Inconvenient Relations Read online

  “What about food?”

  He was touched. “We have a lunch meeting, new project, the selection process starts today. I’m nervous and excited at the same time.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Hmm…that won’t do.” He regarded her face thoughtfully. “I need something more, or I won’t be able to concentrate on my boss’s speech.”

  A stunned gasp escaped her mouth when he bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Next time around it may not be as innocent.” His eyes conveyed a sly warning, and he was gone before she could think of a clever rejoinder.

  Reconcile

  Ruhi raised a trembling hand to her warm cheek. “He dared to kiss me? He dared do that?”

  She pushed the blinds aside and took a guarded peek at the parking lot. He was waiting for her, leaning against the hood of his car, his eyes trained on the window, darned confident she’d be there. He raised his fingers to his lips and blew a kiss. Then seeing her stunned expression, he grinned, waved, and drove away.

  “Gosh!” She came away from the window and leaned against the wall for support, lightheaded.

  He seems to know exactly how I feel!

  “Why? Oh why, did I have to give myself away! Why couldn’t I keep my feelings in check?” she berated herself.

  Ruhi, it had to happen sometime or the other. You aren’t an ace in deception, are you?

  “No I’m not. But I could have been more careful. Damnit!” She kicked the dishwasher shut. “He manages to aggravate me all the time! I… I just couldn’t help myself.” She discarded the coffee dregs into the stainless steel trash can, and it slammed close with a loud clang that made her jump.

  “Now I’ll always be at a disadvantage in his presence. He may not even take anything I say seriously. He’ll likely laugh it away. I cannot let him do so while I’m still undecided.”

  She continued to fret while pacing the floor. “What am I to do? I feel so alone and helpless. Nobody knows how complicated our relationship is, and I can’t tell them without putting his reputation in jeopardy.” She called home.

  “Mama?” she ventured after some hesitation.

  “Ruhi! Is that you, beta? It’s been so long!” Devyani’s voice came loud and clear as though she was standing right beside her.

  “Yes, Mama, I miss you so much!” Ruhi’s voice broke as her emotions took over. She wanted to reach out and touch her mother, revel in the warmth of her lap, feel her fingers comb through the tangles in her hair, and savor the food from her hands just the way she used to.

  A sudden wild notion. “Mama, can I come home?”

  “What did you say, beta? Did I hear you right?” The request was unexpected.

  “I miss you and papaji and everybody else so much. I just want to see you all.” Ruhi wasn’t exactly sure why she was doing this, but right now she was a nervous wreck. Being back with her family seemed like a fair idea.

  “For just a few days?” she added in a plaintive tone her mother was quite familiar with.

  “I don’t understand.” Her mother was upset. “Did you quarrel with damaadji, or have you developed some misunderstanding?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that,” Ruhi admitted. She didn’t want to willfully lie even though the initial game plan had called for seeds of doubt to be sowed in her parents’ minds.

  But the circumstances had changed. Shaan didn’t deserve his name to be dragged through the mud, especially in a community where bad news spreads like wildfire. Our relationship is complicated in a different sense, but if I tell mother the truth, she may not be able to handle it.

  She tried to bluff her way through. “Mama, can’t your only daughter come to visit just because she’s homesick?”

  She felt relieved to hear her laugh. “Of course you can. But will damaadji let you?”

  If your son-in-law came to know of your daughter’s plans, he would go berserk!

  “Just tell me if you wish to see me or not. Don’t bring Shaan into this.”

  “Beta,” Devyani said patiently, “don’t speak like that about damaadji. He is your husband and a very nice boy. We know he’s very fond of you and has never uttered anything against you. Indeed, just the other day he was all praise for your cooking and the way you attended to his every need! We were so happy to hear that.”

  Ruhi’s grip tightened on the phone; Shaan was making her position tougher than ever.

  “Listen to me, beta. I know you have just married, and both of you are still discovering each other. Your relationship is in a fledgling state right now and whatever you do may make or break it. Therefore, it’s important for you both to keep each other in the loop. It builds trust! You can’t just get up and come without asking him!”

  Trust! That’s the key bone of contention, Mother! Poor Shaan, he just doesn’t know how to go about winning mine. Though he is trying hard, I suppose.

  “Fine, I’ll let him know. Can Dad arrange for the tickets?”

  Devyani shook her head impatiently on the other side; her daughter was still behaving like a frivolous child. When will she grow up? “Ruhi, now that you’re married, you are your husband’s responsibility. Your dad will be happy to pay for your journey, but I’m not sure if Shaan will agree. As far as I can tell, he is highly independent and khuddar!”

  Ruhi saw her slim chance at deliverance fade. “But, Ma!”

  “Beta, every new bride goes through this phase. I know; I did, too. Just calm down now and talk to Shaan, share your anxieties with him. I’m sure he will understand. It is not prudent to come home now. It’s been less than two months since your wedding. Let some time go by, then both of you can come down together, or else he’ll miss you. You shouldn’t bother him so much.”

  I’m not bothering him. Not at all! Why can’t you understand, Mama? Why can’t anybody understand?

  Ruhi hung up soon after and lay her dispirited head down on the table. Her ruse had backfired, the doors of escape sealed tight. She could no more lay claim to her rights as her parents’ child. They had washed their hands of her soon after wrapping her in a fancy package and delivering her lock, stock and barrel to Shaan to do as he pleased.

  To do as he pleased.

  No! I won’t let him toy with me, nor will I let him dictate my will. She stood up battling the inertia which threatened to weigh her down. I have to do something, or I’ll go mad just thinking about it!

  She donned her running shoes.

  ***

  Shaan couldn’t relax; his brain wouldn’t let him. Not for the want of trying, he had tried…very hard. Not a single cup of coffee had touched his lips since about eleven, which wasn’t to say much to his credit since he had already consumed several ounces prior to that hour. He had tried propping his long legs on his desk and listening to soothing jazz in order to desist pacing the entire department and drive everybody else up the wall.

  But the noble attempt had to be terminated prematurely when Eric, his usually cheerful friend and neighbor had snapped at him, “If you don’t quit that constant creaking, I’ll throw your bloody chair out!”

  Shaan had taken heed and fled. He was in a slightly better state now, walking at a brisk pace on a path which circumvented the huge office complex. The fresh air and the sighting of the rare blue jay who seemed to have misplaced his natural compass, had helped significantly; it hadn’t thoroughly appeased him, but at least it had put a positive spin on things.

  He smiled as he ventured back into his building and reviewed the events of the day for the umpteenth time. It had been a phenomenal morning.

  It had begun with the shortest and most value-packed speech ever by his boss, Rich Jenkins, whose usual exceptionally long-winded monologues inclined to have a soporific effect. He had announced that NASA was looking at their company to build their newest spacecraft to Venus with a proposed launch date set for somewhere
in early 2018.

  “And Spacegenics has chosen us, our brilliant team for the job,” he said, pausing for the deafening applause. “But there is a catch. We are up against at least two other yet ‘unknown’ contenders” —he wiggled his fingers in the air, all the while grinning like a cheeky kid— “as though we don’t already know who they are, but the VP has asked me to keep their identities a mystery. It helps key up the enthusiasm!” His loud guffaw had set off a series of snickers across the room; they were all in dire need of some gaiety.

  “The preliminary research including the design is due within the next several months. I know the time is unusually short, but we are fighting for a $650 million grant here, and we want it! So without much ado, let’s get a move on!” He had ended with his usual fist-pumping gesture, an act which belayed his history as that of a successful former football coach.

  In one of the few candid moments they had shared, Shaan had questioned him about why he had left such a lucrative career. Rich had patted him on his back and said, “Son, I was bored to death chasing after that blasted ball on the field. It was way too easy. So I elected to change course and chase after the stars instead. They are much harder to catch.”

  Not long afterwards he had discovered Des was Rich’s third wife.

  “Damnit!” Shaan said to himself, “I want to be one of the leads. I know I have it in me. I bloody hell do!”

  Shaan’s demeanor was reeking with confidence by the time he reached his floor and began the long trek back to his desk. He had no reason to doubt his abilities; he had already proven himself quite a few times in his young career. But what stood between him and the rest of his future was a series of roadblocks. The least pleasant of these was a lengthy screening process mandated by the Homeland security office which included several long and cryptic interviews—hosted by a few stony-faced individuals who had been secretly nicknamed Gestapo (for want of hilarity)—background checks, and tedious mental and physical screening.

  “They just don’t want one of their gazillion-dollar babies to blow up midflight. That would be a global shame!” Eric had inferred with a laugh when Shaan had questioned the logic behind it all.

  I will get through without a hitch. I have nothing to hide, nothing at all. Shaan asserted, yet couldn’t get rid of the nagging memory of his ill-fated affair, which if discovered, could throw a cloud over the rest of his achievements.

  Casting a wide glance around the huge office space, he found it scantily populated. Few had been able to concentrate on their work in lieu of the suspense that awaited them and had taken off early.

  He paused near Sooj’s desk and couldn’t suppress a fond smile. The table was strewn with pictures, mostly of Debo and Anu but also a few of folks back home. He was truly a family man, someone whom he considered not just a dear friend but lately also a big brother and mentor. He had never approached him for formal advice but had always paid close attention to whatever he said and did.

  Wonder how he balances family and work; how do Debo and little Anu let him? Shaan thought, absently picking up a frame.

  How am I going to do it? he asked himself, finally letting the thought that had been his leading distraction take over. He opened his wallet and perused the photograph taken at the LA museum. Ruhi was expressing her disapproval with a determined haughty stance and a dour twist of her mouth, yet she managed to look lovely enough to make his heart ache.

  He had toiled valiantly all morning to ignore the sensation her silken skin had evoked on his lips. Instead of quelling his ardor, it had only caused to agitate it further. His desire to kiss her had been so intense he had been willing to hear her call him by that accursed name again.

  But she hadn’t.

  He lounged back in his swivel chair and addressed her image. “In the very few days you’ve spent with me, you have managed to breathe life into a dead and rotten soul. So much so, it has become a task to spend even a moment without pining to be in your presence, to hear your passionate voice, to gaze at your beautiful face, and lose myself in the depths of those unfathomable eyes.”

  “How do you achieve this, my darling? Won’t you reveal your secrets to me? Perhaps I could employ one of your own tricks on you.” He chuckled, then sighed.

  “But I know it won’t work, nothing has worked. You aren’t willing to trust me, Ruhi! What is a guy to do?” He thumped his desk hard with his fist, dislodging a heavy brass paper weight in the process. It fell with a resounding crash, perpetuating a flurry of four-letter epithets from across the room. Everyone was keyed up and on edge.

  “God I need some caffeine bad if I’m supposed to get any work done,” he grumbled knowing he was clutching at straws, but he had to give it a try.

  Finding the pot empty, he scrambled around looking to make some more.

  “Need assistance, handsome?”

  He spun around, nearly knocking Des down. She was crouched right over him. “No, thank you. Is Shiraz not here today? She’s pretty good at making sure the coffee keeps flowing.”

  “Shiraz got laid off a week ago along with a few others. Cost cutting, you see?”

  “Yes, I see,” Shaan nodded. Shiraz was a young engineer from Pakistan who had interned under him this past year, and he had noted her aptitude right away. He hoped she’d get back on track soon; she had a big family to support.

  “Perhaps I should get my own machine,” he muttered under his breath as he made to head back to his table.

  “Shaan, I need to talk to you,” Des said.

  “What about, the new project? You know about it as much as I do,” he said, his manner brusque.

  “No, it’s about us. I have to talk to you in private,” Des urged, stepping closer.

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Mrs. Jenkins. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do,” Shaan said with an impassive incline of his head before striding away.

  “Wait!” she called after him. “Rich and I are planning on parting ways. I thought you’d like to know.”

  He looked back with a lopsided grin. “Good for him. At last he realized his error.”

  Blood rushed to her face. “Shaan! I thought you’d be happy for me and perhaps we could, you know, get a fresh start.”

  He grunted, subjecting the vicinity to a quick once-over and spotted quite a few pairs of eyes watching with keen interest. Moving over to her desk, he scribbled briskly down on a Post-It note and handed it to her.

  She scanned the piece of paper. “You have the nerve to say you are done with me? How dare you!”

  “I was done with you awhile ago. It’s you who is suffering from short-term memory loss, hence the piece of paper to serve as a simple reminder.” His calm manner was belied by the unequivocal steel in his voice. “I wish you the best for the future. May you find someone who truly cares for you, but that fool isn’t me.”

  “Shaan, you can’t just walk away like that! You don’t know what I’m capable of,” she said, appearing frantic.

  “I don’t care. You can try whatever you want, but you can’t topple me. I’ve had enough of your threats,” he said in retaliation before finally slipping away.

  Crashing in his chair, he thought, Maybe I should ask for a transfer, but then why should I? When I’ve done nothing wrong! “Darnit!” Snatching up a sheet of paper, he hurled it on the floor.

  “Shaan! This is your statement of purpose—one you need for your interview, and, by the way, what scene were you creating with Des over there?”

  “Gosh, Sooj! Where the hell did you emerge from?” Shaan said, swinging around in his chair to see Sujoy standing there.

  His friend appeared unconvinced. “Don’t try to play the fool with me now! What kind of reckless buffoonery was that?”

  Shaan shrugged. “Well, right now, I’m not in the best of spirits, and I hate that woman!” he admitted candidly, hoping Sujoy wouldn’t probe any further. He did
n’t.

  His trusted colleague sympathized instead. “Me, too! I don’t like her either, but don’t forget, she’s our boss’s wife. And if rumors are true, she may become one of the project leaders.”

  Shaan was aghast. It was news to him. “But she doesn’t even belong in our group.”

  As if it wasn’t enough to have periodic run-ins with her, but to work under her! He groaned.

  “No, Shaan, not us but one of the groups we’d have to work with. Don’t fret, you have my vote.” Sujoy smiled reassuringly; he was concerned for his friend.

  “It’s still as bad!” Shaan muttered, loosening his tie; it had begun to hamper his breathing.

  “Howdy, my favorite men! How’s your wife, Sujoy? It’s your second, right?”

  “Hi, Des, how are you?” Sujoy responded, poking his friend, who had found something interesting under his table. “Yes, it’s our second child, and Debo is doing as well as expected. She’s not one to complain.”

  “How lucky you are. I’d despise it if Rich didn’t attend to my every beck and call!” Des chortled, her green eyes focused on Shaan’s bent back. “But then, that’s me. I hate not being the center of attention! Anyways, I’ll leave you two alone to your chatter, need to go home and fix myself up. We are having the VP over for dinner.” Then flashing a warm smile at Sooj, she said, “Be sure to invite me for the baby shower. Would love to get some culture and meet new faces.”

  “Sure, you’re on the list,” he replied, looking baffled as she sashayed away. “Why is she suddenly acting so nice, I wonder.”

  It’s because she wants to meet Ruhi! That bitch! “Forget her, Sooj! By the way, how does one woo one’s wife?”

  “What?” Sujoy turned to Shaan in astonishment, then burst into great merriment. “What happened? Did my sis kick you out of the bedroom?”

  I don’t think I’d even recognize the territory now!

  He glared at Sujoy. “It’s not funny! She just happens to be in a particularly mean mood lately. Just tell me, how do you manage to keep bhabhi smiling always? Or does she simply happen to be in love with you?”