Desde sempre e para sempre
Chapter 24
A domineering black SUV pulled up in front of the community center.
Aaji: “Are we there? Let me see, move!”
Gael just shook his head. He pulled on his shades and got out of the car.
Aaji quickly got out of the car and gasped: “OH MY GOD!! Breno! I don’t recognize this place!”
Gael simply leaned against the car with his legs crossed. Neither did he. He had spent a significant time of his childhood here when he was forced to be away from his home; when he was under the care of his Aaji and her friends who lived in this neighborhood. He had fond memories of that place and of the people but this place before him with the same address looked nothing like the one cherished in his past. He was not affected like his Aaji was looking at the reality. He had learnt a while ago that attachments to people and things only made one weaker and he already knew the cost of being weak.
Aaji turned around but she couldn't even look him in the eye! Not only was he towering above her, the prick had covered his eyes with his shades! Oh how she knew he was enjoying this moment…
Aaji: “Now before you say…”
Gael: “…I told you so…”
Aaji: “…DON’T SAY IT! Breno, my home, my…”
Gael: “Don’t worry about it. We can make some changes and this community centre can be turned into a good house in no time. THAT is why I told you to hang tight at the Hotel.”
Aaji: “I am not worried about the house! I knew it had been turned into a community center! It’s my people! I wanted to meet the people I left behind! Where will I find them?! This place looks nothing like what I remember!”
Gael: “What? You didn't tell me anything about the people. You wanted to go back to your house. THAT is why all of us have moved to India from Brazil AND purchased this land practically overnight and now you…”
Aaji: “Bricks don’t make a home! Loved ones do! I want to meet my people!”
Gael straightened himself and stood towering over her. That was it. He had lost his patience and he had no time nor any inclination toward finding her long lost friends. He had already had enough of all this sentimental overload. He removed his shades and after giving her the death stare until he was satisfied with its outcome, he opened the door and signaled her to get inside the car.
Aaji could see it in his eyes; she knew that there was not going to be any conversation let alone negotiation with him at the moment. Quietly, she got inside the car.
Naina escaped the community center swiftly and burst out of the main door. Fortunately, the function was held in the community center which was big enough for her to slip out for a while without getting noticed.
A gust of wind blew past both of them unknowingly alerting them of each other’s presence. Involuntarily, she started looking for him. He, on the other hand, had already felt her, he had spotted her and was waiting for her to lock her gaze with his.
It all happened in a rush! While she was going through the process of looking for someone or something, she had figured out what had been amiss earlier. Even amongst everybody inside the community center, she had felt lonely and as her gaze locked with his, she felt like she had acquired the company she most desired.
Gael: “Naina…”
There she stood in a vibrant green saree with delicate jewelry and of course her bangles! The loose end of the saree was pinned to her shoulder partly baring the sensual curve of her midriff…
Surprised that her door was still open, Aaji looked up to see Gael walking away from her.
Aaji: “Naina!”
She quickly got out of the car and practically ran toward Naina. Although Gael had reached Naina before her, Aaji spoke to her even before he could figure out what to say to her. It seemed he was lost for words, again, in front of her.
Aaji: “Naina! I didn’t expect to see you here! Naina? Naina?”
Naina snapped out of the trance that she hadn’t realized she had entered. She smiled naturally: “Nani! I am surprised to see you here! This is my home!”
Gael: “You live in a community center?”
Naina: “No, my home is in the building on the right.” But she avoided looking at him.
Aaji: “What is happening here?” Aaji was anticipating the bad news from the horse’s mouth. How she hoped to get these two married right away.
Naina: “The engagement…we didn’t expect it to happen today…”
Gael: “What engagement?”
Aaji knew the revelation would hurt him even though he wouldn’t accept it. She tried to make it easier for him. She wasn’t going to let Naina go without a fight.
Aaji: “It’s just an engagement…”
Naina: “Yes but then there will be the marriage which, from the looks of it, is going to be next week! I just need to prepare myself for…”
THERE! No wonder she was feeling lonely all of a sudden! She was going to miss her friend! There was nothing more to it, especially not Breno!
Gael was already sweating: “Engagement…Marriage?! Next week!”
Aaji was getting scared too: “Nothing is fixed, things can change…”
Naina: “No and I want this. Everyone is happy! This is the right thing to do! I am very happy for…”
Gael: “No!”
Naina: “No?”
Gael: “Wait, the marriage?! Engagement? Who is this guy?”
Naina: “It’s Kuku, of course!”
Gael: “Mother of…it’s that bird again!”
He was going to roast that bird once and for all. He grabbed Naina’s wrist and stormed inside the community center pulling her along with him.
Aaji: “Breno!”
He turned around but only briefly.
Gael: “You, stay right where you are. If you don’t, I swear to God…”
He left that part unfinished…he did not want this old lady to witness what he didn’t know was going to happen inside. All he knew was that his Naina was not getting engaged, let alone married, not to that bird turd and not to anyone!
His Aaji knew him well enough and did not dare go against his command.
Naina: “Breno! You are hurting me! Ahh!”
Gael loosened his grip on her as he rushed inside but only enough to make it less painful.
Everybody was staring at the two. Naina was feeling utterly embarrassed because of the scene that was enfolding as Gael dragged her all the way up to Kushal pushing his way through the crowd. He was a stranger, a tall foreigner and he did not go unnoticed as he marched all the way to the centre.
He stopped and swung Naina towards him as he stood towering over Kushal.
The whole community centre was covered with a pin drop silence. All that could be heard was the sound of Naina’s bangles as she tried to pull her hand out of Gael’s tight grip.
Gael: “This marriage cannot happen, I object.”
He did not shout but the acoustic of the hall and the silence of the crowd allowed his stern voice to travel throughout the room.
Naina froze and so did everyone else. Kushal was the first one to regain his composure.
Kushal: “What?! WHY?!”
Well his composure…not quite.
Gael: “What do you mean ‘why’? You are not right for her. Can’t you see? Won’t anybody see?”
Naina snapped back: “Why do you say that!? I know in my heart that it is mean to be…”
Gael glared at her. She knew in her heart?! How dare she?! How dare she betray him?!
Gael: “YOU don’t know anything! You are making a big mistake!”
Jaya looked at the tall man and his death-like grip on Naina’s wrist. She was not the least bit worried. He was not angry that she, Jaya, was making a mistake rather, he was worried that Naina was the one making a mistake…She realized that he hadn’t even noticed her next to Kushal. His behavior was so obvious. Why didn't Kushal or Naina see it?
She smiled and stood up.
Jaya: “YOU are the one making a mistake.”
Gael looked to his right and noticed, for the first time, a beautiful lady, probably the same age as Naina’s. Her head covered in a red veil. She was beautiful but not as beautiful as his Naina, he thought, and further tightened his grip over Naina’s wrist. He looked at Jaya trying to intimidate her into submission and then further tried dismissing her altogether with a few sharp words.
Gael: “You are forcing her into something that is not right for her. Just because she doesn’t know any better…I only just met her but I know that…and you are saying I am the one making a mistake?!”
Kushal: “Hang on a minute…what are you…doing here…what are you…saying?!”
Jaya: “If I were the one making a mistake, I would be able to accept my mistake for I know that I am not incapable of making mistakes…”
Gael froze. Those words were familiar...wait a minute! Those were his words! He went back to the conversation he had had with Naina...how did she know? Who was she?!
Naina looked up and started shaking her head. She had realized that Jaya had figured out that the man who had dragged her here was the same man she had met on the plane. But she didn’t want her to know. He was supposed to remain a fantasy so that she could move on with her life but the more he interacted with her life and the people in it…
Jaya took the initiative and shook his hand, his free hand.
Jaya: “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Jaya Bakshi, Naina’s best friend and this is Kushal Ahuja, Naina’s colleague and another very good FRIEND of hers. Oh yes, and I am so glad that you could make it to MY engagement WITH Kushal! I know it means a lot to Naina so it means a lot to me. After all, Kushal and I would have never met had it not been for Naina!”
Hammerschlagen!
Jaya studied his face as realization struck and his bombastic behavior dawned upon him.
Naina had still no clue why he was behaving the way he was. She was busy trying to clear the whole fiasco and get him out of there. She did not want to highlight who he was or rather who he was to her!
Naina: “I am sorry Jaya…I did not invite him. I just met him…He was just leaving…Didn’t you just want to CONGRATULATE them and leave?”
Jaya smiled at Gael as she patted Kushal’s shoulder to calm him.
Gael looked at Jaya and for the life of him coudn’t stop himself from laughing.
Naina faked a laugh along with him: “I see…we are laughing now…yes, this is very funny…Kuku, isn’t it?” She turned around to face the guests although her hand was still lodged in his, “We all go a long way back…this was just a joke…please don’t mind us… we play tricks like these on each other all the time,” She playfully punched Gael…still trying to fake her laugh… “You are incredibly funny, Mister, you are…please laugh, all of you…laugh…this is funny!”
The crowd responded with an awkward laughter only to appease Naina and consequently burst into a gossip laden murmur engulfed by their own imagination of what was happening amongst the so-called “friends.” It had provided them all quite the entertainment during the engagement party! That they were all friends and this was a joke was eventually largely accepted by all and the incident was brushed aside. The focus off them, Naina turned back around to face Kushal and Jaya.
Naina: “Jaya, Kuku, I am so sorry, I had no idea this guy would turn up and behave like this…”
She looked at Gael who had, thankfully, stopped laughing but was still smiling.
She touched his forehead.
Naina: “Breno, are you OK? Do you have a fever? Are you feeling cold?”
The smile on his face was swiftly replaced by a frown. He turned his face away so that she would stop touching his forehead.
What in the world had happened to him? He hated weddings, engagement parties…ceremonies or anything that involved happy people herding in one place…and here he was, in a stranger’s engagement party, had been the very centre of attention and all because he had thought Naina was getting engaged to this bird standing in front of him!
Why?!
Kushal unbuttoned the top of his kurta and signaled one of the waiters to give him a glass of water.
Kushal: “Nainai, this man is cuckoo!”
And Gael burst into a fit of laughter once again. Jaya, Naina and Kushal looked at him perplexed…
Before he could make any more of a scene…
Naina: “Jaya, Kuku, excuse us, please.”
She tired to pull her hand out of his hold one more time. He didn't budge and so she used the same hand to drag him out of the community centre.
Once outside, she turned around and looked at him.
Naina: “What is wrong with you?”
Gael had by now stopped laughing and had withdrawn back to his old self. He was getting angrier by the second for his new unpredictable behavior.
He looked down and finally realized that he was still holding her hand. He immediately let go.
Naina rubbed her wrist. It had already turned pink! “Thank you!”
Gael: “That thing inside…”
Naina: “Yes! What was that?!”
Gael lashed out: “Why didn’t you tell me about your friend and that bird?!”
Naina: “Excuse me? What bird?”
Gael was getting frustrated. He didn’t know whether it was with him or with her: “I mean that guy…Cuckoo or something…”
Naina through gritted teeth: “It’s Kuku NOT Cuckoo! You are the one…”
Gael: “Well, why didn’t you tell me FIRST that it was THOSE two who were getting engaged and married?!”
Naina: “I did!”
Gael: “Nuh-uh! Não, você não fez! Isso é culpa sua ! Eu não teria ido para dentro e fez uma cena, se eu sabia que você não estava me deixando … você não estava me deixando…”
She was not going to leave him!
Naina: “Whaa….oh my god! And even if I didn’t tell you, what does it matter? Who did you think was getting married?!”
Aaji: “You are NOT getting married?!”
She had heard everything…
Gael: “NO ONE is getting married!”
Naina: “…yet!”
Gael: “Please, can we stop talking about your friends and their marriage for a second?”
Naina: “But…what is your problem?! It's their marriage! Whose marriage are we talking about?!”
“Tai?”
