Chapter 2

Jigar Bhansali may have walked off in a huff, but he could not shake off his protectiveness for his best friend. Abhilasha came into his life when he had no hopes of having genuine friends. He was depressed and forlorn, with no hope of surviving the stress of his teenage life. He was a borderline personality disorder case refusing to take psychiatric help; on the verge of giving himself to drugs. Yet, he saw the hope of survival as Abhilasha. She was the one and only friend he had made for life, and he would do anything to keep her safe. His protectiveness stemmed from his love and a deep insecurity about losing her to others.

He wasn't against her dreams and ambitions; he was against her adventurous ways of seeking life's varied experiences. Abhilasha was too innocent and unsuspecting. She had lived the most sheltered and perfect life, almost in a cocoon, and she perceived life differently. Her world was divided into two strands: the right and the wrong. There was no chance for grey to exist; either it was angelic or demonic. However, she never judged people on the same parameters between right and wrong. Perhaps this is why she had befriended me.

I was a product of misguided decisions, an extravagant lifestyle, and moneyed parents but still a hopeful case to her who can redeem. She found me cute, and I failed to understand her grey matter. Her choices, likes, and dislikes were a contemplation in itself. Her carefree, bold attitude was in direct contrast to the societal conventions she followed so religiously. She was open yet so bounded and secretive about her deep thoughts. She was a mystery, and I still needed to unravel the delicate layers of her intriguing character.

She was the star student at her school and among our friends. She was gorgeous (34-26-30, something all boys would kill for). Sadly, she never concentrated on her looks; always, the brain mattered to her.The nerd never lifted her eyes from her books to appreciate the glances boys stole at her. Initially, she appeared coquettish to me, but later I realized she harboured a deep insecurity about her looks. She could never accept compliments for her outer appearance, not even me. God knows how her brain was wired. According to her, people pay compliments as a form of flattery. Now that was some logic I failed to perceive. Mumbai was her dream destination! The city personified freedom to her, the space she had never experienced under the controlled eyes of her parents. It seemed fair that her parents cared for and protected her. After all, parents need to be worried about our well-being.

My parents weren't bad people; they weren't fit to look after me. I have all the freedom in the world (it seems to Abhilasha), I cannot have a better life than what I am living, according to her, but I can experience the strong strains of shackles in everything I do. I am judged for who my parents are. My life choices have to be weighed in comparison to theirs. There is no chance for mediocrity to thrive, yet I am mediocre. I am hounded by my dad's excellent successful career and my mother's fine lineage. To ask how I survive, I barely live; I am always under pressure to be the perfect Bhansali. Abhilasha was immensely talented. She touched people with strong opinions and easy banter, and I care greatly about the world's attitude. While my parents didn't like her, they respected her for the bright star she was. She needed the proper guidance and push to bring out her wings and help her fly high. But I didn't trust the world. I didn't want her to lose her innocence, trust in people's goodness, and hope for a bright future.

The industry she sought to pave her way in was a tricky maze. Neither can you afford to lose your way or get stuck! But pulling out is never an option once caught in the whirlpool. Jaideep Sahani was a living example before my eyes. Calm and composed but scheming and ruthless, stooping to any low to achieve power or keep himself in prominence. No one could take away the credit from him for being a self-made man, yet he despised independence, freedom, and contradictory opinions from every quarter. He took it as a direct challenge to his authority or, instead, more simply breaking away from his line of thoughts. I could never muster the courage to oppose him, constantly surrendering to his whims and fancies. Submitting was easier than finding the courage to fight for my rights. Gratefully, he spared me the worst. Since I failed to take a keen interest in academics, I was not worthy of much of his attention. His eyes fell on the next in line –my sister Aparajita.

She wasn't a whiz kid but a brighter option to invest his resources on. I accept it; we fancied our dad's life. Ministers bristling in and out of office, bureaucrat buddies hanging out with him in clubs, the glitz of the government circuit, and the cherry on the top was ma's glamorous filmy world. It was a hypnotic cocktail, an ecstasy that would ruin even the most level-headed person, and, well, dad was...dad.The walk to my car seemed never-ending. Finding a parking space on a weekday on Park Street was like trying to find a needle in the dunes of the Sahara.

My phone rang to the tune that I always hated to hear."Hello, Dad," I grunted.

"Meet me in my office for lunch" was the short statement that brought dread to my entire being. Meeting with Jaideep Sahani always spelled doom for me, and I wasn't sure what I was up against this time. His voice held no emotion, nothing I could predict, so I was on tenterhooks. I swivelled out, leaving no time for my brain to think and overthink what would happen at lunch.