Like Good Friends

 "What is all this?" Ajabdeh frowned as she approached the breakfast table. She expected the usual laid-out breakfast and tea but instead, she was greeted with a mess and a picnic basket. 
"I suggested I will help, "Kasturi spoke immediately. "But Sir dismissed the cook and decided to do all this himself." Ajabdeh walked into the kitchen and stared at Pratap in an apron, with questioning eyes.
"What's going on?" He smiled at her words.
"It's a Sunday." He stated the obvious.
"So?" She raised her eyebrows.
"So you have worked pretty hard this week. I thought you need a vacation-like feel. So we are going for a lunch picnic and I am cooking. " Ajabdeh sighed. "You didn't need to…"
"I know. I wanted to." He said swiftly. "Kasturi will serve your breakfast in the room. Go get dressed." 
"But where are we going?" She still looked clueless. 
"It's a surprise." His face lit up. 

Ajabdeh shook her head and went off to get dressed. Some days he was beyond her understanding. She knew he wouldn't stop bugging her unless she actually did as she was told. Honestly, she felt better working from home than sitting idle all day. And yes indeed this was perhaps the last few days they would spend together. She could give him this much time. She knew for herself she couldn't let him go that easily either. A part of her wished he would still be her friend. A part of her knew that was probably not possible. She would remind him of the time he would perhaps want to move on from and start anew. 
She looked across the room at him packing the picnic basket and sighed. Ajabdeh wanted Pratap to be happy. She hoped he soon realised whatever she was doing or hoping to do was for his own good. Pratap noticed her stare but didn't turn to catch a glimpse of her. Instead, he went straight to the car, prompting her to follow him. 

The car stopped by Bijoliya Lake. Ajabdeh looked a little wide-eyed at this pleasant surprise and glanced to her side. Pratap smiled. 
"I heard you came for a walk here yesterday." He shrugged. "Must be a pretty good place to watch the sunset from."
"My goodness," Ajabdeh murmured with a displeased tone. "Are you spying on me when I am alone?"
"No." He shook his head and got out of the car. "Why would I do that?" He pulled out the picnic basket. 
"Well, you decided to have a picnic here. I never mentioned that."
"It's called telepathy." He smiled. 
"Or spying." She shrugged.
"Lay out the rug for me." He spoke as Ajabdeh looked around for a perfect spot beneath an old banyan tree. She laid down the rug and took out a book she had carried with her. 
"Do you plan to read that?" He asked with a frown. 
"After lunch, yes." Ajabdeh nodded "Some silence will be good." Pratap stared at her words. Now she doesn't even want to talk to me?
"It's a nice place." He added.
"Yes, the perfect day for some games with friends too." She spoke.
"Do you even have friends?" He asks amused. 
"Yes, Rukaiya. Jalal. Shakti. You." She nodded. He looked up at her words. Now she wanted to be his friend? "We are friends right?"
"Want to play some chess?" He ignored her question as she nodded.
"Legends say old Banyan trees have ghosts on them." She said rather amused making him stop moving his elephant and look up at the branches of the tree a little alarmed. 
"I suppose ghosts are afraid of the sunlight." He said intelligently.
"It depends." Ajabdeh appeared to be thinking.
"On what?" He frowned. 
"On whether you are scared of them or not." She looked amused. 
"Everyone is scared of ghosts." He hesitated.
"You know what." Ajabdeh hid her amusement at his scared face as he inspected the branches again. "There was a room in the mansion, I don't know which one, where prisoners and thieves were hanged." He stopped alarmed at her words. 
"What?" He raised his eyebrows. "You never mentioned this."
"Yes, it must have skipped my mind." Ajabdeh shrugged. "Once when we were out for a picnic here, Papa told me the story of how he and Kakasa once encountered a ghost."
"You are kidding, right?" Pratap cleared his throat. Ajabdeh shook her head. "Do I look like I am kidding?"
"Wh… What did they see?" Pratap stammered. Ajabdeh took out an apple from the basket and went up to the lake to wash it. Pratap was quick to follow.
"Don't leave me alone under the tree like that." He snapped. 
"Are you scared?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"No. Of course not." He shook his head in protest. "What did your uncle and Papa see?" 
"They heard strange noises from one of the rooms. Like someone sobbing."Ajabdeh spoke, taking a bite of the apple. "My grandmother used to scare them by saying she will lock them up in the room." Pratap gulped. 
"Which room was it?" He asked. 
"I don't know." Ajabdeh shrugged. "I never asked."
"You are lying." He shook his head. "You are just trying to scare me."
"Really?" Ajabdeh shot her brows up. "Ask Heer if you don't believe me."
"When I used to stay in London, we used to get these weird creaking sounds at night. Jalal and I complained to the landowner. It turned out to be a leaking water pipe." Pratap spoke. "I had decided to change apartments by then."
"We used to come for picnics here. And Papa used to amuse us with his childhood stories." Ajabdeh looked around and sighed. The wind played with her hair and she smiled at the serenity of the lake.
"What about you?" Pratap asked, making her stare right at him.
"Pardon?" She questioned. 
"What about your childhood?" He asked. "Why don't you tell some stories too?" He asked.
"You know them already." She shook her head. "why don't you tell me about your grandparents? The only person who keeps mentioning them is Ranima."
He looked up at her words. "Well, they did stay with us, though I only remember my grandfather vividly. He used to smoke a pipe. And read to us." He sighed. "But he was in many ways closer to me than my parents back then. Dad and Ranima were mostly busy. Except when we were on vacation. Kakisa used to take care of us. Ranima was always closer to Shakti. Dad to me. But somewhere in all the work and success, they never gave me enough time. Then when Shakti was born…"
"Were you jealous?" She asked. 
"Of him?" Pratap asked a little taken aback. "Of course not." He shook his head "I loved him the most. I was closest to him. My parents never understood me. He did. He at least tried to. And in trying to get Ranima's attention I tried to be the son they wanted. Good grades. Perfect behaviour." He sighed.
"But?" Ajabdeh asked with a frown. She wondered why he never said all that before. 
"But then I realised, in trying to please them I was losing my own identity. I never wanted to be one of the Sisodiyas. I was Pratap. I wanted my own identity."
"Is that why you chose to study abroad?" She asked as he agreed. "To get away from home and the identity?"
"Kind of." He sighed. "They didn't have twenty-four-hour surveillance on me there. College was good. People didn't act like I was someone special. I received normal attention. I met Jalal there."
"And Phool too," Ajabdeh added. Pratap narrowed his brows a little. 
"And did you change?" Ajabdeh asked, curious.
"Not until someone broke my heart and ruined my plans to make me realize life never goes as planned. And life should be useful to others. So looking back you don't find that you wasted it."
A silence followed. Pratap sighed. He couldn't help but wonder if he did something wrong by mentioning those. He glanced at Ajabdeh staring back at the lake lost in her thought. What is she thinking?
"Life never goes as planned." She repeated his line in his tone. "I had the plan to rule the planning market by now. And here I am, sitting with a picnic basket on a Sunday, after correcting budget mistakes all week."
He smiled. "Well, you are kind of ruling the market." She shook her head. "It's not like I wanted it."
"How did you want it?" He asked. Ajabdeh smiled. 
"Well to start with, I wanted Maasa to be here. I wanted to give her all the luxury she lost. I wanted Heer to settle. I wanted…" she stopped. "But you are right. Life doesn't go as planned." She placed her move. "That's a stale game. Nowhere to move the remaining players anymore."

"I am hungry. Are you?" Pratap got up to search the picnic basket, clearly uncomfortable at where the conversation was heading. Ajabdeh understood that and grew quiet. 
"It is delicious." She smiled knowing he cooked only to be praised. A smile curved his lips.
"We should do this more often." He said. Ajabdeh looked up at his words. The smile disappeared from her face as she placed the plate down and stood up to walk to the lake. Pratap watched her go and quickly followed.
"What's wrong?" He asked with a hint of concern. "Are you unwell?"
"No… I… the sunset is nice." We only have one weekend left between us.
I know exactly what you are thinking Ajabdeh. 
"Yes, it is." They stood in silence to watch the sunset. 
"Sir. Someone is here to see you." Kasturi bowed as soon as they got out of the car. Pratap and Ajabdeh shared a glance at each other and walked up the stairs to find Maya Sekhawat waiting for them. 
"Oh, Mrs Sekhawat." Ajabdeh smiled. "I am sorry, were you waiting for long?"
"Not very long dear."Maya smiled giving her a hug. "I am sorry to drop by without notice."
"No please." Pratap smiled. "You are always welcome. Please sit down."
"Would you like some tea?" Ajabdeh asked gesturing at Kasturi.
"Oh no. No. " Maya shook her head. "I just came by to invite you to the party next weekend."
"A party?" Pratap asked. 
"Yes. It's our thirty-fifth anniversary. And we are inviting a few close friends and family over for lunch. We will be happy if you come." Maya looked at Pratap and then at Ajabdeh.
"Of course. We will. Congratulations." Pratap looked up at Ajabdeh's words. He had almost been sure she would come up with some excuse. 
"Great then. I will get going. Lots to do. See you soon." Maya left in a hurry.
"Before you ask." Ajabdeh spoke "They really helped us. We must be polite and accept their invitation." Ajabdh walked away as he watched her leave.
After dinner, Ajabdeh finally sat down on the accent chair in her room, her legs up on the pouffe as Kasturi massaged them. She had finished some pending work and let Kasturi give her a hot oil massage. Her lower abdomen felt a little uneasy. She popped some pills. Ajabdeh tried to live in the moment unless such pain reminded her of things she wanted to forget. She went into the loop of thoughts once again. She forced herself to snap out of them, scared that she might end up crying in front of Kasturi and opened the book she was meaning to read all this while.
A knock on the door made Kasturi stand up alarmed as Pratap peeped in. Ajabdeh was quick to consciously fasten her wrapper around herself covering her bare legs and her cleavage, before looking up at him. 
"I… thought…" he stopped as Kasturi left them alone. "Oh, you are busy." He said looking at the book in her hand. Ajabdeh gulped away the lump in her throat as she quickly picked up the jug and poured some water. 
"No. No. Come in." She drank the glass down.
"I was thinking of what to gift the Sekhawats." He said. "And while I thought we could discuss it, I ordered some coffee in your room if that is okay." Ajabdeh nodded. 
"Do you have something in mind?" She asked.
"She likes photography. I was thinking something on that line…" He poured the coffee that had arrived as she sat down across from him.
"What did Rukaiya think of the animals that can be used for weddings?" He asked suddenly. 
"Well, she thought it was a good idea." Ajabdeh nodded. 
"I thought so too." Pratap smiled. "Come up with some packages for that."
"We are already working on it." Ajabdeh nodded. "By the way, you were supposed to talk of gifts."
"Yes, I…"
"You are scared, aren't you?" He looked up at her words. Her voice seemed amused.
"What? No." There was a loud protest.
"We could discuss gifts at breakfast also." She said sipping on her coffee." She looked up at the clock "You are too scared to stay in your room alone."
"That's not…" Pratap stopped at her stare. Who was he lying to? Of course, she knew. 
"In my defence, you scared me." He retorted. Ajabdeh shook her head a little amused. Pratap looked up at her. After a long time, he had seen the smile reach her eyes today. He sighed in relief and smiled back sheepishly. 
"Take the couch. I am not sharing the bed." She said getting up. She untied the string of the wrapper over her noodle strap nightgown but then decided not to undo it. "Goodnight."
"Do I at least get a pillow?" He asked. She threw the pillow at the couch and he caught it. 
"Well, at least I am glad we are not awkward enough not to be friends," Ajabdeh spoke almost in a murmur as Pratap's hand froze on his pillow. He glanced over his shoulder to see her eyes shut and sighed as he sat down on the couch with his hand over his face. Time is running out. What do I do?

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