CHAPTER 20
VIKRAM
As I drive us back to Ratna Mahal, Maahi is silent, seemingly lost in thoughts about our future together. I'm in my own world too, almost hallucinating about all the desires I have to fulfill with Maahi once she's my wife. When we arrive, Dad, Mom, and Daadi are all in the living room. I like seeing them together, even though none of them are speaking to each other.
“Daadi, what are you doing down here? You should be resting in your room,” Maahi scurries to her.
“I was resting all day, so I asked the nurse to bring me down. Vanraj and Meera were here, so I thought I'd join them.”
I glance at Mom, who looks perplexed about what Maahi and I are doing together. Dad wears the same expression.
“Where do you go these days, Vikram? We don’t see you very often,” Dad taunts.
“We were at Leela Mahal,” I say aloud, making it clear where I was and with whom.
Maahi glares at me, as if she doesn’t want me to reveal anything yet. That’s when Dad speaks again.
“Did Ajay call you?” he asks. Ajay is my personal assistant in the US office.
“No,” I finally check my phone, which I had forgotten about for the past few hours. I see Ajay’s missed calls and messages. “I think he did, yes.”
I quickly open the messages, but Dad explains before I can grasp the situation from them.
“Your presence is required back there, Vikram. We have some deals that need your attention.”
The very thought of leaving for the US again pricks my heart. I turn to Maahi, who looks equally shocked.
“Let Ajay know when you’re ready to fly,” he adds. I glance at Daadi, who doesn’t seem happy either.
“I will be here for some time to look after Maa.”
Daadi lets out a sigh. “You are staying here for other reasons, Vanraj, but you don’t have to wait longer. Maahi is here to look after me. You both should get back to work. I don’t want you to lose business or money.”
“If not thankful, you should at least be happy that your son is interested in staying a few more days with you,” Mom interrupts. “Please don’t hurt him like that.”
“Oh,” Daadi smiles. “I said this for your sake, Meera. I know you don’t like being here. If you all are happy away from me and Ratna Mahal, that’s all I desire.”
Daadi then turns to Maahi. “Can you take me back to my room, Maahi?”
Maahi and I both rush to help her get up. Dad was about to help but stops when he sees us. We take Daadi back to her room, and she decides to rest until dinner.
*****************
Back in my room, I make calls. Ajay updates me about the deals that are close to being finalized. My presence would make things smoother, but I’m not prepared to leave yet. A knock at the door breaks my focus. It’s Maahi. She has never willingly come to my room before, but now, seeing her at the door, I feel like pulling her inside and giving her a hug. She wants to marry me and stay with me forever after all.
“Can we talk?” she asks, entering and locking the door. I swallow as she turns back to me.
Maahi taking the lead like that is more than welcome.
“You’re leaving for the US?” she asks.
“Have to.” I nod. “Dad isn’t lying. My work there needs me, and it's been quite some time since I’ve been here. I initially thought Dad was pushing me back to handle the Devki Estate matter alone, but that’s not true.”
“When? When do you need to be there?”
“Next week,” I snap.
She paces in the room like she owns it. I watch her expressions. She’s in a dilemma. I block her way to stop her from pacing.
“Don’t worry, this isn’t going to change anything we’ve decided so far,” I assure her.
“So, the marriage is On?”
There’s hope in her voice. I want to cup her face and kiss her, to assure her I’d miss anything to make that happen.
“We’ll have to prepone it to this week,” I say.
She gives me a long stare, deciding if she really wants this. “Fine.”
Her approval is everything I wanted to hear.
“But I don’t trust your mother. She won’t let us marry.”
I agree. Mom doesn’t like her, but I have a solution I know Maahi will never agree to. I watch her pace in my room again, thinking hard.
“We should be worrying about Daadi too,” I add. “Though it was her dream to see us married, I don’t know if she’ll believe it easily. I want her to think we’re marrying out of love, not to resolve the Devki Estate matter.”
She nods. “Leave it to me. I’ll handle her. Can you tackle your mother?”
I don’t know why, but seeing her so desperate for this marriage makes me grin and also invokes some intense desires from the deep corners of my heart.
“I can tackle her now, but what will you do after marriage? She’ll be full-time with us.”
Maahi looks away, as if hiding something. I hope I’m wrong. A knock on the door scares her, as if she’s afraid to be seen in my room. She scans the room, looking for a place to hide, but I warn her.
“Don’t even think of that.”
She gulps, nodding in agreement. If we’re marrying, it’s high time our family sees us together often. I open the door. It’s Mom. She’s about to say something when she sees Maahi in my room.
“What is she doing here?” Mom asks.
“We were talking about something important.”
Maahi walks to us and smirks at my mother, who looks away. I exhale in a rush. Why is Mom so cold to Maahi? I realize the other day Maahi shouting at Dad has worsened their bond, but I have to fix it. Maahi says goodbye to me and walks out of my room.
“Have you decided when we’re flying back?” Mom asks.
“No. But I spoke to Ajay. He can handle things alone until next week.”
“Next week? I can’t stay here for a day more. Your father is so adamant about leaving.”
“Daadi is still unwell. She has to be fit to travel as well.”
Mom stares at me, as if I’ve said something unimaginable. “You mean she’s coming with us?”
“I can’t leave her alone here. She’s stayed years without us, not anymore. We are her family, Mom. If we don’t welcome her, who will?”
“No, that’s not my point. You think I never invited her to the US? I have, Vikram. But she has always refused.”
“I’ll speak to her this time. She won’t deny me.”
Mom shrugs. I see she’s happy I’ve decided to leave, and even if we take Daadi along, she doesn’t mind.
“Fine. Speak to her.”
She palms my cheek and walks out. What she hasn’t realized is that we’ll take Maahi along too. She’s soon going to be my wife and will stay with me. Damn! I can already see my dreams coming true. A lazy Sunday morning in my penthouse, Maahi waking up in my arms, and me kissing her until she falls back asleep.