The Day That Was Not To Be

AFTER THE HONEYMOON

Shrikar has left for office; and taking a day off Anjana is drowsing at home. It is half an hour since Shrikar has left. The door bell rings, waking Anjana out of her morning drowsiness.

Anjana (cursing): Who the hell is that? Now!

She climbs down the stairs and opens the door. She finds a lady standing there, who looks completely dejected in life. A kid is in tow with her. The lady wears the most pathetic smile on her face. She starts speaking in a disturbed tone.

Lady: So, he fooled you too, dear girl? Beware, he has tricked you.

Anjana (frowning): Wait a second. I do not get you. Who fooled me? And, by the way, who are you?

Lady (assuming a steady posture): My name is Deepa.

Anjana (ragingly): So what?

Deepa (sternly): Now it is your turn to wait for a second, and listen to me. I am Deepa Shrikar Prasad; and for your information, I am Shrikar"s wife. But I must tell you, I really do not know whether I am his first, second or third wife. I am clueless about my sequential number. But, mind you, this is our son, Ayaan Shrikar Prasad.

Meanwhile Anjana"s expression changes from her morning drowsiness to utter disbelief.

Anjana (angry): Are you f*****g out of your mind? What the hell are you blabbering?

Deepa (calmly taking out her Adhar Card): There"s no blabbering, dear. See the truth for yourself.

Anjana closely examines the Adhar Card which clearly mentions Deepa"s name as Deepa Shrikar Prasad.

Anjana has no other option but to helplessly accept Deepa"s claim on Shrikar. Even then, she tries to gin some ground

Anjana (arguing): I think this is sort of a game being played by someone with a vicious intent...

Deepa (with a bitchy smile): Well, I really pity your situation, dear. Why don’t you just call Shrikar and get everything sorted out?

Anjana (tears swelling up in her eyes): Well then... But, you just wait here. Please don"t come inside unless and until Shrikar is here.

She bursts into an inconsolable sob and disappears inside by slamming the doors behind her.

[INSIDE THE HOUSE]

After retaining her composure Anjana calls Shrikar but finds his number to be switched off. She gets paranoid and frantically tries to call him umpteen numbers of times. During the course, she measures the length and breadth of the entire house several times.

.......

Helpless like a sacrificial goat for its life, Anjana emerges out, looking out for Deepa, but finds no trace of her or her kid. But she observes a message and an address scribbled on the floor:

"Meet me here, my dear.

.......................

.......................”

True to her nature, Anjana engages in stifling her soul by conjuring up things in her mind. She envisages Shrikar"s enviable love for Deepa, how they make love and their blissful family life...

She explodes with jealousy... and at the next moment accepts herself to be a victim at the receiving end...

And she starts crying like a kindergarten kid, whose chocolate-ice-cream-bar has been whisked away from its very own mouth...

Slowly, her sobs subside and she slips into a shallow slumber.

In her slumber, a hazy dream appears before her.

It recaptures the romantic lunch they were enjoying during their honeymoon sitting at the seashore with the accompaniment of the same romantic music that has been the backbone in their relationship...

The commotion on account of a boy getting drowned in the adjacent seawaters...

Shrikar gets impatient to rush forward and attempt to save the child... Anjana prohibits him... However, a brief spell later she lets him go after extracting a kiss from him...

Shrikar kisses Anjana.

Now Anjana is capable to see through the kiss...

She watches Shrikar running towards the sea... He dives into it and disappears... Before long he emerges out of the waves holding the kid in his hands...

The excitement among the mob... But, little by little, it is ebbing out...

The beach becomes almost desolate.

Anjana envisions herself moving speedily towards Shrikar...

All of a sudden she gets petrified...

She discerns that the kid that Shrikar rescued from the jaws of the ocean is none other than Ayaan. Now what she perceives is Shrikar comforting Deepa by compassionately hugging her and simultaneously running his fingers through the hairs of Ayaan...

Shrikar grows in the mindscape of Anjana as an embodiment of fatherly affection...

The sound of a phone call dries up the dream-drenched consciousness of Anjana...

Fighting back her tears she picks up the phone. After a row of inner ordeals, she is relieved to hear Shrikar’s sound.

Anjana (discontentedly): Where the hell were you?

Shrikar (concerned): What"s the matter dear?

Anjana"s mood of helplessness turns in to vengeance when Shrikar responds so innocently.

Anjana (raging): Dear? Don"t dare call me like that, you cheat.

Shrikar (confused): Please let me know what happened.

Anjana just hangs up the phone, and blabbers to herself: "Let him come home. I will prove myself to him that I am worthier than that Deepa."

Shrikar, who is terribly disturbed by Anjana"s behaviour, reaches home in a jiffy. As his knocks on the door do not elicit any response, he uses the spare key and opens the entrance door.

In apprehension, he rushes in calling out for Anjana: Anju, Anju, where are you? What"s the matter with you? Have I done anything unpardonable? Please, please speak out.

He hears Anjana"s sob from the bedroom and darts straight in that direction.

IN THE BEDROOM

Shrikar (desperate): Anju darling, please tell me what the matter is? Your silence is killing me.

Anjana (still under the hangover of her dream): Then tell me frankly: Do I look pretty or that damn Deepa?

Shrikar (a bit confused): What"s wrong with you? Who is Deepa?

Anjana (suspiciously): You don"t know Deepa and... (after a pause), Ayaan? Do you mean to say that these names do not ring anything in your memory?

Shrikar (totally confused): Who are these people? Will you please help me ease out my curiosity, which is becoming unbearable and agonizing. I am already tired out of office work. Do you know, it was a hectic day there?

Anjana(sarcastically): Oh I see!, I am so sorry I forgot about your new elevated position Sir, as our esteemed Executive Director. Then, for your information Sir, while you were struggling in our office, this lady called Deepa came in here proclaiming to be your wife... first, second or eighth wife... she herself didn’t KNOW.

Shrikar(figuring out why Anjana is so paranoid): Oh, I understand... So, who is this Ayaan? I suppose, he is my dear brother-in-law, right?

Anjana(annoyed): Oh, so sweet of you, ED Sir, acting so innocently. But Ayaan is your son.

Shrikar gestures that he doesn’t grasp anything at all.

Anjana (angrily and sternly): She came here with her Adhar Card which clearly stated her name as Mrs. Deepa Shrikar Prasad.

Shrikar: And what about my so called son Ayaan"s Adhar Card?

Anjana (perplexed): Oh, I don"t know about that.

Shrikar (persuading): Look Anju darling, there are possibly hundreds or thousands of "Shrikar Prasads" in this world. Hence please don"t believe in all these dramas. I really love you, and you are my only girl in this life.

Anjana (unconvinced): Then who were these Deepa and Ayaan. And why on earth were they here, especially looking for you?

Shrikar (pleading innocence): You see, I, too, am as ignorant as you are on this. Why my life has been turned from serenely divine to utterly hellish? I am really clueless.

As of now, my gut feeling is that somebody is deliberately making these moves to sabotage my promotion.

Anjana: Well... you needn"t worry, dear. I will do the investigations, myself.

Shrikar: What"s the matter with you? What investigations? We will do the needful if and when they come again.

ANJANA SUSPICIOUSLY STARES AT SHRIKAR.

Shrikar: Please listen to me, dear.

Anjana (with a cunning smile): Well, you take rest SIR. I have got to go somewhere and meet another person (pointing towards the scribbled address on the floor).

Shrikar looks on helplessly as Anjana proceeds with her indomitable intention to dig out the roots of Deepa – Ayaan mystery.

Anjana was unaware of the fate that was crawling right behind her like a python, waiting to strangulate and sniff the life out of her at the very next opportunity.

Anjana scurries out in order to meet Deepa [at the aforementioned address]. As she nears Deepa"s double-storied bungalow, she gets shocked. Now, through its windowpanes, she can see Shrikar making love to Deepa. She rushes frantically to the house... and she is stunned to find Deepa, Ayaan and their maid sitting in the hall.

Anjana (in utter disbelief): (Looking towards Deepa) What the hell! I just saw you with Shrikar upstairs.

And she flies to the first floor to find out the truth, while Deepa tries to stop her.

Deepa (angrily): Look, Anjana, you can’t trespass on my property like that. You are intruding into my privacy.

Anjana ignores Deepa and goes up in search of Shrikar. But to her surging disappointment, she cannot find any trace of Shrikar there. She climbs down, looking at everyone with a suspicious look and walks out of the house. Then she calls Shrikar.

Anjana (sternly): Where are you Shrikar?

Shrikar (curiously): What"s the matter now?

Anjana (exploding): Just tell me where you are.

Shrikar: At the office; where else? (Nudging her a bit) After you left on your so-called investigations, I came back to work. Now will you please tell me what the matter is.

Anjana (losing her patience): I just saw you with Deepa at her residence, with my own eyes. Now, how come you are at our office?

Shrikar (also losing his patience): Enough is enough of this stupid new streak of yours... you don"t believe me? Now I will give you solid proof. Just call me on the landline number of my office.

Anjana: Ok then; wait for a moment.

She hangs up her mobile and hysterically searches for the landline number of Shrikar’s office. To her profound disbelief, Shrikar answers the call.

Shrikar (assuring): See dear, I told you, I am at our office. Now will you please go home and take some rest. It is very much required. And if you are ok with the idea of consulting a doctor, we can do that as well.

Anjana (crying inconsolably and weighing her mistake): No, no... No doctor for now... I will heed your suggestions. Will go home and take rest. Love you. Please forgive me for all this.

Shrikar (assuring): Hey, love you, too. No need for an apology, my dear.

With a muddled composure she reaches home but is further baffled and pain stricken to find Shrikar playing with Ayaan on the first floor balcony of their two storied tenement. She storms to the balcony only to find just plain daylight spread over the floor.

She gets paranoid and runs out of the house, but is shocked at seeing Shrikar"s car fast approaching. She runs helplessly into Shrikar"s outstretched arms, sobbing profusely. Shrikar comforts her concealing his cunning smile and suggests that it would be advisable that they visit a psychiatrist.

Shrikar (hugging Anjana): Calm down, dear. You are not alone now. I am here as a pillar of support for you. Should we go to a psychiatrist dear?

Anjana (hiding her face in Shrikar"s arms): No, it will be fine, now that you are here with me.

Shrikar escorts Anjana to the bedroom and sees to it that she sleeps well.

THE VERY NEXT DAY

Anjana wakes up Shrikar with the morning tea.

Anjana (prodding): Wake up darling. Tea for you.

Shrikar (yawning): Hey, you got up so early, dear? Feeling better?

Anjana (enthusiastically): A lot better. Come on, let us get ready for office.

Shrikar(dumbfounded): Us?

Anjana responds in a ‘but-of-course’ gesture.

Shrikar(authoritatively): No, you are not coming to the office. Take rest for two more days.

Anjana(innocently): No, I feel perfectly okay at this moment.

Shrikar: Now, listen to me Anju. You’ll stay at home. That"s my order. (And with a smile) I am the boss!

Anjana(giving in): Ok, boss. I will stay home and will make your favourite cuisines for today’s dinner.

Shrikar strikes a thumbs up, gets on to his daily chores and leaves for office. Anjana, characteristically, anticipates something absurd to happen. Time and again she looks at the approach road expecting Deepa to be there... Or else, she climbs up to the first floor balcony to check on if Shrikar is playing with Ayaan. However, the reality belies her grim fantasies, lightening the tensions of her inner core. A relieved Anjana now starts preparing the food she promised Shrikar for dinner.

Shrikar arrives on time and to his surprise sees Anjana to be all decked up and smiling.

Shrikar (happily): So, you lived up to your promise, good! Love you. And you look beautiful... (Naughtily) Very... very... beautiful

Anjana (contentedly): Dear, I love you, too. Now, go change and refresh... and then jump on to the dining table.

After freshening up, Shrikar comes to a candle-light-dinner, which is spread out on the table.

Shrikar (running his hand through his hair): Wow! this view itself is an appetizer!

Anjana(sitting down): So, shall we start dear?

Shrikar (sitting down): Yes, of course. What are we waiting for?

They enjoy the dinner

Shrikar(catching her hand): The food was awesome.

Anjana (trying to relive herself from his grip): Thank you.

Shrikar (putting his other hand over her belly): No ‘thank you’ and all that blabbering stuff... darling. They won"t suffice. See, how I am going to return you for this culinary favour with interest!

Anjana (surprised but happy): What do you mean?

Shrikar picks up an ecstatic Anjana in his arms and heads straight for the bedroom. Anjana giggles like a baby being pampered... And they make love.

After midnight, Anjana is deep enough in her sleep for a dream to spring out. She dreams of a hand, to be particular "a man"s hand", coming out of nowhere and tightly gripping her hand. Before the other person musters the courage to show his face, Anjana finds herself vigorously making love to Shrikar. Suddenly in her dream her focus darts towards some strange noises coming from the adjacent room.

[She thinks that these noises could be, ideally, embroidered on the lovemaking scene (which she just enjoyed) like the shred of a dream.]

Shortly, Anjana shudders out from this dream and realizes, that the strange noises are actually emanating from the adjoining room.

She looks for Shrikar beside her, but finds that part of the bed to be empty. She is desperate to find out the reason behind these strange noises. She helps herself out of the bed to inspect what is going on.

While approaching the adjacent room, the noises become more and more prominent as lovemaking sounds. With all-consuming curiosity, Anjana opens the door... And to her utter consternation, finds Shrikar and Deepa making love passionately. They climax and turn towards Anjana with a smile that mocks her very existence. Unable to bear the view she closes her eyes...

The very next moment, she feels a touch on her shoulders, which shrieks all the hell out of her. She turns and finds Shrikar"s worried stare pinning on her. She looks at the bed again, and finds it to be without even a crease on it.

Sobbing profusely, she falls in to Shrikar"s arms.

Anjana (helplessly): What"s going on with me? I cannot understand. Please help me out Shri.., please...

Shrikar (comforting): Hey, cool down! Didn’t I tell you? I am here for you. I have a friend who is also a psychiatrist. We will meet him tomorrow. Now, you please take rest.

And he escorts her to their bedroom.