Next day, as per Elham's advice I chose the best shirt in my closet. White with tiny black polka dotted slim fit shirt and watching black formal trousers. I folded my sleeves as advised my Elham, I hope Adam's don't scold for coming to work so casually. I combed my hair and did side parting. I applied generous amount of cologne.
My mother enters my room carrying my breakfast.
'Wow, you look so different' my mother compliments as I sit at the edge of my bed and tie my shoe laces. I smile at my mother; I feel little confident with her compliment but not much. She is a mother and to her obviously, her child will look the best.
'Waise, what is the special occasion?' she asks nudging my arm as I feast on the tasty veg sandwich she has just prepared. I stopped munching for few seconds and thought, I will not tell about Racheal, not yet.
'Nothing special, Mamma' I shrug.
My mother eyes me suspiciously not buying my excuse, she knows me very well after all she is my mother. She knows when I lie and when I am telling the truth. Lying to a mother is almost impossible. Nevertheless, she doesn't say anything.
My friends noticed the evident change in me, they knew this new transformation is for Racheal. They also start to give me advice on how to impress her. It's good to get advice from both a girl and a boy. I really love Racheal and I don't want to mess up.
I had a client meeting that lasted really long and now I return to office to pick up the file in which I need to write about today's client meeting.
'Mamma, aaj late ho jayega. You sleep I will use the spare key...Haan Mamma, you eat dinner and leave for me I will reheat it...Bye Mamma' I speak on phone as I walk through the long gloomy corridor of my office.
After I ended the call with my mother I smelt strong aroma of coffee, that made me realize that I should have some coffee. There are only few, hardly two or three people left in the office. I made my way towards the coffee machine which is just around the corner.
To my surprise I find Racheal there standing next to the machine making her coffee. I turned to my left and quickly fixed my hair and shirt looking at my reflection on the cabin window. I closed my eyes and take a deep breath and start to walk towards her. She has her back to me, I observed her. She is dressed in a pink and white pencil dress that reaches her knees. I admire her figure; she has perfect curves.
'Hey!' I say
She is startled but quickly composes herself 'Hey' she replies smiling. This is the first time we got chance to meet today. I had to leave before lunch for my client meeting and so I didn't get chance to meet her. But I am glad before the day ended I get to see her beautiful face. She hands me the coffee mug
'No, you have. I will make another one' I say politely. She insists and I panic. What am I going to do? What should I do? Should I take or refuse? I felt it won't be polite to refuse as she is insisting so much, but then she was here waiting for her coffee so it will be unfair. God! What do I do. It is split second decision to make and I am panicking really bad.
'I don't drink coffee on Wednesday's' I made up the lamest excuse I could think of, I mentally smacked myself.
Racheal looks at me amused then I on 'It's an Indian thing', anything to make it up for the blunder I just did.
Racheal smiles, she takes another mug and carefully poured half of the content in the other mug and hands me. I smile back awkwardly.
'It will be very late for me; can I work with you?' she suggests. I nod my head instantly, I probably looked like an idiot but I don't care. This woman has hypnotized me.
We worked together, I find it very difficult sitting beside her and not look at her. I feel my hormones starting to workup as I smelt her fragrance. Even so late she smells so divine, like fresh daises. Her arm accidently brushed against mine and I felt my heart skip a beat. I try working but I couldn't control myself to glance at her from corner of my eyes. I noticed a strand of hair fall on her face, I felt jealous of it as it touched her cheek and lips. I wish I was that strand.
Huh! Why am I thinking such cheesy lines?
She looks at me and smiles, I smile back. Shit! Did she see me stare at her? Elham has strictly advised me not to make it obvious while staring at the woman. I turn back my attention towards my file.
Half an hour, Racheal sighs falling back against the chair. I look at her
'You need a break?' I ask
She shakes her head, her eyes still closed and her head resting against the chair. I admire her, she looks even more stunning with her eyes closed. She parts her lips slightly and I felt my heart flutter. She then opens her eyes and I quickly look away. I fumble with my pen.
'I am going home, (she then glances her watch and gasp) its 1am.' She says
I look at my watch and realize it's very late. She places her hand on my shoulder and I shiver.
'With you I didn't even know how the time passed' she says smiling warmly at me. I smile silly at her; I take her words as a compliment. Even without speaking she didn't get bored of me and as per Elham's advice it's a very positive point. I then offered her to drop her home and she readily agrees. I with my typical Indian mindset said it's late and not safe for her to take a cab, but comparatively cabs here are much safer than in India at this time of the night.
I stopped my car next to her building gate, she unbuckles her seat belt and twists her body slightly and looks at me.
'Juwaid, you are such a gentleman. Thanks for giving me company' she says. I smile at her. She leans forward and kissed my cheek. My eyes widen as she did so.
'Good night' she says
I quickly closed my mouth and fixed my surprised expression 'Go...Goo-Good ni-ni-night' I stammer. Damn!
Racheal chuckles and climbs down the car. I watch her leave with a dreamily smile on my face. I held my cheek she had just kissed, it felt warm. I quickly fished out my mobile and text this happy news to Elham. I wish I can say her face to face and get to see her expressions but I couldn't video call her sitting in my car.
*
'Fatto...I think you should kiss her now' Elham says excitedly. I looked at her aghast. Kiss? It's been only one week since we started being friends, how can I kiss her? Bad idea...
'Dude, if you don't make a move you will be friend zoned.' She warns me.
I shudder thinking about the dark pit called "friend zone". Like all men I too dread being friend zoned by a hot woman like Racheal. Elham goes on to tell me to kiss her in the office party this weekend. She rolls her eyes when I confessed I didn't know how to kiss.
'Don't you watch English movies, Dumbo' she says angrily.
'I do, but I skip those parts' I mumbled more to myself than her.
Next fifteen minutes Elham explained me how to kiss. I cringe with the description she is giving, I had to tell her to stop. For some reason, I felt turned on with the explicit description she is giving.
After I spoke to Elham I downloaded few movies, this time I didn't skipped the kiss scenes neither the lovemaking scenes. I ensured the door is locked, and spend whole night carefully observing the scenes. I went to sleep with a wide smile on my face as I fantasized kissing Racheal.
Next day, I stand in front of the mirror. I look at my reflection, I pout and close my eyes. I kiss the air pretending to kiss Racheal.
'What are you doing?'
I jump up looking at door, embarrassed. My mother stands there with a frown on her face. Shit! I must be looking like a fool.
'Ye-ye-yes, Mamma' I say fixing my shirt collar. She shakes her head
'Breakfast is ready.' She says and leaves. I sigh in relief.
At office, as I am about to enter my cabin I saw Racheal. She is standing outside Adam's cabin and talking something to him.
I couldn't stop myself from admiring her from far, she is looking like a yellow flower dressed in Yellow and white full sleeved pencil dress.
I see her turn and I quickly dashed inside my cabin.
'Dude, who are you taking to the office party?' Rishi asks James. We have an office party this weekend. Every month Adams throws a lavish office party and always I land up there alone, I wished then if Elham was here I would have taken her, only as friends of course.
James leans back against his chair. He frowns twisting his pencil in between his fingers, thinking hard. Few minutes into thinking he smiles 'Kim' he says. I and Rishi tease him. James harbors a tiny crush on Kim for three months and now finally he is planning to ask her out. I admire him, he took only three months to make his move while I am still thinking for three years.
The question now lands on me; I knew it was evitable.
'Like always I am going to come alone' I lie; I don't want to tell about my plans of taking Racheal. I feel my plan will be jinxed if I tell anyone. With Racheal, I didn't want to take any chance.
Lunch time I enter the cafeteria carrying my tiffin. I look around my eyes searching for Racheal, before anyone else asks her I have to make the first move. She is a gorgeous woman and I am sure many men must be planning to ask her.
'Hey' I hear her melodious voice from behind me. I turn around and find her smiling back at me. In this week, I and Racheal often started to eat together. I indirectly asked my mother to make less oily and tasty food.
'What have you got today?' she says with twinkle in her eyes. I love her enthusiasm; she looks even more pretty when she smiles. My gaze accidently falls on her lips and my imagination run wild. I shake my head.
Today my mother had made Paneer and some Parathas. Looking at it I wonder how have I managed to gain good physique eating these.
After Lunch, Racheal is about to leave when I call her. She turns around. I gulp. My heart rate increasing and my throat getting parched.
'Wi-will-you-come with me to the- office party?' I asked mustering all my courage. Racheal blinks at me. I am not liking the look. She places her hand over mine and smiles sadly
'Juwaid, I am going with someone else' she says
I felt my heart drop but I didn't let it show on my face. She is looking at me with an apologetic expression on her face, I smiled at her sadly
'It's okay' I shrugged. Like a gentleman I didn't want to make her feel guilty, so I didn't ask her with whom she is going. I simply left it as it is.
And as usual, I went home and narrated my entire sob story to Elham through voice call. I knew she must be rolling her eyes on the other side.
'Fatto, kuch nahin ho saktha tera...you are friend zoned dude. Congrats' she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
I cut the call, already I am irritated and Elham is irritating me even more. I flop on my bed flat on my back and stare at the ceiling. Now, I don't want to go to the party at all but then I get curious to know who she is going out with. Who is the lucky man? I wonder as I lay on my bed staring at the rotating ceiling fan.
*
That weekend I make faces as I adjust my red bow tie. I am wearing a black suit, white formal shirt and red bow tie.
'What happened, Babu?' my mother asks looking at me. I groan
'Mamma, don't call me Babu.' I say irritated tying the cuffs of my sleeves. One reason of me being a Fatto is my mother and her "motherly love"
As it is I am irritated and the whole world wants to irritate me. I didn't bother sending selfie to Elham this time because I know she will have something negative to say.
I ran from the flat, I had to because my mother was running behind me insisting me to apply oil instead of gel. Seriously, what's up with Indian mother's and applying oil.
Like always I reached the venue exactly on time and it's empty for except for few nerds like me. I walk up to Alex, Deena and Abraham. They like me are always punctual but in our company, most of the people like to be fashionably late. Even my friends, Rishi, James and Sam along with Jennie haven't come yet.
I sat with Alex, Deena and Abraham. They are doing most of the talking while I sit and look around feeling depressed.
Half an hour later, my friends come one by one. Like always I feel odd one out as I stand with my friends sipping soft drink while they happily drink cocktail.
I see Sam and Jenni hand in hand drinking together. They looked like a perfect couple, I smile seeing them. I wish I and Racheal could also be a romantic couple, I sigh sadly as I come in terms with the fact that I am friend zoned.
I go to the counter to get some more soft drink when I see her come, Racheal. She is looking like a diva dressed in glittering golden off shoulder mermaid evening gown. Her dress has a high slit exposing her long leg, her hair open and resting on her shoulder. I smile dreamily, but then my smile disappears when I see who is accompanying her.