“Chinni” Episode-01

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Four minutes after she had scored an equalizer with an unbelievable right-footer from outside the Samnagar penalty area, Chinni gathered the ball once again on the left flank. But this time around, both   Heera and Robin were a little too far, and were covered too well at that. With the seconds counting themselves down in her head, she knew that she had to break through the damned Samnagaris by herself, if Raunak Lane’s honour was to be restored. There was a body check, but she shrugged off the defender, leaped beyond him, and kicked the ball bang on to the guy covering Abdoo. He didn’t see it coming, and the clumsy block provided Chinni with the equivalent of a perfect cross. Just right for a fine header from her, which beat the Samnagar captain who was in her way, and planted the ball beyond the goalkeeper’s right hand.

The go-ahead goal coincided with the final whistle. Chinni’s team won four goals to three. Her neighbourhood’s honour stayed intact.

Unmindful of the classy business suit that he was wearing, Jasraj Devgarhia leaped from one of the several almost-empty rows of the small stadium, pushed his tongue back with both his forefingers, and blew the loudest whistle ever heard in all of Royalpur district.

Minutes later, Chinni hugged him even as they walked towards the stadium’s parking lot. “Thank you sooo much for coming, Papa!”

“Come on, darling! I knew what this game meant to you!”

“Huh?” She quickly moved away in shock, still walking. “Don’t tell me you thought I called you to watch my local football match!!”

Jasraj got confused. What else could she have meant by sending him an sms to come there at once?

“Papa, Don’t I know that your main distributor is in town with his annual report? You think I would disturb you for this silly game’s sake?”

“Well, why else then …?”

“Really?” She couldn’t believe that he was asking.

By then they had reached his sedan. She quickly opened the rear door before the driver could do it for her. Hurriedly climbing on the seat, she peeped behind and everywhere else. When she could not see what she was looking for, she got off and anxiously gestured at her father. Where is it?

Jasraj shrugged and gestured with his hands. What?

Chinni stiffened her body, took a deep breath, rolled her head backwards in slow motion, closed her eyes, and exhaled very, very slowly. When she finally straightened and opened her eyes, her father was still looking on as clueless as before.

She now rid her face of any expression whatsoever, and said softly, “My lehenga, Papa!!”

***

The nozzle sprayed steamy hot water that ran down Chinni’s petite body. Little by little, the aches started to ease.

Thank God, Sanjana Aunty had got the stitch right at least at the third attempt. Or else, she wouldn’t have had the time to go to her again, what with Papa’s absentmindedness quashing her time-saving strategy of getting the lehenga delivered at his office.

Wiping her shapely calves with the towel, she was glad she had got them waxed the previous day. The morning’s match wouldn’t have allowed her the time otherwise.

The silver-zari embroidery on the dupatta’s fuschia border added to the grandeur. It was a soft-net burgundy lehenga with detailed floral patterns and a machine-rolled hemline. She wore it where she usually wore her low-waist jeans. She wanted it lower, but given the family occasion, she didn’t want to push it.

What she loved the most was the choli. The cut was finally done right: low enough to show enough of her cleavage, and high enough to flash her navel. It was backless, too – bikini style – and so her new tattoo was clearly visible. An arrow piercing the heart was a cliché, yes. But clichés were clichés for a reason.

***

The engagement ceremony at Royalpur Circuit House had an audaciously Bollywood theme. Among other things, the food stalls were tackily named after old and new blockbusters. It was Nishi Chachi’s idea, after all. Though nobody wanted to go against the wishes of the groom’s mother, Papa had subtly mentioned that he wasn’t too excited by it. Subsequently, Balraj Chacha had promised him that the wedding itself would be as per family tradition. But even that promise seemed difficult to fulfill when the bride’s family arrived. They all got so enamoured by the filmi décor that they decided to repeat the theme, and even up the scale, at the wedding in Jaipur.

Amidst thunderous applause, the soon-to-be-wed Aanchal and Saurabh arrived on two thrones from amidst cardboard stars, and were lowered down to the stage filled with artificial clouds. Extremely good looking in the conventional sense, they seemed to have been made for each other.

As the main ceremony got over and the couple greeted and chatted with the guests, Chinni found their respective calm, cheerful personalities almost mirroring each other.

Chinni had supervised the groom’s attire from the word go. Sauri Bhaiya had been her favourite cousin right from the very beginning. He had always been the brother she didn’t have. His younger brother Rishabh was eighteen, just a couple of years junior to her, but she found him too childish to even talk to.

She was eager to welcome Aanchal as the newest member of the family. She looked forward to all the girlie talks that she could have once again in the house, after Mummy’s passing five years ago. Nishi Chachi had been around, yes, but she wasn’t her type. Well, Aanchal wasn’t totally her type, either – not many girls were too interested in football, leave alone play the game. But then, Aanchal had done fashion designing, how cool was that!

As she ran through her thoughts about the good times she would share with Aanchal, her eyes continued to rove, scanning the entire venue. None of the young men had caught her fancy as yet. In any case, most of them were family and friends, even many of those from the bride’s side – the alliance had been fixed with the help of close business associates, after all.

Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat. Over the heads of the crowd, a terrifyingly handsome face shone under one of the chandeliers.

She got a funny feeling in her stomach. She lifted a hand and her fingers rubbed her lips before she could even really think about it.

“There she is!” Papa’s voice broke her thoughts before they were formed. He was cheerfully bringing a guest with him. “Chinni, meet my old friend Mr. Bansal.”

Chinni respectfully did a namaste, and pretended to be all ears and respectful even as Jasraj went on to praise her multiple talents to the skies. Avid footballer. District topper in the twelfth standard. Currently pursuing graduation in Business Management, et cetera.

But she was more interested in the guy across the hall. She had a better view of him now. God! Thick, disobedient, curly black hair. Intense, brown eyes. Almost six feet tall. She imagined his perfectly toned body captured inside the peacock-blue sherwani.

When Mr. Bansal excused himself to answer a call on his mobile, Jasraj Devgarhia smiled to himself. He could see that the man was quite impressed with Chinni.  It was an auspicious sign. His only son would return from Harvard in a year or two. It would be an ideal match. The Bansals had far better clout than his nephew Saurabh’s future in-laws could ever dream of.

Only such an alliance would let him continue ruling the family business.

After all, he had no son.

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