Love Bi the Way

by Bhaavna Arora

  ‘Nice meeting you, Zubair, and also Gabbar,’ Rihana said excitedly.

  ‘It’s our turn, Rihana.’ Zara nudged Rihana to remind her of the purpose of their visit to the clinic.

  ‘You go ahead, Zara; I’ll join you in a while,’ Rihana said, completely ignoring Zara and concentrating on Zubair.

  Zara didn’t want to delay their appointment any further and took the leash from Rihana to lead Tiger inside. But Tiger would have none of it and pulled himself towards Rihana. She felt as if everyone’s eyes were on her now, all thanks to Tiger. Rihana got up from her chair and walked to the door of the clinic with Tiger, for he seemed to be in no mood to leave her behind. The moment Zara took him inside, Rihana closed the door behind them and sat outside with Zubair.

  ‘I can’t see him getting injected, and he is a little possessive about me,’ Rihana said sheepishly, subtly flaunting Tiger’s love for her.

  ‘Who wouldn’t be possessive for a beautiful girl like you?’ Zubair complimented Rihana, making her blush.

  ‘So what did the doctor say about Gabbar swallowing the pen drive?’

  ‘Oh yes! I’m worried about the pen drive. It contains all the presentations that I’ve worked very hard on in the past.’

  ‘You don’t keep a backup?’ Rihana asked, genuinely concerned.

  Zubair’s expressions told her he was in deep shit. ‘Life poops on you when you least expect it, Rihana, and I guess now I’ll have to wait for Gabbar to poop to get my life back.’

  While Rihana and Zubair were still conversing, Zara came out with Tiger, mission vaccination accomplished.

  ‘Truth is, I can’t stand the sight of needles, and Tiger is like my baby,’ Rihana said. Zara just shook her head, completely judging her.

  ‘Shall we leave?’ Zubair asked the girls.

  ‘Before that, let’s take a selfie of all of us with Gabbar and Tiger,’ Rihana suggested, and they all clicked a picture together. Zubair asked her to share the picture on WhatsApp; Rihana knew this was her golden chance to exchange numbers with him.

  They said their goodbyes and Zara got behind the wheel of her car. Rihana and Tiger piled in promptly as Kanhaiya would drive back Rihana’s car.

  ‘So did you ask him out yet?’ Zara asked Rihana.

  ‘It’s too early. Sweet is the fruit of patience, Zara,’ Rihana replied casually.

  ‘Early? Really? You had a full five minutes to ask him everything, including the brand of his chaddis,’ Zara said in mock horror.

  ‘That’s your job, girl—you’re the one producing elastics for them. And by the way, I have his number now, so I will have those details for you in no time. What is it that you can’t find out today with a person’s phone number? From his WhatsApp account to Facebook to Twitter and even to bank account details. Your life is virtually existing on a cloud out there.’

  ‘Great! What else would be important for you to find out? His relationship status?’

  ‘That doesn’t matter. A man is single as long as his wife or girlfriend doesn’t find out,’ Rihana said with a notorious smile.

  Zara crinkled her nose. ‘It doesn’t bother you? I thought it did when you found out that Saif was married?’

  ‘It did. But I’ve grown up now. I thought about it hard and then came to a conclusion that if a man is married I shouldn’t bother about his wife or girlfriend finding out. As a matter of fact, it should bother him,’ said Rihana, laughing it off.

  ‘No, silly! I meant his relationship status,’ Zara said in mock exasperation.

  ‘It doesn’t, Zara. Having sex is as natural to me as eating or pissing. How does it matter if he is married or not. I don’t know why people take it as seriously as the HIV virus. If a man has decided to have sex, he will have it anyway, with anyone he can. Men aren’t as choosy as women.’

  ‘Ugh! Rihana, this conversation is grossing me out. I refuse to have this conversation any more.’

  ‘How can a conversation on sex not excite you when the whole world is literally living on it?’ questioned Rihana.

  ‘Okay, tell me . . . What happened to the painting that the Maharani fancied?’ asked Zara, changing the topic.

  ‘She’s a maharani, she can have whatever she wants. She picked it up from Mr Khurrana and now he wants me to make him another. But I don’t work well with deadlines.’

  ‘Why don’t you give him the one you painted last night?’ Zara’s eyes lit up as the painting came back to her memory.

  ‘Neither can anyone afford to pay for it, nor is it for sale, Zara. There are some things money can’t buy,’ Rihana said seriously.

  Zara felt a strange sense of relief and satisfaction, because Rihana had just made her feel secure and loved in a strange way.

  ‘It’s a nice feeling to have Tiger around. He loves you so much,’ Zara mentioned, changing the topic again abruptly; she wasn’t as good with emotional talk as Rihana. Getting overwhelmed was the last thing she wanted while driving a car on Delhi’s busy roads.

  ‘Yes, and I know how to use him. How could I have met Zubair if it wasn’t for Tiger?’ Rihana grinned, though she didn’t mean what she said.

  ‘You’re a mean girl, Rihana. You say such things on purpose, just to freak me out. How mean!’

  Woof! Woof! Tiger chimed in, like he knew exactly what the girls were talking about.

  They reached Cupid, and Rihana began getting slightly restless and worried about Zara’s sleep. She was thinking of ways to say no to Zara if she asked for alcohol today too. Rihana didn’t want her to get dependent on it like she already was. She was lost in thought when Zara surprised her with her words.

  ‘I’m very tired and sleepy, Ri. I guess I should sleep. Good night, mean girl! Good night, my terrific Tiger!’

  Zara changed into her nightclothes as fast as she could and got into her bed without taking her medicines. She looked at the painting once before she closed her eyes, feeling happy at her new-found independence and this feeling of being loved. Rihana waited for a while to make sure that Zara fell asleep and then sat down with a drink to find some inspiration. When she couldn’t come up with any, she crashed on Tiger’s beanbag and slept with Tiger on her stomach.

  When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she got a hold of was her mobile phone to look at the time. It was one in the afternoon!

  And there was a message from Zubair!

  Zubair: Guess what?

  Rihana pinged back: Gabbar pooped the pen drive out?

  Zubair: Yes! And guess what?

  Rihana: Your presentations are safe?

  Zubair: Absolutely safe and running fine! I had to sanitize the pen drive before even thinking of plugging it in, of course. Anyway, I think we should catch up sometime for a play date for our dogs. What do you think?

  Rihana: Sounds great. When?

  Zubair: Today is Thursday . . . so let’s say Saturday?

  Rihana: Done!

  And just like that, WhatsApp had made life easy for her to hook up with a man yet again. She called out for Nandini and Gudiya.

  ‘Where is Zara Didi?’ Rihana asked Nandini.

  ‘She left in the morning,’ Gudiya replied.

  ‘We’re noticing a lot of change in her, Rihana Didi. What the doctors couldn’t do for so many years, you’ve done in one day. I didn’t know alcohol could be used for good purposes also,’ Nandini said innocently.

  ‘We have to keep a watch, Nandini. Keep our eyes and ears open for her. Repressed feelings are more dangerous than a snake in your bed . . . a very venomous snake.’ Rihana bit her own tongue and a dark mood settled on her the moment she finished her sentence. Her mortal fear of snakes coupled with those feelings that she had never shared with anyone made her sombre.

  When Zara returned home in the evening, she saw Rihana nursing a drink.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Zara asked.

  ‘Why does something have to be wrong, Zara?’ Rihana said half-heartedly.

  ‘When people wake up in the morning and reach
for a drink, and I see the same person drinking when I return, something has to be wrong,’ replied Zara.

  ‘Chuck that! Let’s say I am trying to find inspiration.’ Zara shook her head. Rihana continued, ‘But you look quite chirpy. Is there any news I need to know about?’

  Zara nodded her head with a broad smile and pulled out a cheque from her pocket. ‘My first independent cheque,’ Zara said, beaming.

  ‘Holy mother of God! You’re a rich girl.’ Rihana jumped up from her chair and hugged Zara.

  The doorbell rang just then and Nandini answered the door.

  ‘Rihana Didi, there’s a letter for you,’ called out Nandini.

  Rihana went to the door and signed the acknowledgement sheet before taking the letter from the courier boy. She tore it open to find a cheque from the Maharani for the painting. There was also a letter in it, stating that the Maharani had opened a charitable hospital for cancer patients; Rihana had been invited for the inauguration of the same in Jodhpur next month.

  It also had two first-class tickets for her travel. Zara took the letter and cheque from Rihana and said excitedly, ‘Does this make you happy? Now flush that poison in the gutter rather than into your stomach.’

  Rihana was happy, no doubt! ‘No, silly, it gives me a reason to drink more. Zara, why don’t you take off for three days and plan a holiday with me to Jodhpur? Will you? Please, pretty please . . .’

  ‘Yeah right! You’ll be busy humping some royal prince there. And, pray, what will I do? Twiddle my thumbs?’

  ‘What are you saying, Zara! Humping doesn’t take time,’ said Rihana, and winked, to Zara’s horror. ‘I’ll be free after the humping, and we could do a city tour then. I’m sure the royals are very hospitable. It would be fun to stay with them and see how they live. Come on, Zara! Be a sport!’

  ‘I know you, Rihana. You’ll wake up in the afternoon and vanish in the evening. Don’t try to fool me.’

  ‘I’m serious this time. In fact, I’m getting serious about my life too. Seriously.’

  ‘You’ve used “serious” so many times in your sentence that my doubt has doubled. And by the way, how are you more serious about life?’

  ‘Maybe for a start, I’ll quit drinking in the mornings.’

  ‘That’s not enough for a serious life.’

  ‘I said serious, not boring. That reminds me, Tiger has a date on Saturday.’ Rihana beamed.

  ‘Tiger has a date, or you have a date?’

  ‘It’s just a day out for everyone. All of us are going to Happy Tails Kennel for the dogs to have a good time.’

  ‘I can’t believe that a mother would use her child to set up dates for herself. If Tiger were a human, do you think this would be okay?’ Zara said, going to her room to change.

  Kanhaiya came in with something wrapped in a newspaper. Zara swiftly got back and tore open the wrapping. It revealed the painting Rihana had made, now framed. ‘I thought I would get it framed and put it in my room,’ Zara said contently. ‘I feel good looking at this painting of me. One more thing to look at instead of the boring mirror.’ Zara paused for a moment and said in an intense tone, ‘You made me look beautiful, Ri. Thanks.’

  ‘You are beautiful, Zara.’

  Zara blushed and asked Kanhaiya to hang the painting in her room.

  Kanhaiya was rather uncomfortable to see such a painting of his employer, but as usual, he kept his opinions to himself unless asked and went about the task at hand.

  Just when both the girls sat down to have dinner, they heard Nandini’s husband, Harish, howling at the top of his voice, surely drunk again.

  ‘Nandini, come out! Come out, you fucking whore. I’ll kill you. I know you are sleeping around with him,’ screamed Harish, ranting.

  ‘Didi, please don’t send Mummy out,’ Gudiya pleaded. ‘He will beat her up again!’

  ‘Don’t worry, nothing will happen,’ Rihana assured her. She called out to Nandini, and instructed her when she appeared: ‘Lock the door, and both of you sleep inside till he gets sober.’

  ‘Should we report this to your father, Zara?’ Rihana asked, just to ensure whether this had to be raised as an issue.

  ‘No way! When it comes to drinking, he is worse than Harish. So he might not admonish Harish at all, but rather throw all of them out. Nandini will no longer be able to stay with us then. Please understand that it is a sensitive situation,’ Zara said confidently, sure of what the consequences of this act could be.

  That night, Harish crashed on the porch of the house after puking out his poison—both liquid and verbal—several times. In the morning, Nandini cleaned him up before anyone else awoke and helped him inside their quarters.

  The day started as usual for all the others in the house, except for Nandini, who was quite worried. She could not leave her husband, and at the same time, she also wanted Rihana and Zara to live devoid of the tension Harish was causing. She was walking a tightrope here, knowing full well the girls were there to catch her should she fall.

  When Rihana woke up, she decided it would be best to let Mr Manoj Khurrana know that she hadn’t found her inspiration yet. ‘Mr Khurrana, I was wondering if you could give me some more time on the painting?’ Rihana requested.

  ‘Well, we could meet up for dinner tonight to discuss the same, Rihana. I have back-to-back meetings all day today and will be free only by late evening. Does that suit you?’

  Rihana thought for a while and said, ‘Okay. Place and time?’

  ‘The Varq at the Taj Mahal Hotel at eight in the evening?’

  ‘Okay, I’ll see you there.’

  Zara got back from her office by six in the evening and Rihana requested Kanhaiya to drive her to dinner as she wasn’t in the mood to drive.

  ‘Do you have a booking, madam?’ the manager at the reception asked Rihana.

  ‘No, please check if Mr Khurrana has made any?’ Rihana inquired.

  ‘Yes, madam, we have a booking for you. This way, please,’ the manager said, showing Rihana the way to the reserved table.

  ‘Mr Khurrana said he will join you in a while. Still or sparking water?’

  ‘Get me a glass of white wine, please—Jacob’s Creek.’

  ‘Why don’t you try some of our finest Austrian wines, madam?’

  ‘No, thank you! Jacob’s Creek for me, please.’

  ‘Sure, madam.’

  ‘I haven’t come across someone being so sure of what she wants. Get her a Jacob’s Creek,’ the manager instructed the waiter.

  Mr Khurrana joined her soon after. ‘I’m sorry for being late. Hope you didn’t have to wait much,’ he said apologetically.

  ‘Not at all. There was wine to give me company. What will you have?’ Rihana asked.

  ‘I’ll have some juice. I don’t drink,’ Mr Khurrana said politely.

  ‘There is nothing that scares me more than a man who doesn’t drink.’

  ‘Why so? Bad experiences with non-alcoholics?’

  ‘Bad experiences are not just confined to non-alcoholics, Mr Khurrana.’

  ‘That’s true. So Rihana, about the painting . . . How much more time do you want?’

  ‘Mr Khurrana, the thing is . . . I’m not sure if I’ll be able to give it to you soon. And that’s why I wanted to ask you to approach some other painter, if you have any in mind.’

  ‘Rihana, one can see Mr Habib’s blessings and his training in your work—and do you know what it means to carry his lineage?’ He smiled sweetly. ‘See, we can’t compromise on the brand value and look, I know the Maharani has paid you a lot for that painting. But we can pay you more if that’s what you’re looking for.’

  ‘Not at all! When I was sure that I wanted a career as a painter, I was in a dilemma and asked Habib if I was making the right choice, as a painter can hardly live off his or her paintings. But do you know what he told me? “If you ever talk of money again, it will run away from you. Don’t chase it. Instead, chase inspiration. Make sure your passion becomes obsession.” And I stand
by that today. The brand value that you’re so proud of wasn’t just created based on the principle of economics. There will always be takers for good art, but we only give it to people who value it. What’s the big deal about money?’

  ‘Isn’t there value associated with money?’

  ‘Only for the person acquiring it, not for the creator! Shall we order some food?’

  ‘Yes, why not!’

  They finished dinner and the waiter came with the cheque.

  ‘Allow me,’ Mr Khurrana said, taking the folder from the waiter.

  ‘I won’t insist, Mr Khurrana.’

  ‘Even if you do, I won’t let you pay, young lady.’

  Rihana retorted laughingly, ‘If you insist, I’ll think of it as a fitting exchange for the honour of my company, Mr Manoj.’ She didn’t want to deprive herself of the small pleasures in life, like a man paying for her dinner.

  ‘You’re arrogant, Rihana.’ Mr Khurrana looked up without blinking.

  ‘Yes, Mr Khurrana! You just spoke about my brand value and also that you’re not ready to go to any other painter. Shouldn’t that make me arrogant?’ she questioned with a smile.

  He had to smile at that. Rihana called up Kanhaiya for her car.

  ‘I can drop you if you want. That’s another pleasure I would not like you to compromise on.’

  ‘Some other time, Mr Khurrana. Let me first get the painting ready. We artists hate to fight against time. I want my time to stay with me because when time changes, everything changes.’

  ‘I wonder how a charming and intelligent girl like you is still single!’

  Rihana just smiled in response.

  Rihana was enigmatically beautiful and that charmed Mr Khurrana; her words were well-chosen and Mr Khurrana appreciated immensely. He dropped her to her car and waved goodbye.

  Rihana must have only travelled for a few minutes when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Mr Khurrana.

  Thank you for your company. I had a great time and hope to get the painting soon.

  May you find your inspiration!

  Regards,

  Manoj

  Rihana replied with a smiley.

  On reaching home, Rihana could smell something really nice. Wondering what Nandini was cooking, she went straight to the kitchen and found Zara at the stove, which was a rare sight.