Introduction

S

neha made a call. Nandini answered in two rings. 'I'm in!' Nandini tried not to scream in joy. 'Oh my God! Are you sure?'

'What the CEO is asking me to do, hell will freeze before I do it. So either I'll be fired or written up. Thus I need another job.'

Nandini gushed. 'It's not just a job, it's our dream! It's going to be—' 'Kulta, control!' Sneha rebuked.

'Sorry! Come over. I have the contract all ready.'

'Contract ready? You know my CEO or what?' Sneha asked suspiciously. She would not put anything past her loony friend.

'No, silly. Not your CEO; I know you.' Laughing, Nandini hung up.

Sneha quickly transferred important files from her PC onto her USB. She then typed a short email, sent it to the HR department and marked a copy to Mrs Aiyyar. That evening, Sneha stopped at Nandini's place and put some ink on her contract.

'Excited?' Nandini asked as Sneha handed her the signed copy.

'Nervous wreck,' Sneha shot back and then added. 'And excited and positive.' 'Positive is good.'

'Positive that I will need to change my house,' Sneha added casually.

'Why?'

'Just something closer to the office. We will be working crazy hours and I need to be close to the office, so I don't waste time in commuting.'

'New job, new house, new number? Sneh, who are you cutting yourself off from?' Nandini asked perceptively.

Sneha glanced away, 'From those who have done the same to me.' She hoped Nandini had not heard the tremor in her voice.

Nandini was quick to agree, 'Fair enough. So what do we tackle first?'

'Nandi, I know you mean well, but in future, can we let the sleeping dogs lie?

Please?'

Nandini gave Sneha a quick look and then broke into a song, 'Who lets the dogs out?

Who? Who?'

'Idiot.' Sneha sat down and then said, 'Hitch, get to work. We have a business to run!' Nandini quickly came up and hugged Sneha and then she did as Sneha suggested. The two friends soon got busy making a list of action plans for the new business.

Nearly two months later, Sneha and Nandini, dressed in ethnic Indian clothes, stood outside an office door with a thick red ribbon tied in front of it. Nandini held a coconut and Sneha a pair of scissors. A subtle wooden plate with gold lettering proclaimed 'Ace Advertising Incorporation Friends and Co.' In front of the two friends stood a pandit, reciting holy mantras. Vibha Sarin (Aditya's mom), Shruti Sharma (Nandini's mom), and Sarla Gupta (Sneha's mom), stood flanking him.

Behind them stood Aditya, Mr Kaval Gupta (Sneha's dad), Nirbhay Sharma (Nandini's dad) and Seema Sarin (Aditya's sister-in-law) holding her daughter, Aadya Sarin.

'Did you call Ajit?' Seema asked Aditya about her husband in a hushed voice.

'What, and let him disturb you and me?' Aditya winked at her.

'Behave yourself. You have a niece now,' Seema grinned.

'Let me hold her?' Aditya took his niece and held her preciously close to his heart.

'She looks like me! Doesn't she?' he asked, gazing at the child fondly. Sneha and Nandini glanced at them over their shoulders.

'Two years, right? I'm telling you, if you can last two months without getting pregnant count yourself lucky,' Sneha teased.

Nandini rolled her eyes. 'I know. It's almost likes he craves to be a father. I have never seen a man like that before? Have you?'

Sneha face instantly became guarded. 'No!' she replied, firmly ignoring the face that came to mind. Starting a new business had Sneha running in ten directions simultaneously; Advey monopolized whatever little time remained. Sneha also regularly attended her taekwondo, salsa and French-for-beginners classes and yet, every second of her free time was spent thinking about HIM; visualizing his face like something precious, something lost.

Often when Sneha woke up in the middle of night, she would find her cheeks damp.

Her heart always felt heavy, oppressed, but giving into her depression was not an option.

Sneha would mask her misery as long as she needed to and hope that one day it would just disappear. Eventually everything died, right? Sneha hoped that she would some day forget Nikhil's face. Yet the thought that she might forget the face of someone who was causing her such torment hurt her more.

'Are you okay?' Nandini was staring at her.

Sneha blinked her eyes. 'Ya, I'm fine.'

Nandini gave her a closer look, 'You just looked so sad.'

For a fleeting second Sneha's eyes reflected her heartache and then she hastily glanced away, 'I'm fine kulta.'

The panditji gave a startled cough and the three older women in front of them turned to bestow righteous glares upon Sneha and Nandini.

'What? She said kulta!' Nandini impishly exclaimed. Then the pandit threw some rice and turmeric all over the door and blessed the place and his audience with some holy water.

'Nandini, it's time to cut the ribbon. Where's the guest of honour?' Vibha asked as she put the vermilion powder first on Sneha's forehead and then on Nandini's.

Sneha's mother moved to the back of the crowd and called out, 'Amla, get baba.'

Amla dutifully brought Advey who was dressed in a silk cream dhoti and red and golden kurta. He tripped over his dhoti and could not understand why everyone was oohing and aaghing over him. Sneha picked him and gave her son a big kiss. 'I love you kiddo.'

'I lub you too,' Advey replied, smiling at his mother.

Nandini grabbed him from her embrace, 'My turn.' Holding on to Advey, Nandini with the others advanced towards the door with the ribbon.

Sneha turned to Seema, 'Can Aadya join Advey?'

'Gladly,' Seema gestured at Aditya who, holding his niece, moved to the front of the group.

Aditya stood next to Nandini, 'Congrats, businesswoman.'

Nandini was feeling emotional, 'Couldn't have done it without you.Thank you.' She closed her eyes tight to hide the sheen of tears.

'Hey!' Aditya loped his free hand around Nandini pulling her close, 'Control, love.' Nandini sniffed and wiped her eyes on his kurta.

'Stop slobbering over our new business,' Sneha joined them, holding scissors. 'Make space, lovebirds.' Sneha pushed herself between them. She held the scissors near the ribbon. Nandini carefully placed Advey's hand over Sneha's fingers and Aditya did the same with Aadya's. And thus the ribbon was cut.

The pack led by the panditji came inside. Everyone seemed to like the pastel green and pale golden interiors Sneha and Nandini had chosen. Finally, after an hour or so everyone left the office except for Nandini, Sneha and Aditya.

'So when are the others joining you?' Aditya asked. He was walking around hooking printers and copiers to appropriate computers.

'Everyone starts tomorrow, ' Nandini replied.

'Great. Should I bring the champagne and beer sitting in the cooler of my car?'

'Excuse me, this not a watering hole for boozers. This is a place for work,' Nandini said with a straight face.

'And work is worship. Drinking is banned in a holy place,' added Sneha wickedly.

A grumbling Aditya had no choice but to make himself scarce.

'So what's next?' Nandini asked.

'I have a lunch meeting with the PR head of Magna Media tomorrow.' 'Cool. You have the presentation prepared?'

'Yup, finished it late last night.'

Nandini went into the conference room and came back seconds later. 'The lights are not working in there.'

'We'll have to tie up with some handyman services.' Sneha began to jot down points on the pad next to her.

'Already did. For all housekeeping services, Sarin Industries are helping us out,' Nandini winked.

'Nice, kulta.' Grinning, Sneha went ahead and checked all the switches. 'The TV for the conference room is coming tomorrow, right?

'Hmm!' Nandini nodded. 'Did you see page three yesterday?'

'Nope.' Sneha gave her puzzled look. 'Who had a wardrobe malfunction? Don't tell me it was you?' she teased.

'No, there was a picture of that Nikhil with his ex-wife. It was some black-tie charity event. They looked spiffy.'

'Ohh!' Sneha literally felt like someone had landed a kick to her head. She ducked and acted as if she was finding something on the floor.

Nandini gave her Sneha a closer look. 'You don't care, right? I did not mean to say anything that would make you ups—'

Sneha got up shaking her head, yet she kept her face averted, 'Don't be silly. I'm over…it.'

'Great,' Nandini stared at Sneha her expression sarcastic, which Sneha missed for she wasn't looking at her. 'How's Pradeep?'

'He's good. Advey, he and I went out for a movie last Sunday. Dr Pra—I mean Pradeep proposed,' Sneha said, casually moving around checking things. Suddenly Sneha felt a hard thump on her back. 'Ouch!' She turned around.

It was Nandini, looking far from pleased.

'I told you now!' Sneha put her hand up in protest. 'I haven't said yes.' Nandini crossed her arms over her chest. 'Why?'

'Because I need time to think,' she tweaked Nandini's nose affectionately. 'Stop glaring at me. I'll get ulcers.'

'You should. Pradeep is right for you.' Nandini gave Sneha a coy look. Sneha made a rude gesture at her. 'When are you going to give him an answer?' Nandini persisted.

'I don't know. I have asked for some time. He's a good person,' Sneha said thoughtfully.

'Then why aren't you saying yes?' 'Chill, Sethani,' Sneha frowned at her.

'Someone—' Nandini smiled shamelessly, 'Sorry, I meant something, not someone.

Something stopping you?'

'Mind your own business,' Sneha snapped, fully aware of what Nandini was up to.

'You are my business. Look at the sign,' Nandini pointed at the door. 'Friends and Co.' Her grin reached her ears.

Sneha glared at her. 'I have some actual work to do unlike you. What are your plans tonight?'

Nandini groaned silently. Trying to make Sneha miss Nikhil, Nandini was overdoing coupley things with Aditya. It was taking a toll on her alone-time or her time to generally vegetate in front of the TV. 'We are probably going out with the family. You know you are invited by default?'

'Thanks but no thanks, sweets. I'll spend some time with Mom and Dad. They are leaving tomorrow morning,' Sneha smiled.

'Sneh, what did you think of that guy who joined us for dinner last Saturday? Guess he was no good huh?' Nandini asked sweetly. That had been Nandini's below-the-belt attack on Sneha. She had hunted long and hard to find some other single Nikhil. Finally, short of adopting a grown-up man and renaming him, Nandini had finally found the caterer who worked in Sarin Industries, Nikhil Bhomick.

The poor man would not stop stammering in Aditya's presence who, dismayed, eventually had to leave the house for some night golf with one of his buddies. However,

all that work was worth it just to see Sneha's expression when Nandini had told her her date's first name only. And then Sneha's expression when the door had opened and Nikhil Bhomick had walked in. Nandini was surprised Sneha had let her live.

Sneha took a deep breath and answered, 'That Bhomick chap was definitely a big no.

Getting Advey to drop his lisp is hard enough. Please, no stammering men for me.' Of course, Sneha would never acknowledge the real reason she had been peeved with Nandini that entire night and the following few days. Sneha was surprised by her self-control; Sethani was still alive.

Nandini's cell phone buzzed. 'I have gotta take this one.' She moved to her new office.

The call did not last long. Nandini sat on her chair and gazed at her new room. 'I love it,' she said to herself and then a frown settled between her eyes. Sneha and Nikhil's situation was bothering her big time. Not once did Sneha mention Nikhil's name but Nandini had often caught her staring into space, looking dismal.

Nandini also knew that Nikhil and Aditya had met a few times but not once had Nikhil even breathed Sneha's name. In fact Aditya had told her that the meetings were quite brisk and to the point. Neither of the men had wanted to linger more than they had to. 'I have to get them to meet. But how?' Nandini scratched her right temple.

If only Nandini knew what would unfold at Sneha's lunch tomorrow she would have promptly called Aditya and asked him to come back with the chilled champagne.

32

In document Universidad de Granada (página 86-98)