Knotty Affairs
DR CHIRAG BAGADIA
BLOOMSBURY INDIA
Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd
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First published 2019
This edition published 2019
Copyright © Chirag Bagadia, 2019
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Part I
Part II
Part III
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
THIRD OF JANUARY, 2016, around the stroke of midnight, as I penned down the final words of this book, I let out a wild scream of joy, so very loud that the security guard of the premises came down knocking at the door. It soon dawned upon me that this loud scream had many a voices behind it. It would be difficult to acknowledge all these voices that coalesced into that joyful scream. Neverthless, my sincere apologies to all those who felt left out!
A journey of over four years before this book hits bookshelves and it’s my privilege and pleasure to acknowledge those who contributed to this novel. In sixth grade I read my first Agatha Christie novel and I can’t thank enough of my literary inspiration who instilled the idea of reading and writing in me – Agatha Christie.
The literary icon of today, Amish Tripathi sir, your personal hard hitting words to me at the lit fest made me realize – it’s high time that I go for this…
Mrs. Asha Mohan, without you, this novel would have just stayed as a farfetched dream or aspiration. As my writing mentor and guide, you blessed this novel with wings of reality. Your valuable inputs and suggestions, your patience even on my frequent violation of set deadlines and your unflinching support, you are the one I dedicate this novel to!
Words fail in expressing gratitude to my ever loving mom and dad who relentlessly encouraged me to pursue my dreams inspite of two other flourishing careers. It is because of the ultra positive vibes that they maintain at home that I was able to sustain the frothy vibe throughout the book. Special thanks to my brother, Jimish who handled the subtle matters of the clinic, so that I could focus on writing, my three besties – Tejas, Kitu and Harshal who patiently travelled with me through this roller coaster ride of ups and downs and never ceased to give their valuable suggestions wherever required.
Life sails smoothly when an author and an editor find themselves on the same page. Mrs. Anukriti Sharma, who first worked on it when the book was raw. I thank you for setting the tone of the book. Suhail Mathur, my literary agent and a dear friend now, I found you at a time when I had hit a dead end with the novel. I wish for his firm, The Book Bakers and his entire team to ride high on success. Thank you very much for being there! Special thanks to Sabi Shaikh and Hetal Rupani for connecting me to Suhail.
Special thanks to my teachers, Dr Sachin Lad, Dr Ashwin Jawdekar, Dr Ajit Oak, Dr Vicky, and Dr Praful Barvalia for their deep trust in me and shaping me through my growing years as a dentist. A special mention to Yerla Dental College, where my fond college memories lie.
My vote of thanks extends to the entire team of Bloomsbury Publications, the publishing giant for giving Knotty Affairs such a huge platform in the world. Paul Vinay Kumar with his warmth and professional behaviour, has ensured the smooth processing of the book in Bloomsbury, my in-house editors, Aradhana Bisht and Jyoti Mehrotra, for giving the book a much required crispy and breezy flavour, and the management team led by Satyabrat Mishra.
I definitely cannot forget to acknowledge the undying spirit of Mumbai city which helped in setting the positive tone of the story. I consider this as an opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who strive relentlessly to keep this city beautiful. It is because of you all that I was able to come up with beautiful descriptions of all the places and destinations used in the book.
I thank all the countless people, known and unknown, who through their quirky traits, attitudes, looks and the craziness, helped me in bringing my characters to life.
My extended friend circle on social media platforms- Facebook, WhatsApp – for helping me promote my debut novel.
Above all, to all of you, dear readers, who are responsible for making my childhood aspiration come alive. You are truly special to me. Till today, I was a part of journey of Aakash, Kashish and Aneri’s lives. Today, you have joined me…and I feel like celebrating because of you.
Prologue
IT WAS EIGHT o’clock on a dry, hot Wednesday morning in Mumbai. Widely believed to be a city which rises early and retires late, parts of Mumbai are a treat to watch during early mornings as there is less congestion, sparse traffic, and zero commotion. Bandra Bandstand has the privilege of being one such distinguished place. Tucked away in a quiet corner of suburban Bandra, it is easily one of the most enjoyable and visit-worthy places of Mumbai. Here, one can witness the vast, sprawling Arabian Sea touching the feet of the city, and bringing with it the much-needed freshness in the form of a cool sea breeze.
A briskly paced, black Honda Stunner zoomed past the street, riding along Bandstand. From within the tinted glass of the helmet visor, a pair of eyes quietly observed the Mount Mary Church as earlymorning worshippers climbed its steps.
Crossing a narrow lane, the bike rode down a wide road from where the sea was clearly visible. A high tide glorified the proximity of the sea with an uproar of waves crashing against the rocks. The wind showered tiny droplets of water on the visor, blurring the rider’s vision for a moment. Wiping clean the mistiness, he rode straight ahead, his eyes admiring the ultra-lavish, sea-facing residential complexes on one side of the road. Far ahead, he noticed a bevy of teenage girls clicking selfies outside the closed gates of Mannat (superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow). Finally, halting right across the street, in front of a coffee shop, the twenty-seven-year-old rider alighted from the bike after parking it. The lean, medium-statured biker removed his helmet to reveal a cute face that seemed to be straight out of an Archie Comics. Running his fingers through his wavy hair, he cast a look at the waves crashing against the rocks. Smiling good-naturedly at an elderly health enthusiast, jogging on the Bandstand walking track, he quickly turned around to face the café.
The moment he entered the café, a girl waved at him, ‘Oye, Aakash, you’re late again! Why can’t you ever be on time?’
Aakash Mehta, a dentist by profession, had graduated four years ago. He has been running his own dental clinic for the last three years in Chembur. A typical ‘guy-next-door’, with charming looks and a cute smile, Aakash’s likeable persona made him worth a second look. ‘Creating beautiful smiles’ was a part of his profession, but he truly believed that a winning smile always worked like magic. However, right now, he found it hard to hold a smile since his friend, Vishak
ha Puri, seemed visibly irritated.
‘Doc, it’s no joke to get up at 6 a.m. and travel all the way from town to Bandra just because you want to have a chat. The least you can do is reach on time.’
‘Sorry, Vishu,’ said Aakash apologetically. ‘Lemme make it up by treating you to your favourite doughnut,’ he added, giving her a side hug. The thought of doughnuts brought a smile to Vishakha’s face, melting away her anger.
Vishakha was a post-graduate in clinical psychology and was working as a visiting psychologist at Dr Ritesh Khurana’s Psychiatry Care Centre. Dr Ritesh Khurana happened to be one of the city’s leading psychiatrists practicing in Mahim. Around two years ago, Vishakha had undertaken extensive research work at Sweekruti, an NGO, where she examined patients suffering from severe depression. Dr Aakash Mehta was one of the visiting dentists at the same NGO. A chance encounter at a health camp conducted by the organization led Aakash and Vishakha to meet and, over time, become friends.
The bond stayed strong even after Vishakha got married to a wealthy diamond broker, Hitesh Puri, about a year ago, and moved to a lavish house in Mahalakshmi. The interactions between Vishakha and Aakash had become infrequent, as Vishakha was no longer associated with Sweekruti, but both loved to catch up whenever they got an opportunity to do so.
Vishakha had received a WhatsApp message the previous evening from Aakash, which said that he urgently wanted to meet her and seek some professional advice. Strangely, she had also received a call from Aakash’s father, requesting her to meet Aakash and find out what the matter was with him.
Vishakha, now seated comfortably on a stylish wooden chair facing the Arabian Sea, found herself closely observing Aakash. With his boyish charm, he looked much younger than his age. By the look in his eyes, she deduced, he had something significant to discuss. The almostempty café, the sound of the waves, and the morning calm created the perfect ambience for Aakash to express himself.
Placing an order of gourmet hot chocolate, Aakash’s favourite, and a creamy choco-doughnut, Aakash settled down next to Vishakha. They sat in companionable silence, until Aakash asked, ‘So, how’s Hitesh doing?’
‘Good…busy with his work, as usual. He had gone to Singapore for a consignment last week. Just came back on Sunday. He’s had a severe stomach ache since he returned, but he’s feeling better now.’
Before Aakash could reply, she quickly added, ‘So, what is it that you wanted to talk about? I’m all ears. Ashwin Uncle called me yesterday and he sounded worried about you.’
‘He told me that I need to see a psy…psy…chia…trist…,’ Aakash replied, imitating Shahid Kapoor’s character in Jab We Met, and both burst into laughter.
Aakash paused before saying, ‘Vishakha, you’ve been married for a year now, but do you remember the days when you were still looking for the right guy? Did you wonder what your future would look like post-marriage? Or, how you would feel going to a new home – a place you knew nothing about?’
He continued, without waiting for Vishakha’s reply, ‘Every Indian girl knows the truth about how she will have to spend her life after marriage. Every so-called experienced person in our society takes the onus of conditioning her to a certain mindset. I’m sure, there are many conflicting questions that every girl asks while growing up, and the answers to them are explained away by the same responses – a conditioning that takes place every single moment in her life… I am not saying that I know exactly what it feels like growing up as a girl, but I do have a rough understanding of what she goes through during her adolescent years. I have seen it happen with Kinju…’
Aakash was referring to his cute little sister, Kinjal, who was three years younger to him. An architect by profession, with a radiant personality, Kinjal was Aakash’s best friend. Kinju, as he lovingly called her, was a fine judge of Aakash’s capabilities and decisions in life, and she was among the rare few whom Aakash trusted completely.
‘Lemme make this clearer. From childhood, a girl is made to believe in a fairy-tale-like world where she will meet the man of her dreams and live happily ever after. But, here’s the real twist in the classic tale. When her Prince Charming arrives and sweeps her off her feet, where does he take her? Just like Alice in Wonderland, who falls down the deep rabbit hole into a completely new world, our princess is transported to a completely new world, to live amongst new people. Within a matter of days, she is snatched out of her comfort zone, placed in an unknown territory, a world in which she has to adapt to a completely new lifestyle. Alice returns to her own world eventually, but does our Indian Alice have that option?’
Vishakha replied, ‘Oho, doc, what’s wrong with you? Are you writing a thesis on the psychology of women? Did I hear Ashwin Uncle correctly, when he said that you needed a dose of counselling?!’ Vishakha seemed amused, but decided to play along nonetheless. Aakash certainly had something up his sleeve. How she wished she had brought Hitesh along with her.
‘I know, yaar,’ defended Aakash, adding, ‘we guys might not understand a thing about this, but when we do, we kind of sound like patrons of women empowerment.’
‘But, Aakash, this is how the life of Indian women is designed. From the day we start understanding the concept of marriage, hundreds of questions pop up in our minds, and the only answer we ever get is: that’s how things were, are, and will continue to be for a girl.
‘You see, Aakash, a girl is always expected to be an epitome of acceptance. Aah…a girl…she is meant to accept whatever comes her way. She is meant to accept the fact that, one day, she has to leave the very home she grew up in, leave her loving parents, and create a new world of happiness elsewhere. For ages, men have had the onus of being the providers, while the women are expected to take care of the household. But, in the modern era, a woman is expected to work, and manage her household, in-laws, husband, kids, and social commitments.‘It’s no big deal, right? Every girl does it. Aakash, an Indian girl is like an ever-running app which, when downloaded, does not even ask for a rating from anyone, but in case she crashes… Boom! She invites the wrath of everyone,’ Vishakha said sarcastically, gesturing with her hands.
‘Ha-ha Vishu… You sound like you are ready to pull on your gloves and settle some scores here. I couldn’t agree more. Even guys leave their parents and home for higher studies, jobs, etc. I mean, look here, even your husband, Hitesh, has lived away from home and parents for quite a long time, hasn’t he?’
‘But Aakash,’ Vishakha cut him short, ‘there is a difference. You guys always have the option, we don’t. You have the option of going back to your parental home, whereas we are conditioned to leave ours after we get married.’
Aakash looked deep into Vishakha’s eyes and, taking a deep breath, asked, ‘Vishu, is there a single girl in this country who has not left her parents’ home with a heavy heart and moist eyes? I, being a guy, cannot imagine living without my mom and dad. Their presence in my life is the biggest privilege I have been afforded.’
Vishakha chipped in, ‘That’s called over-dependency, dude!’
Ignoring Vishakha’s remark, Aakash continued, ‘Right after I finished junior college and state CET, I had to go to Nashik to pursue dentistry, thanks to my average scores. I was fairly well-organized and managed my chores quite well away from home…but only at this, physical level. Emotionally, I was a bit of a wreck. Every night, when I returned to my room after a hectic day of running around in college, I felt a sense of hollowness. I missed my family. I felt lonely without them. While my friends enjoyed their new-found freedom in hostel life, I was often down in the dumps.’
Aakash was now looking beyond Vishakha’s shoulders. ‘You know, this is precisely the reason why I used to land up in Mumbai every other week, while most of my friends stuck around to enjoy weekends in hostel or to explore Nashik. Those trips back home rejuvenated me, until I moved back to Mumbai again after three months, when I got admission in the dental college at Kharghar.’
‘Doc, that’s called homesickness!’ wink
ed Vishakha. She loved pulling Aakash’s leg and today she wouldn’t let go of him so easily.
Aakash retaliated by saying, ‘You are sick,’ and playfully pretended to strangulate her.
‘Achcha, okay, Dr Aakash Mehta. Ab chal seedhe point pe aa,’ Vishakha nudged Aakash, adding, ‘I know you quite well. You are way too much in love with your family to think of spending your life without them, and you are fortunate to be part of such a close-knit family. But, seriously, I am sure, you are not here to talk about this happy realization, right?’
Before Aakash could say a word, a barista came with their order and placed it on the table. The delicious aroma of coffee filled the air and both of them simultaneously dug their forks into the doughnut and devoured it hungrily.
After a while, Aakash picked up his mug and took a sip of hot chocolate. Looking at the sea in the distance, he noticed a girl in her early twenties, holding sandals in one hand, trying to climb up on the rocks. She suddenly seemed to slip and the guy accompanying her firmly gripped her hand. Hand in hand, the couple crossed the rocks and stepped onto the pavement. Now that he could see them clearly, Aakash admired the blush and excitement on the girl’s face.
He looked at Vishakha. She was still busy satiating her taste buds. ‘Vishu,’ he said, ‘a lot of things have happened since you went to San Francisco to meet your relatives. In the last twenty-five days, my life has changed completely. Everything has happened so quickly that even I find it hard to believe.’
Aakash rose from his chair and stretched out his arms to shake off the stiffness from his body. Placing both his palms in his pockets, he simply winked and said, ‘I am getting engaged.’
Vishakha immediately let out a shriek of joy and leapt out of her chair to hug Aakash. The sudden wave of excitement did not go unnoticed, and a few onlookers turned to look at the two friends.
KNOTTY AFFAIRS
Part I