Part-Time Devdaas... (31 page)

“Thank you, buddy!” he slurred in his rugged voice as he fixed the bottle to my mouth. “I owe you one,” he said and bear hugged me. He blew a kiss at me as someone from the dance floor held his hand and pulled him away.

I gazed around at the happy faces. It was a full house. Divya’s new girlfriend had flown down from Mumbai. I recognised her from the milkshake bath video. Everyone was there at the party, except for the lead pair of the film. I could understand Kunal’s absence considering what Divya did to his balls. But why was Neera missing, I wondered. At that very moment, all the heads on the dance floor turned to the club’s entrance. She stood there looking as ravishing as ever in a silver backless dress and high heels. I grinned.

Rocky greeted her with a hug and pulled her to dance. Neera’s face flushed seeing the girl Divya left her for. I don’t claim to understand the dynamics of a lesbian relationship, but how could anyone dump someone like Neera who was the definition of Miss Perfect, and that too for a hideous Gothic chick.

A few glasses of vodka, loud music and accumulated pain of watching Divya dancing with the other girl later, Neera took to the floor. Since there was no Kunal to cling on to, she found a gora from the local crew to dirty dance with. This time, however, her genius plan to boil Divya’s blood with jealousy failed. Divya left the moment Neera began her antics. Everyone around in the party was piss drunk to notice the tears seeping out of her eyes as she left the floor.

Although it was none of my business, I followed her to the roof. She sat on the wall crying. The view from the glass walled entrance to the roof was hallucinatory. Billions of tiny colourful lights twinkled at the foothill of the far away mountain at Camp’s Bay, needless to mention Neera whose silver dress glittered in the red and blue dancing light of the club’s huge hoarding. I waited for her to stop crying, but it continued till my drunk body could no longer stand, so I walked to the wall and sat beside her. She looked at me and bounced her eyebrows to say hey. Tears still passed out of those heart-stopping Bambi eyes. I smiled back and offered her the bottle of vodka I had flicked from the bar.

“Thanks,” she said twitching her eyes as she gulped a mouthful of it.

“You are welcome,” I said and gave stiff lipped smile.

Neera Dutta, India’s superstar, was sitting three feet away from me, drinking vodka from my bottle and crying, for real. Stars are always expected to smile, be happy and look beautiful. The moment they lose their masks, it becomes news. What these news hungry bozos fail to understand is they are humans too and their pain is as real as anyone else’s. It is nobody’s business to know what they do in their personal life.

“I thought you’d cry differently in real life.” I said looking at the twinkling lights, “But either way, you don’t look good.” I turned to look at her as she chuckled wiping her eyes.

A few minutes of silence passed and she broke down again. I know how it feels after a break-up, pain comes in waves when you keep realising  that the person you wanted to be with is no longer with you.

“I’m pretty drunk, you know.” I said and took a sip from the bottle, she looked at me with confused teary eyes, “So I can’t think of many things to cheer you up.”

She chuckled again. “You probably don’t need me to...” I ate rest of my words as she began to nod excessively.

“Nothing like that,” she croaked. “I’m glad you are here.” The last part shot my pulse.

“Its just that it’s... just... just...” she gritted her teeth.

“Painful... I know, break-ups suck,” I said. She took a sip of vodka.

“Like contraceptive pills, they should make a pill to annihilate the
after break-up repercussions
. I’ll promote it for free,” she said.

“Yeah it’ll be like the best break-up gift.” I laughed.

“Seriously, it is so painful. I feel like killing myself.”

“Ugh... tried that once... bad idea...”

“You did?”

“Yup!”

“Break-up?”

I nodded yes.

“How long were you dating?”

“Seven years.”

“Yikes!” She swigged a few millilitres and passed the bottle to me. “What was her name?

I cringed.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t...”

“No, its fine. I just realized I haven’t said her name out loud in a long time.”

“You really loved her bad.”

“Hrida, I still love her.” I took a deep breath. “But it doesn’t hurt that much anymore. More than my love for her, the pain was out of the fact that what I wanted didn’t happen, so I just made peace with it.”

“Wow.” She said and smiled. “Do you always analyse everything so much?”

“Well not exactly, but when my
Devdaasgiri
cost me all the people important to me, I had to.”

“Ahh... I feel so much better.”

“Knowing I got dumped after seven years? You are cruel.”

“No, no no… it just hit me that I was upset because she cheated on me. I’m not sure if I even loved her,” she said, more like talking to herself.

“Poor Kunal!” I mumbled.

“Huh?”

“His balls got caught in a crossfire between you and Divya for no reason.”

“As in?”

“Divya sort of took it out on him for flirting with you.”

“So my plan worked... It did set her off...”

“Yes, but why should he suffer?

“Ahh... whatever, he’s a sleaze ball anyway.”  Both of us laughed.

Silence swept the scene as the chilly breeze hit us.

“Thank you!” she said.

“For what?”

“For making me smile.”

“Oh that, don’t mention it.
y
ou’ve made me smile for so many years. I’m just returning the favour.” She blushed.

“I like you...” she said and grinned.

“You are drunk.
h
ere, take the last sip.” I passed her the bottle.

“No I am not,” she emptied the bottle and moved closer to me.

“Don’t tell me you are gonna kiss me now.”

“How you wish.” She raised her eyebrow. “I came close to listen to your story.”

“What story?”

“Your script, you wanna direct someday.”

“What makes you think I have a script for you.”

“I can tell from the way you look at me.”

“You are drunk; you are not gonna remember any of this tomorrow. Why should I waste my energy?”

“Try me...”

“You better not be messing with me...” I muttered to god looking at the sky.

He wasn’t. It was really happening. I took a deep breath and started.

“So there is this girl, Ananya...”

All I wanted to do after my return from Cape Town was crash on my bed and sleep for like a hundred years. Little did I know what was waiting for me at home. In the twenty days that I had been away, Ashwin had converted the house into his office. Practically every room in the house was occupied by Ashwin’s staff. Schedule boards, laptops, desks, set models, costume stands had replaced all the furniture in house. My room was converted into an audition room. The bed that I was looking for had disappeared. After wandering around the house between strangers, I found all my stuff neatly stacked in the balcony beside the best friend of my back pain, the couch. That was to be my bed. I was so drained that in spite of the gaggle and the cramped couch, I instantly fell asleep.

Three hours later, the blaring of the ringing phone woke me up. It was Rocky.

“Hey boss!” I said with a choked voice.

“What did you do buddy?” his voice yelling adjacent.

“I don’t understand...

“Neera called a minute back.”

“Yeah so?”

“She said you narrated a script to her in Cape Town,” he sounded annoyed.

“Yes I did.”

“Why would you do that? Don’t you like me?”

“I...  I...”

“I was gonna go on a vacation after
Heer
, but you screwed it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She liked it, you duffer!” He began to giggle, “She wants to start it as early as possible.”

I rubbed my eyes to confirm I was awake and not dreaming.

“Hello?”

“Yeah boss I’m listening...”

“So when can I read?”

“I’m kinda still writing it.”

“Okay then, you give me the final draft. I sign you then. Deal?”

“Yeah.”

“Say deal...”

“Deal.” I smiled.

“Get to work now.”

“Hey boss.”

“Yes?”

“You remember you said you owe me one?”

“I do...”

“Can you get me a place to live?”

“Consider it done. Pack your things and get ready to move.”

Five days after the call, I was staring at the key.

Godrej / 85163
, a steel key.

I kept staring at it as I stood at the door. A big wooden double door with a grill. The door to my first apartment. Rented, yet mine.

I
have to confess I love sleeping more than anything else in this world. Especially when it is a cold December morning. Being sandwiched between the warmth of a thick furry quilt and the bouncy bed feels heavenly. I lay there on my stomach with my face caved in the softness of the pillow, drool flowing out of the mouth while my lips locked themselves with the pillow. My right hand and leg hung down from the bed, while my left hand was tucked under the body and left leg sliding slowly all over the bed feeling the satiny smoothness of the bedsheet. I had no intention of giving up the romping with my bed, but then I heard Radhika scream hysterically.

“Poncho!” With my barely open eyes I saw her charging at me, “What the hell is wrong with you???” She said shaking me vigorously.

“There are twelve hundred people waiting for you and you’re still laying half-naked in your bed?” She semi-slapped my face multiple times to wake me.

“Waiting for what?” I groggily snapped.

“Your wedding!” She stared at me with the scary eyes.

“What?”

Flash!

I was standing topless on the stage in front of twelve hundred people, in my polka-dotted satin boxers.

“Dude what the fuck?” Raghu hushed looking spooked. “Why are you in your boxers for your wedding,” he said to me.

“What wedding? I never agreed to marry anyone!”

“Shit! SHE’s gonna kill you man.” I looked at Shashank’s panic-stricken face as he said it.

“Who the hell is SHE?” I jumped frantically to look at the face of the girl standing on the other side of the traditional cloth held between me and her. All I saw was a long ghoongat.

Flash!

“Dad!” I called out at the top of my voice as I ran towards him, “Dad, I’m not ready to get married.”

“Clearly...” he snubbed looking at the half naked me from head to toe.

“Baba I beg you, please help me.” I pleaded, “I don’t want to get married.”

“You know I can’t help you.” He said and disappeared.

Flash!

“Aai, what the hell is happening?” I said to my mother after I found her standing between the statued guests.

“Your wedding Arjun, remember you agreed to get married?” she said.

“Yes, but not blindly.” I said freaking out.

“You said you’ll marry whoever I choose for you.”

“Aai, what is wrong with you? I haven’t even seen the face of the girl you are forcing me to marry!”

“You have to get married, Arjun.” Her voice suddenly turned rugged like a zombie.

I ran.

Flash!

I was crazily running from one door to another but every exit door of the banquet was locked. All the guests who were statued all this while transformed into zombies and began walking towards me with wedding garlands in their hands, mumbling
“Marry Arjun marry!”
Finally some of them caught me and dragged me to the stage where the faceless girl waited for me.

“No!” I wailed but it was useless. As the traditional wedding cloth came down, the girl in her long ghooghat
zombie-walked towards me and tied garland around my neck like a noose. All the zombies began to clap.

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!! I screamed out loud as I woke up.

The rising sun, the mug full of coffee, the chilly December breeze and the extra spacious Italian window of my apartment helped the rotten aftertaste of the night’s nightmare to subside. I sat there absorbing the view and the atmosphere as the elements worked their magic on me. No matter how horrendous the dreams, my subconscious mind showed me that the reality of my present day life was way more exciting. Pain and the imbecile pursuit of self-destruction had abandoned me and my career had rocketed after Neera signed my film. I had patched up with my Mom, Dad, and Raghu so my loneliness was executed. I had more things in life to look forward to than weep over the past. One of the immediate sources of excitement in the next two days was Raghu’s wedding. I laughed at the visual of Raghu’s bride whipping him to sit, stand, and roll like a circus lion. I wondered that if someone like Raghu could be ready for an arranged marriage, what was holding me back. Nothing was, so I probably did the right thing asking ‘The Mother’ to choose ‘The Wife’ for me. And the speed at which she was hunting for her daughter-in-law, I was sure I was not going to be single for long. I, however, had to find a date for Raghu’s sangeet. I made another mug of coffee and knocked on her door after the doorbell refused to ring.

“It’s almost been a month and your doorbell is yet to be fixed. Do you plan to get it fixed anytime soon??” I said and smiled at Aditi as she opened the door.

“Coffee??” I asked as she sleepily stared at me.

“What do you care…you anyway don’t use it,” she croaked.

“So I was right; you
are
pissed at me. I’m sorry I didn’t reply to all those calls and messages.” I handed over the coffee mug. “But really I want to make up for it.”

“How? Dinner again?” she asked with glint in her eyes.

“Even better. Traditional clothes, dance, good music, good food, alcohol and of course, me...” I said the last part a little cheekily but it fixed an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

“Where are we going?”

“Raghu’s sangeet...”

“And why the generosity of taking me along?”

“I told you I want to make up for disappearing on you...” she raised her eyebrow tuning the volume of rest of my sentence down, “...and the last I checked, it’s a bad idea to pick up girls at family functions, so it’s better to take your own date.”

“Hawww! Dog!” She punched my arm.

“Be ready by seven, will you?” I said.

“I’ll see what I can do!” she grinned.

“How do I look?” Aditi asked concluding, dabbing her under eyes.

“Would saying ‘irresistible’ suffice??” I said as I parked the car outside The Royal Lawns.

“So there is a good chance that I’ll get to make out with you today, right?” She said gently clenching my collar. I felt a huge thud in my stomach as she came close. She probably meant every word out of her not-so-subtle flirting but no matter how godforsakenly hot her dusky body looked in that velvety deep blue cleavage and navel revealing sharara,
I had no intention to eat the forbidden fruit.

“I... I...” I tried to fish words out of confusion ridden mind of mine.

“Shit... look at your face...” she began to laugh crazily. I was handsomely embarrassed realising she was joking.

“Ahh... you spooked me!” I said regaining my composure. “It’s just that I’ve gotten a bit rusty with girls these days, so...”

“Yeah, that explains why you asked you mother to find you a girl.” She said shooting a rotten face at me. “That’s really lame, by the way...”

“Hmm... Let’s go in...” I said to change the topic. I got out of the car.

“Seriously ya Arjun...” She ran behind me as I entered the venue. “I mean, look at you, you can totally score a blazing hot girl if you wish,” she said stopping me in middle of the lawns. “Why marry someone you don’t know or love??”

“Kid...” I said putting my arm on her shoulder, “Things like feelings of love, are too exhausting.
i
t might be a heartbreaking news to you now, but when you get to my age, you’ll understand.”

“But Arjun...”

“Poncho?” Aditi swallowed rest of her words as my mother entered the scene, I swiftly removed my hand off Aditi’s shoulder.

“Hi Aai...”

“When did you come?” she asked.

“Just now... Where’s Baba?”

“He is with Raunak Uncle. Who’s your friend here?” I could see intense suspicion in her eyes. “What’s you name beta?”

“Aditi...” Aditi replied and touched her feet instantly. My mother gave a me a betrayed look assuming she was my girlfriend and I was on to depriving her of the bride hunting.

“She looks too young for you, Arjun...” her tone made her irritation rather conspicuous. “How old are you, beta?”

“She is sixteen, Aai...” I jumped in before she could make things any more awkward, “She is my neighbour...”

“Oh, I see...” A smile of relief propped her face.

“Yeah...” I gave her a sarcastic smile, “I’m gonna go find Raghu.”

“Sure, it was nice meeting you, Aditi,” she said turning to Aditi.

“Same here, Aunty.” Aditi flashed her mindblowing smile before following me into the crowd of guests.

“So what do you suggest I do with her after I ‘score’ a blazing hot girl?”

“Oh come on! What era do you live in... you cannot really be serious about getting married to please your mom.”

“No... but it’s like a win-win for me. If I get to make her happy and find a good wife without making any effort, why not??”

“But why?” she semi-screamed with irritation.

“Because, my love, I’ve gotten rusty.”

“I’ll help you scrap the rust off you; just don’t give up.”

“Why is so important to you that I find love?”

“Because I want to believe that there are second chances for the people with broken hearts...”

I didn't say anything, so she continued.

“...And I owe you for saving me from Renzil.”

“I give up.” I said blowing air out, “So what now?”

She grinned.

“Let’s find you a girl first...” She frantically looked around the venue for a couple of minutes, “There...” She said finally zeroing on a girl, “...the girl in the red saree at the bar counter.”

“She looks old ya, Aditi.”

“You aren’t exactly a teenager either, so go, talk to her...”

“Promise me you’ll stop irritating me if I speak to her?”

“I promise, now go score some booty...” she slapped my behind.

“I must be really out of my mind.” I muttered as I began to walk to the bar counter.

“Hi, can I get a large of double black with ice and water?” I said to the bartender as I anchored my elbows on the counter. I checked her from the corner of my eye. The red low waist saree fit perfectly on a curvy, well-worked-out body. Golden brown hair tied in a bun, green eyes glinting warmth, diamond studded nosepin on a cute nose, blushing red dimpled cheeks, toothy heart-squeezing smile, pink perfectly carved tiny lips. I have to agree the girl was a total ten on ten. She smiled at me as she caught me looking at her.