"Wait a little," she said. "Can we talk?"
I sighed and put the car back in park. It looked like we were going to do more of this thing where she talked and i just listened, just like when me and my mom talked.
"Thank you,Rajveer Hukum." Women in Jaipur called their husband Hukum, as they donot take their husbands name out of respect. but they weren't husband and wife so it was more of a word used in a respectful way to address a man of superior social status. Or may be this girl was already tring to behave as my wife. i didn't find it endearing. But when she flashed another of her disruptive smiles at me, i forgot to be annoyed.
Right as my brain function started to stutter, she looked about the interior of My car.
"This car is nice."
"Thanks." i didn't generally like flashy things, but i loved to drive.
my car was by far the most self-indulgent thing i owned. Too bad about all the bird shit on the windshield.
She took a deep breath. "I know you don't want to marry me."
"That's right." i saw no reason why i should lie.
Silence hung in the air as she worried her bottom lip, and my muscles tightened unpleasantly.
"Are you going to cry?" i asked. "There are tissues in the center console." Should i get them out for her? i didn't know what else to do.
Pat her on the arm maybe.
She shook her head before she lifted her chin and met my gaze. "Your mom wants me to change your mind."
"You can't change my mind."
"Do you have ..." She glanced to the side as she searched for words. "A perfect woman in your mind? What is she like?"
"She leaves me alone." i already had a mom, a sister in law, and a bazillion aunts and girl cousins to send me on senseless errands, harass me about my clothing choices, and tell me to cut my hair. i didn't need any more women in my life.
"You don't want that," she said with a decisive shake of her head. "I'll help you be happy. You'll see."
i stiffened. "I don't need that kind of help." Her suggestion was galling in unprecedented ways. If she was going to spend the summer pushing me to dance and sing, i was probably going to have some manner of epic mental breakdown. Happiness, like grief, was not in my personal emotional card deck. But minor emotions like irritation and frustration were. i was feeling those in healthy measure right this moment.
A skeptical look crossed her face. "Happy people don't wear all black."
my clothes again. i tightened my fingers on the steering wheel. "I disagree." Black was perfectly acceptable at weddings, and those were happy events. For other people, anyway. i'd rather have a colon exam.
Proctologists only tortured you for a few seconds, whereas weddings went on for hours and hours.
Her lips thinned, and a tense moment stretched out before she asked,
"What work do you do? Do you like it?"
"It's complicated to explain, but yes, I like it."
Her lips moved quietly for a moment, and i was fairly certain she was testing out the feel of the word complicated. But then she glanced about the car, took in my black suit and shirt again, and gave me a funny look. Her lips curved ever so slightly.
"Are you a spy like James Bond?"
He blinked several times. "No."
"An assassin?"
"No, I'm not an assassin." What was wrong with her?
"Too bad." But she didn't look disappointed, not with that smile on her face. What weird things were going on in her brain?
Shaking my head, i said, "You're stranger than I am."
She confused me even more by hugging her arms to her chest and laughing down at her lap. It was a pretty sound, musical in a way. When she crossed her legs, my eyes were drawn helplessly to her thighs. Her skirt slid up, revealing another inch of flawless skin.
Rule Number Six, Rule Number Six, Rule Number Six.
i wrenched my eyes away and stared blindly at the dashboard. "I was an accounting major in school, but I'm more of a tax specialist now. My brother and I started an accounting software company. He's in charge of the programming and he is also thre ceo, and I handle the accounting, which means I need to stay up- to-date on generally accepted accounting principles and tax law as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. Lately, we've added transfer pricing analysis to our software package, so I've had to get particularly familiar with section 482 of the IRC. It's very interesting figuring out how to test if business transactions are at 'arm's length' when you have large multinational corporations. Sometimes, they'll create tax shelters in low-tax -"
i forced myself to stop midsentence. People got bored when i talked about work. i even bored other accounting people from time to time. The intricacies and elegance of accounting principles and tax law weren't for everyone. i had no idea why.
"Accounting," she said slowly, this time in English. She already knew that his mother told as much and she was also told that she was also into accounting for time being.
"Yeah, i have completed my CA and I do have a CPA licence. I'm certified to provide tax documentation for public companies all around the world."
"Me, too."
I took in a surprised breath. She was an accountant? That was unexpectedly wonderful.
The hem of her dress became very interesting to her, and she fiddled with a loose thread as she said in her thick rajasthani accent, "In Ramgarh. Not here. It's probably really different here."
"I bet it's the same. The tax regulation rules are same all over india, plus you can hace more opportunities here in jaipur. Which company did you woked for there? Do they expense bribery as a cost of doing business? " It would be entertaining to see bribery as a line item on an income statement. This was why I liked accounting so much. It wasn't just numbers on paper. If you knew how to look at them, the numbers meant something and reflected culture and values.
She hugged herself like she was cold, saying nothing.
Had I accidentally insulted her? I replayed my comments in my head, trying to pinpoint the offensive thing, but it was no use. Pretty much everyone knew that the tax regulations system is the same all across India, so for her to say that it would be different doesn't make any sense.
Maybe she doesn't want to work after marriage, that could be it. Not that I had any problem with that, if she doesnt work after our marriage, I earn enough for us to have a comfortable life.
I shook my head trying to clear my mind, because clearly I was going crazy. It hasn't been an hour since I met this girl, and I was already thinking about the marriage life.
After an awkward pause, I asked, "Can we go now? I don't enjoy chitchat like this."
And clearly, I was bad at it.
"Yes, let's go. Thank you, Hukum." Sinking back against her seat, she stared out the side window.
$$$$$
I still couldn't believe myself for lying like that. Never in my life, i had lied like so big to somebody. And here I have told the biggest lie of my life to my future husband.
Will God forgive me for such a big lie? For deceiving someone so much? That too my own future husband?
I don't want to rot in hell, nor do I want to get struck by a thunderstorm.
Then why? Why had I done that?
But I had my reasons. Because his mother told me to. And I was a janitor/maid, and he was so much better. And because I had to impress him, to show him that I was worth his time.
But now I had to pretend that I worked in accounting, when I didn't even know what it was.
I was a liar, and I was ashamed of myself.
If I was a good person, I'd confess right now, but this feeling of being his equal was too addicting. It didn't even matter that it was fake. I liked it anyway.
I was already pretending to be something I wasn't-a worldly sexy woman (though not very successfully, judging by my failed attempt at flirting earlier in the car). Why not go all the way and add smart and sophisticated to the list while I was at it?
When I died, demons were going to torment me for eternity instead of letting me reincarnate. Or worse, they'd let me reincarnate, but I'd be a catfish who lived under a river outhouse.
It was only fair.
That was what I got for lying to good people.
I looked at him driving the car and wondered why he wouldn't have a girlfriend himself. If he had asked me out in any circumstances I would have agreed in an instant.
****
Hey cuties, thanks for giving my book a chance.
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writermahak