Okay, the oil massages weren’t too bad, but she could complain about those too, if she set her mind to it. They made her feel sticky and kind of yuck. Thank God for small mercies. Her room and the ensuite bath were too luxurious. Probably the only saving grace in the place.
And meditation! What the hell was that?! Why did one need to do that to improve one’s health? Chaahat found it tough to sit quietly in one place for more than a couple of minutes.
Then there was her stomach! It seemed to be in constant motion, something like a see-saw, and utterly confused by the strange diet on offer. Okay, the food was vegetarian. That she could tolerate. But wasn’t this supposed to be a health retreat? Didn’t they ask the patients—okay, the guests, as Sindhu Raheja would insist in her stylish, fake accent that neither belonged to Britain nor America—to starve, skip meals, drink vegetable and fruit juices instead of solid food? That was one of the main reasons that Chaahat had agreed to sign up for the programme. But here they were different. Starving is not the way, she was told, since the guests needed to be able to maintain the weight loss and not regain it once they were back to their routine life.
Okay, maybe she could have put up with all of that, if, only if, they would let her smoke one measly cigarette a day. What harm could that be? But then, she should have realised that Sindhu Raheja would wage a personal vendetta against Chaahat for sure, especially after the kiss she had stolen from Shaan inside the jeep.
Chaahat sighed softly, a smile on her face now as she stared sightlessly at the calm waters of the Mulshi Lake. Shaan! She was curious to know if he thought of her as much as she thought about him. More than missing him as a person, she missed his lovemaking. What a lover! He had been relentless in the giving of pleasure the night she had spent with him. And had had no qualms in taking pleasure from her either.
She had opted to give her cell phone into the resort office’s keeping before she began the treatment. They did let people keep their phones if they were insistent. But they had also clearly advised that focussing more on the treatments and less on the distractions of social media would be a great help. But in Chaahat’s case, it was more to safeguard herself from her parents than anything else. Dev had the resort’s office number and could contact her any time he wanted. And she knew for a fact that her brother would have told Shaan of her whereabouts if the man had made the effort to ask. It’d been more than seventy-two hours and he obviously hadn’t!
Chaahat shrugged her shoulders carelessly, refusing to admit to feeling hurt. Deep down, she felt it difficult to accept that the man who had taken so much interest in her health, the one who had made torrid love to her through one whole night, had simply forgotten all about her existence.
And now, here she was, stuck in this stupid programme, all thanks to Shaan. Why the hell had she fallen for his advice? Should she call Dev and ask him to take her away from here? She knew that her brother would listen to her for sure. But then, was she ready to admit defeat? And again, what other choice did she have as on today? The only way was forward and it looked like she needed to be as healthy as a horse before she began her career in fashion modelling.
Just now, the resort was also a place to escape to from her parents. Dev had sponsored her stay and treatment for three weeks. She wouldn’t spend any extra time, but shouldn’t she at least complete the twenty-one-day course before giving up?
With a deep sigh, Chaahat shut her eyes before leaning back on the recliner in the open area where guests hung out together. Yeah, the others did, while she refused to socialise with any of them. There were at least thirty other people staying at the high-end resort, a few foreigners among them. And a huge number of staff, of course. But Chaahat kept to herself, refusing to mingle, too angry with everything and everybody.
11
It was almost ten that night when Nishaan walked into Dr. Rajat Singhania’s private nursing home. He walked up to the receptionist and said, “I’m here to visit Aadarsh Ahuja.”
Sangram Singh, the receptionist-in-charge, stared at the tall man standing in front of him, a frown on his face. “It’s way beyond visiting hours, mister. Please come back tomorrow morning at ten o’ clock.”
“Is Dr. Singhania here?”
Before Sangram could reply, the doctor walked into the reception. “Ah, there you are, Nishaan. I was just wondering about you. Come along.” He placed an arm around the younger man’s shoulders and walked him down a long corridor before stopping at a door on the left. With his hand on it, the doctor said, “Three minutes max, Nishaan. Your father will never admit it, but he doesn’t have the strength to chat for longer than that. He needs to seriously rest to attain complete recovery.”
Nishaan nodded to the doctor before walking into the ICU where his father Aadarsh was lying on the bed with an IV tube connected to the back of his hand and another wire constantly monitoring his heartbeat. He opened his eyes when he heard the door open and smiled tiredly at his son. “Hello, Nishaan. Am I glad to see you!”
“Pop!” It was with great difficulty that Nishaan controlled the shock from showing on his face when he noted his father’s grey face. Aadarsh seemed to have aged by at least a decade since the last time he saw him. He bent down to press his lips to his father’s forehead, saying in a soft whisper, “How do you feel, Pop?”
“Much better after seeing you. How have you been, son?” Aadarsh’s voice was weak, unlike his typical roar.
“Not bad, Pop.” Nishaan pulled a chair close to the bed and held his father’s hand. “You gave Mom a shock.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Aadarsh grimaced through his smile. “But Rajat here tells me that there’s not much wrong with me.”
“That’s right.” The doctor agreed. “I’m going to shift you to a private room first thing in the morning. I’ll let you remain there for exactly three days after that. Then you go back home.”
“That sounds encouraging.” Nishaan nodded his head at the doctor before turning to his father again. “So, Pop, looks like you can get back to your regular life after only a few days.”
“I didn’t mean that exactly, Nishaan.” Rajat shook his head. “You father gets to stay at home, but has to take things easy. Yeah, the attack was mild, but the recovery is a process. He needs to take things easy for at least two months,” said the doctor in a firm voice before he left them alone.
“Okay. Well then, Pop. You heard what Rajat Uncle said. You can play king of the castle while Mom and I will get to play your loyal subjects. What say?” Nishaan grinned at his father.
“I like the idea.” Aadarsh winked at his son, his eyes searching Nishaan’s face avidly. “You’re looking robust. Have you been enjoying yourself?”
Nishaan’s grin turned wider. “Not in the way you think, Pop. I’ve been working on a commercial farm, as the manager. It was an experience for sure. I learned a lot about myself while there.”
“Aah! I’m so glad to hear that. So, are you ready yet to take your position at Ahuja Constructions?”
“Yes, Pop, I am. And I promise you that you won’t have to worry about anything there till you get back to work.”
Aadarsh looked at his son, pride in his amber gaze. Nishaan seemed to have grown up a lot since he had seen him last. He was bigger, broader and there was an air of maturity about him. Aadarsh was glad that his son had gone away to find himself.
Suddenly, he felt tired, more than before. He raised a feeble hand to touch his son’s head. “You go on and get some rest, Nishaan. Did you meet your Mom? I’m beat. I think I’ll sleep for a while.”
“Sure, Pop.” Nishaan got up immediately. “I haven’t met Mom yet. Will do that now. You go to sleep Pop. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He brushed back the hair from his father’s forehead affectionately. “Would you like me to call the nurse?”
Aadarsh gave a weak laugh. “Don’t you worry about that, son. There are two of them that Rajat’s got on my case. They take turns in checking up on me every few minutes. You go on.” His eyelids flut
tered closed as tiredness overtook him.
Nishaan walked out from the ICU, reluctance in his step, as he went in search of his mother. A nurse directed him to the private room that wasn’t far away. He opened the door gently to find his mother lying on a bed, staring at the ceiling. “Mom?”
Nalini turned with a jerk when she heard her son’s voice. “Nishaan!” She sat up on her bed, beckoning him to her side.
“Mom.” Nishaan sat next to her, hugging her close, rubbing her back soothingly as her body shook with sobs. “Come on, Mom. Pop’s alright. There’s no need to cry.”
“That’s all fine for you to say, Nishaan. You weren’t there when he had difficulty breathing. He held on to his chest and gasped. You don’t know how terrified I was. If not for Dayanand, I don’t think you would have seen your father alive.” Nalini had a tendency to dramatize issues.
While he had waited at the airport for his flight to be called, Nishaan had had a long chat with Dr. Rajat Singhania. Aadarsh’s life had not been in danger because of the healthy lifestyle he led. He ate light meals, mostly home-cooked and at regular intervals, his last meal of the day not later than eight in the evening. He also was particular about having fruits and vegetable salads with every meal. He jogged every day, for six kilometres.
“A lesser man would have succumbed maybe. But not your father, Nishaan. He also is particular about having a regular health check-up. This was just unfortunate. But well, we can only move forward. With some medicines and a lot of tender loving care, Aadarsh should be out of the woods pretty soon,” the doctor has assured Nishaan.
Nishaan hugged his mother harder. “I know, Mom. You don’t worry anymore now. I’m here and I’ll take care of both of you.”
Nalini sighed. “I am so glad about that. I’ll sleep better.”
“Did you have something to eat?”
“Yeah, I did. Sagar chacha had sent me a dubba.”
“Would you like me to stay here? You can go home and rest better.”
Nalini’s eyes welled again as tears flowed freely. She shook her head, saying, “I don’t want to sleep alone in that bed that I have shared with your father for twenty-eight years. I’ll stay here.”
Nishaan chatted some more with her, doing his best to cheer his mother up, only she was determined to remain sad. He gave up after some time and tried to distract her with his stint at the farm. But he could see that she was totally distracted.
Nishaan bit back the sigh that rose up his chest. “So, Mom, I’ll take myself home and get back in the morning. Are you sure you will be okay by yourself here?”
Nalini gave her son a reproachful look, but didn’t say anything. Even if it was a private nursing home run by their family friend, she was aware that it wasn’t fair for two people to stay back along with one patient, especially when Aadarsh was on the road to recovery. She gave a nod. “You go on, then. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Nishaan got up, kissing his mother on her smooth cheek, before wishing her ‘goodnight’.
He decided to jog the three kilometres to his house, needing to clear his mind. Rajat Uncle was the expert and he was convinced that his father wasn’t all that ill. But seeing Aadarsh on the ICU bed had shocked Nishaan to the core of his being. He had never seen his father sick, ever. His mother was the one who was fussy. She caught a cold or fever so often. If nothing else, she complained of stomach cramps and took to her bed. His father was always active and cheerful. Nishaan crossed his fingers surreptitiously, making a strong wish that his father got back on his feet as soon as possible.
His cell rang just as Dayanand opened the door to his bungalow. Nishaan grinned on seeing Chirag’s face before picking up the call. “Hey Chirag, just the man I wanted to talk to. How have you been?” They had been in touch with each other on and off during Nishaan’s managing stint at Wadhwa Farm.
“Nishaan, welcome back. I only wish it had been under happier circumstances. Where are you?” Chirag greeted his best friend equally enthusiastically.
“Just got home after meeting Pop. Why don’t you come over?”
“Exactly what I was thinking. I’ll see you then.”
“Awesome! Join me for dinner.”
“Done.”
Nishaan disconnected the phone to smile at Dayanand, shaking his hand. “Kaise ho bhai?”
“I’m fine. How are you Nishaan? Did you visit bade saab?”
“Yes, I did. Pop is recovering and there’s no need to worry, says Rajat Uncle. Has Sagar chacha made dinner?”
Dayanand nodded vigorously. “Haanji. Madam phoned to say that you would be coming for dinner.”
“See if it can be stretched for two. Chirag will be joining me.”
“Sure.”
Nishaan jogged up the stairs to the first floor and directly to his room. It was exactly in the state he had left it a year and a half ago. He had a quick shower before pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He stared into the mirror as he brushed back his thick hair and grinned at himself. He definitely looked older and wiser than the image that had looked back at him the last time. Thrusting his feet into a pair of rubber slippers, Nishaan rushed down the staircase just as Dayanand opened the door for Chirag.
Chirag grinned broadly at his best friend, looking him up and down. “I don’t have to you ask you how you’ve been. You appear to be on top of the world.”
Nishaan laughed, hugging Chirag. “That I am. How about you?”
“Awesome, man. How’s Aadarsh uncle now? Dad and I went to see him in the afternoon and…”
“He didn’t look all that good, right?” Nishaan grimaced. “I was also shocked to see Pop there in the ICU. But Rajat Uncle says that he’s out of the woods. No reason not to trust him as he really is damn good at his job.”
“That’s so true.”
“The usual for you?” Nishaan raised an eyebrow as he went to the bar to remove two glasses and a bottle of Black Label whiskey.
“Yes. And you? Did you get to drink since you were living in the job?”
Nishaan grinned. “Not really. And will you believe it when I say that I didn’t miss it? Not one little bit.”
“So, how was it, managing flowers?” Chirag laughed outright.
“You bastard. You know very well that I wasn’t exactly managing flowers, as you call it. Cheers!”
The friends sat down on adjacent sofas to drink their whiskey on the rocks. “You said there was a wedding while you were there.”
“Yeah, my boss, Dev Wadhwa, got married to his girlfriend Anya. Lovely couple, straightforward and down to earth. I really enjoyed my stint there. Dev has built a whole community around his farm. I really like the idea and am wondering if I can implement the basics when we construct homes for people.” He went on to discuss what he was thinking for a while before asking Chirag about his business.
“It’s going well. We have added more clients to our list. I’ve been busy with work and fun. Been travelling a bit too.”
Nishaan nodded, staring at Chirag unseeingly as his thoughts flitted to Chaahat. Chirag was in the advertising line. Maybe he would know how to launch a fashion model or at least someone who knew how to go about it. “Listen, how does one become a fashion model?”
Chirag grinned. “Is that what you are planning to do next? Managing flowers, fashion modelling…I wonder what next.”
Nishaan threw a cushion at his friend. “Listen you SOB, it’s not for me, but for a friend.”
“Would that be a male friend or female?”
“From when have you become such a curious cat? Does it matter?”
Chirag shrugged. “Of course, it does. But if you don’t want to tell…” he laughed.
“Okay, it’s a woman I met. She wants to become a fashion model. She…”
“Does this ‘woman’ have a name?” Chirag drew quotation marks in the air as he looked deeply into his friend’s glowing eyes.
Nishaan gave him a mock glare, saying, “Chaahat. That’s her name.”
&
nbsp; “Is she as desirable as her name suggests?”
“None of your business.”
“So, that’s how the wind blows. Are you in love?” Chirag was grinning ear to ear as he got up to pour himself a second peg of whiskey.
“How old were we when we last had a fist fight?” Nishaan gave the other man a sly look.
Chirag placed his glass carefully on a side table before raising his hands in a gesture of peace. “No thanks. You almost broke my jaw then.”
“Then buzz off.” Nishaan left his empty glass on the table before leaning back on the sofa.
“Don’t tell me you’re done. One more peg? Shall I get it for you?”
Nishaan shook his head. “Nope. Not really enjoying it.”
“Missing her already?”
Nishaan fisted his hand, studying it for a couple of seconds before raising his gaze to his friend’s. “I believe a broken nose attracts women. Do you wanna give it a try? I can help you.”
Chirag guffawed. “You’ve got it bad, man, really bad. I need to meet this Chaahat of yours. Where does she live?”
“In Mumbai, if it’s any business of yours. So, can you help her get into a modelling agency or whatever it takes?”
Chirag nodded, sobering up. “Of course. It’s easier in Mumbai and I do have a few contacts.”
“Great. Do you wanna drink more or can we have dinner? I’m famished.” Nishaan got up when he noticed his friend’s empty glass.
“Let’s go eat Sagar chacha’s meal. I missed his cooking while you were away from home. Our cook at home isn’t as good.” Chirag got up too, taking both the glasses and leaving them on a tray at the bar.
“Oh yeah, chacha makes the best tandoori chicken.” The two men went into the dining room to enjoy the elaborate meal the Ahujas’ cook had prepared, before settling down in the garden to chat through half the night.
Leo's Desire (Written in the Stars Book 2) Page 9