The Folly of Love

|| 7 ||

He shook his head recalling something "It's fine to reveal your human side, but too much sharing especially of personal problems is very unprofessional. I remember this one time when we had taken a vacation to Venice with family friends. We had engaged a private tour guide for the day and all I remember of that day is her doleful expressions and bickering at every opportunity about her recent divorce. Well, maybe the guy did treat her rather shabbily, but just how much are we expected to care about it?! The thought of Venice probably invokes an image of a romantic gondola ride for most people, but for me it just brings unsatisfactory divorce settlements to mind."

Nanaji teased him chuckling "Well, I suppose we can successfully rule out Venice as your honeymoon destination!" Sameer frowned momentarily and then joined his grandfather's laughter.

The little reference to his future honeymoon left Naina feeling a little out of sorts. She quickly quipped "I hope not all your experiences with tourist guides are so dismal!"

He stopped laughing and responded "Oh... not at all. Some of them have been very helpful and attentive. I like it when they are prepared with the facts and make a genuine effort to make the trip a memorable one for visitors... and memorable in a good way. It's very heart-warming when they make any effort to understand the interests of the individuals in a group and then share information accordingly. And one fail-safe technique is to engage with the children in the group and try to make the event enjoyable for them. That is always much appreciated by both the children and their parents."

Seeing her serious expressions, he grinned, "And of course, nothing like it, if the guide is young and pretty!" Naina blushed thinking, Does it mean he thinks I am pretty? Stop reading too much into his words Naina! He is just being a courteous gentleman. He would hardly flirt in front of his grandfather! She attacked the food in her plate with much zeal. Nanaji silently listened to their banter.

The dinner plates were cleared away and the server advised them that the dessert and coffees would be served shortly.

Naina excused herself and wandered to one end of the terrace. She tried to take in the surrounding views. The otherwise complete silence was interrupted at intervals by the chirping of crickets. The moon overhead was just a few nights away from shining in its complete glory. A couple of men rode away from the palace on a two-wheeler, probably having finished their work for the day. She stretched on her toes, trying to touch an ornamental statue set in the wall by the ledge. It was a mythological creature, some strange mix of a horse and a lion.

An uncanny felling of being watched came over and she turned back. There he stood, casually checking her out again. She felt the flush rush up her neck. She had stayed silent that morning at the café, but not now.

Naina remarked irked "Its bad manners to stare at someone like this."  "Like what??" Sameer raised his eyebrows. She stammered a little "Like... this... the way you are... looking at me, right now." He responded sardonically "So, why are you wearing this saree? Surely you are well aware of what it is going to reveal."

She was speechless for a bit but, recovering soon, said in a clipped tone "I wouldn't have expected this from someone who has lived his life in the west." He simply asked "Why?" She fumbled "Well... because... you see women in modern western clothes all the time. I have watched the English soaps on the cable. You must be used to seeing girls in red swimwear every day!" He was confused "What girls in red swimwear?" She elaborated "Girls like that Pamela Anderson."

He burst out laughing "My dear, I live in London, not California! So, unfortunately, I don't get to see any hot life guards every day. The British weather ensures all the beauties are covered in layers of clothing for most part of the year." He added smirking "And if something is on display... men will watch, no matter which part of the world they come from! We are very simple creatures you see... if you choose to show... we will see." Not knowing how to respond to this, she walked away with a disgruntled expression. Sameer stayed by the ledge staring in the darkness, What the hell did I say that she is so vexed?!