Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 31 ] Action at the Market ■

'He's a police inspector!?' One of Gauri's cousins asks.

'Uh. Not an inspector. He's a DCP. Deputy Commissioner of Police'

The others gasp in awe at the photograph of Gauri and Amarnath from Fiona's wedding. They are all dressed up and are huddled in a corner of the bride's house. The courtyard is decorated with a mandap and people are moving about in great gusto.

'Does he fight like Amitabh Bachchan?' one of the school-going boys asks. 'Then I'll also become a DCP! Look at his haircut and his style!'

Gauri peers at the photo. He does look good in the suit, she has to admit. Why hadn't she observed this that day?

'But he looks very soft and sweet, like Sanjeev Kumar!' the other exclaims.

'No. If he smiles more, he'll look exactly like Shashi Kapoor' another one says confidently.

'Does he scold you, Akka?'

Gauri smiles, shaking her head. Such a sweetu he is. He doesn't even know how to talk.

'Has he sung a song for you, Akka? Like movie heroes ... wearing a coat and playing a piano?'

'Which song, Akka?'

Gauri pursues her lips, remembering the lyrics written in his diary. 

'Chookar mere man ko' she says with a happy shrug. 'Kiya tuune kya ishaara'

'Bachchan's song!' they cheer in delight.

'What does it mean?'

'Stupid' another one rebukes. 'Aren't you learning third language Hindi? It means "You have made a gesture by touching my heart. So the weather has changed and the whole world feels so nice!". Correct Akka?'

Then, they begin singing one of the stanzas of the song. ' ... tu hi mera jeevan, tu hi jeene ka sahaaraaaa!'

'Akka is dreaming, see! Like a movie!'

'That's enough' Gauri takes the photo back. 'Now go'

The younger lot dart off to play.

'What will he be doing now, Akka?' The eldest of her cousins asks curiously.

Gauri looks at the courtyard and sighs. 'That's what even I'm wondering ... '

●●●

Bhendi Baazar is a crowded set of market streets in Bombay with closely packed buildings. The ground floor of each building has shop owners jutting out their wares. There are wooden counters and projecting sheet or coconut tree leaf roofs above their heads. The bazaar is always crowded with hundreds of people buying items and noisily bargaining. Murali's jeep is parked at the far-away corner of the market at ten in the morning. It is Monday and they have arrived straight from the safe house.

'Don't go too near. Fire from a safe distance' Amarnath tells Pramod again.

'Haan, we know how your brother was killed. But this is not the time to take revenge for all that. Just fire from afar. Don't show your Bombay ka baap wala heroism here. Understood?' Murali adds.

'Murali ...' Amarnath says warningly.

Pramod looks determined. 

'I know what to do' he gets down the jeep and makes a beeline towards the crowded street.

'He won't fire from afar, no?' Murali muses.

'Bilkul nahi' Amarnath says confidently as Pramod disappears into the crowd.