Wishing all the readers a very Happy New Year, 2017. Special thanks to those who leave comments and let me know exactly what they like and don't like, although that might not change anything in the story. Winks. Thanks to lovely readers who click on like button always. It helps me to know if a particular person read the chapter or not. I would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting more likes on this story. Last, but not the least thanks to all the silent readers without whom the story wouldn't have got so many reads. Thank you all once again. Hope you all have a great year ahead.
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Shanaya went to Abhimanyu's room not knowing what it was about. He was pacing the room talking with his mom on cell. He gestured her to sit. She pulled the chair to sit, and looked around his room. Last time, she was in his room, she was so focused identifying him from his back that she didn't see his office at all. It was a big room with a mahogany executive desk with utility drawers. There was a mac book, landline phone, pen stand, notebook, lamp and a table calendar on his neatly organized desk. His swivel desk chair was made of leather, and there were two chairs opposite his desk for visitors, one of which she was sitting on. With vertical wooden blinds pulled out, the glass wall of his office overlooked the beautiful buildings of other companies in the business park. She noticed a medium size bookshelf in a corner against the wall with rows of books on Robotics and AI(Artificial Intelligence). She also noticed a book 'Robots-How to Tame' with a bookmark in it, on his table A countertop desk ran along one side wall with a desktop, printer and one more phone on it. There was also a computer chair same to one in cubicles next to it.There was only one clock on the wall of his office. There weren't any pictures on wall or photo frames on his desk.
He quickly ended the conversation saying, "Sure mom, bye mom, I'll see you later in night." He looked at Shanaya, and extended his hand to shake hands to which she responded by giving her right hand into his.
Abhimanyu: Welcome aboard. I am so happy you could join us. I'm looking forward to your contribution in our Robot Development. I'm sure with your help, we will very soon be patting the back of Peter.
Shanaya: Thank you, sir. I hope I live up to your expectations.
He narrowed his eyes that were looking at her, and smiled a little from one side of his lips .
Abhimanyu: For that, you have to drop that 'sir' first.
She stared at him.
Abhimanyu: Oh, c'mon, Shanaya! Nobody calls me 'sir' here. I am same age as you. I am younger to most of my employees, and they don't call me 'sir'. We don't have this culture of calling anyone sir in our office unlike our college where we called our seniors sir. Juniors or seniors, everybody calls everyone else by their name. So, you have to call me by my name. I hope you know my name.
Shanaya: Yes, Abhimanyu. She nodded her head and couldn't hold back the smile.
Abhimanyu: Now, that you know my name, it's good. He smiled back.
Abhimanyu: Look Shanaya, it's not that we don't know each other. We may not have been best friends in college, but we were acquaintance. Now that we are here after more than five years about to work in the same project, I think it will be good if we get to know each other a little. Not like an employer and an employee, but like two people who were college mates, engineering mates, batch mates.
He found his attention drawn to the word 'mate' the he used many times . What the hell was it with this word 'mate' in his head. Of all the words 'mate' was the most appropriate word to refer to someone who wasn't exactly a great friend but was with you. He quickly shrugged the word off his head.
Shanaya listened to him intently.
Abhimanyu: Are you doing anything important tonight?
Shanaya: No.
Abhimanyu: Okay. So, we are going out for a dinner now. Let's catch up on last five years, memories of college and friends. I am your friend first and then your employer. He smiled.
He always felt there was a sexual tension between them. He wanted to ease it off.
Shanaya looked at him in surprise. He looked into his watch.
Abhimanyu: Your ten minutes start now. I'm waiting for you in my reserved parking in the basement parking lot. You know where it is?
Shanaya: Yes.
Abhimanyu had two cars in the parking reserved for him in the parking lot of his office . His driver drove him around in a black Mercedes. Midnight blue BMW was the one he loved to drive whenever he wanted to be on his own. He told his driver to give him the BMW keys and go home. He took the driver's seat, threw his grey suit jacket in the back seat, and waited for Shanaya to come. He wondered if she ever thought about him. One sight of her and he felt she was everything he wants in life.
Shanaya never thought, a day will come when she will go out to dinner with the boy she was so crazy in love with. She didn't know what to talk. There was nothing that she could think of to talk with him. She felt very nervous and stressed. She told herself not to think anything and just go with the flow, and follow his lead into conversations. She used the big mirror in restroom to do some quick touch ups. She combed her hair and left them open, applied a new layer of red lipstick and black eyeliner before heading to the basement parking lot with her handbag. The lift in the basement opened just in front of his reserved parking. She spotted him behind the steering wheel of a sexy midnight blue BMW. She opened the car door and fastened the seat belt of seat next to him. Manoj who was walking to his car in the parking lot was shocked to see Abhimanyu drive away with Shanaya in his car.
They entered Masala Bay, a fine dining restaurant in Taj Lands End in Bandstand, Bandra West.
Shanaya: Is this your favorite place to eat out.
Abhimanyu: Well, this is the place we get our clients for dinner or lunch.
Shanaya: Oh!
The attendant at desk knew Abhimanyu and guided them to his favorite table in a private corner of a restaurant. Shanaya pulled out a chair to sit before he could. Abhimanyu sat on a chair opposite Shanaya. They looked in the menu cards. Waiter dedicated to their table came to pen down order.
Waiter: What can I get you to drink?
Abhimanyu: Pint of Kingfisher beer for me.
Shanaya looked blankly at the waiter and then at Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu: And maybe wine for the lady.
Shanaya: No, no wine.
Abhimanyu: Any cocktail?
Shanaya: No, I think, I will have fresh lime soda.
Abhimanyu ordered few veg starters with the drinks. Soon, the waiter came and kept their drinks on the table before leaving.
Abhimanyu: I am not buying that you studied five years in USA and never touched alcohol in any party. He said sipping chilled bear from his tall glass.
Shanaya: I did go on boozy night outs with my friends. It's just that I didn't find it right to drink here.
Abhimanyu: Oh! So, you fear the impression it will have on your boss. I am not going to think anything. Moreover, I am your friend here, not your boss.
Shanaya: It's not just that. I am not too fond of drinking as such.
Abhimanyu: Did you never go to any frat party in USA?
Shanaya: No, never. From what I have heard everything is in extreme there- booze, drugs, making..... Not my scene. And yours?
Abhimanyu: Totally, my scene. I got invited to a lot of them and also attended most of them. I have even lost the count. I think they are cool and too much fun.
Shanaya remembered how he always went to every dance party in college.
Waiter comes and serves the starters. He takes down the order for main course and dessert.
Abhimanyu orders Salmon with broccoli for himself and Shanaya decides on butter chicken with nans. Abhimanyu asks for Tiramisu in dessert for both of them. Waiter leaves after scribbling down the order. Abhimanyu liked how Shanaya ordered butter chicken and wasn't too weight conscious unlike the girls he knew. He always loved some flesh on girls.
Abhimanyu: Wait! What? Butter chicken? Aren't you brahmin? I mean... your surname is Pandit.
Shanaya: Yes, I am Kashmiri pandit, but we are non-vegetarian. You know how it is these days! Some people follow, some don't.
Abhimanyu: Why do I not remember your surname from college?
Shanaya: Because, I avoided using it. Those days, I thought surnames were bad. I thought it distinguished people based on caste and shouldn't be there at all. I hated that it distinguished people based on something they had no control on. With time, I learnt this is how it is and one has to follow the ways of world.
She looked at the decoration of restaurant thinking that economic disparity between him and her was huge. How he was everything that she was not. No matter how much she dreams of him, he could never be hers. He was like sky and she was like earth. They only appear to meet but never actually meet.
Abhimanyu sees Shanaya busy in her thoughts looking at the ambiance of the restaurant. He steals the moment to study her. Looking at her, he sips beer from his glass. She hadn't changed much. She still had that flawless, luminous skin. Her hair were silky and shiny. Her bow shaped red lips were plump. She looked beautiful in red lucknowi chicken work kurta with standing collar. He tried not to but his eyes disobeyed him and slipped further down the smooth skin of her neck. He thought she was one size bigger now, but he hated to think that it was the result of someone's hard work on them.
Shanaya turned her head to him, and was taken aback to find him looking at her intently.
Abhimanyu: You look beautiful.
She kept looking at him holding her breath unable to believe what she just heard.
"Did she hear right? Did he really say that?"she asked herself.
Abhimanyu: Well, that was a compliment. He smiled with a sparkle in his eyes.
Shanaya: Thank you. She said, finally letting go off the breath that she was holding.
She looked down at her sweet lime soda, stirring it. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted to return the compliment to him, but there were no compliments that could do justice to his looks. He looked ravishingly handsome in that navy blue shirt with dots and tousled hair. His mannerisms, his posture everything only made him irresistibly sexy.
Abhimanyu: Okay. Tell me, were you surprised to see me when you came to my room for an interview?
Shanaya: Of course, I was. If only you had a name plate on your door. She complained.
Abhimanyu: It came off the day you came to my office. Then, I was waiting for you to join to write my name on my name plate in your beautiful handwriting. He smiled and waited for her response.
Shanaya: You haven't seen my handwriting to know if it's beautiful.
He smiled mysteriously knowing how she didn't know that he saw her files that Yash brought to their room.
Abhimanyu: It takes no brainier to know that beautiful girls usually have a good handwriting. He flirted.
She couldn't believe how flirtatious he was. But then she remembered that he was always like that. She always got a slight hint of it in whatever little conversations they had and also from the way he spoke on stage. He knew how to do it like a gentleman.
Abhimanyu: So, how did US happen after college?
Shanaya: When engineering results came out, I happened to be the second university topper. My dad decided there was nothing left in India, and I should go to US for further studies, take up a job there and settle there. He had always been very ambitious for me and my brother. So, he took heavy loans for our education there.
Abhimanyu: I learnt from your resume that you were second university topper in engineering. Any idea who was the first university topper? He asked as if he had no clue.
Shanaya couldn't stop smiling at his pretend. She smiled wide.
Shanaya: You were the first university topper. Of course, you know that. Stop acting!
He chuckled and smiled.
Abhimanyu: Okay. I know that, but how do you know that? He asked smiling.
Shanaya: I know because university toppers picture came in the regional paper. Sunita was the third university topper, if you don't know.
Abhimanyu: I didn't. I only knew that I was the university topper that year. Remember, you had challenged me.
She remembered how happy she was to see her picture next to him in the newspaper. She had cut out that picture of them without Sunita, and kept it hidden in her secret diary. She also remembered how she tried to find him in every possible social networking site from facebook to linkedin. But he was not there in any of them. She herself wasn't on facebook but she frequented Yash's profile which was public for an year after the college. She often searched for him in his friend list before it turned private, but he wasn't there. Yash once posted a picture of him with Abhimanyu and a white blonde girl in some bar. The young blonde was tall and pretty. She had her arms around Abhimanyu's waist and her head on his chest. They all looked good in it, and Abhimanyu and her looked like a couple smiling in that picture. At first, she suspected her to be Abhimanyu's girlfriend, but then she dismissed it knowing how girls liked to get clicked like that with him. The comments below didn't help to figure out who the girl was or where Abhimanyu was. She saw that picture many times when one day she could not see it any longer.
Waiter came with the main course meal. They chatted while they ate.
Shanaya: You are not there on any social networking sites. Are you?
Abhimanyu: Nah! Never felt like to be a part of one. What about you? You, in any? Are you in touch with any of your classmates?
Shanaya: I am also not there on any except whats app. I'm in touch with only my room mates. You must be in touch with Yash, my classmate. He was your roommate.
Abhimanyu: You knew he was my roommate? He asked surprised.
Shanaya: Yeah, Yash told me once.
Abhimanyu: Oh! We don't get to talk much. You know how it is crazy with work for everyone. Yash did MS in USA. He is in Microsoft and settled in Seattle. By the way, he married Shilpa last year. She also works in Microsoft. They both did MS from the same university.
Shanaya: I see. What about Ram?
Abhimanyu: You know all my roommates.
Shanaya: Everybody knew Ram. He was also one of the toppers.
Abhimanyu: Yes, Ram is doing great in Philips. What about your roommates? Sorry! I don't remember their names.
Shanaya: I don't expect you to. One of my roommates, Priyanka is still working with the company she got through in campus in Chennai. Bela married Shiva, our batch mate, and........ they are in UK at present. What about you? You never felt like settling in USA?
Abhimanyu: Actually, I did MS in AI and MBA in Finance from Harvard University in USA.
Shanaya: I know, I read that in your profile on company's website.
Abhimanyu: What you might not know is that I was picked by McKinsey & Company from Harvard campus. I worked as a finance consultant with them for six months before moving to India to pursue my own ambition.
Abhimanyu: What else do you know about me?
Shanaya: That the college you did engineering from is not mentioned in your profile. She smiled.
Shanaya: And also that you are son of the India's richest businessman Arjun Singh.
Abhimanyu:Oh! Hold on! My profile doesn't say whose son I am? How do you know that?
Shanaya: Google. I did some research on you.
Abhimanyu: ooo....h! Someone is interested.
Shanaya: No, curious. If you don't mind may I ask you why you did engineering from our college when you could have done it from anywhere in the world?
Abhimanyu: Yeah exactly, because Alleppey is also somewhere in the world. He joked.
Abhimanyu: On a serious note, I'm happy that I did it from there and got to experience the life I experienced. Else, I wouldn't be here sitting and talking with you. He smiled a little smile.
He had that quality that would instantly make you feel that you were his best friend. Few minutes into conversation, and you will be freely talking out secrets of your heart and mind losing caution to wind. He was that endearing and charming. Not to forget very flirtatious too in a good way.
Shanaya: I don't understand why you feel the need to hide and disassociate your name from your dad's name?
Abhimanyu: I want to achieve everything on my capability. It's not like people don't know that I am his son just because I don't mention it in my profile. The knowledge that I am his son does help me in my business whether I like it or not. Everybody knows his reputation. So, clients don't hesitate to invest and have business with our company even though we are very new. They know if we under perform, he will make up for their losses if needed, despite no such clause on paper. That's the kind of name he has earned for himself over years.
Shanaya smiled.
Abhimanyu: Why are you smiling?
Shanaya: Nothing.
Abhimanyu: Something? Tell me.
Shanaya: It's about your dad.
Abhimanyu: What about my dad? That nobody in college knew I was son of a rich man.
Shanaya: No, in fact in last year, everybody kind of knew. Not that you are son of one of the richest man of India but they thought...leave it.
Abhimanyu: No, you got to tell me now. C'mon! What is it?
Shanaya: Okay. She paused and smiled and rolled her eyes not knowing how to say that.
Shanaya: They thought..... your dad was some Mafia or smuggler who had lots of black money which you didn't like to be associated with.
He laughed.
Abhimanyu: Really! See, how I built a totally opposite reputation for my dad in college.
Shanaya: No, not at all. You'll make him very proud one day.
Shanaya: I thought you weren't going to be in office today? Where were you?
Abhimanyu: I was in Oslo, Norway. I am in talks with a lot of interested companies to invest in our research and development program. After my flight landed this evening, I reached office. One of the good things of having office near airport.
Shanaya: Your dad is so rich. Why don't you take money from your dad?
Abhimanyu: If you say, I will.
Shanaya: C'mon! I am serious.
Abhimanyu: Hmmmmm...It's not about money, Shanaya. I want to do it myself. Everything. I like the ride of it. What's life, if you didn't feel the highs and lows of it in pursuit of your passion. It gives me the adrenaline rush like nothing else. I love this roller coaster of success and failure. Working on failure to turn it into success is consuming but how satisfying. The happiness you get at the end of it is indescribable. I want to enjoy this journey as much as the destination.
Shanaya thought how her own love life was a roller coaster with rise and falls that went on and on and never know for how long.
They finished their main course.
Abhimanyu: Did you find yourself a place in Mumbai?
Shanaya: Not yet, I am putting up with my cousin in Santa Cruz. I have to find one very soon. I can't eat up on their space for long. She smiled.
Abhimanyu: If you find any difficulty, let me know.
Shanaya: Are you going to look out a house for me? She pulled his leg.
Abhimanyu: No, I'll let you in my house. He flirted.
Shanaya: Rea...lly! She smiled.
Abhimanyu: Why not? You are my college mate, classmate( uff! again 'mate', he thought in his head), you can live in my house. A friend has to help a friend.
Shanaya: Okay, then I am coming with my bags and suitcases.
Abhimanyu: The problem is my house is still under construction. Once it's ready, you can move in it anytime. You see, I still live with my parents.
Shanaya: Why do you want to move out of your parents house?
Abhimanyu: Privacy. I am an adult now.
Shanaya: I'm sure your dad has a mansion where privacy shouldn't be an issue.
Abhimanyu: See that's the problem. It's huge like a palace. I am a man of minimalist needs, so I want a house that feels like a house, looks like a house - small, beautiful, warm with big garden outside it and lots of love inside it. He smiled.
Abhimanyu: I am actually looking for a guest house for our company. I think the broker helping me with it should be able to help you too. I'll send you his number.
Shanaya: Thank you.
Waiter serves them the Tiramisu cake in dessert.
Abhimanyu: Any marriage plans?
Shanaya: Why?
Abhimanyu: Don't most of the girls marry at your age?
Shanaya: So, you think women at twenty seven should get married.
Abhimanyu: No, If for me , I think women should never get married. Should stay focused in her career all her life.
Shanaya: Now that's an exaggeration. Of course, I want to get married, but there is still time for that.
Abhimanyu: You have someone in your life? He finally asked what he had been wanting to ask for so long.
Shanaya: Yes, I have. She wanted to say 'no' but she couldn't lie to him.
He felt her answer hurt him, but he still brought himself to show that he was happy for her.
Abhimanyu: Oh! Wow!. Is he here in Mumbai?
Shanaya: No, he is in Oregon. The same place, where I was doing my PhD from. Born and brought up there.
Abhimanyu: Ooh! NRI..US citizenship. Just like your dad wanted you to.
Shanaya: Yes. And you? You have someone in your life?
Abhimanyu: Aaah...! Not really.
She didn't want to probe him further on that. She wondered what he meant by that. May be it was another way of saying that he wasn't in any serious relationship at the moment, but casual. For someone who thought frat parties were cool, where making out with strangers was the only thing boys went for, she was convinced he made out with lot of girls. It was only normal for someone who studied in USA. Handsome, smart and charming guy that he was, picking up girls must have been very easy for him. The way he was always busy working and travelling to foreign locales, the way he mentioned how frat parties were too much fun and totally his scene, casual sex seemed more like his thing.
They ate their dessert which for some reason didn't taste sweet and delicious as it was.
While they waited for the waiter to come and take his credit card to swipe for the payment of bill.
Abhimanyu: Can I have your number?
Shanaya hesitated.
Abhimanyu: Well, if you don't want to give me I can always take it from HR, you know. Do you want me to get it through that channel? He smiled
She stared at him.
Abhimanyu: Don't worry! I am not into sexting. He looked into her eyes and said.
Abhimanyu: Your boyfriend won't get angry if he is into reading your messages behind your back.
Shanaya: Oh, no! Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I completely lost you. You surely can have my number.
She told her number which he saved.
Shanaya: Can I have the personal number of the CEO of my company?
He pretended as if thinking to give or not.
Shanaya: What?..no.?. She asked.
Abhimanyu: Isn't it too much to ask for? He asked sternly.
Abhimanyu: Just kidding. Of course, yes. I'll give you a missed call now. Save it before you forget about it, because I won't give again. He smiled.
Abhimanyu: And don't save it under the name Khadoos Boss etc. Show some love to it!
She smiled,and he gave a ring on her cell from his iPhone.
Abhimanyu: It's not like you are ever going to call me, right?
Shanaya: And it's not like you are ever going to call me.
Abhimanyu: Yeah, that's true, but you never know when you might need it. See, now I can message the number of broker without having to mail it to you. Check your text now.
Waiter brings back his credit card after swiping, and they walk outside the hotel for his valet parked car to arrive.
Shanaya: Don't bother yourself with dropping me home. Your house and my house are in opposite directions. Anyways, you must be tired after coming from Oslo. I can get back home myself.
Abhimanyu: Do you see the black clouds in sky. It can start pouring anytime now. I insist on dropping you home. I ain't listening. You are coming with me.
She gets into the car with him. He pulls the car on the main road with traffic in night. He asks if her relatives would worry about her. She tells that she informed them before coming for dinner that she would be coming late. Shanaya noticed that he didn't play any radio or cd as he drove the car as she expected him to. It surprised her knowing how much he was into music.
Shanaya: Do you get time to sing and play guitar?
Abhimanyu takes a quick glance at her before returning to the road in front.
Abhimanyu: Noooo......, I quit it long time back.
Shanaya: Why? She asked looking shocked.
Abhimanyu: It brought me the memories of someone, I didn't want to remember.
The way he sounded hurt, Shanaya thought maybe he had a heart break during MS in USA. She remembered that beautiful blonde girl in a picture with him. That was from his MS days because it was one year after the college that Yash posted it. She didn't ask him the details, but now she could put two and two together and guess why he wasn't into any serious relationship now.
Abhimanyu could tell that she wanted him to play music, so he turned on the radio. Just then it started raining heavily . He turned on the wipers of his car. The channel played English songs of all kinds old and new on listener's request.
Someone requested RJ to play "May Be" by Enrique Iglesias.
Shanaya: 'May Be' by your favorite artist Enrique Iglesias. She said excitedly.
Abhimanyu: How do you know he is my favorite artist?
Shanaya: You only told he was your favorite artist when you sang 'Wish I was your lover' by him on stage at the farewell party.
Abhimanyu: You remember! Those are too many details to remember after so many years!
Shanaya: Bet, I have a very good memory. She tried to cover up feeling that she blurted out too much.
Abhimanyu: Really! Let's see then. What title your classmate Yash got on the farewell night? He looked at her with piercing eyes.
Shanaya didn't know what to say. She didn't remember. She couldn't bluff because she knew he must remember as Yash was his roommate.
Shanaya: I don't remember. She knew she was caught and didn't want to think what he thought of her on that.
He said nothing, completely understanding what it meant. They sat quietly looking at the rain falling on road and wipers swishing the rain falling on windshield over and over.The conversation between RJ(Radio Jockey) and the one who requested it ended and the song started playing.
If I had one single wish
I'd go back to the moment I kissed
You goodbye no mater how hard I try
I can't live without you in my life
Maybe you'll say
You still want me
Maybe you'll say
That you don't
Maybe we said
It was over
But baby I can't let you go
I walk around
Trying to understand
Where we went wrong
And I can't pretend
It wasn't me
And it wasn't you
But I'm convinced
We gave up too soon
Nothing left to lose
After losing you
There's nothing
I can't take
When I run to you
When I come for you
Don't tell me
I'm too late
Maybe you'll say
You still want me
Maybe you'll say
That you don't
Maybe we said
It was over
But baby I can't let you go
(Maybe we said
It was over)
But baby I can't let you go
The song engulfed them completely as they listened to it in silence relating it's lyrics to their own situation. The car came to a stop when they reached the main gate her apartment complex. The guard at the building allowed Abhimanyu to go inside the gate as it was raining. Abhimanyu dropped Shanaya under the porch of her building before bidding her bye. Shanaya thanked him for the dinner.
He drove through the rainy night not knowing what and how to feel about the whole thing. The knowledge that she had someone in her life was hurting him bad. The tête-à-tête with her was all nice'n' rosy until the revelation that was so bitter that even sweet dessert couldn't take away it's bitterness.