THE CLOUD'S CHARM

CHAPTER 24 - part2 - A FRIEND AND A NOT-SO FRIEND

Without waiting for Mohan's reply, he started his bike and speeded away.

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He entered the campus compound with thoughts still mixed up in his mind. The campus was strictly conservative: no man was allowed inside the Ladies Hostel or Mess hall. And he was a mere gardener, not a Teacher or even a Peon, who could talk to female students without gaining any suspicion. How on earth was he going to find them out, then?

His trail of thoughts was broken by some female shouting his name. He stopped in his tracks and looked back. A pink car which was on its way out stopped a few feet behind him and from the driving seat, emerging as gracefully as ever was...

"Rashmi!" Mohan exclaimed.

Rashmi closed the door and walked to him, balancing herself perfectly on pencil heals.

"Arrgh! I feel as if I'm melting in this sun!" She swore loudly and started fanning herself with her flimsy purse.

Mohan didn't know how to reply to that. Before he could even think of a suitable reply, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him.

"Come on, let us sit inside that cafe and speak."

"Okay." Mohan agreed, thinking it would also reduce the chance of someone in the campus seeing him socialising with a rich lady.

As soon as they sat themselves on the low stools of the cafe, Rashmi began talking again:

"What are you actually doing in this campus? I searched for you in the Journalism department, but no one over there knew any journalist named Mohan Bhatnagar."

"Well, you see, I work in another department here." Mohan replied nervously.

He thanked God silently for not letting Rashmi see him in his Gardener's uniform. He had changed out of them before going out to meet Alex. Or else, he was sure in a matter of minutes, his well-kept secret would've been the top gossip among her friends and God only knows where all it might have reached.

"The campus is okay, but how are you walking around without even an umbrella in this heat? And what exactly is your job here? Have you finally dropped out off your ideal job?" She asked with a little bit of contempt colouring her usual sarcastic tone.

"I guess I should feel blessed that Rashmi Mishra is enquiring about my well-being. But no thanks, I'm good here. And may I ask what business you have here?" Mohan asked in an equally sarcastic tone.

"Don't consider yourself that much blessed, Mohan. I'm now engaged to an efficient, ambitious and not to mention, handsome Assistant Manager. Marriage will be in a month." She replied haughtily, showing off her glittering diamond ring.

"My hearty congrats." Mohan wished quite honestly. He thanked the unfortunate Manager profusely in his mind. One girl less in his mother's list of the so-called eligible girls...

"Then what are you doing here?" Mohan asked, quite puzzled.

"Well, I was actually visiting my fiancee who lives nearby. Then, I thought I should visit my sister who studies here. It was then that my Dad called to tell me to check on you on behalf of Mr and Mrs Bhatnagar. Since I don't like to disobey my parents unlike some people, here I am." She replied, not forgetting to add a thorn in the last sentence.

Arrgh! So, Ma is behind it all. I should have guessed it earlier itself. Well, I guess I would need to control my temper and double the phone call durations from now on to convince her completely that I'm fine here. Or else, she may send a second spy.

"Now that you have seen me fit as a fiddle, I hope you are satisfied. Can I go now?" Mohan asked, overlooking her verbal jab.

"But you didn't tell me what your current job is." She protested.

"But is it your business to keep tabs on me? You are engaged to a high profile man now, aren't you? Shouldn't you in fact tell my Ma that you no longer have time for people like me?" Mohan asked quite cunningly.

"I feel as if you are trying to shake me off, Mohan. But what you told is also true. I'm no longer interested in your matters." Rashmi replied curtly and got up from her seat.

"I'll send an invite to my wedding." She said. Then without adding a "Do come", she turned around swiftly and marched out of the cafe.

Mohan didn't rise from his seat. Instead, he took out his notepad and pen. He turned the pages and found a fresh one. There, he wrote down in his slanting untidy scrawl the things he should concentrate on:

1. Brief Prateek sir about the current situation.

2. Go to Nirvesh's next meeting and try finding out about their source.

3. Try finding out the girls also.

4. If that doesn't work, brainstorm with Guru and find some other method to find the girls.

5. After finding girls, if possible, collect their fingerprints too and send for cross-checking.

6. Speak nicely to Ma and make her see the importance of maintaining my disguise.

7. Study for the coming exam in the weekend classes lest someone develop doubt.

8. Spend as much extra time as possible with Nanhi... And Miss Spitfire.

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