But at that time, nobody was at home. Aarti tried to ask him about his father and she was reluctant to stay there alone but Jason didn’t let her go and he too evaded her queries and then showed her huge portrait of his late mother, which he had painted himself. Really beautiful portrait. The woman in the portrait was flooded with emotions, dark hair, flawless complexion and eyes as black as charcoal pencil. She was donning a beautiful jacket over which a diamond necklace glistened, arching downward from neck. “She had died when I was sixteen” Jason said stoically. “Oh so sad!” Aarti took his hands in her and pressed them. “You are too unlucky to find the lap of mother for playing.” She added. “I had never seen a pretty beautiful and delicate woman as Ammi Jaan was before meeting with you.” Jason announced. Aarti again stole a look at the portrait and then at Jason. Jason inherited the looks of his mother. Her lips were very thin like Jason. Her cheeks showed dimples as she laughed. “Abba would say her heart throbbed in me,” Jason said as emotions overwhelmed him and voice whistled before the sentence was over. “So beautiful” Aarti felt her heart heavy. “After Ammi Jaan’s demise, I was terribly anxious how to cope with myself as I was always unloved and unwanted?” Jason put his arms around her and pressed her body against him. “Didn’t Abba love you as Ammi Jaan did” Aarti tried to read his face. It was just a casual question. Why did Aarti ask this question? Jason thought for a while. “Hmm… can’t say. Infact, business preoccupied him tremendously.” “Businessmen are always short of time for their children” Aarti commented wisely. “No, Amma too was an insightful businesswoman. She was marvellously intelligent and she had always a lot of time for me as well for my sister” Aarti keenly observed that the whole lobby room was ablaze with paintings. The walls were lined with mementos case and bookcase together and back door of hall led to a small balcony where a painting of Lord Krishana was hung above the mantelpiece. Aarti for a moment surprised to watch Lord Krishna’s painting in a Muslim family. “Bhagwan Krishan?” Aarti mumbled. “A Hindu deity” Jason said. “He was romantic and had lot of love affairs. You know?” “Yes, but he was not debauched” A tone of defence. Jason laughed. “I don’t blame your god but I hear that he loved so many lasses at a time. Is it correct?” “No, he was seemed so but in fact he was not” Aarti uttered what Krishan ji explained to her once. “How could it be possible?” Jason astonished. “Miracles. God’s miracles” “I see” Jason popped up his eyes. “Where did you get the painting” Aarti enquired. “A Hindu friend of mine presented me a short time back” “He might be your nice friend indeed” “Yes, very much” Jason stayed his hands over her shoulders. “He’d asked me to bow my head regularly before Lord Krishana and- I’m obeying him since then.” Jason said and made the cuddle a little tight. Aarti smiled. She thought for a split moment that she would tell papa through her brother Rahul, as she could not face Krishan ji directly on Muslims’ issue, about Jason how reverentially he prayed for Hindu’s god- Bhagwan Krishan. This way Krishan ji might be delighted. It was the strange thing that Jason despite being a Muslim prayed Hindu deity Lord Krishana. Aarti had heard about a medieval vernacular Muslim poet Raskhan who was devoted to Lord Krishan and had penned down several verses eulogising his virtues. However, the room where they were standing was a dark tiny room. A beautiful bed was laid there close by it were a small round table and two plastic chairs on which latest issue of TIME magazine was landed. Aarti did not reach out magazine. She arrived at the shelf and took a book from the case and watched its title. It was the spiritual book of an American author. “Ammi Jaan loved to read books, even she devoured. She would generally lie awake late at night in bed to read books. Had so sort of fasciations for books.” “Interesting” Aarti exclaimed and she took another book and scanned its title. “I love this place as I love Ammi Jaan and I take here those to whom I love passionately” “Have you many darlings making love passionately?” Aarti outwitted him. Her voice had the dubious tone. “No…it is you, only you to whom I love passionately” Jason remarked. “Never before you I’ve invited my home any girl” “Oh, thank you” “But sometimes I invite my male friends and they too rush in the balcony.” Aarti nodded her head. Jason lay on bed and stretched out his legs over table. He held Aarti’s hand and pulled her over him. She surprised marvellously. “Can my heart throbs in you, darling?” Jason asked her and cuddled her into his full arms afterwards. She smiled in response, did not speak a word and just after a moment drew herself back. She was always pathologically shy but she loved hearing the word ‘darling’ for herself. “Jason, don’t put me in trouble” She said. Jason defying her appeal again pulled her over him, pressed her with him tightly. “Today, we have a drink together” Jason announced. “Drink?” “Don’t you like it?” “No, let me walk off today, Jason. I have an appointment with someone” She declared and she knew she had lied to evade herself. “Only one drink- dear. For the sake of our friendship, sweetheart” “You know Jason, I rarely have a drink.” “That will be fine” Jason stood, did no longer force her and hurried back to hall staring into unknown, filled with agony as if betrayed. “Do you annoy?” “No” He said but his face showed that he was perfectly annoyed with her. Aarti swung over his neck and laughed. “You know how much did I care for you?” Jason relaxed. “A white lie” Jason blubbered. Aarti glanced into his eyes with adulation. They remained silent for long moments. Aarti walked close on the photograph again and touched it, how beautifully it was hung over the wall. She exclaimed to herself. “Ammi Jaan might have been a very lovely woman.” She broke the silence. “She was the queen of all hearts.” Jason laughed which gave Aarti a smile. “Wonderful” “This home is her imagination but she could not live more” Jason struggled to cope with his despair. His eyes began to fill with tears. “Really, you have a beautiful home” Aarti volunteered to touch him and held his hand passionately. “Thank you” “And all the articles in your home are too wonderfully beautiful” Jason again thanked her. “Your body is also robustly beautiful” She flashed as she fell into shyness. Jason surprised what persuaded her to praise over his body and to arrive close to him. A moment before, she was even timid to his small touch. Jason did not at once show reaction but he was sure that today Aarti would make miracles. He felt a quick sense of comfort. He deliberately escorted Aarti towards the main gate to see her off. She was not ready to leave him. “Haven’t we a drink together?” She smiled. “No, you go as you rarely drink and today you have an appointment with someone” Jason said. “But someone is not more important than you, darling” And she again swung over his shoulders. Jason pressed her against his body and kissed her. Aarti smiled with full heart. Jason was ablaze with passions she knew and she thrust her mouth into his chest. Jason laughed amorously and placed her into a corner of the wall. “Do you love someone other except for me” Aarti spoke emotionally. “Yes, to my Ammi Jaan who had made me great” Jason smiled and put a kiss on her. “Really, Ammi Jaan is great, Jason” Aarti caressed the hair on his chest. Hand in hand, they again visited balcony and both folded their hands before the portrait. “Thank you Ammi Jaan, you are alive even today. I can see you in my sweetheart. My Aarti” And then he fell into her embrace. “You’re great, Jason” Aarti said and put her lips in his and shut her eyes. She had grown great and luxurious, unable to see the luxury of ecstasy with Jason. Jason lifted her into his arms and laid her on bed …honey…let me fall into your heart’ Aarti smiled and opened her arms fully. She felt the raid. She herself was ready to be plundered. She enjoyed hearing him say ‘sweetie… honey’ and embraced him tightly. ********* ******** ********