Page 91 of 12 Years
‘This isn’t the best time and place, Saket,’ Payal said as she came towards me.
I swear I could’ve grabbed her face and kissed it right there. Somehow, I resisted.
‘Payal.’ Anand pulled his daughter back by her elbow. ‘Have you gone mad?’
‘Dad, leave me alone. You go inside. I’ll talk to him and then come in. I promise.’
‘No, I’m going to be right here,’ Anand said, peeking inside his house to ensure his other guests hadn’t seen us.
‘I love you, Payal,’ I blurted out.
‘Get out of here!’ Anand said. ‘Guards, take him away. Right now.’
The three guards pounced on me immediately. I could’ve pried them away easily, but I didn’t. My entire focus was on Payal.
‘Come with me,’ I said, even as the guards tried to pull me away. ‘I don’t have all the answers, but we’ll figure it out together. Come with me, Payal, now.’
‘Saket,’ Payal said, ‘what are you saying?’
‘I’m saying leave your house and come with me.’
‘I’ll make sure you rot in jail,’ Anand said, calling someone on his phone to see where the cops had reached.
‘How can I do that?’ Payal said. ‘And now? I have guests at home.’
‘You’re getting engaged, Payal. You’re fucking getting engaged! After living with me, sleeping in the same bed with me for a year.’
Anand came forward and slapped me hard across my face. He would’ve hit me more, but Mudit stopped him.
‘Uncle, we’re leaving. Saket, let’s go,’ he said.
‘Payal, please.Please?’
Both she and I teared up.
‘Please, Payal?’ I said again. I hoped my pleading would remind her of my tiny apartment, the ledge we spent countless nights on and how much I loved her.
A few of the guests came to the door. A young man in his mid-twenties was among them. Was it Parimal?
‘What happened, Uncle?’ he said, hovering behind Anand.
‘Nothing, Parimal. Guy’s a mental patient,’ Anand said. ‘Lives around here, gets drunk often and bothers everyone.’
Full marks for improvisation, Anand Jain. Are Jains even allowed to lie?
‘Oh, are you okay, Uncle?’ Parimal said.
‘Yes, yes. The guards are taking him away. His friend is also here,’ Anand said and turned to Mudit. ‘You’ll take him to a good hospital, right?’
Mudit nodded. Anand signalled to his guests to go inside. They complied.
‘I’m not mental, you’re the one who’s fu—’ I started, but Mudit covered my mouth with his hand.
I looked at Payal. She made eye contact with me for a second. Her father tapped her shoulder, and she turned away and went back inside. I had asked her to come away with me. She hadn’t answered me. No answer was also an answer.
‘We’ll take him, sir, don’t worry,’ one of the guards said.
‘The cops are coming. Hand him over to them,’ Anand said.
