The Debts of Desire – Part 1 – Anu’s Party

6.00 am 21^st October 2019

Keya stood glancing at her watch impatiently as she waited for Anu who was late as usual. She tightened her pony tail and stretched her arms. It was a good five minutes later that she saw Anu walking towards her.

“What’s with the glum face?” said Anu as she approached her friend looking cheerful.

“Not everybody has an anniversary and a diamond tiara to look forward to. Some people have to report to work on time or get their salary deducted” said Keya making a face.

Anu laughed gaily. She was a pretty girl with long lustrous tresses, a smooth supple skin and bright beautiful eyes. She was taller than Keya and had a figure to die for. Keya envied her luck and had told her so several times. Anu would just laugh and shake her head.

The two had met just a year ago when Anu had moved to Kolkata after her marriage. She was born and brought up in Delhi and had met her husband Jaidev while working in a firm there. Theirs was a fairytale wedding. Jai was the only son of the well-known industrialist Raghubir Jaiswal and also belonged to Rajasthani royalty from his mother’s side. Anu would often tell Keya about the pomp and grandeur at her wedding. They were about to complete a year and there was a lavish party planned for the event. There was another reason to celebrate the special day. On that day Jai’s maternal grandmother would hand over the family heirloom, a beautiful regal tiara set with diamonds and emeralds, to Anu. She was really excited about it and was planning the right hairdo which would suit the tiara.
It was a tradition in Jai’s mother’s family to hand over the heirloom to the third generation. So, his mother had not received it but Anu would.

Anu had invited Keya too for the party which had thrown her into a tizzy deciding what to wear for the event. Nothing in her wardrobe seemed good enough for such a regal affair as this.
“Come on the run will cheer you up” said Anu. The two friends started their regular warm ups as Anu regaled her about what Jai had planned for the event. There would be Orchids flown in from Philippines and Japan, perfumes from Europe just for her and the dinner spread would include cuisines from all over the World.
Keya listened in silence as Anu gushed about her special day. She thought it was an obnoxious show of wealth to fly in Orchids from abroad when you get perfectly good Orchids in India and that too close to home in Kurseong itself. However, she did not express her disapproval and relished the child-like excitement with which Anu spoke about her special day.
Anu’s maternal grandmother -in-law, whom she called Dadisa, lived with them. She was 75 years old. Keya had often seen the old lady take a round of the society grounds with an attendant. The poor lady was crippled with arthritis and had to be pushed around in a wheelchair. Nevertheless, she made it a point to speak to everyone she met on her way. She was particularly friendly towards children and seemed to enjoy being in their company. Anu simply adored her and she pampered Anu just as if she was a little girl.
“Do you know Keya, Dadisa, has ordered a special Lehenga for me, it’s from one of the biggest fashion labels and is heavier than the one I wore at my wedding.”
“Wow!” said Keya trying her best to show some enthusiasm “Will you be able to manage it?”

“I know. Dadisa asked me to start dieting already. She said I must look like a fairy princess when she places the tiara on my head. Oh God Keya I can’t wait for that moment!” said Anu.

Keya sighed realizing that the run today would be all about the ‘Coronation Ceremony’ as she preferred to call Anu’s anniversary.

As she had predicted, Anu did not seem to be in a mood to run. She would frequently stop, sit down on the park benches forcing Keya to join her as she broke into another tirade on her plans for the D-Day. As they completed their run and she watched Anu disappear into the lobby of Tower 3, the only tower with a lavish penthouse that belonged to Anu’s in-laws, Keya smiled to herself as she realised that not once in her conversation, did Anu mention Jaidev and how they planned to spend the day together.

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9 pm, 01 November 2019

The towering façade of ITC Royal Bengal loomed ahead of her as the Uber Keya had taken, drove into its circular driveway. She stepped out of the car and noticed the plaque which had big bold silver letterings announcing the event:

“Anu and Jaidev Jaiswal welcomes you to their 1^st Anniversary Celebrations in the Bengal State Room”

She stepped into the plush reception area to ask her way to the venue. She took a smooth ride in the cushioned elevator to reach the hall. Her feet sunk into the soft white and gold carpeted floor as she crossed it to push open the huge mahogany doors to move into another world. It was a lavish and luxurious life that she would never have imagined herself to be in. Women decked in diamonds and Kundans, flitted around in their shimmering chiffons and zardosi Saris, men looking dapper in their heavily embroidered Sherwanis and well-oiled moustaches served them with chivalric grace. Some even had fancy turbans to match their ensemble. Did they even live in the same world that she did? Keya wondered. She felt thoroughly under dressed in her simple Kashmiri stitch Silk sari and a string of pearls she had borrowed from her mother. She desperately looked around for Anu hoping she could thrust her gift into her hands and escape. This was ridiculous. She definitely did not belong here.

She finally spotted Anu looking like a dream in a salmon pink lehenga that had beautiful silver filigree embroidery. Her hands were decked with intricate Henna designs right up to her elbows. Her hair was slightly raised and held back with a silver clasp. It was curled fashionably so that it lay in waves over her shoulders and her back. She had also streaked it a light golden which gave her a different aura. The tiara would look perfect in the little nook created in her hairstyle. Her face was glowing with excitement as she smiled into the camera hugging Jai who looked equally smart and elegant in his brocade silver sherwani that matched Anu’s Lehenga.
Anu spotted Keya and came rushing.
“Keya, you came!” she said gushing “I was so hoping you would make it.”

“I said I would” said Keya smiling. She loved Anu’s uninhibited nature. Despite her disapproval of certain things about Anu’s family, she somehow felt the girl had an innocence which made up for everything else. Her love for Keya was pure and genuine and that touched her.

“Come, let me introduce you to Jai and Dadisa” said Anu. Despite staying in the same Housing Society for so many years, Keya had hardly met Jaidev or his family. It was only through Anu that she came to know about them.
As she spoke to Jai, she found him to be a soft-spoken polite gentleman who was obviously smitten by his beautiful wife.
Anu then took her to meet Dadisa. The old lady was dressed in an expensive off-white and silver zardozi Sari.  She paired it aesthetically with antique silver jewelry. As she saw her from close quarters for the first time, Keya realised that Dadisa must have been a beauty in her time. Her skin still retained that glow and her high cheekbones, aquiline nose and slanting eyes all bore testimony of the fact. The touch of white in her hair was also done artistically as if the hair had greyed as per her desire. She had a soft melodious voice and as she clasped Keya’s hands in her own, she felt as if she touched a piece of the softest velvet.

Keya stood around watching the gathering. Anu was moving between guests and gave her wink every now and then. Keya smiled back. The food was delectable and as Anu had said covered every cuisine in the world. Anu came around to check if everything was Ok.

“How is the food?”

“Excellent!” said Keya biting into some of the softest and juiciest of kabas she had ever tasted. “When is the coronation?” she asked winking at Anu.

“It will happen soon. Oh! Keya I am so nervous. I don’t know how it will look on me. Is my hair okay?” she said touching her hair.

“Come on Anu, it is just a tiara. Don’t stress so much. Did you eat anything? You look a bit pale.” said Keya looking at her.

“Oh, I had some horrible salad. I am so nervous. I can’t think of anything else now?” said Anu laughing hysterically “Oh my god Keya they are getting the stage ready now. Got to go. Wish me luck” said Anu squeaking like a child.

Keya was at a loss to understand what was all the excitement about. Never one to worry about jewelry too much, she could never understand why women went crazy about shining pieces of stones and metals.

 As the moment drew close, people started gathering around the stage. Keya joined the crowd and jostled for a place in the front. She had to grab a click to show her mother. Anu was seated on a grand seat looking as regal as a queen. The lights shone on her face making her eyes sparkle and glitter. Dadisa was wheeled in by her attendant who was carrying a small blue velvet box which she placed in Dadisa’s hands. The old lady opened the box and took out the tiara.

There was a stunned silence in the room as the blue and white stones glittered with true brilliance. It was a falcon’s head of white gold. Two large wings were spread out on both sides. Each wing was studded with varying sizes of glittering diamonds and exquisite blue stones. A huge blue saphire was embedded in the falcon’s chest . The large stone glittered in all its glory as the light from the crystal chandeliers shone down on it. A tiny diamond tear-drop dangled from beneath the sapphire further enhancing its richness. The tiara was indeed a work of art. Even Keya was impressed. Smiling appreciatively, she glanced at Anu to see her reaction. It was then that she noticed something odd happening. Anu was behaving very strangely. She was panting. Her breath was coming in short quick gasps. Her eyes were closed and her face was creased in a painful expression.
Just when Dadisa was about to place the tiara on her head, Anu fell forward from her chair and lay on the ground in a crumpled mass. Dead!

Read Part 2

Image credit : Photo by Rhii Photography on Unsplash