"Really?"
"Yes and I am really sorry to have caused you trouble, Professor."
"As you wish, Ms. Tara Menon."
His words were filled with distaste. Without giving it a second thought or trying to persuade me into going, he walked out the open door and disappeared into the stairs down. I let out a sigh. I can't miss today's program at any rate. It's Hera's and Ryan's first official major event and I want to be a part of it. After two seconds, I went to the stairs to check if he's gone. No sign of any movement. Success. I picked up my keys and locked the apartment. Without wasting any time, I started walking down the lane to the bus stop.
Walking for thirty two long minutes in a saree is definitely going to be awkward, if I keep getting the weird stares from everyone I come past on the road. And hence walking is not an option. Keeping the costume factors and the traffic in mind, if a three kilometer car ride takes ten minutes or less, bus ride covering the same distance should also take nearly the same, two to three minutes extra at the most. I can reach the venue in leisure time. I patiently sit down at one of the benches available in the stop waiting for the next bus, when a black car pulled over in the front of the bus stop. I can never get away with something this simple, can I? Shaurya got out from the car and leaned on the door of his car, eyeing me with a smirk.
Two long and silenced minutes passed.
"What?"
"I thought you weren't going anywhere."
"I meant I was not going anywhere with you."
A mischievous smile popped at the corner of his lips. This man is incredibly extra handsome today (He is everyday), in his full black suit. Black shirt of which the first two buttons are left unbuttoned, I could map the place where his Adam's apple meets his neck, black pants and black blazer, which is also left unbuttoned, no tie. His hair is not long enough to tie back but it has plenty of flow making one want to run the fingers down through them. Most of his hair curls fall down now and then to his eyes, before he slicks them back to place. He straightened himself and strolled towards me slowly.
"Get in, Tara. They're waiting for us."
"Yeah, I'm coming. Just not with you."
"You're taking a bus?"
I nodded confidently.
"Wearing that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Why not?"
I looked around us. Thankfully no one is around the bus stop, it is just us and our stubbornness.
"I have a nice car, Tara."
"Don't try to bribe me-"
His suit and hair had been indeed distracting for me to forget to notice my surrounding. I looked past him for the first time to look at his car properly. His car is a black colored Model 3-
"You have a fucking Tesla?"
My next few movements are purely instinctive, which includes standing up, ignoring the owner whom I couldn't stop staring until a picosecond ago, and running to the car. I've seen Tesla cars before but it's the first time seeing one up this close. I may look like a child who got to see a dinosaur skeleton in a museum. And I don't care. I run my hands along the smooth material of the hood. It looks classy, and makes me look shallow. Never mind.
"How rich are you?"
"I'm not-"
I cut him half way with the next question. Over excitement makes me ask way more questions to my fellow converser and not giving them enough time to reply before shooting the next one.
"Did you try the autopilot?"
"Yes."
"Will it identify me, if I'm standing near it?"
"Yeah, maybe as a trash can."
"Funny."
He waited for me to calm down a little. I bet he gets this reaction every time he takes someone in this car. The idea of him driving with someone else, especially girls, resulted in a bitter realization in me.
"How come you never drove this to the university?"
"To prevent reactions like these."
Sarcasm 101. I'll be taunted about this for the rest of my life here.
"These are meant to be showed off, you know."
"So, is the bribe working?"
"Almost." I say checking out the interior of the car through the glass in the window.
"We can take the long way to the venue."
I gave him a halt sign with my hand and he stopped talking abruptly. He collected his thoughts and looked at me in surprise.
"I'm in."
I tried the door handle of the passenger seat in excitement but failed. I looked at him annoyed, over the other side of the car. He locked it.
"Are you sure?"
"Do you want me to come?"
He walked around the car to my side and stopped very close to me. He smells different today, a mixture of the scent of aftershave, a crisp burnt paper smell from the cotton fabric of his shirt and lastly a unique smell which I couldn't quite comprehend. Maybe it's his cologne. He leaned in front of me to get the door handle himself and opened it for me. He's now very close to me. Very. My heart is accelerating at an unhealthy pace. I could die any minute now. He stepped back with a grin. I'm dying.
When I get inside the car, the same unique sweet smell welcomed me and filled my chest. Did he spray the cologne for the car as well? He sat next to me in the driver's seat. I took some time to inspect the interior features of this super electric car. The smell of the leather is faint, just how I like it. The drive is even more exhilarating. It feels like flying close to the land, like that of an eagle while aiming for it's prey. The sky looks pretty today, the rosy hue of the sun spreading to the layer of the atmosphere meeting the land. It is one of the nature sights I never get tired of watching. It is also one of the tricks to use when you desperately want to look like you're enjoying something else all the while ignoring a certain someone. And it got his nerve.
"Is the sight of the sky more interesting than talking to me?"
"I think you should watch the road instead of staring at me."
His dimples made an appearance. I would have enjoyed the ride even more if he'd not said I looked just fine, if I could have rolled down the windows or the upper body of the car so as to feel the wind and if I could play Conan Grey's Overdrive song aloud and vibe to it. I'm not complaining. But, it's not like I'll be getting a lift in a Tesla everyday.
Once reaching the parking lot of the venue, we walked in together into a beautifully decorated hall in lavenders and whites. The sight looks enchanting and refreshing. We paused in the center of the entrance to take in the setting. The walls are pastel lavender colored, white tulips lining each and every corner of the room, the stage and the tables. Thank you Hera for keeping this a secret. My feeling is much more honest since it is a surprise, if it was not I would have already prepared a version of this myself in my mind. Ryan is dressed in a standard white and black tuxedo, stress walking through the stage while on a phone call. Hera is wearing a gorgeous golden sequenced saree, looking stunning as ever, yelling at a man about the vase not being kept in some precise position. I clearly don't understand that language. I walked in towards her as she approached me at the same time after noticing me. Shaurya followed me to her.
"Finally, the stubborn ass is here." She said hugging me tight.
"This place looks great, Hera. Good job."
"Should I start an event management business?"
"I highly recommend it." I say laughing with her.
Shaurya stepped in to take Hera in a bear-hug.
"You look lovely tonight, Hera."
Something heavy tripped down in me at his comment. I stepped away from them to Ryan to prevent them from formulating any hypothesis from my current emotions evident in my face. Ryan stepped down from the stage by jumping over the white tulips on to the ground.
"Don't you dare destroy those little blooms of joy."
"Nice to meet you too, Tara." He said bowing down in a curtsy with a smile.
He stepped in for an embrace, squeezed me into a pulp and lifted me off the floor for just a second before placing me back gracefully.
"You look beautiful, Tara."
My eyes followed up on the two I left behind. Their way of talking, which involved a more use of dimples and chuckles, is worth being looked at.
"I guess you wanted to hear that from someone else?"
Oh, Ryan. Don't make it any harder than it already is.
"Whatever, thanks."
"Someone's grumpy today."
"You know why."
He gave a nervous laughter before pointing me to look at the new couple entering the hall. Neil and Helen. Neil is formally dressed in a baby blue shirt and white pants and Helen in a pretty white midi dress. Neil caught me staring at him and mouthed an I'm sorry. I gave him a forced smile and walked back towards the stage where my friendly hosts are getting ready to start the show. I tried to extract some information about the program but was told to wait two minutes and I'll find out on my own. Pretty much.
The hall is filled with scientists, researchers, professors, funders and some students who volunteered to help with the event. All from different universities around California. Czes came in with Laura, everyone from our Indian team is also present along with professor David. Everyone is dressed all pretty and ready for whatever is going to happen. Hera planned it, so it should be good. Provided, it's a relief to know that twenty five percent of the people here are those familiar to me.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen.."
Hera started with her introductions on how she's so excited to start the event, how much she and Ryan worked on preparing it and hoping that we'll have a good time tonight. Ryan filled us in with the fund raising stuff, which I'm still clueless about even after trying desperately to listen to him after forcing myself off of the person standing next to me each time. When did he sneak up next to me?
"I hope everyone is ready for some fun games."
She said and everyone chorused a yes in delight. We, academia people, get chances like these to relax very rarely and hence don't miss the opportunity to be excited whenever we can. I shouted out a yes too to cheer them up.
Czes turned around from where he is standing and gave me a super hand gesture. He was late to come in so I didn't get to talk to either him or Laura since I was forced to busy myself with taking pictures of the stars of the day. I give him a wink followed by a flying kiss which he grabbed and stuffed into his pockets.
"Today's fundraiser is all about couple goals. Partner up with your date and be ready for the two rounds non-valentine couples game."
Couple? Date? Was I supposed to do this stuff with Neil? Now that I have a more horrific partner who drove me here, it's not making me any less nervous. I do not wish to participate. But, I can't miss it either, especially after coming all the way here dressed up in a saree. Please God, let me be the audience. Professor David is audience. I'll join him and the others I don't know. I didn't want to waste another second in the couple-games-interested crowd, when there are brownies and ice creams waiting for me at the counter. I took a step away from our little group, when a strong but kind, commanding but soft, hand gripped my wrist, halting my motion. My nerves went crazy excited at that touch, sending jolts of impulses all over my body. I'm getting electrocuted and it's pretty serious. Someone call the ambulance. In between the lines of shivers running down my bones, I looked around shocked (literally shocked) to meet Shaurya's eyes. At first, I couldn't understand why he did that but his eyes said a lot. Those are pleading me to stay. He need not say it but it was evident from the way his hand loosened after getting my attention, it was evident from the way he breathed heavy when I tensed under his touch. It was evident he wanted me to stay. Stay. Maybe it's because if I left, he wouldn't have anyone else to participate the game with. Nice, I'm getting pretty good at assuming.
I looked over at the stage where my happy friends are making a good time of their life. Ryan caught me looking at him and he gave me an excited shrug. How can I disappoint them? I should just stay. No. I'll just watch them do it. I'm not sure if I should stay. I'm not sure what games they have arranged. I'm not sure what I'll have to do to get through this. I definitely don't want to be partnered up with him, but looks like I don't have a choice. It'll be like last time, just a ride shifting to just a game. Will I be able to take it as just a game? My brain is collapsing. Again, I would like an ambulance to do a great entrance by breaking the glass walls in the hall and take me out in the stretcher, so that I can go rest peacefully.
I don't move my planned next few steps to the buffet. His thumb traced my knuckle for a split second, recreating the faded electrical sensation in me, before he retreated his hands off my wrist in a regretful reflex. He focused his vision on the stage like nothing happened and I followed up the same theme too.
"The first round is a basic questionnaire, the only challenge is that you'll have to pay a hundred dollars, each member of the couple as a penalty for losing. You'll be given white boards and all you have to do it write the answers to the asked questions truthfully, if it matches correctly for all the ten questions you pass for the next round."
Everyone are giving off different attitudes towards her explanation. And mine was that of betrayal. How can they do this to me? I've to pay fifty dollars if I lose? I'm already broke though.
"It doesn't end here. Those who pass to the next round will play another set of game which will be announced about later, and the penalty for losing the second round is two hundred dollars. And the penalty increases if you lose the last round. Now, this is getting interesting isn't it? The winner don't have to pay anything at all instead we'll be giving them a token of effort. This is our concept for today's fundraising."
I am really impressed. How do people come up with ideas like these. Making around fifty to hundred people to pay for the cause of their lab by making it look easier through games. A cunning thought. BUT WHAT WILL I DO?
I have a great idea too. I'll just have to lose in the first round itself so that I can excuse myself by giving the least amount of penalty, which is still high to my perspective. The fact that I don't know a single thing about Shaurya, and neither do him about me, it just makes it way more easier for the execution of my plan.
I usually hate losing, but maybe not this time.