“I’m scared Dev. I don’t want to be so dependent on anyone. What if I never recover my memory?” she asked him pathetically, her eyes turbulent in her pale face.
Dev lifted her up to pull her into his arms, tucking her head on his broad shoulder, a deep sigh shuddering through him. He rubbed a large hand soothingly down her back, doing his best to calm her down. “I’ve been looking for someone to market my farm products. Yeah, they’ve been selling, but I’m constantly expanding the farm. Just last month I bought five more acres. I’m thinking of getting into organic vegetables with the extra land. The veggies market will be completely new to me. Would you like to learn more about flower and vegetable farming and do the marketing for Wadhwa Farm?” he asked. He had been thinking long and hard about this. Farhan had claimed that Anya was an expert at what she did. While the industry was different, it all boiled down to finding the right buyer and convincing the person to purchase their produce. And there was no need to rush. She could learn on the job. All this long, Dev had done the work himself. But with the expansion and all that, he found his time shrinking. He definitely could do with a helping hand.
Anya raised her head to look up at him warily. “Are you sure you aren’t creating the job for me?” she asked.
“Do I look like a foolish businessman to you?” he challenged, looking at her penetratingly.
She gazed back at him for some time, hoping against hope that he believed her capable of being his marketing person. She suddenly grinned, shaking her head. “That you are not.”
“Phew! You had me worried there for a minute,” he grinned teasingly. “Do you think you can come down for lunch or shall I have someone bring you a tray here?”
“I’m fine. I’ll...”
“Dev,” called Renu from farther away, interrupting Anya mid-sentence, making her wonder who it was.
Dev shut his eyes for a second, working at controlling his annoyed expression, before opening them. Before he could call out an answer, Renu had appeared at the entrance to Anya’s room. “Hello Renu,” he said in a neutral voice. The woman popped up at his home whenever she pleased, without invitation. He never said anything as she was friendly with his grandmother and he didn’t want to appear rude.
“Dev, I heard you’ve a guest staying with you,” said Renu, pouting at him. She was dressed in a short, shocking pink dress that stopped mid-thigh, her face full of makeup despite it being barely one in the afternoon.
“Yeah, meet Anya Chhabria, my guest. And Anya, this is Renu Gurnani, our neighbour,” introduced Dev.
“Not just neighbour, I’m his close friend,” insisted Renu, before saying, “Hello Anya.” She checked the other woman from head to foot, not noticing Dev roll his eyes towards the ceiling at her back. Renu dismissed the pale Anya as no competition. Dev couldn’t be interested in this waif when his vibrant neighbour was around. If she had entered the room all of five seconds earlier or without calling out to him, she would have been shocked to find the guest in Dev’s arms.
“Hello Renu,” said Anya, giving her a small smile.
“So, shall we go down for lunch?” asked Dev, “Or do you want to rest for a while?”
“Shall I be down in half an hour?” asked Anya, her eyes begging his understanding.
“Of course. We’ll go down while you have a much-needed rest,” he said, pointing Renu to the doorway, without touching her. That was another thing that bugged him no end, her trying to touch him at every opportunity.
Renu pouted at him, waving to Anya, before tucking her hand firmly into his elbow as they went out of Anya’s room.
“What’s wrong with Anya?” asked Renu, in a loud whisper.
“She had an accident,” said Dev briefly, managing to extricate his arm when they reached the staircase. “Renu, you go on down. I need to make a call,” he said.
“Let me wait for you,” said the persistent woman.
He shook his head. “It’s a business call. You’ll be bored to tears.” Turning away from her, he walked to the other side, taking his phone out to call Shaan. It was only a brief call to his manager and could have waited. But Dev was only doing his best to get Renu out of his hair.
Turning towards the staircase, he was not really surprised to see her waiting right where he had left her. With a deep sigh, he walked towards her, realising that she was too tenacious. Maybe it was time to deal with her a bit more firmly.
He nodded to her before taking the stairs speedily, not giving her a chance to cling to his person. To hell with chivalry!
“Daadima, are you hungry or can we delay lunch by half an hour?” asked Dev, sitting next to Meena on the swing, after pulling out a chair for Renu. “Anya’s a bit tired with the morning rounds and is resting.”
Meena nodded her head. “I have no problem, Dev. The poor child! I hope the exertion didn’t set back her recovery.” She looked at him with concern in her eyes.
Renu’s temper simmered as the two of them conversed as if she wasn’t around. “Meena Daadi, there’s nothing wrong with the girl. I saw her myself,” she declared, doing her best to draw their attention to herself.
Meena frowned, turning to look at Renu. “Can you please wait, Renu? I need to know something. Dev? Do you think Anya’s suffered a setback?” She had noticed her grandson carrying her up the stairs a while ago.
Dev shook his head, hugging his grandmother. “No Daadima. She’s just winded. I checked with the doctor before taking her out today. She’s definitely improving, though it will take time. I thought the fresh plants and flowers will prove to be healing.”
Grandma nodded with a sigh. “You are right. If you have checked with her doctor, then fine. There’s nothing to worry,” she smiled. Turning to Renu, she said, “Hahn Renu, what were you saying?”
Renu looked from one to the other with venom in her eyes. “Just that your guest seemed perfectly fine to me when I met her a few minutes ago.”
If Meena was angry, she didn’t show it, inherent manners stopping her from being rude to a guest. But Dev was too annoyed by now. “Renu, I think you should refrain from passing judgement as you have no clue to Anya’s condition. Are we agreed on that?” His tone was iron cloaked in velvet.
Catching the slowly boiling temper in Dev’s stormy grey eyes, Renu decided to shut up, giving him a small nod. She felt the jealous green monster rearing its head within her as she realised that the grandma-grandson duo were so protective of their guest. She would need to bide her time. First, she would have to find out how long Anya was planning to stay with the Wadhwas.
Anya came down in twenty minutes, feeling much better after lying down for a while. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting Daadima,” she said, smiling at Meena.
“Not at all beta. Did Dev make you run around too much?” asked Meena, getting up from the swing.
Anya’s answering grin lit up her face, making Renu wake up to danger. “Of course not Daadima. He even refused to take me to see the vegetable patch, insisting that I had already done too much for one morning.”
“What vegetable patch?” piped up Renu, visibly unhappy at not being the centre of attention. “You never told me that you grew vegetables, Dev,” she pouted at him.
Dev shrugged. “It’s Daadima’s pet project,” he said, tongue-in-cheek, turning to give Meena a small wink.
When Renu turned to look at Meena, the old lady said, “Yeah, you can say that. Chalo, let’s have lunch. I’m famished,” she said, changing the subject adroitly. While she admired her grandson for his green fingers, Meena personally could never identify a root from a shoot and didn’t interfere with any of the farming activities. If Dev wanted Renu to believe that the vegetable garden was his grandmother’s pet project, he must have his reasons for it. Meena decided to just play along. She also could see that Renu didn’t like Anya’s presence in Dev’s life. Too bad! Meena, for one, preferred the younger woman any day. Anya had way better manners than their rude and cynical neighbour.
They chatted about t
his and that as they ate their way through the paneer makhani, garlic naan and Hyderabadi mutton biryani with kachumber.
“Thank you Seema aunty,” said Anya, licking her fingers, “That was simply yummy. You must be the world’s best cook.” Seema gave the young guest a brilliant smile, touched by the heartfelt compliment.
“I’m sure there’s no need to gush,” said Renu rudely, “She’s only doing her work.”
Anya gave the other woman a startled look. “But a compliment will surely not hurt, will it? You saw it made her so happy. I...”
“Making the servants happy isn’t what we’re here for, are we?” challenged Renu, looking at Dev first and then at Meena.
Anya took a deep breath to cool down her temper. She never knew that she could anger so fast. She looked at the other woman calmly, refusing to answer her.
Dev shrugged. “There’s no doubt that Seema aunty is the best cook ever. And thank you for telling her so, Anya,” he said, raising his water glass in a toast to his guest, not addressing Renu. The woman had turned to be a thorn in his flesh, someone he needed to get rid of as soon as he could.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Neither Dev nor Anya realised the impact of their conversation on Renu Gurnani. Fuming, she gritted her teeth and continued to smile and chat, pretending as if nothing had happened, while the wheels turned furiously in her brain as she planned Anya’s exit from Dev’s life.
16
Anya and Dev left in the morning on Friday to keep their appointment with Dr. Adnani. This time, Dev flew the helicopter himself, surprising Anya yet again. She sat next to him, thoroughly enjoying the ride as she felt way healthier than their last outing.
Dr. Adnani was happy with Anya’s physical progress. “Your wound is completely healed. No worries there. Any glimpses of your past life?” he asked gently.
Anya shook her head, her lips drooping. “Unless you count the general stuff that I can remember. Like, I can manage to use my laptop and smart phone. I know how to drive a car. But then, I also know how to walk and eat,” she said with a bitter smile. She paused for a second, before saying, “I’m sorry Dr. Adnani. That was rude. Please forgive me.”
Dr. Adnani shook his head. “Not at all, my dear. Don’t tax yourself. You’re lucky to have Dev looking out for you.”
Anya sighed. “You are right, doctor. I should be thankful to have a safe haven to recuperate. Dev and his grandmother go out of their ways to take care of me. I’m truly lucky. But tell me the truth, doctor. What are the chances of my ever recovering my memory? I feel like an invalid at times.” She felt so sorry for herself.
“Well, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t remember your past. After speaking to your parents and your ex-husband, I don’t think you really underwent any mental trauma. The amnesia is only due to the shock to your brain. Now that you are completely healed physically, I don’t think there should be a problem with your regaining your memory.” He raised a hand to stop Anya when she would have interrupted. “That said, I can’t promise either a quick recovery or...let me be upfront. There have been a few cases cited around the world when patients never remembered their past lives. That again doesn’t mean that they cannot lead a normal life.”
“How can you say that, doctor? Can you even imagine what it feels like? I can’t remember a single second of what had happened to me for twenty-four years. How can you even suggest that I might be able to lead a normal life?” Anya’s brown eyes stared accusingly at the doctor.
“Listen Anya. I understand your anxiety and while I haven’t experienced it firsthand, I do realise to some extent what you must be undergoing. But you know the saying, ‘what can’t be cured has to be endured’. At least, you don’t suffer from physical disabilities. And your mind is still active and strong. You are able to form new memories. That’s a major plus under the circumstances.”
“I suppose.”
“The harder you try, the further your memories might seem out of reach. Try to relax more. Have you thought of taking up a job? Something light for which you may not need too much qualification?”
Anya nodded. “I’m planning to work as marketing manager for Wadhwa Farm. I believe I’ve an MBA degree in marketing. Let me see if the knowledge comes to the fore.”
“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t. This is an excellent idea. If you keep your mind occupied, chances are high that you might stop putting pressure on your brain to remember. The less pressure, the better chances of remembering. But then, it’s like my telling you not to think of a monkey while having your medication. Monkey probably will be the first thing that comes to your mind every time you take your medicine.” Dr. Adnani’s eyes twinkled behind his spectacles, bringing a smile to Anya’s lips.
She nodded, her face less pained now, giving him a smile. “Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Adnani, and your kind words.”
“Not at all, my dear. I wish you a speedy recovery.” He shook her hand. “Will you ask Dev to meet me for a minute before you leave?”
“Sure doctor,” said Anya, curious to know what he might have to say to Dev that the doctor didn’t want to utter in her presence. But well, she mentally shrugged, there was nothing she could do about it.
She stepped out of the consulting room, looking for Dev who was sitting back on a sofa, speaking on his cell phone. Seeing her, he excused himself before disconnecting the call, getting up to meet her halfway.
“Dr. Adnani would like to speak to you,” she said, “Alone.”
Dev grinned at her, touching her cheek reassuringly before going into the consulting room.
“Dev,” greeted the doctor, a big smile on his face. “Sit down.”
“And how are you Dr. Adnani?” asked Dev. He had liked the doctor since the first time he’d spoken to him. His presence was calming and he never seemed to panic.
“I’m fine, Dev. About Anya. It’s great that she’s able to recuperate at your home and she’s healing really well. But what I’m thinking is that your place is completely new to her. She didn’t know it before the accident. This is just an idea and I don’t know if it will really work. But it might help if she went to familiar places such as her own home in Mumbai or her office, if that’s possible. Even visiting her parents in their hometown might trigger something.”
Dev nodded, listening keenly. “Let me see what can be done, doctor. Just the mention of her parents seems to disturb Anya.”
Dr. Adnani looked at him keenly. “There might be something there and all the more reason to explore. But let’s give it some more time—maybe another month or two. Are you going to be in Mumbai for a while or returning immediately?”
“We were planning to return today. But tell me, doctor. What do you suggest?”
“How about revisiting her apartment and meeting her ex-husband Farhan?”
“We are meeting Farhan for lunch. And your idea sounds practical. We’ll take her to her home. I’ll see what can be done.”
Dr. Adnani got up, suggesting that the meeting was over. “That’d be perfect, Dev. As I mentioned to Anya, she’s very lucky that she has you to take care of her.”
Dev smiled. “To be truthful, I’m the lucky one. I would never have wished the accident on Anya. But if that’s what was required to bring us together, then I’m simply grateful that it happened.”
Dr. Adnani looked into Dev’s eyes to see the love shining in them and nodded, a smile on his face.
“Wish you the very best, young man.”
Dev shook the doctor’s hand before leaving.
“What did he say?” asked Anya, curious.
Dev draped an arm around her shoulders as they continued to walk down the hospital corridor. “That you’re recovering and it might help trigger your memories by revisiting your flat. What do you say?”
Anya looked up at him, her face pale. “Let’s do it. Do you know where to go?” she asked pathetically.
“That’s no issue. Let’s ask Farhan during lunch.”
&nb
sp; “Perfect,” said Anya, while her expression suggested just the opposite.
Dev guided her to a chair at the hospital canteen. “Would you like some coffee or tea? Farhan should be here in about 15-20 minutes.”
Anya sprung from her chair like a jack-in-the-box, terrifically restless. “You sit down Dev. And tell me what you want. I’ll go get it from the self-service counter.”
Dev looked at the glint in her eyes and realised that she meant business. “I’ll have a coffee,” he said, with a calming smile on his face.
Only it didn’t work its charm on the angry woman. Life had been fine at Wadhwa Farm. Why the hell did they have to visit the doctor? Dr. Adnani hadn’t been of any help in getting her memory back and returning to the hospital had only served to trip off a lot of unpleasantness for Anya.
She took an about turn and went to the cashier to pay for two coffees before carrying the bill to the service counter. It was difficult not to howl in frustration. It was fucking twenty-four years of her life, damn it. And even that, Anya only knew because someone else had told her. She could be twenty or forty for all she knew. She lifted the paper cups and walked to the table where Dev sat, placing the coffee carefully in front of him, refusing to meet his eyes.
Dev sipped his coffee, looking at the pinched face in front of him, not uttering a word. He could see that she was in pain and controlled the sigh that threatened to burst forth from within him. How much ever he wanted to give his support to her, there was nothing he could do about helping her get back her memory. But he could see that she was better off at his home. And being employed as his marketing manager would keep her mind busy, not giving her an opportunity to dwell on her past that was as good as non-existent. Without uttering a word, he took her left hand in his, giving Anya the silent support that she seemed to need so badly.
Flaming Sun Collection 3: Perfect Twins Find Anya (Box Set with 3 novellas) Page 18