It Belongs to Mrs. Arjun
Part 16: It Belongs to Mrs. Arjun
Meera sat with a bowl full of laddoos, lost in thoughts about Arjun. She didn’t feel like eating; thoughts of him had consumed her mind since she learned about Oxford. She wanted to know more about him. Despite being his wife, she realised she knew very little about him, especially the lies he might have told her. It was Saturday, and she had the day off.
An idea struck her, and she rushed toward Nani’s room. Nani smiled warmly at her, knowing her idea.
“Chintu is your husband. You have the right to do what you want. Go ahead,” Nani encouraged.
“What if Arjunji gets angry?” Meera asked, anxiety creeping in.
“He won’t. You can do it,” Nani reassured her.
“Okay, but don’t mention it to him.”
“Surprise?” Nani said with a wink.
Meera nodded in agreement and hurried into the kitchen. She prepared lunch for him and packed it in hot boxes. Nani entered the kitchen to admire her work.
“Wow, Meera! You made Chintu’s favourite dishes…” Nani exclaimed.
“Will Arjunji like it?” Meera asked curiously.
“Undoubtedly.”
Didn’t Nani realise that Arjun was in love with Meera? He would be stunned by his wife's effort to this surprise. Nani instructed the driver to take Meera to Intcom.
Despite her excitement, Meera felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. As the driver dropped her off at the Intercom premises, her jaw dropped at its grandeur. She had only seen offices like this in movies. The majestic building spoke volumes about her husband’s status.
So, this was Intcom. Arjunji wanted her to work here. Pride surged through her; this royal office was awaiting her service. Meera took confident steps inside.
The receptionist noticed her entering and called, "Excuse me, where are you going?"
“I’m going to meet Arjunji,” Meera replied.
“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked, raising an eyebrow.
Meera shook her head.
“Very funny. Are you trying to meet Arjun Sir without an appointment? Do you know how many VIPs are waiting for his appointment?”
Meera felt taken aback but took a deep breath. “I didn’t know that.”
“Then you can’t meet him. You need to leave.”
“Excuse me, I’m Meera, Arjunji's wife,” she stated firmly.
The receptionist was taken aback, unable to believe that this simple girl could be Mrs. Arjun. Just then, a staff member from Intcom, who knew Meera well, walked past the reception and rushed over.
“Ma’am! You’re here?” he exclaimed.
“I brought Arjunji's lunch,” Meera explained.
“Please come in, Ma’am. I’ll show you his cabin.”
The receptionist gulped, realising the truth—she really was Mrs. Arjun. The staff member led her to Arjun’s cabin. Meera was mesmerised by the classy, glassy cabin. It was her first time feeling so overwhelmed in such a space.
“Arjun sir is in a conference. You can wait here until he comes,” the staff member said before leaving.
Meera nodded, feeling dizzy as she took in her husband’s impressive business status. He was managing a kingdom of which she knew nothing.
“How big is this office? It seems he couldn't handle it alone. Poor Arjunji. That’s why he needs someone talented like me to help. Don’t worry, Arjunji, I will assist you after my studies,” she murmured, feeling a pang of sadness.
She set the lunch bag on the table and glanced around his office. Her eyes widened as she noticed some female staff wore miniskirts and sleeveless-lowcut tops. She felt a lump in her throat. Was her Arjunji working with them? She swallowed hard.
“It seems like it will take a while for Arjunji to arrive,” she thought, leaving the cabin.
Walking downstairs, she overheard the staff member speaking with the receptionist.
“I can’t believe she’s Mrs. Arjun. How could anyone think a country girl could be the wife of the king of business? I thought Mrs. Arjun would be like Miss India,” the receptionist scoffed.
“Shhh… Mind your words. You might lose your job if you speak out of turn,” the staff member warned.
Meera pouted at their conversation but fell silent when they noticed her approaching.
“Are you leaving, Ma’am?” the staff member inquired.
“It seems like Arjunji will be late,” she replied.
“Doesn’t Arjun sir know you’re here?”
“No, I just wanted to surprise him.”
“I can inform him of your presence if you'd like.”
“No, don’t disturb him. I’m leaving,” Meera said as she prepared to exit.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. I’m new here and didn’t know who you were,” the receptionist apologised.
There you are, Meera, she thought to herself.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell Arjunji about your rude behaviour towards me. You’re forgiven,” Meera said, holding her head high as she left the office. The receptionist gulped, feeling ashamed as Meera walked away.
After a While
Taking a break for lunch, Arjun returned to his cabin with Sagar. He noticed a bag placed on the table and frowned at it. He called the receptionist to inquire about it.
“What bag is this?” he asked.
“Your lunch, sir,” she replied.
“Who left it here?”
“Your wife, sir…”
Arjun was shocked.
“What??? Meera came here?”
“Yes, sir.”
Arjun glanced at his watch. “What time did she arrive?”
“Half an hour ago, sir…”
“Why didn’t you inform me?” he shouted.
“I was supposed to, sir, but Ma’am stopped me.”
Arjun gritted his teeth in frustration. “What the hell…! You should have informed me when you realised she was my wife.”
“Sorry, sir…”
“Go to hell with your sorry,” he snapped, disconnecting the call in annoyance.
“Did Meera come here?” Sagar asked.
Arjun nodded, disappointment evident on his face. “It was the first time she visited, and I missed her.”
“Don’t feel bad. Enjoy your lunch; it was prepared with love by your wife.”
“I wonder how she felt about not seeing me.”
“I wonder, too.” Sagar chuckled, observing Arjun closely. “I’ve noticed you haven’t even said ‘DAMN IT’ lately, even when you’re angry.”
Arjun smiled wearily. “My wife has given a new meaning to that phrase.”
“So it belongs only to Mrs. Arjun now?”
Arjun chuckled softly.
“I’m leaving now. She won’t eat without me, I suppose.”
“Will you come back?”
“I have no idea. You can continue with the conference.”
He left, taking the lunch bag with him. Sagar admired his friend’s remarkable transformation and his patience towards his wife.
As Arjun expected, Meera hadn't eaten. She was sitting by the poolside, having changed from her saree, gazing at the crystal-clear water but her mind was not clear. She was confused about how to behave with her husband. How simple-minded he was!
She recalled the receptionist's words.
“You came to meet Arjun sir without an appointment? Do you know how many VIPs are waiting for his appointment?”
According to the receptionist, no one could meet him without an appointment. Many VIPs were queuing to speak with him. What she thought of him now felt pathetic. He was not just what she thought; he was an unimaginable man in status and brilliance.
How would he react to the “lunch bag” incident? Would he scold her for coming to the office without his permission? She expected him to call her after coming back from the conference. Instead, she was surprised when Arjun came home with the lunch bag.
Her train of thought was interrupted by her husband’s deep voice. She stood there, amazed and nervous.
“Arjunji, you?”
“Why did you leave the office without seeing me?”
“You were in a conference, and your staff said you would be late.”
“So what if I was in the conference? You should have called me. I would have taken a break if I had known you were there.”
“I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“But I will be disturbed if my wife hesitates to disturb me.”
Meera went speechless. He didn’t shout at her as she had expected. Would he actually take a break to meet her? She found herself staring at him, unable to blink.
“Meera, where were you lost?”
“Did you have lunch?” she stammered.
“Did you have your (he emphasised) lunch?”
“Don’t you know I won’t eat without you?”
“Then you should know I also won’t eat without you.”
“Why?” Meera asked, puzzled.
“Because my Amma advised me not to eat without my wife.” He mimicked her playfully.
Meera chuckled, struggling to regain her composure.
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
Meera took the lunch bag downstairs while Arjun held it.
“We’ll eat here.”
Meera nodded and began unpacking the boxes and plates from the bag, arranging them on the tea table. Arjun smiled as he recognised his favourite dishes.
“Did you prepare all of this?” he asked.
“Yes. I was free this morning, so I asked Naniji’s permission to prepare your lunch, and she agreed.”
“Who told you about my favourite food?”
“Nobody. I know what you like.”
Arjun paused, smiling as he looked at his plate. “Do you know what I like?”
“Yes, I know what you enjoy eating and don’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve been observing you every time.”
“Did Amma tell you to do so?” he teased.
“Nooo. It’s just my interest to observe you closely.”
“What made Mrs. Arjun observe me so keenly?”
“What do you think, Arjunji? This is something every wife does. I didn’t do anything extraordinary like you did.”
Arjun grew curious. “Like me? What did I do?”
“You’ve done so much for me: you got me into college, enrolled me in spoken English classes, gave me money, taught me lessons, and encouraged me...”
He interrupted her, “Because you deserve it.”
“But I wouldn’t have received those opportunities if I had married someone else. I got everything because of you.”
Her words struck him deeply, and he felt unexpectedly vulnerable. Unsure how to respond, he gulped down a glass of water.
“Your food is delicious. Thank you,” he said.
Meera was momentarily taken aback by his simple yet heartfelt "thank you."
Shouldn't she have been the one to thank him for everything he had given her?
“You're welcome, Arjunji.”
Arjun sensed something different in her demeanour. The eagerness she had always shown was absent, and confusion appeared on her face. Why was that?
To be continued…