Part 16

It was late afternoon and the mild breeze took away the itch of the escalating warmth. The trees in the roadside swayed gently giving out a soothing sound of the rustling leaves. Sameer stopped the car in front of Mr. Parekh's bungalow on the other side of Satellite area in Ahmedabad. The front lawn of the bungalow was full of various plants. He was also one of the known textile businessmen in Ahmedabad and a gardener by hobby. Sameer couldn't help but breathe in the fragrance of his lawn, seeking that one breath of scented fresh air, but although the hibiscus, carnations and chrysanthemums exuded a light fragrance that only someone with heightened sense of smell like Sameer could detect, the one he craved was missing. God alone knew what was the connection between that smell, him and Anamika.

Pushing away the digress, he focused on the current matter. Mr. Parekh had further enhanced his reputation by associating with the Maheshwari Industries since several years. Ironically, Nanu's absence had turned the tables and Sameer had to ask for a favor unwillingly. He was sure Mr. Parekh was going to negotiate his terms, but he had come prepared too.

"Sameer...yaar tu karna kya chah raha hai? Dekh, tere kehne par humne Parekh uncle ko phone karke bata toh diya tha ki tu business ke silsile mein milna chah raha hai. Par na tune wajah batayi na unhone puchi", Munna was totally baffled with Sameer's willingness to negotiate with the person whose adamant behaviour had led Sameer in a perilous situation.

When Sameer didn't answer, "Bhaiii...kahi sachchi mein tune Sunaina se shaadi karne ka mann toh nahi bana liya?" Pandit rather concerned about Sameer's suicidal mission, leaned forward from the backseat and spoke with his face in between both boys. When Sameer just scoffed in response, "Bhai...woh ladki nahi aafat hai aafat...saari zindagi aisa aafat ko gale mein taangne se toh khudkushi karna behtar hai".

"Abe Ponga...kar di na tune wahi wali baat! Agar Sameer ko khudkushi hi karni hogi, toh aasan ek chutki wale ek sau ek tareeke milenge. Bail tu ruk, main aata hoon, fir aaram se mujhe maar wala raasta kyon chunega?" Munna retorted as he was sure something was definitely cooking in Sameer's head. He wouldn't sign up for a lifetime of Sunaina.

Sameer smirked hard as his friend knew him well but also was worried for him. "Tum log buss meri haan mein haan milana aur mujhpe bharosa rakhna", was all he warned them. He grabbed the file from the dashboard and laterally folded it and got out from the car, followed by his friends.

When they reached the front door, it was already open and they were greeted respectfully by the servant, who was anticipating the visit. "Aap log baitho...main sahab ko bulata hoon!" A middle-aged servant showed them to the living room and hurriedly disappeared inside. The room was big and decorated like museum. Antiques and artefacts from around the world adored the walls and shelves and a few also hung from the cieling. Sameer and the boys stared at each piece. A boar head was fixated in the wall, a giant Victorian style chandelier hung from the cieling with at least 500 light pieces, 2 rifles from ancient Rajputana were decorated on the far wall anchored by a shield, a couple of Viking crowns were on display on the shelf by the TV cabinet along with the Sphinx and Ramsay's bust. A medium-size statue of Meerabai with ektara built from
marble was placed on the side table between the sofas, while a large brass pot with Rose petals on water was placed as a centrepiece on the large coffee table.

"Bhai....yeh ghar hai ya museum?" Pandit was really amused.

Sameer couldn't answer as a young skinny maid came out with a tray holding three glasses of water. Each chugged down the cool water to quench their parched throats and also calm the jitters.

Though Sameer was acting confident and didn't let any panic or fear show, his insides were crawling and gut was being chewed up with tension as this was the very first time, he was representing his Nanu and his business as SJM and that too all by himself without any direction or guidance from anyone. He was going to be solely responsible for whatever happened and whatever decisions he made and their consequences.

A short while later, Mr. Parekh made his appearance. Sameer got up immediately as an elder entered the room as that was inculcated in his upbringing and his genes. The boys just followed him and also thereafter.

Sameer folded his hands, "Namaste Uncle".

"Sameer beta... aaj lambe samay baad tumhe dekhkar badi khushi ho rahi hai. Bilkul waise hi dikhte ho...buss thode bade ho gaye ho!" Sameer smiled in acknowledgement as he remembered meeting him at some business party once when Nanu had hauled him for company as Munshiji couldn't make it due to ill-health. He knew Nanu wasn't a huge fan of business parties but to remain in the loop of the market, he couldn't avoid all of them. Though Nanu was a man of principles and liked to do his business dals fair and square, there were times he had to bend too so as not to break under the pressure of business market politics, however petty they might seem. He had taught Sameer a few things along the years and seeing Mr. Parekh now and the vibes he gave, he didn't get a very pleasant feeling.

"Kya loge Sameer beta? Garam ya thanda?" Parekh asked to show his usual host manners.

"Ji...kuch nahi Uncle..." The boys looked at him as Sameer had just passed up their chance of free snacks. Sameer glared at Pandit whose intentions were clear when it came to food, but then he diverted the topic, "Ji Uncle, yeh Munna aur yeh Pandit. Mere sabse khaas dost hai. Woh Nanu aur Munshiji sheher se bahar hai na...toh business sambhalne mein meri madad karte hai". Both boys smiled at the introduction but also gaged the look on Parekh's face as he had full faith in their abilities towards anything even remotely related to business, sarcastically, but he chose to only nod and smile slightly in acknowledgement of their position in Sameer's life and currently business.

After done exchanging the initial pleasantries, Sameer came straight to the point, another tactic he learnt from Nanu that to control the situation as per will, often one had to get offensive in business dealings. "Uncle, aap achchi tarah se jaante hai ki main yahan kyon aaya hoon!" Sameer cut the chase. "Aap itne saalon se Nanaji ke saath business karte aaye hai...aap jante hai ki iss waqt hume aapki madad ki kitni zaroorat hai. Mujhe pataa hai aap Nanaji ke sabse trusted associates aur doston mein se hai. Uncleji...iss waqt Nanaji yahan nahi hai... toh sab kuch jaante hue bhi aap hamari ore peeth nahi kar sakte". Sameer kept calm to do it the right way by asking for help.

But Parekh was rigid in his demands. "Sameer beta, main umar mein Maheshwariji se thoda chota hoon par hamare business taaluqaat barson se dosti mein badal chuke the aur issliye main chahta tha ki karobari dosti aur pakki ho jaaye aur rishtedaari mein badal jaaye. Main lambe samay se apni beti Sunaina ki shaadi tumse karwane ka prastaav unke samne rakh chuka hoon. Bahut manaya unhe par weh ade rahe ki Sameer apni marzi se hi shaadi karega. Apni pasand ki ladki khud dhoondhega. Mujhe toh kabhi samaj hi nahi aaya. Aakhir tum aur Sunaina saath padhte the...itni achchi tarah se ek dusre ko jaante ho. Aur Sunaina khud tumse shaadi karna chahti hai toh dikkat kya hai? Tum donon ek dusre ke liye bilkul sahi ho!"

Sameer had no idea what decieving lies Sunaina had conjured to convince her father that theirs was a perfect match. If furtive glances and uninterested or death glares were considered in the realm of knowing someone completely, then may be she was right, thought Sameer. The boys too quickly glanced at Sameer, almost knowing what he might be thinking.

"Dekho Sameer beta...main aisa karna toh nahi chahta tha...par ab meri beti ki khushi ka sawal hai...toh har baap ki tarah, main bhi jo ban padega karoonga. Na chahte hue bhi mujhe Maheshwariji ki gairmaujudgi ka fayada uthana padega. Tum rishte ke liye haan bol do aur humara karobari taaluk waisa hi bana rahega. Parekh ke rehte hue Maheshwari Industries ko koi dikkat nahi aayegi. Aur haan...kisi aur vyaapaari se madad maangne mat jaana, kapda market association ka vice chairman hoon, yaani tumhare Nanu ki absence mein saare faisle main loonga...aage tum khud samajhdaar ho ki iss waqt mere alava koi tumhari madad na hi kar sakta hai aur na hi karega". Now Parekh came clear with the cold threats. He was confident he had boxed the young lad, leaving him no choice but to accede to his demands.

Sameer had tried it one last time to do it the right way, but now, left with no other option, he would have to do it Sameer's way. "Theek hai Uncle...main Sunaina se shaadi karoonga!" He dropped the bomb and while an instant but skeptical smile spread across Mr. Parekh's face that he won, Munna Pandit were shocked and they stared at him. "Sameer...yeh kya keh raha tu?" Though they were both advised to only follow his suit, Munna couldn't help himself but react.

Sameer only looked at them both and blinked slightly to indicate that he had the situation under control. "Par...meri bhi ek shart hai..."

"Tum achchi tarah jaante ho Sameer ki iss waqt tum koi bhi business negotiation karne ki position mein nahi ho", Parekh got up from his seat as he felt to be challenged and reminded Sameer authoritatively.

Sameer got up too, followed by the boys, and chuckled sarcastically, "Parekh uncle, yeh toh aap bhi jaante hai ki main iss shaadi ke liye kyon taiyyar hua hoon... toh agar iss rishte se mujhe woh na mile jo main chahta hoon, toh mujhe apni puri zindagi kurbaan karne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai...haan ho sakta hai ki mera business bik jaaye, Nanu ka naam kharab ho aur main sadak pe aa jaon, par ismein aapka koi fayda nahi hai. Aapka faayda isi mein hai ki aapki beti ki manmarzi puri ho".

Parekh thought for a long moment and revised all the pros and cons and then asked, "theek hai, kya shart hai tumhari?"

Sameer produced the file with the business contract documents and continued, "aapko yeh documents sign karne padenge" and he forwarded the file to him.

When Parekh started skimming through the leaves of documents in it, Sameer supplied the highlights, "ismein likha hai ki aap iss Singaporewali deal aur aage aane wali saari deals ke liye hume har tarah ka raw material requirement ke hisaab se time par supply karenge. Rate or payment ke terms bilkul pehle jaise hai. Aur agar kisi bhi deal mein aapne kisi bhi tarah se co-operation dene mein koi bhi problem ki toh aap par fraud or embezzlement yani chori ka case hoga...aur yakeen maaniye...main aapse court ke itne chakkar lagvaunga ki yeh jo nakli antiques se ghar ka museum bana rakha hai woh kodiyon ke bhaav bik jaayega!" Sameer came closer stealthily and stated the last con very scornfully that for once even the seasoned businessman was taken aback.

Parekh gulped audibly coz the couple of meetings with the teenage or adolescent Sameer had given him the impression of a sweet innocent gullible boy, whom he could manuever at will. But this was different. However, he quickly got his bearings and started his own negotiation. "Theek hai, main sign karoonga...par shaadi hone ke baad!"

"Ji nahi honewale Sasurji...aapki iss harkat ne mujhe bahut bhari wajah di hai ki main aap pe bharosa na karu!"

"Toh fir main kaise bharosa kar loon ki agar maine abhi sign kar diya toh tum shaadi se mukar nahi jaoge?"

"Good point! Theek hai...shaadi kal hi hogi, aapke lawn main...Nanu toh hai nahi...toh meri taraf se  sirf Munna Pandit honge baarat mein...aapko jis jisko bulana ho bula lo...sabke samne shaadi bhi hogi aur papers pe sign bhi...kanyaadaan ke baad aur pheron se pehle...boliye, hai manzoor?"

Parekh pondered over Sameer's proposal for a long moment...he weighed all possibilities but he thought that the biggest ace in his pack was the crowd, Sameer wouldn't back out in front of so many people, if only to save his Nanu's name as it was so precious to him that he had agreed for a lifetime of commitment. Finding no caveat, he agreed and forwarded his hand to shake Sameer's, which he accepted gladly...his first phase of plan had succeeded as Parekh had agreed to his terms.

Looking into his eyes, Parekh hollered his maid, "Kanta, mithai lekar aa...".

Sunaina, who was all the while eavesdropping on the entire exchange from behind the curtain that separated the hall from the passage leading to the inside of the bungalow, finally made an appearance with a 440V grin plastered on a face. It had just turned out to be the best day of her life. Sameer had agreed to marry her.

"Sameer....mujhe pataa tha ek na ek din tum zaroor maan jaoge shaadi ke liye. Hum ek dusre ke liye bane hai aur ab hum hamesha ke liye ek ho jayenge" she had conveniently chosen to omit the means her father had to resort to in order to fulfill her desire. She was so elated that couldn't keep it contained and ignoring the presence of all others, including her father, she almost jumped to hug Sameer, but he stepped back in time and cleared his throat and eye gestured towards her father to save all of them some embarrassment.

She blushed that he felt shy of hugging his would-be wife and lowered her head and instead held his hand. But instantly, she withdrew jerkily as if the contact almost electrocuted her. She was shocked, and for a minute, Sameer was too. He had realized what Sunaina experienced, but in the next instant, he accepted as another one of his newfound characteristics that may be no one could touch him without his permission as his friends, Nanu and even Mr. Parekh hadn't experienced the same. So to remove her confusion, he simply leaned towards her and whispered seductively, "pehli baar tha na...", she blushed forgetting everything else... "hmmm...kuch cheezein badon ki nazron se durr aur shaadi ke baad ke liye chod deni chahiye".

Her reaction to his words confirmed that she didn't suspect a thing and would be goofed in her la la land until this was over.

Kantabai had brought the sweets till then, so Parekh announced, "lijiye Jamaaiji...muh meetha kijiye".

Sameer straightened and commented, "ab yeh mithai apne jamaai ko hi khilaaiyega...honewale Sasurji..." Sameer avoided the sweet from his outstretched hand, though it was his favourite Kesar KajuKatli, rather picked up the file on the coffee table, smirked like a smile and headed out, flanked by his friends who were utterly bewildered at the happenings.