The Haunting of Bobby Bangash (Ongoing)

"Anu!"

Bobby made a mad dash for the elevator, ignoring the annoyed and disapproving looks the nurses were throwing him. He had just landed in dreaded Delhi again and had rushed straight to the hospital. Let Anu be ok, let Anu be ok, he kept repeating in his mind. Oh God... I'll take her to Mumbai with me immediately. I won't as much as look at another woman even in a magazine or on television again! Just please let Anu be ok.

A maid had answered the phone when he had called Anu from Mumbai. "Memsaab is in the hospital, saab", she had said, sniffling uncontrollably. Bobby had wasted no time in catching the next available flight back to Delhi. He was half sure he would find either mutilated remains of his wife or some equally grotesque torture inflicted upon her. That mad woman is capable of anything, he thought angrily. He saw Room 305 and threw it open, frightened to see in what state he would find his wife.

"Anu!" he yelled. His heroic entry startled the two women inside. Bobby took the whole scene in – on the bed looking pale and tired was... Anu's mother. And sitting right next to her was Anu, all hale and hearty and now looking increasingly angry.

Bobby was so relieved he actually laughed. That made his mom-in-law frown. Anu was red in the face by now. Without a word, she stood up and in a rigid march that would put all the world's armies to shame, led her husband out of the room. "Why are you here now?" she asked without preamble, arms crossed on her chest. "Well...I...umm", started Bobby confusedly. He was feeling too many things at the same time – relief that Anu was fine, shock that his mom-in-law wasn't, angry at the maid for not being more specific, stupid for not having asked her to be more specific, sheepish for having rushed about for no reason at all. And fear – for he was back in the city of his crazy lover.

"Well?" asked Anu, eyebrows raised. "Ummm... actually, I had called home to talk to you", he began, "and Lata was crying on the phone. She said you were in the hospital. So I thought- "

"Ohhh you thought, did you?" said Anu with mock surprise. "That's good news. May be you should have thought about a few other things while you were at it – like informing me that you were planning to disappear!" She was angry – and yet, her eyes shone with tears and hurt. Bobby felt his heart squeeze painfully. He had made his wife cry with concern for him - the bonafide idiot, loser, moron who hadn't realized that Destiny had gifted him a wife like Anu, and had gone after that bitchy witch instead.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? We all were?" asked Anu, tears running down her cheeks. "I kept having these nightmares that you had been in an accident again. That...that... maybe", she stuttered. You oaf, said Inner Voice, now look what you've done! After all that she's done for you, you make her cry. Now at least console her you fool! Bobby gulped.

"I'm sorry", he said softly. "I had to go. I went to see my parents", he added. Anu looked at him in surprise. It was the first time he had ever mentioned his parents; all these days she had assumed he was an orphan and so had never asked him about it, thinking it must be a painful memory probably. Bobby looked at her and smiled, "They were happy to see me. They can't wait to see you too", he smiled gently. Anu stopped crying and gave a faint smile. "I had called to ask you to come to Mumbai too. That's when Lata..." Suddenly he frowned. "Wait a minute, if you are alright, why was Lata crying? I just assumed something had happened to you because she was sniffling- "

"She's down with the worst cold ever", answered Anu, shaking her head. "She wasn't crying at all – all she's been doing is sneezing and sniffling. Won't even see a doctor", she muttered under her breath. Now Bobby truly felt like the biggest idiot on earth. All this running around and it was just a bloody cold! "Then what's wrong with your mom?" he asked. "Nothing. She donated blood yesterday", answered Anu. Bobby was perplexed. "So?" he asked. "So she bravely donated the blood, came out of the room, bumped into the nurse and cut her finger somehow. One look at that tiny drop of blood and she fainted", said Anu, shaking her head.

Inner Voice had quite a few colourful things to say about this entire episode, and for once Bobby agreed with it. He had a good mind to kick himself for coming all the way back to Nightmare Land over a drop of blood. Lata could do with a kick too, added Inner Voice. And the nurse. And your dearest mom-in-law.

Now that all was ok, Bobby decided it was time to whisk Anu away to Mumbai as soon as possible. Ann was sure to come to visit Mrs. Agarwal (after all, she had to maintain the mirage of being a sweet, concerned friend) and once she was here, it would be impossible to leave Delhi again. He had to act fast and discreetly.

He turned to Anu. "When will your mom be allowed to go home?" he asked. "Right now", said Anu. "We were actually waiting for the driver and the car when you arrived." "Great", said Bobby, feeling more confident now, "I suggest we take her home immediately. I'll get a cab".

"But..." began Anu, but Bobby interrupted her.

"No, listen. This hospital is very depressing. If she is feeling better now, better take her home. She'll recover faster in the comfort of her own home", he lectured, hoping his wife wouldn't argue. He needed to get out of town. Fast. With Anu.

Anu frowned and thought for a moment. Then she looked at her husband and nodded. "You're right", she said, "Let's not wait for the driver."

It took Bobby less than 10 minutes to pack a grumbling Mrs. Agarwal into a cab, almost push Anu in too and speed off to Agarwal House. He had promised to pay the cabbie an extra Rs. 1,000 (over and above the cab fare) if he would wait and take Bobby and Anu to the airport thereafter. The cabbie looked like he wanted to kiss Bobby.

Everything went according to plan after that. They unceremoniously dumped Mrs. Agarwal at her doorstep before zooming off to their own apartment. Anu was confused and rather scared at her husband's sudden jumpiness. Once home, he firmly ordered her to pack a few necessary things while he waited in the cab, and not take longer than 10 minutes. He refused to answer any of her questions. "Maybe something's happened to his parents", she finally thought. "Maybe it's serious and he's in hurry to get back to them." She hurriedly packed a few clothes, a couple of her cookery books, some other stuff and gave the maids a few instructions before joining Bobby in the waiting cab.

Half an hour later, they were at the airport. An hour later, they were on their seats on the plane to Mumbai.

Bobby heaved with relief as he fastened his seatbelt. They had made it. He had saved his wife and they were out of reach of Ann's wicked clutches. They were safe.