To Love Or Not To Love| A FEATURED STORY

Chapter 2

"What are you up to these days?" Sam's inquisitive tone cut through Anya's thoughts, and she was startled for a minute.

She quickly recovered and asked in a bored voice, "What?"

Sam quirked her brow, "A little birdie said, you frequent the Fire and Ice pub every Friday looking for someone, and that someone may or may not be a certain banker. Is that true? Do you find him interesting? I know people here to get you an introduction if you are that desperate. I don't think he is boyfriend material. IF you...."

Anya stopped her mid-sentence by raising her hand. Sam was quite talkative, and these days she often grated on her nerves. Moreover, she was not willing to divulge her little obsession to Sam of all people.

"Well, that little bird is wrong. I'm not yet ready to pursue any man. I'm relieved that I'm single and would love to keep it that way for the near future. It's been ages since I was single and did something for myself."

With a candid confession, she thought she steered the topic clear of her weekly pub visits.

Sam nodded in understanding, "I'm so sorry An. I know what you've been through. You are tough, and I'm very proud of you. So what plans for this weekend?"

They discussed other topics while finishing their lunch.

It was yet another Friday evening she was diligently watching over Mr Mullapudi. She changed places for her lookout every other week and was at a safe distance from her target. She wondered how at all Sam's birdie knew about her obsession. Perhaps a lucky guess? This pushed her to be less conspicuous and to hide behind a group celebrating a birthday.

Ajay was in a dark pinstripe navy suit, and he paired it with a grey waistcoat. He looked too sharp even after working hours. She thought blue colour flattered him. She decided she had enough of this lookout and made a bold move. She kept a close eye on his drinks. When she knew he was about to order his second drink, she summoned the bartender and ordered his second drink for him. She included a casual message, from a stranger to another stranger, meeting in a pub.

On the other side of the noisy pub, Ajay was almost down with his first drink and bade the bartender for his next. In the meantime, he looked around the table of fellow bankers and financiers. They were a mixed bunch of both experienced bankers and a relatively young crowd who were fresh out of top-notch business schools across the country. He was glad to be out here, at his usual haunt and among known people— out of them a few could be pricks.

His thoughts drifted to the bad day he had, right from a missing client report to a disastrous date. He thought of his date and cringed inwardly. Casual flings were one too many, but it had been some time since he went on a date.

The entrepreneur of a small startup, whose finances his firm was handling, had intrigued him. Success at such a young age somehow interested him. He should've known about her "Dear Papa" 's role behind her success.

As soon as she opened her mouth, his evening sputtered and fizzled even before it began. He mentally patted himself for all the excuses that he made to run away from the disaster evening as fast as a high-speed train.

Now, he forced his attention back to the ongoing conversation.

"The girl in pink, right in the middle of that birthday group, I think she's looking at you Dilip," one of the young bankers muttered.

"She is looking at AM. They are always looking at him," Dilip countered.

Ajay watched the said lady through his peripheral vision and shrugged, "You can have her. Not my type."

"Even for a casual fling?" chimed another.

"Mainly for casual flings," Ajay replied after a thought.

"Why?" asked Dilip.

"Well, look at her," Ajay encouraged.

When the boy looked at her deliberately, Ajay hissed, "Subtle! Don't make it obvious."

After a minute, he asked, "So what did you see?"

Dilip shrugged, "I'm not sure what you want me to find with a mere glance. Anyways, she has a good physique, great smile, and she has dressed well."

Ajay slightly shook his head and wondered about the observations skills of the current generation.

"That's why I said you can have her."

But Dilip was persistent, "Care to explain?"

"Hmm...ok! Her dress is designer, but she's in cheap footwear. Though she has a good hairdo, it is not salon styled. She's just carrying a glittery clutch which could be a local make. Either her dress is gifted, borrowed or rented out for this occasion."

He paused and looked around the table to find everyone listening to him in rapt attention. He could see the proverbial wheels in some of their heads at work overtime while their eyes had glazed over.

He proceeded in a bored voice, "She is probably from a middle-income family. They, my friend, do not look for casual flings. They like to marry and settle down someday. She could be a leech or a keeper. I can't analyse that when I've not spoken to her. So it's up to you to reach out to her."

Most of their jaws dropped, Ajay just smirked and found the bartender carry his second and last drink. To his surprise, a message was attached to it.

Just wanted to have the pleasure of seeing you drink something I ordered.

--Anya

Ajay looked at the bartender questioningly, for which he pointed at the quiet girl sitting alone at a table with her drink and scrolling through her cell phone. He quickly pocketed the message before his colleagues could notice, went ahead and accepted it with as much grace as he could muster. That was a bold and different move made by a woman he had never met.

To accept a drink from a stranger was a first for him, and he had his share of women all his life. He knew all the rules to order a drink for a stranger at a pub.

He used the same move one too many times to slip into the bed of an interesting woman. But, he left it on the woman's discretion to accept his drink and him willingly.

He carefully studied her, all the while, sipping the drink. She did not meet his eye or look away from her phone. He doubted if the bartender got this order from her at all. He planned to find out once she moved to the exit. He intended to thank her for her generous offer of buying him a drink which was a part of his order-a-drink-for-a-stranger etiquette book.

It was an ego boost to get a drink from a girl, but he had grown immune to all the females falling over him, over the years. He liked her spunk. Now he wondered how she would turn out to be. Finally, she looked up and gave him a small smile and went back to her phone. It was as though his thoughts quietly requested her to look up. He again wondered why people were obsessed with phones these days. He wanted to have another peek at her but couldn't.

Gradually, his group scattered and many people made a beeline to the exit, calling it a night. Ajay took time to finish his drink but took care not to appear too slow either.

His immediate boss, Satyanarayana, who sat right across from him, got up to leave and whispered, "Now don't keep the girl waiting. Have a good night. But she seems too young."

Though Ajay was stunned, he quickly recovered and gave him a small smile, "Bye Satya. Have a good night, you too."

That was when he saw Anya walk towards the exit. He completed his drink and rushed to follow her.

_____________________________________________________________________________

If you've enjoyed the chapter please vote, comment and share.