Decisions We Take

“Don’t say yes, run away now. I will meet you when you are out…” Speak Now

“Please, either remove the mask, or the sunglasses, or the cap. You are attracting attention and looking like a militant.” Pratap tried to lighten the mood as he eyed Ajabdeh, sitting beside him as he drove the car down the busy street of Delhi towards the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. 

“I can’t risk being seen with you again by some stupid paps.” That was the first time she spoke; her voice sounded heavy and nonchalant. She had been waiting in the parking lot in her car, as he had said. She had texted him the car slot number, and he had come around right in front of her and gestured at the passenger seat. Ajabdeh had locked her car and stepped into the passenger side seat and fastened her seat belt as they drove off. She had no idea where they were going and why. Pratap smiled faintly at her words and shrugged. He parked the car in a fairly empty place by the park now that people have started to disperse, and Ajabdeh looked alarmed at the crowd. She eyed him suspiciously, remembering her father’s words. Did he want to be seen with her and create some sort of scandal? She shook her head, reluctant to move out of the car. 

“Don’t worry, a friend of mine has arranged for us to get inside after it closes.” He reassured her. “There is another entrance we will use.” He held open the door as she reluctantly stepped out. Her sunglasses made it difficult to see in the dark, yet she was not ready to remove them. Pratap tried to hold her hand, but she shrugged away. Pratap did not force her. Instead, he left her loitering by the car while he walked up to someone, shook hands, and they led him to another entrance. He gestured at Ajabdeh to follow. She did, keeping her distance, with her hand in the pocket of her sweatshirt as if she were alone, minding her own business. The man left soon after as they walked down the gravelled road that led to the gardens and ruins. After walking for a while in the darkness and shadow, Pratap found a seat and sat down. Ajabdeh looked around reluctantly before she sat down beside him, keeping a distance enough for another human being to sit between them as she removed her sunglasses, only for the spectacular panoramic view of the Qutub Minar and old Delhi, lit up in its past glory. Pratap exhaled as he gathered his thoughts.

“There are Jinns here. They say you can smell something sweet if they are around.” Ajabdeh said, rather matter-of-factly, as Pratap sniffed a smell in a reflex. It smelled of old ruins and dust. He cleared his throat. “I read it in a book.”

“Look, Ajab…”

“It’s not going to work.” Ajabdeh interrupted him as she opened her mask, and for the first time, Pratap could see her face look dull even in the night light. “ So we’d better end it.”

“What?” Pratap looked taken aback. He had prepared what he wanted to say, and nothing was remotely similar to this.

“I am not leaving my CEO position for you.” She shrugged as she avoided his glances. “I don’t expect you to do that, Punwar.”

“But you will not be able to take me bossing you around throughout life, both professionally and personally. You are stubborn and…” She stopped as he narrowed his eyes intently at her.

“Are you parroting whatever my father believes?” He asked. Ajabdeh ignored the comment. She inhaled, reminding herself that she needed to stay calm and strong and not lose her clarity. She had to do what she came here to do, and there was no way he was going to convince her otherwise.

“Ajabdeh. If you also think I have not thought this through before I conveyed my feelings to you, you are absolutely wrong.” Pratap sounded irked. “I came here so that we can talk and find a solution to the problem, not run from it.”

“There are only two solutions, Pratap. And nobody would like it.” Ajabdeh shook her head. “Either I lose my position, or you leave yours. If I give up my position, then Bade Papa will hold control till Heer is ready, not something my family would want.” Pratap nodded like he understood where she was coming from. “You are not leaving your position to be with me. I don’t expect that after all the hard work you put in.” He said firmly. “You are the CEO.” Ajabdeh smiled faintly at his first supportive stance towards her position as she eyed him briefly. “Then you go to London, let Shakti have the MD job so there is no conflict of interest.” She eyed him frowning. “Find a job there and stay on it, work a long distance. Come back when I am ready to marry you and run the NGOs and Social Causes like Maasa and Ranima do. Can you do that for me?” Pratap fell silent. Ajabdeh inhaled like she expected it. “You see, just like the CEO, their better halves, too, have roles in the company. Roles that an MD can’t fit into.” She shook her head. “We should part ways like nothing happened, and your father wants to talk to the Rathores.” She stopped because Pratap sprang up from his seat and stood right in front of her.

“Like nothing happened?” He asked, irked. “Wow. Can you?” He looked hurt, and Ajabdeh looked away. “It’s not like we have not done that before.”

“We haven’t talked for half a decade because of it; I am not going down that road again.” He sounded firm. 

“Then tell me what you want.” Ajabdeh shrugged. “What is your bright solution in all this?” Her eyes sparkled with tears, and she fought back. Pratap inhaled, straightening his pants and kneeling in front of her. He held her cold, resistant hands in his as he smiled faintly.

“Marry me.” A shiver ran down her spine as Ajabdeh looked up at him in disbelief. “Have you not heard anything I just said?” She tried to jolt her hand away, but he held it firmly and shook his head.

“I am not letting you go this easily, Punwar.” He looked up at her pale face. “All I am saying is let’s get married, let’s keep it under wraps and work together. When we reveal it to the family, we would have already proven to them that we can work together without any conflict of interest.”

“You are insane.” Ajabdeh shook her head. “I cannot betray them. Ranima, Maasa, Shakti, Papa, Bade Papa, everyone is disappointed with me already.”

“Us.” Pratap shook his head. “I know they are disappointed with us. But how much worse can it be? Ranima is on our side.” Ajabdeh looked a little unsure as Pratap nodded reassuringly at her. “She said we have her blessing.”

“Do you not understand what I am telling you?” Ajabdeh looked away deliberately as a smile curled his lips. “I am breaking up with you.”

“Look at you. You can’t even say that with a straight face, looking into my eyes.”

“Yes, I can.” Ajabdeh frowned. “What is wrong with you?”

“I am not letting you go.” He stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants. “Now go home and tell them that you did the right thing.” Ajabdeh looked sceptical at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked as Pratap smiled, a little amused.

“It may mean different things for different people, but for me it means buying time while I get the registrar ready.”

“Pratap… I… am not sure…” Ajabdeh shook her head. “We can’t be impulsive with life choices like this.”

“Are we impulsive, Ajabdeh?” Pratap arched his brows and asked, “Do you not agree that I came up with a perfect way to prove them wrong and be together?”

“But…” Ajabdeh inhaled.

“So, pretend to break up with me, keep your end of the bargain you did with them. I will keep my promise to you.” Pratap made her look up at him as their eyes met. “I am not letting you go, even if it means pretending not to see eye to eye.”

“We don’t need to pretend that.” There was a hint of sarcasm in Ajabdeh’s tone that was reassuring for him. He drew her in an embrace. Ajabdeh melted in his arms. For the entire day, she had been fighting a battle alone, tired in the mind and body, fighting for herself. She thought he was absent from it all. Yet he was not. In that one embrace, Ajabdeh found the strength to believe in him again, believe in his intentions to be together. A sudden pang of guilt hit her as she wiped her tears, moving away from his embrace.

“I am sorry. I need to apologise to you.” She said as he held her face, “For what?” He asked.

“When my father said you are playing me so that I quit my position, I…” She bit her lips as her sudden silence made Pratap frown. “You believed him?”

“No.” She lied, shaking her head. “But it did seem like a possibility.” She did not expect Pratap to throw his head back and laugh. 

“What makes you believe me now, then?” He asked, intrigued.

“Who says I believe you? For all I know, I am going to tell the parents we called it off.” The monotonous voice with which she spoke disturbed Pratap as he eyed her suspiciously. “Please tell me that you are not convinced by them.”

“All I know right now is that I can’t lose my position in the company.”

“And I promise you, you will not. Let Jalal and Rukaiya have their engagement. By that time, we will get an idea if, after the first quarter, your decision on the Mishras will be questioned or not, and we will plan the wedding accordingly.” He suggested.

“I don’t want to keep Shakti and Heer in the dark, IF we do it.” She made him smile as he nodded. “Okay, we won’t. But we will tell only them, and Jalal and Rukaiya. We can’t trust anyone else. Understood?” Ajabdeh nodded reluctantly. If she was going to deceive her parents for the first time in her life and behave like a rebellious teenager in love, it had better be for Pratap than anyone else.