the attention of all the ten people sitting at the round table. “What have you decided?”

  “About what?” Raghu said meekly, fully knowing he was going to be ragged.

  “About your name. I mean are you keeping your first name or is Ruchika changing it to something else?” Raghu buried his head in his hands as everyone at the table guffawed.

  “Shut up Shashank, or I’ll stab you with this fork,” Ruchika jumped to Raghu’s rescue before Raghu said anything inviting further ragging from Shashank.

  “See, now she won’t let him speak for himself even. Bye bye my fiery friend… thou shalt be missed,” Shashank said faking horror.

  “I should have come for your wedding. I would have embarrassed you so much, you would have regretted inviting me.” Devika jumped to Raghu’s rescue.

  “Yes, but you didn’t na, bloody ditcher. friends like you and Poncho should be caned,” Shashank said slapping my arm. Devika finally smiled looking at me.

  “Can we please stop the girly ranting?” Ragini gave Shashank a cold stare, silencing him instantly.

  “Now who’s the pussy?” Raghu hollered across the table, everyone guffawed again.

  “So, Advait, when’s the wedding?” Shashank asked as the laughter subsided.

  “That depends on her highness’ mood...” he said placing his hand on Devika’s chair. “...She hasn’t agreed on a date as yet. as soon as she does, I’ll fly her away to SF...”

  I saw Devika’s face flush the smile as the wedding date was mentioned; my stomach on the other hand cramped at the thought of Devika going permanently away from me. Even though she wasn’t always around in the past eighteen years, I knew at the back of my mind she would be accessible. All through the time Mr Francisco bragged about his life back in SF, Devika and I kept stealing glances at each other. I had missed her in the past two years, but only when she reappeared did I realize the magnanimity of how much I had missed her. Every time she looked at me, there were these unrecognisable feelings that launched mini tornadoes all over my body, making me highly unstable.

  “I think we should leave, lest will miss the flight,” Advait said to Devika as the lunch wrapped. She profusely coughed cleverly masking her displeasure.

  “I’ll just say bye to everyone and be back,” she replied as her coughing petered out. My eyes followed her as she skittered between Raghu’s relatives bidding the goodbyes.

  “Hey, it was nice meeting you.” I said to Advait as he caught me staring at Devika.

  “Same here, brother. If I’m not wrong I’ve seen you before.”

  “Yes, probably at Nishi bhaiya’s sangeet.”

  “Yes, now I remember! You are the guy everyone was talking about then...”

  “Yes...”

  “Let’s leave, I’m done,” Devika said, thankfully interrupting a potentially awkward conversation.

  “Oh sure. Bye Arjun, see you soon?” Advait said, I nodded yes with a smile.

  “Bye...” Devika said to me before she turned to leave.

  “Are you not going to tell her?” Ragini said as I stood motionless watching Devika walk away yet again. I mutely looked at her, “After what you’ve put her through, she deserves to know.”

  “Who deserves to know what?” Shashank asked entering the scene.

  “She deserves to know that he loves her...”

  “Who are you talking about?”

  “Devika.” Raghini said, I turned to her stunned.

  “Are you out of your mind?”

  “No, I am not, but you are blind. What you couldn’t see in all these years, I figured it out in a few hours.” She poked her fingernail in his chest.

  “He knows
what I’m saying.”

  She turned to me. “Tell her before it’s too late Arjun, again.”

  “But...” I said.

  “Don’t worry. She feels the same about you, don’t you know it already?” I smiled, “Now run!”

  I hysterically rushed to the parking lot as the fact that I was in love with Devika sank in deeper and deeper. I had no idea why I had not figured that out. Huffing and puffing, I caught up with her before she sat in the car.

  “Dev...” I said, barely able to breathe.

  “Arjun? What happened?” My furious panting continued.

  “I’m sorry...” I said trying to regain control over my breath.

  “Sorry for what?”

  “Sorry for being a dick to you, sorry for not being there when you needed me the most, sorry for letting you go away easily, sorry for screwing everything we had...” I gasped for breath.

  “I was so pissed at God for not letting me have what I wanted that I couldn’t see what I already had. I was so confused and guilty and angry at everything, that I could not recognise any of my own feelings.”

  She was quiet, looking at me with those huge eyes, so I continued, “I can’t change the way I feel for Hrida...” I took a few steps towards her, “... but what you and I till now didn’t know is what I feel about you is equally devastating. It took me two years away from you and one Mr Francisco to realise what I had lost and what I was about to lose...”

  I curled my finger to her pinky finger, “...you. I’ll fight every heavily moustached warrior in your family if I have to, but I’m not letting you go away this time. I’m sorry it took me so long to say this, but I love you Dev, not crazily, not madly, but fairly enough for us to last a lifetime...” I noticed the moistness in her eyes. Advait in the mean time had gotten out of the car.

  “Dev? Say something?”

  “Promise me you’ll roll joints for me till death do us apart,” she said as she took a step towards me.

  “I promise,” I said and held her face to kiss.

  The End

  After the End:

  “I might have exaggerated a bit when I said I’ll fight all the warriors in your family.” I said inching towards Devika as we stood in front of a hundred odd fierce-looking men and women of Devika’s family.