Ajabdeh stood at the glass pane of the hospital waiting area watching the raindrops trickle down the surface as though they were on a race of their own. She smiled melancholy remembering how this was one of her favourite childhood pastimes, watching the raindrops race. Stuck in the corporate hamster’s wheel at such an early age, Ajabdeh had long lost her childhood. Heer’s hand on her shoulder made her turn as Heer handed her a cup of brewing coffee. She took it with a thankful nod. It’s been one hour at the OT and some more to go. She looked past Heer to see Jalal and Rukaiya arrive and Rukaiya came up to give Heer a much-needed reassuring hug. Ajabdeh nodded at Jalal appreciating his presence and excused herself to walk down the long corridor to the small idol of Ganesha in the front. She sighed. Folding her hands, she stared into the eyes of the idol.
“Ajabdeh?” Her name made her turn to see Mr And Mrs Singh standing behind her. “Where is she?” Jaivanta enquired.
“They took her inside a while back. Please come with me.”
“Don’t worry she is in good hands,” Udai reassured her.
It was almost thirty minutes later that Jalal had managed to convince Heer to eat something and he and Rukaiya took her out, while Udai Singh went to take a call.
“You... don’t have any family here?” Jaivanta asked, trying to break the silence. Ajabdeh smiled faintly.
“I don’t have a family anywhere.” She said “It’s always just been the three of us. Khan Uncle and Jalal had been extremely generous.”
“Jalal and Pratap studied in college together. He came home a few times but I never had the opportunity to meet his uncle.”
“He is the nicest human being I ever found.” Ajabdeh’s eyes shone “We would have been so lost without him.”
“I am so sorry dear.” Jaivanta suddenly held her cold hands in her own. “I had no idea what had happened. If I did I would have contacted Hansa earlier. I lost touch with her completely after my marriage. I assumed she was doing well as no one in the common circles knew about her.”
“That’s okay Mrs Singh.” Ajabdeh managed “I understand. I am sure so will she.”
“Please. This is not an office. I fail to understand you, children. Call me Aunty.” Jaivanta scoffed.
“Actually I wanted to apologize too.” Ajabdeh spoke “Although helping Nandini was right from my point of view, I know because of what happened at the wedding you faced a lot of questions and...” Jaivanta shook his head.
“None of that concerns me as much as Pratap does.” She spoke as Ajabdeh looked up at her with a slight frown “I have no idea what will happen to him.”
“Why?” Ajabdeh regretted it as soon as the words popped out of her mouth. She shouldn’t have asked.
Jaivanta looked up at her. “You know how our circle is... different.” She continued “ The Sisodiyas traditionally have produced heirs while their grandparents are alive. Pratap is thirty almost. He hasn’t even found a bride. I married Udai when I was eighteen. I get things are different now, but how long do I have to wait for an heir? After the first news people assumed he had some character problem. That girl ran away without any explanation. Now he has helped these two escape. Nobody will ever give their daughters to him. It means we have to settle for less.” Somehow the words made Ajabdeh feel odd.
“You see Ajabdeh in our circle marriage isn’t just about two people, it’s about the business and its future too. It's about the right alliances. He chose once. But then...” Jaivanta wiped her tears with a tissue she took out of her handbag. “At this rate, Pratap will be left alone.”
Ajabdeh would have laughed if the situation was different. Maybe Mrs Singh was unaware of the tags he carried of being the most eligible bachelor. Girls hovered around him for attention and he would never run out of options. But she was aware of how Jaivanta emphasised their “circle”, something she had no idea of. So she nodded understandingly.
After a few hours, the doctors came out of the OT and declared that the operation was successful. After another week under Intensive Care, they could take Hansa home. Ajabdeh’s eyes teared up as she hugged Heer on hearing the news.
“I will make arrangements for setting up a room with a nurse and equipment at your place.”Jalal spoke as she nodded “But one of you has to stay with her 24x7 at least for the first month.” Heer looked at Ajabdeh at his words. She had just joined the internship.
“I will stay. Rukaiya can take care of the business.” Ajabdeh spoke as Rukaiya agreed.
“But won’t your business suffer my dear?”It was Udai Singh with the question. It would.
“She comes first Sir,” Ajabdeh spoke. “I have to.”
“Okay I have an idea, hear me out,” Jaivanta spoke holding up her hands to make the others stop. “I have been terribly guilty ever since I heard of Hansa. Let me do my bit.” Ajabdeh’s brows narrowed as Heer looked at Jalal at her words.
“I have stopped working since my son took over and I stay home all day except for occasional Kitty party or NGO events,” Jaivanta spoke. Udai knew what she would say and he couldn’t stop her even if he wanted to.
“So why don’t we shift Hansa over to Sisodiya's mansion? We have plenty of spare rooms. I can open up a separate apartment if Heer and Ajabdeh feel comfortable that way. The girls shouldn’t miss out on their careers. It’s just a matter of a month or so, please let me do it.”
Ajabdeh opened her mouth to say something but Jaivanta interrupted “Besides, it will also be soothing for her to see me around.” Ajabdeh gulped down a lump in her throat. On one hand, she knew that everything she said about the arrangement seemed perfect. It would make her mother happy. But taking such a big favour out of the Sisodiyas didn’t seem right.
“Umm... okay but I have a condition.” Heer was happy at her words. She had never put herself above them. It was high time she thought of herself first.
“Tell me.” Jaivanta smiled.
“I will do your office parties free of charge.” Ajabdeh spoke, “You are doing so much for...”
“Oh please! If you saw the kind of friendship I shared with Hansa back in the day you wouldn’t have dared talk of debts! We were so close-knit. And I wasn’t even there.” Jaivanta wiped her tears again as Udai patted to console her.
“Let’s go home then, see the arrangements?” Udai asked.
“Thank you, Mr Singh,” Ajabdeh spoke as he nodded with a polite smile.
Back in the car, as Jaivanta sniffed Udai couldn’t help but ask the question that was on his mind for quite some time now.
“You wanted Ajabdeh closer to ... Pratap?” He asked. Jaivanta nodded.
“No. I genuinely want to do this for Hansa. And you were right. She isn’t fit for our circles. My Pratap deserves better.” Udai frowned at her words as she stared out of the window. “Such rebellious and ambitious women hardly make good wives.” Udai let out an amusing chuckle at his wife’s words making her stare at him.
“Do you hear yourself Jaivanta?” He asked “You sound like an evil mother-in-law or something. Did you forget you were once this ambitious about the business too?”
“My father left it to me.” She defended “Now you suddenly think she is good for him?”
“I didn’t say that. Neither can I deny it. I think Pratap can answer that best.” He tried to rationally put sense in his wife. She dismissed it.
“I am going to consult a matchmaker and put his profile up,” Jaivanta said almost decisively. “I can’t wait for him to fall in love with women I won’t approve of again.”
“God save me from the tug of war between mother and son.” Udai Singh murmured looking out of the window.
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