Unkindled Love

Chapter 21

By the time Gautami reached The Oberoi Hotel, some of the guests had already arrived. 

Abhyudaya looked very annoyed because Gautami was late. It was her duty to come early and receive the guests. 

Gautami noticed his expression but ignored it. She looked pale and tired. And unenthusiastic. That made Abhyudaya even more angry, though he did not show it.

He introduced her to some new guests. Instead Of shaking hands as usual, that day Gautami folded her hands, said 'Namaste' and smiled. Abhyudaya added, 'We are pleased to meet you.' 
Gautami was very tempted to say, 'I am extremely unhappy at meeting people like you and wasting my time.'

But she could not say that. She was, after all, the wife of the director of the company. She smiled artificially and said, 'I am glad to meet you.'

Waiters with drinks were doing the rounds amidst the groups of conversing men and women. Dining was a mere formality.

After her first such party, Gautami was taken aback at seeing the bill.
'Isn't it too much, Abhi?' she asked.
'The food wasn't very good either. 'Laughing at her ignorance, Abhyudaya had replied, 'Don't apply your Bandra norms to such a party. The amount of money we spend at these parties is a pittance compared to the business we get.'                 

Every dinner, every conversation, every relationship was based on profit and loss. What a way to live, she had thought! Gautami was reminded of that conversation once again. She was lost in deep thought when Harish's wife Prabha came and tapped her shoulder.
'Gautami,where are you lost?'

Prabha, an MA in sociology, was from Agra. She had a six year-old son, Amol, who was in a boarding school in Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. 

'Oh hello, Prabha, I didn't see you,' Gautami said. 'How is Amol? Do you miss him?' she asked.

She had managed to evade Prabha's question. The talkative Prabha replied, 'To be very frank with you, , I am happy that he is in boarding school. Itis a very disciplined life, and he has lots of company. As an only child he get bored and was beginning to get a little stubborn. Besides, we only talk in Hindi at home. There he will learn to speak excellent English.'
Prabha was a friendly, open, person. Though Gautami and she were different in nature they were very good friends. Prabha did not take life seriously. She didn't think too deeply about anything either.
Whenever Harish went on tour, she would go to Agra. She had a big friends' circle even in Bangalore.
All of them would often go out for lunch or shopping.

'Prabha, why don't you have another child? Amol will also have company.'
'Are you mad, Gautami! I had a lot of problems during pregnancy and I do not want to go through it again.'

The conversation was interrupted by Meher Gupta. 'Hi, Gautami! You are looking so beautiful. How do you manage to stay so slim? Do you go to Figurette at Whitefield? It seems all film stars go there. I wish I Were in Whitefield,' Mrs Gupta said wistfully, looking down at her obese body. Mr Gupta was a well-known builder.
They were joined by Prema Malhotra, wife of an advertising executive. 'Gautami! How nice to see you again. What are your plans for the weekend? It Seems there is a diamond jewellery exhibition on at the Thanjavaur. All of us have decided to go. Why don't you come with us?' she said.
'Sorry, I may not be able to come. Abhi might be at home.'
'Oh c'mon Gautami! You behave like a perfect housewife. When our men don't bother about us and travel all the time for their work, we also should spend our time the way we want.'
That was the advice given by the elderly, in fact senior most lady, Indumathi Sukhtankar. 

Gautami was feeling sick. Sarees, jewellery always brought her bad memories. They would remind her of Gangakka's taunts. Gangakka wanted her daughter-in-law to be simple but her daughter could wear the best of sarees and loads of gold ornaments. If Gautami bought an expensive saree, Gangakka would shout at her for wasting  Abhyudaya's money.

Suhana had an indirect way of mocking her, 'Gautami, for your complexion, pearl jewellery might be better than gold!' suggesting that Gautami was darker than Abhyudaya. But there is no use thinking of all that now, thought Gautami, and went back to the guests.       
Abhyudaya had noticed that his wife was not her normal self that day and on the pretext of taking his wallet from her, he went up to Gautami and softly but firmly told her in Marathi, ''गौतमी, काय झालंय तुझं? तुझ्याजवळ नाही जेकबशी बोललो! जा आणि लगेच त्याच्याशी आणि त्याच्या बायकोशी बोल''. ('Gautami, what's wrong with you? You have not spoken to Jacob! Go and talk to him and his wife immediately.')                                   
The chief guests for the evening, Jacob and Dolly Lynes, had arrived a few minutes earlier. Dolly had an artificial smile on her lips. She was a party person. She attended and hosted a hundred such parties throughout the year. 

Gautami went up to them and with a smile, greeted them. After some small talk, Dolly said to Gautami, 'It seems you are very knowledgeable in history? You must have got your doctorate in America.'
Gautami replied curtly, 'No, I am just an MA from my hometown.'
'Oh, is that so? Then how did you manage to acquire so much knowledge and sophistication?' 

Gautami did not bother to answer that question. For Dolly, the answer was not important. She was just making conversation.

'Well, Gautami, then you must study the ancient and splendid history Of America.'

'Excuse me, Dolly. Your history is neither ancient nor splendid. The success of America is the result of technical progress and implementation of the innovative ideas that were born in some other country. Your country's history is the youngest in the world.'

'I don't understand . . .'

'Take the example of SAP software. It was innovated in Germany but implemented in the US and today the whole world thinks it is an American Invention . . .' 

Abhyudaya's sharp ears caught  Gautami's cold and harsh remarks.What was Gautami talking about? This was not the kind of thing to say at a party.

Dolly was the power behind Jacob. Why argue with such a person?
Here he was trying to please everyone, and there was Gautami being so blunt. 
Abhyudaya was worried that she might spoil things for him and ruin his business dealings. A man of great common sense, he knew that if someone's clothes were stuck on a thorn bush, it was better to gently free the garment than pull it off. 

Abhyudaya joined the conversation. 'Hello, Dolly! You look wonderful! How was your trip to Jaipur?'
This was an indication for Gautami to stop being blunt. But she deliberately ignored it.
'Oh, Abhyudaya, it was lovely. I can see so much Western influence in India. Look at the name of this room for instance. It is such a beautiful French name.'

Neither Dolly nor Abhyudaya knew what La Giaconda meant. Gautami could not resist.

'It is not a mere French name. It is the name of the world-famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa, the lady with the enigmatic smile. It is her the room is named after. If one goes to Paris and one has the time and the inclination to visit the Louvre, one can see the Mona Lisa there.' 

Abhyudaya was taken aback. He felt that this was an insult to Dolly. 
Gautami was not behaving like a charming hostess. On the contrary, she was being rude to his guest! How did it matter if it was La Giaconda or Mona Lisa. Getting business was Abhyudaya's ultimate intention.The party went on as usual.

Abhyudaya did not disturb Gautami again.