by MV Kasi
"Good god, it's only four in the afternoon," she muttered, staring at her phone.
She somehow doubted that Samrat would be home and grabbed a sticky notepad to leave a message on his door. In their very brief exchanges last week, he hadn't provided his phone number for her to contact him.
Maybe it was deliberately not provided.
When she opened Samrat's gate, she was surprised to see a very young and very pretty girl waiting on his doorstep in a school uniform. The girl was listening to music on her headphones and was staring down at a device.
Mahi approached her slowly, not wanting to startle the young girl. But soon the girl felt her presence and looked up from her device.
Mahi frowned slightly as she felt something very familiar about the young girl.
The girl stared and removed her headphones. "Who are you?"
"I'm Mahi. Samrat's neighbor and uh...friend. I'm here to drop off something. Are you waiting for him as well?"
The girl frowned slightly at the introduction. "Mahi...now why is that familiar? Anyway, I'm Srishti. I'm waiting for my uncle and to drop off something too. Something very important for him," she said and flashed her dimples.
That sight and information hit Mahi like a freight train, when she realized who the young girl in front of her was. She stared at Srishti in shock and awe, feeling her heart squeeze tightly in her chest with intense longing.
Sidhu's and Ananya's child.
Mahi noticed that Srishti looked exactly like Sidhu, except for her big eyes that were like Ananya's.
Had I chosen a different course of life, and then had a daughter...she would have looked just like the girl in front of me.
Shaking her head slightly, Mahi remembered the promise to simply accept her past and not to regret it, unless she could do something about it.
"Have you been waiting here for long?" she asked Srishti with a tentative smile.
Srishti had a bemused expression as though she was still trying to recall something. "Hmm...no. I've been here from the past fifteen minutes. I got dropped off from my school bus. According to my mother, my uncle was supposed to be here at home this afternoon. Maybe his flight has been delayed."
"Samrat is out of town?" asked Mahi.
"Yes. He flew to Hong Kong...I think for a couple of days for a show or something. I really hoped he would be back by now. I'm sort of starving and it's so hot out here."
Mahi stood there uncertainly. It was a minimum courtesy to offer Srishti to wait at her house, and then offer her something to eat and drink to cool off. But she wasn't sure how Srishti's parents would react to that. And before she could make any decision, she felt Srishti's eyes assessing her shrewdly.
"Hmm, you said you were my uncle's neighbor and friend. So can I wait in your house? You can call my uncle and let him know I'm waiting there."
"I...uh...don't have your uncle's phone number, but sure, you can call him from my phone and...wait in my house."
Srishti dialed her uncle's number, but wasn't able to reach him. "He's not picking up."
Mahi almost wanted Srishti to call her parents and ask them to pick her up from Samrat's house, but she stopped herself from suggesting it, as she had nothing to hide, and wasn't going to cause any harm to the young girl.
So Samrat will pick up Srishti from her house. Big deal.
Writing a quick note that Srishti will be at her home, she stuck it on the main door of Samrat's house.
"Okay...let's go to my place. I live right across the street and your uncle can pick you up from there."
As soon as Srishti stepped inside along with Mahi, she heaved a sigh of relief at the cool air from the air conditioning.
Mahi offered her a glass of cold water. "I have some chocolate ice cream as well. Would you like some?"
"Oh definitely!"
Mahi brought out two bowls of ice cream along with some pieces of cut mango fruit and some banana chips.
While they were eating, "So what kind of music did you get for your uncle?" Mahi asked curiously.
Srishti told her about an extensive playlist, most of which Mahi didn't identify.
"Sorry, I'm not that up to date with the popular music. Actually, not with popular Indian music," said Mahi.
Srishti was curious. "Really, what kind do you like to listen to, then?"
"You can look at my collections on my phone."
When Srishti went through Mahi's playlist, she squealed. "Oh my god! We have the same taste in music. I love these songs, but I didn't know adults listened to them as well!"
Mahi looked at her sheepishly. "Well this adult does. I used to live in the U.S. for fourteen years until a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have the time or interest to follow up on the latest Indian music. So I just listened to whatever came on the radio and got hooked to that popular music."
"Oh. That's cool. Can I play these songs on your music system?" Srishti asked.
Mahi synced up her music system with her phone and let Srishti play whatever she liked.
Srishti grinned. "You know my parents and uncle call most of these songs screeching and horrible noises. I'm glad to know there is hope that I won't have a music taste like theirs when I grow up."
Mahi smiled back, still a little unsettled by Srishti's features and especially her dimples.
Srishti looked uncertain. "I have a strange favor to ask. But somehow you might be the only adult I know, who can possibly help me without jumping down on my throat...I think. I couldn't look it up online because my parents check my internet browsing history."
Mahi wasn't sure what Srishti wanted. "What is it?"
"Do you know how to cheat in cards? Especially at poker? My cousins have been cheating me in cards and we even got suspended the whole of last week from school...because our teachers thought we were gambling. But we weren't. Gambling I mean. We have a rematch soon and I wanted to know the different ways one can cheat. Not to really cheat others...but to know how others can possibly cheat me." Srishti got out quickly.
Mahi looked at Srishti who was staring at her with big appealing eyes, "Well Srishti. You've come to the queen of poker."
In the next few minutes, Mahi found her old poker set and began to show the different ways one could sneakily distribute the cards or even hide the cards during the play.
*****
Samrat just got back to his parents' city home after two weeks and was looking forward to a peaceful evening. He was about to enter in his lock code when he noticed the hastily scribbled note stuck on the door.
Srishti is at my house. –Mahi
He frowned wondering how Srishti ended up there. He knew she was supposed to come and drop some songs collection and play Stimmulus games, the new virtual video games his company was developing and testing since the past one year. But why did she not go home when she realized he wasn't back?
Unlocking his door, he left his suitcase inside the house neatly towards a wall, before closing the door and heading towards Mahi's place. Her door was unlocked again, and slightly ajar. He rang the bell and realized that it still wasn't fixed. He knocked on the door and waited.
He could hear Mahi and Srishti giggling over the 'music' blaring in the house. Getting impatient, he pushed the door open and saw both of them sitting on the floor bent towards a poker set. He doubted if they could hear him call out to them and he refused to shout over the music to be heard. He simply went closer and stood next to Mahi who was seated next to Srishti. Both of them had their backs towards him.
Srishti turned and saw him first and let out a screech loud enough to wake up the dead. And then Mahi turned and jumped, looking at him. She grabbed her phone and stopped the music.
Srishti stared at him with a hand on her heart. "My god, Samrat uncle! You gave us a heart attack. When did you come here?"
"And why didn't you knock?" Mahi glared at him, letting the word 'again' remain unsaid between them.
"I did. Several times and also rang your bell which is still not fixed. The woma
n shouting on your music system must have drowned out any other sounds," he said.
Mahi and Srishti looked outraged.
"She was not shouting," Srishti got out.
"And even she was, her shouting made her the bestselling album in the world and broke several records!" added Mahi.
He was amused seeing their outraged faces. "Fine. Fine. The melodious music must have drowned out my knocks on the door. Srishti why are you here playing poker with Mahi?"
"I got down from my school bus at the stop close to here. You told me yesterday that you would be here early this afternoon, and to come at four. Mummy said she'll send the car at six."
Samrat rubbed his fingers on the bridge on his nose. "Oh. Sorry, I completely forgot to tell Anu that I was getting delayed by a few hours. Anyway let's go. Mahi thank you—"
Srishti cut him off, "We are in middle of an important game Samrat uncle. Why don't you join us? Mahi aunty was teaching me how to play poker. Just for a few rounds. Please," she asked flashing a toothy dimpled smile, trying to lure him to play.
Sighing, he sat down on the floor opposite to them.
*****
Mahi noticed that even though Samrat was in his expensive business suit, he still appeared very raw and masculine in an uncivilized way, like a warrior hero on some dirty women's historical romance novels, who was about to plunder an innocent, but secretly willing heroine.
She got up from the floor, feeling irritated for thinking about him along those lines. I really must get a job soon to occupy my mind. She got back an ice cold bottle of water from the fridge and a clean glass.
Srishti was still distributing the cards and chips and Samrat politely declined any snacks. He just drank the water, surprisingly straight from the bottle by raising it on top of his mouth, not touching it.
Mahi stared at his powerful throat in fascination and looked away feeling like a voyeur. What the hell is wrong with you?
Soon they began to play and Srishti surprisingly had picked up all the techniques Mahi had taught her in the last forty five minutes or so. Both Mahi and Srishti were cheating, but Samrat was pretty good at poker.
CHAPTER 13
Samrat had been watching Srishti and Mahi acting sweet, sincere and calm from the past hour. Knowing both of them, he didn't buy their act, and caught on to what was happening earlier on.
"You know, it's not fair that you have the perfect face for this game," Mahi told him after their tenth round.
He watched Mahi in particular, very intently. She was currently smiling mischievously and exchanging conspiring looks with Srishti. It was fascinating that even though Mahi was his sister's age, she would never be what society considered as a proper wife or a mother material. She was unpredictable and had way too much drama going on in her life.
All of which I don't need in my life, he thought irritably.
He looked at Mahi with an even more exaggerated expressionless face. "Really? Is that the best you can come up with? Even after both you and Srishti planned to cheat your way through the game?"
Srishti giggled. "How did you know Samrat uncle? Mahi aunty was teaching me how to cheat, so I can know when others are trying to cheat me. I'm going to kick Abhijeet and Abhinav's asses if they try to pull a fast one on me the next time."
Mahi gave him a challenging grin. "Srishti, don't use your American slang that Mahi aunty taught you a while ago. Your uncle won't appreciate it."
He looked at Mahi and felt the same attraction he felt before, when he saw her two weeks ago. That attraction had scared him enough to drive him away from his parents' house to his house, and then eventually out of the country. But seeing her in a carefree and mischievous manner with his niece lowered his defenses towards her.
He smiled back slightly at Mahi. "Her uncle doesn't mind some harmless American slang."
Samrat and Mahi were smiling amicably at each other when Srishti shouted excitedly, "Oh my god! Mahi! Now I know where I heard or rather read about you! You were my papa's college girlfriend. His first love!"
Mahi and Samrat froze and Srishti was oblivious to the sudden tension in the room.
"He will be so excited to see you again. He loves only my mummy now obviously, but it'll be fun and you can all remember your college days like in the movies. Samrat uncle was your classmate too right? Oh that's why you told me he was your friend." Srishti continued blithely.
*****
Mahi couldn't get her eyes off from Samrat's face. The slight smile on his face had dropped and he was getting grimmer by the second.
They heard a car honking outside.
Srishti got up from the floor. "That must be my driver. It must six o'clock already! I have to go."
Samrat got up too. "I'll come with you to your car."
Looking at Mahi, Srishti said. "Bye Mahi aunty. Hope I'll see you again soon. It was so cool meeting you and we should definitely watch those new music videos together sometime. How about when I come to Samrat uncle's house again next week?"
Mahi ignored Samrat's grim look and smiled at Srishti. "Anytime Srishti. You are welcome anytime. Bye."
Samrat glared icily at her and followed behind Srishti.
Mahi stood near the doorstep uncertainly. "Hey Samrat. Can I speak to you for a moment when you are free? I have something for you."
He looked at her. "I have something to say to you too," he told her ominously and went to drop Srishti by her car.
When Samrat and Srishti began chatting near the car, Mahi went back inside the house.
"I didn't do anything wrong. So Tarzan can stuff it," Mahi muttered, clearing up the glasses and snack plates from the living room.
She heard the car door close and also could hear the car drive away. She didn't know if her heart was beating loudly in anticipation or in fear.
A few seconds later, Samrat stood near her doorway. "I want you to stay away from my niece," he warned softly with a grim expression.
It was so unfair that she immediately went on the offensive. "Maybe you should ask Srishti to stay away from me!"
His body tensed and he appeared even taller and bigger. "If you do anything or even say anything to my niece to harm my family in anyway—"
"Then you'll do what to me?" she provoked him.
He looked down at her. "I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life," he said softly.
His expression was fierce and filled with menace. It was probably the same look he often used to intimidate many powerful opponents in his business world.
But Mahi just scoffed. "There is nothing you can do to ever hurt me. I've already seen and experienced the worst. But seriously, what do you think I'd do to her? She is a kid!"
He still didn't move from the doorway. "I don't know what you'll do, yet. But consider this as the last warning and stay away from my family."
She was so angry at him that she wanted to whack him, even if she had wanted to apologize to him just a few hours ago. "I haven't planned anything. So get that thought out of your paranoid and suspicious mind. I was at your door to drop my land papers and saw Srishti waiting there."
When she picked up the papers from her dining table, she heard him say, "I somehow doubt it was a coincidence. You must have wanted something. That was usually how you operated."
She almost wanted to tear up the papers, just to annoy him, and say that the deal was off. But she controlled herself as didn't want to stop the senior community project based on his petty behavior.
Glaring at him, her eyes took in his neck tie, pristine white shirt and then his navy blue business suit. He was the founder of a large corporation with thousands of jobs. Some of those jobs were the kind that someone like her could do. And a job that she desperately wanted to do.
She could almost see an aha moment bulb glow on top of her head, but she needed to tackle it carefully.
"I will sell you my land..." she began slowly, and then, "only if you promise to give me a job in your company," she blurted out before she lost her nerve.
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There was a few seconds of absolute silence and then,
He looked furious. "What?"
"I said—"
"I heard you. But what do you mean by you won't sell me the land, unless I meet your ridiculous demands?" he demanded.
She walked towards him, but stood a couple of feet away as a precaution. Just in case his hands decide to get grabby with me again.
"Look. I badly need a job and you were right. I do need something in return for selling you my land," she told him with a sweet smile.
"No. And I will not be blackmailed. Especially by you," he growled.
She sighed. "Blackmail? Stop being so overly dramatic. I was just asking for a measly job offer from your company. As an analyst or something on the computer programming side. As a trainee even. I will even pay you for it. But I need to do something that stimulates my mind. I'm going crazy at home."
He didn't look convinced and was still extremely suspicious of her motives. "Why would you need a job when you have enough money to live comfortably? You could do a lot of other helpful things. And why do you want a job in my company?"
She sighed again. "I've already told you. I'm bored! I know that there are other things I could do. And also that there a hundreds of people like you, waiting to lecture me on what I can or cannot do with my own money. But I want to do what I enjoy. I used to work as an IT consultant before, but that was almost five years ago. I don't think I can get a similar job easily with my current skill set. And you are the only person I know in this city who can easily find me a job."
He still looked skeptical, but didn't seem angry at her anymore.
"Please Samrat. I beg you. You can kill me later, but don't let me die of sheer boredom!"
He scoffed at her dramatics.
Mahi knew he was relenting a little, so she threw in more incentives. "And think of the bright side. I won't have the time or energy to be in your family's way."
He just stood quietly without commenting on it for a few seconds. "I can't guarantee a job offer, but maybe I can get you a few interviews in my company. If someone likes your background, they can decide to hire you...or fire you if you can't keep up with the work. But I am warning you, this better not be some sort of elaborate game on your side."