[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]

Smita,😊

Here is the interpretation to Section 7 of Part 43.

Just like the lines written by Robert Burns, the best-laid plans of mice and men, often go awry. Such was the case with NK and his party too. The men reached Arnav's farmhouse to find it aglow with lights and filled with caterers and helpers arranging a delicious spread on the trestle tables. At the bar counter was a young lad who did not look old enough to even sip a drink and loud music was blaring out from the numerous speakers that made conversation impossible. The high decibel auditory effect was a wince from Arnav as he looked around. He realized it was going to be an extra long evening for him and thought wistfully of Khushi and the fun she would be having with the other ladies of the family. NK eagerly asked Arnav, whether he liked the decorations and the arrangements? Looking at the eager, expectant and glowing faces of NK, Akash and Gaurav who were eager to give him and Ganesh a wonderful memorable party, though it was not to his liking, remembering Khushi's words about making his family happy, he smiled and said, it looks... fantastic! making the three feel proud of their efforts. Gaurav turning to Ganesh with an eager, Papa, you like this? made Ganesh say, that he had done a great job. It had all the three smiling ear to ear. Ganesh looking at Arnav and noting his troubled face, said with a smile, that it looked like they were about to have a bachelor party to remember whether they wanted it or not! Arnav gave him a silent smile agreeing with what he said.

Suddenly crunching of stones, honks and screeching of tyres heralding the arrival of guests in many vehicles was heard. NK, Gaurav, Akash, Arnav and Ganesh went to the doorway to welcome the boys in, only to be stunned to a stand still. Arnav's favoured epithet, What the, was the only thing that was heard from the group that went to welcome. NK's buddies had turned up in full force with their girlfriends and dates in toe. Girls in miniskirts and enticing outfits started pouring into the house, leaving NK aghast. NK called out to one of his pals and asked him, Vishal! Had he not told no girls! Pale faced NK tried to reason out with all brawn and no brain, Vishal, a sample of a kind, like Bluto, right out of Popeye comic series. Typical of Bluto, Vishal asked with a stupid smile, did he? He had thought NK meant him to bring girls! So he had called Bunty, and he called Pooja and Sharon. They in turn had called Shefali and Rasna, resulting in the chain of calls... Listening to this, NK started to sweat profusely. He turned around and caught a glimpse of a livid Nannav and an indignant Ganesh. Gaurav and Akash were wide-eyed seeing the crowd milling around the bar. One of NK's pals from gym yelled loudly, NK! You are going to love Nisha dude! leaving NK to wonder as to, who was that? NK scratching his head stole a look gingerly at Arnav and Ganesh who were pale faced, not knowing what was happening! They... they have all come to help you celebrate your wedding... was his weak excuse.

Then out of the blue came a series of honks making them aware of a truckload of boys and girls making their way in to the farmhouse boisterously, appreciating the decorations. While one asked for the beer, another asked,has the DJ arrived yet? making NK gulp down his fear of being skinned alive by Arnav at the turn the event had taken! Akash and Gaurav's face mirrored the horror they were feeling.

Meanwhile at RM, Khushi fed a golgappe into Anamikaji's mouth, and was delighted to see her struggling to swallow it. She turned to Anjali and wished, if only Arnavji was there! It would have been all the more fun! Anjali who did not know about the stag party, frowned slightly and asked, where did Chotey and the boys vanish off to? NK Bhai had said that they were just dining out. Payal sighed and Khushi told her with happiness, that Nanheji had arranged a stag party for Arnavji and Ganeshji. Gaurav and Jiju had accompanied them. Anjali turned ashen and repeated, a stag party? Khushi with a smile told her, yes, as though they were all deers! When Anjali asked her softly, Don't you mind, Khushiji? She wondered why was she being probed so and said, Mind? Why should she mind? Khushi not understanding the reason to be apprehensive smiled away. Anjali gave a look towards Payal and Anamika and then further dwelt on her query with an elaboration of what happens in a stag party. She bluntly put forth, Whether she does not mind that aspiring models and Bollywood starlets and hopeful girls out for a good time, flirting with your Arnavji? But Khushi could not comprehend what she meant in connection with the party. Payal rebuked her saying, Yes Khushi. How could she let NK Bhai arrange a party like this? Khushi feeling unable to answer after understanding the enormity of the situation, stammered, But... but... Payal asked her, But what? making Khushi answer, that Nanheji had assured that he had not invited any girl. She prayed fervently that she had not made an error of judgement. Anjali, Payal and Anamika smiled at her innocent faith in people and Anjali asked, he said so and she believed him? Khushi became teary eyed and in a voice filled with remorse said that, Arnavji did not want to go. but she had forced him to... making Payal sigh and say, Khushi, tum bhi na! You are a nut! Anjali and Anamika smiled at Khushi's remorse shaking their heads over her fallacy.

As Arnav and Ganesh watched, a girl in a red gown with plunging necklines with a netted silver sequined huge leaf motif covering her abdomen and long slit in the front along her legs, wearing big silver hangings hooked on her ears got on to a table with the help of willing and eager male arms and started to gyrate singing a raunchy number in a sexy sultry voice in Talaash of the male arms she needed to warm up,

Raat mein hi jaagte hain
Ye gunaahon ke ghar
They are awake in the night only,
these houses of sins..
Arnav and Ganesh looked at each other stupefied. Akash put down his drink and shut his eyes knowing that his Bhai was a simmering volcano that could erupt any moment.

In ki raahein, khole baahein
Jo bhi aaye idhar Aa haa...
their paths open their arms (and welcome)
whoever comes here..
Aa haa...
with an enticing sound she spread her arms

inviting them.

Ye hai gumraahon ka raasta
Muskaanein jhoothi hain

This is the path for the lost,
the smiles are fake,
She bent to touch the faces of the tipsy boys dancing around her table, making them shout out their appreciation boisterously.
Pehchaanein jhoothi hain
Rangeeni hai chhayi
Phir bhi hai tanhaayi
the identities are false,
a colorfulness is there,
still there is solitude there..
Those boys loaded with booze threw moolah at her and fought for the proximity of her table on which she was swaying.
Kal in hi kaliyon mein
In masli kaliyon mein
To ye dhoom thi

Yesterday in these buds only,
in these crushed buds,
there was sputter..
Arnav glared at NK who was staring at the performance with shocked expression. He wondered, who had hired that performer? Just then a friend of NK came and asked, whether he liked her? NK asked, Who the hell was she any way? He was told, that she was Nisha the lady of the night! A much sought after person for stag parties, who gets big tips from most of the grooms where she performs. Their talks made NK's stomach flip over knowing very well that if Nannav had his way, he would tip over the lady of the night and have her thrown out of the house in a second! He would have Ganesh too for help, over this matter. He looked at Nannav and Ganesh's grim visage and soon averted his face. If ever Khushiji found out, he thought, he was a lame sitting duck!
Jo rooh pyaasi hai
Jis mein udaasi hai
Wo hai ghoomti
Sab ko talaash wohi
Samjhe yeh kaash koi
The soul that is thirsty,
in which there is sadness,
that (soul) roams around..
everyone looks for that,
wish someone understands that..
When the lady signalled her desire to leave her impromptu stage, many a willing male arms helped her down. Landing gracefully on the floor, she began walking with slow determined steps towards the grooms, her easy pickings of the night.
Yeh hai gumraahon ka rasta
Muskaane jhoothi hain
Pehchane jhoothi hain
Rangeeni hai chhaayi
Phir bhi hai tanhaayi
This is the path for the lost,
the smiles are fake,
the identities are false,
a colorfulness is there,
still there is solitude there..
Reaching Arnav, she tried to put her arms around his neck. Arnav maneuvered to slip away from her grasp by smoothly stepping back, horn mad at having his retreat turned into a mad house by the the drunken louts who had lost all sense of decency. His short fuse was on the verge of being lit. He had never brought anyone there. He had hoped it to be an ideal place to spend his honeymoon with Khushi and now the very place was defiled and rendered unpalatable by this...
Halke ujaalon mein,
halke andheron mein
Jo ik raaz hai
Kyun kho gaya hai wo

in mild lights,
in mild darknesses,
the one secret that is there, why is it lost,
The lady eased over to Ganesh and tried to lean against him, brushing her body, giving a glimpse of her skills she was known and paid for.
Kya ho gaya hai ke woh naaraaz hai
Ae raat itna bata, tujhko to hoga pata
Aa haa...
what has happened,
that it is angry.. (why am I not able to reach that secret)
O night, tell me that much..
you must be knowing that..
Ganesh was disgusted by her act and it was etched on his face so much so, even the blind would have been able to recognize it. Ganesh stepped away and the girl staggered, receiving neither the support nor the welcome she had expected!
Yeh hai gumraahon ka rasta
Muskaane jhoothi hain

This is the path for the lost,
the smiles are fake
Flailing her arms, Nisha managed to steady herself with great difficulty, and moved to the more welcoming arms of the crowd gathered.
Pehchane jhoothi hain
Rangeeni hai chhaayi
Phir bhi hai tanhaayi

the identities are false,
a colorfulness is there,
still there is solitude there..

Ending of her song received a rousing applause and resulted in a scuffle among boys seeking her favours. NK, Gaurav and Akash watched silently their party being ruined, helpless to prevent and on tenter hooks at the reactions of the grooms.

Arnav catching NK by his collar hissed out, that he wanted the premises to be cleared out of the bunch of loonies in ten minutes. NK nodded, while Ganesh added that, he could help out as a bouncer if needed, flexing his muscles. Gaurav feeling contrite, apologized saying that he was sorry and they had no idea of these things. Akash feeling extremely bad at the obscene dance, addressing Arnav told him, that they had not hired her and they would never have done such a thing. Arnav consoled him saying, that he knew that they had not hired her. He wanted to get the premises cleaned out of the drunken louts and their cronies immediately. He also wanted the whole house scrubbed clean. Akash agreed to get it done. Arnav fed up by the entire fiasco turned away, only to find, Khushi, Anamika, Payal, and his Di standing near the door, watching him and Ganesh.

This update is about a bad experience, like a bad dream, like the Latin word TANTIBUS, meaning it is a nightmare.

The two grooms-to-be were reluctant to leave RM and attend their stag party. They were not relishing the fact of going to the party, leaving their brides-to-be back home. It had aroused serious doubts in them from the outset itself. When the men reached Arnav's farm house, it was to find it being illuminated, with arrangements in progress. Huge trestles were being plied with delicacies and the bar was being manned by a personnel who looked under-aged! There was music loud enough to turn one deaf with many heavy-duty speakers mounted at strategic points to drown out any conversations. As Arnav looked around wincing at the blaring sound, his thoughts dwelt on Khushi, wishing he was in her company and wondering at the good time she would be having with the family, while he was stuck in the unwanted party. He had a sense of foreboding that what he was going to experience that night would be a trial and tribulation that he would have readily given it up, if not for the insistence of Khushi. When NK and Gaurav asked Arnav and Ganesh, whether they liked what they had arranged for them, not wanting to be wet blankets, adjusting their smile like a cardboard mask told, that it was fantastic and they had done a great job! Their acknowledgement had Gaurav, Akash and NK beam like a September moon. But both Arnav and Ganesh shared a gut feeling, that made them sense otherwise and it would be one heck of an unforgettable bachelor party that they would just love to forget! This was their vision of the unwanted party.
"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them"

~ Dalai Lama XIV
As though reinforcing their belief, many vehicles came into the farm house premises that brought with it a boisterous crowd. The sudden crunching of tyres on the gravel along with the screeching of tyres and loud honks announced the mood of the party. When the guests started to pour in, the hosts had a shock of their life. NK's buddies had turned up with a dozen of dates and girlfriends who were dressed to kill, in dresses as short as possible. It turned out to be the beginning of a nightmare for the two grooms-to-be and Akash, the lone married man. When NK questioned Vishal, a replica of Bluto, all brawns and no brains, as to what those girls were doing there, when it was told specifically that it was strictly a men only party, his careless, you did? and he had thought that NK had meant him to get girls! With that he had invited girls using the girl to girl network, making NK sweat, Arnav wrathful, Ganesh annoyed, Gaurav and Akash stupefied! To add to that, one of NK's friends bellowed out to him, that he would love Nisha who was to come to the party, making NK wonder who on earth was she? He was scared that his party had gone awry and he told Ganesh and Arnav sheepishly, that those, all and sundry, had come to celebrate their wedding! They felt that they were hallucinating this particular night, one that they did not relish.

"Some people are like clouds,

When they disappear it is like a brighter day"

When again another large group of freeloaders, boys and girls, descended asking for beer and music, NK was in a fix and Arnav and Ganesh were horrified to see this type of crowd! It was a nightmare that they had not foreseen. They had thought it to be just a small party with things under control, a decent time with friends of NK and Akash and everything running cool and smooth! What was thought as a simple decent party had turned out to be wild, much to NK's chagrin. He knew he would have to bear the brunt of Nannav's anger even though it was due to miscommunication! All the five found themselves in a ludicrous situation.

"Life is full of unexpected and certainly unwanted twists and turns, but what makes us who we are is determined by the way we handle those situations. This is what separates us from those who achieve and those who allow others to control their fate"

~ Jennifer Cruz

Meanwhile at RM, Khushi who was enjoying feeding Anamika with golgappes and seeing her struggle to swallow it, felt it would have been much more fun if Arnavji had also been with them! Her remark made Anjali ask about Arnav's whereabouts and coming to know that he was attending a bachelor's party at her insistence, she asked whether Khushiji was fine with girls flirting and fawning with her Arnavji? When Khushi told them that NK had sworn that it was a men only party and he had not invited any girls, Anjali being worldly-wiser than her, stunned by her innocence asked her, how could she believe his words? It assumed a nightmarish proportion for Khushi for having pushed a reluctant Arnav into such a crazy situation and Payal's admonition did nothing to alleviate her worry but get all the more teary eyed. She realized that it was a cockeyed idea to think that, in a stag party it would be exclusively males only entry.

"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships"

~ Stephen R. Covey

Arnav and Ganesh, who were watching from a distant the raucous crowd, found a girl in a red gown displaying her ample assets to the boisterous crowd, climb on a table supported by eager males, gratingly gyrating while singing a ribald song with explicit amorous lyrics. While it made Arnav and Ganesh look at each other with disgust written on their faces, Akash who knew that the volcanic eruption from his Bhai was soon due, shut his eyes. NK was flummoxed as to who the girl was! When one of his friends informed him that she was Nisha, the lady of the night, the life and soul of stag parties, who is used to getting generous tips from most of the grooms. NK swallowed with realization of the mess this party had fallen into. It assumed nightmarish proportions to him too. It was an ordeal he had to face and unwittingly, his friends had put him and his family in a spot. He knew, all that Nisha would get from Arnav was a tip over that would bring Nisha down to earth from her nasha, the intoxication. He would have Ganesh too contributing to it and if Khushiji gets an inkling of this he knew he was a sitting duck! When the dancer tried to lure Arnav and Ganesh and was unable to entice them she went back to the willing arms of the bawdy crowd. Akash, Gaurav and NK were fretting how to face the reaction of the grooms-to-be. Arnav who had planned to bring Khushi there for his honeymoon, felt the place sullied by the presence of this crowd and gave NK ten minutes to clear the crowd out while Ganesh added that he was ready to serve as a bouncer if needed. Seeing the remorse and contrition on their faces Arnav instructed Akash to get the whole house scrubbed clean to remove all traces of defilement. It was an ordeal he wanted to forget quickly and after giving instructions, when he turned to go out it was to see, Khushi, Anamika, Payal and his Di standing near the door, watching him and Ganesh and thus began his worst nightmare come true!

"The best laid schemes of Mice and Men

oft go awry,

And leave us nothing but grief and pain,

For promised joy!"

~ Robert Burns, To a Mouse

That's why this update is titled, TANTIBUS, or nightmare.

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

rulama2013-06-27 22:36:03