cha-I-tter

"Hello?".. She screamed. And then looked on the screen. The phone had been disconnected.
Was he there already and giving her a missed call? She rushed towards her small balcony. How could she miss the thunder of his bullet..she thought. He wasn't there. She picked up her phone and called him. A tune from Dev D welcomed her, followed by "Hello," in what seemed like a mature woman's voice..
"Who's this!?" She said.. Checking her phone screen to see if she dialed the right number. She felt a strange rush of emotion down her spine. Who could this woman be?
" I am shopkeeper. Sir forgot his phone here. Yours was the last dialed number so I called," the voice said.
She confirmed again, "you are shopkeeper?" And felt a sense of relief and "i-am-so-silly" feeling. "please keep the phone with you. We will come collect it, thank you so much!" She couldn't control her massive smile as she said those words, still reeling from the tension of what she thought could be.
For that one brief moment, she had felt scared. Insecure. And in that one moment, she had realized his importance for her. Not that it was anything new for her. She had been secretly falling for him, twice every day, over chai. And several times in between.
Thud.. Thud.. She heard his bullet nearing. Happiness, she felt, all over herself. She looked into the mirror one last time and gave her best smile. Convinced with her good looks, she even took a picture of herself on her phone cam and committed to make that one, her display picture.
She surveyed the contents of her bag once more. A spare tee, comb, lip gloss, wallet, make up stuff, a few wrappers that irritated the hell out of her yet stayed there, a scarf, her Raybans, a small diary.. It was like a mini world in her bag.
She heard the horn honk and rushed down her 1st floor apartment.
He stood there. Balancing the Bullet. A tattered helmet and worn out jacket.
She looked at him and the jelly inside of her began to melt again. As much as she din want to, she smiled. In fact, beamed like an idiot. Even with the helmet on, she knew the reply to her big smile was a slant lip, that he called his original smile.
"Where's your phone dude?" She teased.
"What? Phone?" He felt his pockets and just as he was about to panic, she told him about the call.
Cribbingyet thankful to have the phone safe, they headed towards the shop. Riding pillion, she felt a little uncomfortable. She always thought that the Bullet seat made her bum look big. Soon, they were zooming through the traffic. They rode without a word. Her hands, seemingly casually, on his shoulders. His strong cologne, wafting and penetrating in to her palms.
After riding for almost twenty minutes, they were there at the store. A jewelry store.

Cha-I-tter

"Let's watch the sunrise at Udaipur," he said, sipping the last of his chai. "You are kidding me! Its almost 400kms" She uttered in disbelief.

"I did it last time wid my biker gang," he said with a casual air.

Dawns and dusks belonged to them. They met every day for chai. Their friendship had sprouted and nurtured itself in that very chai stall.

They would both be there at the same time by co-incidence. The initial courtesy glances soon converted into light chatter. The light chatter soon developed into a friendship that they cherished. The chai time was the high point of their slow monotonous days at the call center.

"Let's meet at 9?" He proposed.

She still din believe him. Yet, a part of her felt like jelly inside of her, melting with excitement. He was, after all, asking her out. Even though it was a different, and yet very romantic date.

The rest of the day passed between staring at the clock and day dreaming about the ride.

It was eight o clock and she had already changed. Thrice. Put on her most expensive perfume. Dabbed some of the coca butter lip gloss that promised to taste like chocolate. Fixed her hair twice. Fretted about footwear a zillion times. Made mental notes of going shopping and what all to buy the next time. And looked at the watch seven times. It seemed to her that the seconds hand of the clock was not budging out of some conspiracy she failed to comprehend.

At 8:50, her cell phone rang. "Main to ainvain ainvain loot gaya".. The ringtone she set for him. She held the phone in her hand but din want him to think that she had been waiting. So she let it ring. Ainvain ainvain... Ainvain ainvain.. Gud dekha.. "Hello" she said.. But was met with silence.. Hello? She raised her volume and spoke into the phone..

(to be continued..)

Her Sundays

Sundays were there favorites. The day where the alarm was forbidden to play truant, while they indulged in slumber and each other. The days, when the clocks felt ignored..who had the time to look away from each other? They'd steal glances of each other even while reading the fat, colored Sunday newspapers, sipping on one of the many cups of hot chais of the day. Even as he looked consumed by the financial pages, his toes caressed her smooth calves. And she, used to his intrusions.. continued to scan through the papers.

Just as the papers became thinner on the right, his toes would reach higher, until she no longer could help but giggle! Her giggles echoed all over the house.. on that silent Sunday morning.

Door bell rings. It's the cook-cum-maid, Asha. The two of them decide to leave her out of their romance and start a mundane conversation about the grocery. Asha, having had an experience of over a decade, smiles at their pretense and carries on with the chores.

"So, are we going to the theatres tonight Sammy?", Arnab asked.

"Which movie?"

"I dunno.. let's hit the theatres and see?" Arnab said, popping in health supplement.

"You know how maddening the traffic is going to be na.." Samyukta said, balancing the saucers and cups in her hands.

"We dun have a to-do list for today, do we? to chal na?" He insisted.

"okay, only if you get me popcorn" she smiled.

He pulled her closer.. wrapped his hands around her waist and whispered "only if you keep me company in the shower".

Just the, Asha dropped a pan in the sink, to register her presence around them.

Animatedly, Arnab cleared his throat and rushed out towards the attached bathroom in their bed room. Sammy blushed and tried to act casual.

----

The blue skies bore crimson hues of the sun bidding adieu. Arnab woke up to the aroma of caffeine. Filter coffee.. his taste buds came alive. His hands reached out for his boxers . Calling out for Sammy, he headed towards the drawing room, still rubbing his eyes. She stretched her long legs on the table, frantically checking her official email, while the coffee-maker teased and seduced the air. He looked at her and thought how content he was to have her.

"Hey tiger.." she teased.. and then went into one of her giggle fits, pointing at his boxers.

"whaaat... what is so funny"

"You, my dear, are wearing them ulta" she hushed, slipping on her flip flops.

As she poured in coffee, the phone rang.

For a moment, she stopped pouring coffee. Her senses sharpened, as Arnab went inside the room to get the phone. He looked at the phone, and contemplated for a minute.

"Hi baby", he answered, finally. "Yes, everything is fine. How's our lil one?"

Sammy stared at him. He looked everywhere else, but in her direction.

She stood there, like every Sunday, frozen. The part of Sundays she dreaded.

"Yes, my work is almost over and I'll be back home by Tuesday," he cooed in the phone.

Sammy closed her eyes for a bit, and reminded herself that it will be over soon. She meant, the phone call.

She waited patiently till he promised his wife an exotic holiday, and then lunged towards her.

"So, when do we leave for the theatre" she asked.

It was all perfect again.