Kissmet

Sparks fly

Nithees

I wonder if I am cursed to always watch the woman I love walk away.

I am still staring at the door like Malini would come back any minute now. Wistful thinking at best.

Malini Kumar.

The girl who held my heart with her pinky promises.

The friend who gave me a taste of the future with a single kiss.

The woman who frequents my dreams and takes my breath away.

Five years and still it feels like electricity coursing through me when she makes contact. One look from her makes me feel things I have never felt before. And I know from her uneven breaths and dilated eyes that my feelings are not one-sided.

This is the second time she ran away from me and I wonder how many times I have to endure this before she realizes we belong to each other and we can't outrun this spark or whatever this is between us.

I pick up the shattered frame and cleaned the shreds of glass.

It's ironic how she broke the frame once she picked up the jewel box, predicting my fate in a simple action even if she hadn't known anything about that.

The photo frame is one from her and my sister's graduation ceremony. Both of our families were there and the girls were in their ceremonial robes grinning ear to ear like they have conquered the world. It was a happy and proud moment. But that wasn't the reason I had that on my nightstand. It was the night Malini kissed me and everything spiralled from there which led to five years of avoidance.

I can still remember her graduation day when she hesitantly knocked on my door while both of our families were downstairs for the celebratory dinner. I had an intense headache reviewing a peculiar case when she peeked inside my room. It was a case of a 17-year-old hacker, Karan who managed to launder almost 45 lakhs from the State Bank of India. Though he returned the money still in the eyes of the law he would be treated as a criminal.

"Aren't you coming for dinner?" she asked stepping looking like an angel in a white kurta.

"Yeah. In a minute I just have to prepare for this case." I replied distractedly not taking my eyes off the file.

"What case?" And she plucked the file from me.

"Hey!" I tried to snatch it back but she deflected.

"Mmm, interesting." She says as she leaves through the document. "What trouble do you have with this?"

I blew out a breath. "He returned the money."

She tilted her head in question. "Is it not good?"

I say in a measured tone, "By returning the money he inevitably proved that he was guilty. So, there is nothing I can do to prove it otherwise."

I snatched back the file from her, "So I am trying to work out any other strategy to win this case in his favor."

His youthful face flashes before my eyes. The false bravado he tried to uphold even though fear gripped him. "I think he is just a lonely neglected boy who did everything so someone would notice him," I mumbled, shuffling the documents.

"Okay, then meet with the prosecutor for a guilty plea deal. In that way, it would serve as a warning as well as he would get proper guidance as well." She says in a tone like it's pretty obvious.

I roll up my shoulder blades which are sore from being immobile for a long time, "I tried. They demand at least a year in juvie. And I don't want him to end up there. It would mess up the kid."

She opens her mouth to say something else but I stop her, "This is not some usual client that we are going against. It's the government. And how do you think they would react to this? The boy cracked one of the most secure vaults in the country. Since it's the public sector, they are pressurized to restore people's trust."

I look her in the eye to register the severity of the situation, "They are out for blood."

She thought for a moment. "Since he is still a minor, the law won't be too harsh on him. So, at the next hearing, appeal to the Judge to have him provide unpaid work for any of the government organizations that can utilize his talent as penance, which would appease both parties. "

I mulled over her suggestion.

It might work. I just have to sweeten the deal and play into the ploy of the government protecting the youth and providing guidance.

"Huh, that... that is a good idea. I should get you a graduation gift for putting your degree to good use."

"I know and you definitely should." She says proudly.

I chuckled. "Okay, what do you want?"

She stepped closer. "A kiss."

She says it without an ounce of hesitancy like she had already thought about it a lot.

"Wha-" I didn't get to finish my sentence before she pressed her warm, soft lips to mine.

My brain short-circuited for a few seconds and I kissed her back with fervour caressing her cheek.

That seemed to snap her out of whatever courage she had, and she stared at me with round panicked eyes and swollen lips. She touched her lips unbelieving whether this happened and her eyes darted left and right like a trapped rabbit.

And then she dashed out of the door so fast she would put P.T.Usha to shame.

Many may wonder why I hadn't pursued her earlier. I did understand her hesitation though it was solely because she was scared, there was also something else reflected in her eyes. The musings and fears of a graduate create a name for herself. Fear for her career, her family responsibilities, her dreams, fear that if she gives in to this pull between us at that point of life her priorities would shift and she could never create an identity for herself.

At the same time, I was also not in a position to take care of her. And I want to be in a place where I can give her the world. So, I gave her the space she needed and worked towards creating a life where I could fulfill every one of her wishes.

It's true that somewhere along the way in the past few years I had given up and started doing things and making decisions in a more pragmatic sense. But in a span of a few minutes, she reminded me what it feels like to crave Malini. So back to being a lovesick idiot.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, Karan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation for four years under Judge Damodar while he had to serve the Indian Cyber Crimes Coordination Centre, to put his skills to good use. It was one of the important moments of my career and I have to thank Malini for that.

I still remember the day after the judgment was passed, the 17-year-old looked at me with teary eyes and gave a grateful nod. Though I represented him through my non-profit organization and not directly, he had enough brains to figure out what happened.

Now after five years, Karan Raj is the founder and CEO of an elite security company and he is one of the clients of K&K associates. I couldn't be prouder of him.

After placing the photo back and putting on my tux for today's event, I styled my hair and applied some cologne, that smelled of early morning mist and pine, which again reminds me of Malini and my tryst in childhood when we ran away hand in hand from these events, smiling and climb on the roof where we watch stars laying side by side till sunrise.

At the last minute, I decided to add ivory cufflinks that match Malini's saree. It's time to woo my Saree Cinderella. But a simple glass slipper won't do the job.

My Malini needs reasoning, coaxing and an ounce of seduction. It's a good thing I am a lawyer. Since she is an attorney herself, I need to bring my A-game this time. It's the only argument she is never going to win.

This is going to be one hell of a vacation. Because the next time she runs, I will chase her.