Serendipity

19

"Coming to India with a firang was a mistake," GK uttered under his breath as Anuj told him of his strategy to tackle the Anupama media situation. Truth be told, it took all of GK's willpower to not slap the living daylights out of Anuj. The man was nearing 50. It wouldn't behoove.

GK had seen 20-year-old somethings making decisions determined by their hormones. He was, for the first time, seeing a 47-year-old business tycoon, famous in the business world as the man without a heart, take a decision that was determined by, well, hormones. He couldn't think of a better reason as to why Anuj would do something so stupid.

"So let me get this straight," GK asked one more time. "You asked Anupama to pretend to be your fiancé for the next six months."

Anuj sighed. He'd clearly miscalculated GK's intellectual prowess. Age was catching up fast.

"Sort of."

"And Anupama was okay with it."

"Sort of."

GK gave him the look that he'd often given him as a teenager, one of displeasure, daring him to cross the line.

"What do you mean sort of? She is aware of this cockamamie idea of yours, isn't she?"

"Yes, I told her about it."

"And...??? Did she say yes?"

Anuj took a deep breath. He realized he was getting a severe talking down. The thought partly annoyed, partly amused him.

"Not in those many words, but that's what she implied."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT IMPLICATIONS. DID SHE USE THE WORD YES?"

Anuj got startled. GK had never raised his voice on him. Frankly speaking, he was beginning to feel rather foolish about this whole conversation. Both he and Anupama were adults, fully capable of taking decisions.

When Anuj said nothing, GK poked again.

"I'm waiting for a response."

There was no way out of this.

"No.... I mean she didn't say yes."

GK took a deep breath, willing his mind to calm down, for he was having this insane urge to spank Anuj's backside till it turned red.

Clearly sometime during the last two decades, Anuj had forgotten what it meant to be a single woman in Indian society, that too for a woman like Anupama. Society would make her life a nightmare once this charade would cease.

Right now people were being polite because she had Anuj Kapadia's name associated with hers. Once that association ended, they would double down on her with a vengeance that would make what she faced today seem extremely mild.

He was sure that the poor child was already constantly being fed garbage about how she should not have given up her right by divorcing her husband. Another broken relationship? The Shahs would use this as armour to defame Anupama even more, to prove their point that it was she who was unable to keep the marriage together.

GK was sure Anuj hadn't thought through any of this when he came up with his "brilliant" plan. But GK was wiser. And in love once upon a time. He couldn't let history repeat itself. He wouldn't let history repeat itself.

Standing tall, he told Anuj: "Call Anupama and ask her to come home now. I want to talk to both of you at the same time.".

"GK, but now is too late.."

"Then tomorrow morning."

Before Anuj had a chance to respond, GK walked away.

*****

"Hello."

Anuj had this insane urge to disconnect as soon as he heard Anupama's voice. For one thing, his years of business dealings had told him to never allow people an opportunity to back out once the deal was signed. And that's exactly what he was doing, by calling Anupama to visit and chat with GK - giving her the option to change her mind.

His rational mind retorted. She won't if she's smart. She has way more to lose than you do. It is in her best interest to take this offer.

But his heart, that had already imagined long walks in the rain and dinners by the sunset, protested. What if she isn't smart?

"Anuj ji? Everything okay?" Anupama asked at the prolonged silence on the other end.

Clearing his throat, he hastily responded: "Yes. GK wants to have a chat with you. Can you come by?"

"Now?"

"No, tomorrow morning will do." His tone was rather off and so Anupama asked, again. "Are you sure everything okay?"

"Yes. See you tomorrow."

As he hung up, Anupama felt uneasy. Something was off. Had Anuj changed his mind about their arrangement? Her heart, which had imagined enjoying chaat at the local stalls and flowers and sweets, stilled. Part of her wanted to scream, to let him know that he couldn't go back on their deal, that he couldn't take away her few moments of happiness, that she'd rationed to last herself a lifetime. But as always she said nothing. She feared the worst, but for the first time in a long time, she hoped for the best.

*****

Click! Click! Click! The photographers kept snapping away as Anupama made her way into the Anuj Kapadia's building. Anuj had specifically asked her to cover her head with the stole of her sari and her eyes with sunglasses. As Anupama stepped inside the gates and the security shooed the photographers away, she wondered what she would look like in tomorrow's papers when these photos would get published.

Having the photographers around was irksome but truth be told, a small part of Anupama was enjoying this sudden stardom. She knew it wasn't meant to last, but what was the harm in enjoying it while it did?

Anuj greeted her at the gates. He looked like he hadn't slept throughout the night. It seemed she wasn't faring any better.

"Sorry," he told her.

She merely nodded at that. They walked inside together. Unable to take her silence any longer, Anuj tried small talk.

"How is the situation near your building?"

"I'm famous!" She managed a smile but her eyes looked tired. Anuj felt the stirrings of unease. Was GK right all along?