"Not Priyanka, its your lill Ms. Thepla here." Raima flashed one of her brightest smiles.
Completely awestuck with that flawless smile, I kept staring at it and never noticed how and when it poured into soul to bring an equally bright smile upon my lips.
Her smile was still that contigious even after all these three years!
"How are you?" My smiling lips slightly quivered as I uttered the words.
"I'm right infront of you." Rolling her eyes animatedly, she threw her hands in the air and pointed out at herself.
What did she try to signify? That she was all good? Ofcourse, why would she be bad otherwise!! But then what I supposed to say her... I mean what to say next? This was already so awkward and top of that I had lost my voice. What a perfect timing huh! What a perfect combo!..... and yes, what a perfect journey altogether!!!
"Hmm" I nodded quietly as I bit my lower lips.
Thankfully, coco came to my rescue this time. She outstretched her arms and tried to jump upon me. I also showed some quick reflex and took her from Raima's arms. The next step included neutralising this awkwardness with a nice lovey-dovey moment.
"Did you miss mommy? Mommy missed you a lot you know!" I said to coco, nudgling my nose against her cute, little tummy. She giggled away to this and replied in a complaining tone-
"Where were you mommy? I was sherching for you so long.."
"Mommy got a little busy, baby. But I promise you, from now onwards, she won't repeat the same mistake again." I kissed her curled palms. She kissed me back on my nose and signalled that she wasn't upset with me anymore.
Such a huge relief!
"Isn't my coco hungry? Shall we go for lunch then??" I asked her again.
"Err..she has her lunch done... I have fed her, Tara. " Raima informed me on coco's behalf.
Now what expression do you expect from me? Obviously that same, old jaw-dropping one, isn't it?
Yes, you got that right.
"You fed her?" I mumbled in surprise.
"Yes. There was mushroom risotto in menu and... and I remembered that you her feed her rice in the afternoons."
Okay, she remembers a lot of things I can see. But wait, that wasn't my question dude!
"I meant... she got ready to eat from your hands? She is usually not this comfortable with unknown people!" I reframed my question for her.
"But I am not unknown to her!" Raima shrugged nonchalantly. "She knows me since she was in your womb... we used to talk so much back then!"
"You used to gossip with her!!" I retorted, smiling again.
"Exactly what I am saying. She knows me..that too, quite well...isn't it Nirvi baby?" She tapped coco's cheeks with the pad her thumb.
Coco, too, responded to her by booping the tip of her nose.
I keenly observed how both of them bonded so well and was left wandering that when did this miracle happen. As far as I knew my daughter, she was never easy going with strangers. This was something that she had learnt on her own and I was really proud of that becoz of it. But with ongoing time, her changing behaviour got to gave me quite a lot of frowns. First with Adit and now with Raima....she behaved as if they were her long lost best friends. No, I wasn't complaining becoz it was surely good to see my baby comfortable around those people who are so important in my life. But at the end of the day, these important people were complete strangers to her. She had last seen them when she was only an year old and a long time had passed since she hadn't met them or even seen their faces again. She was supposed to forget them by now, but suprisingly, nothing of that sort happened.
Strange it was, isn't it?
"Hey, were are you lost?" Raima waved her hands infront of my eyes to pull me out of my reverie.
"Umm..nothing...sorry for zoning out like this." I pursed my lips into a narrow but sincere smile.
"Ohkay then, lets move for lunch. Your daughter has finished her risotto but I haven't eaten anything yet...and not to mention, but I am really, really hungry." She made a cute pout and my narrow smile widened into a bigger one.
"Even I am hungry." I confessed honestly.
"Italian dishes are waiting for us there... so we shouldn't waste anymore time, you know." She winked at me and together we headed for the dining lounge with a huge grin plastered on both our faces.
Lunch became a gala event with Raima present alongwith. It was all becoz of her that I ate so much after so many days, that too including some wonderful desserts like tiramisu and the blueberry cheese cake. I stopped only when my heart got contented. Listening to my bulging tummy had been kept debarred for the day.
We shared a lot of things while savouring all those delicacies. She was the first one to start. She told me how life was going and asked me about the same. As such there was nothing to say, I told her about coco's school, Ma's NGO and a little of my business part. I deliberately avoided talking about Dev and she too didn't pester me further. Yes, one or two questions she had asked in the middle, but it was just slip of tongue and she had immediately diverted the topic to my upcoming projects.
It felt good to see her turned so sensible.
"Three years!.... I missed you so much in these three damn years, Rai!!" I mumbled carelessly, drooling over the broken tufts of cloud in the crisp, blue sky.
Raima simply smiled to his. That click in her tone made me look at her and I found her totally engrossed in the oreo gelato in her hands.
"It was you who left me and not the other way around." She still managed to answer.
I breathed out a deep sigh and replied groggily- "I had to leave Delhi. It was necessary. I was feeling suffocated over there."
"And you thought that if you cut all the connections with us, we won't force you to get back to your life again." She completed the rest of my sentence.
This is what bestfriends are meant for, I suppose. If they can not complete your unspoken words then they are not your bff by any chance!
Trust me on that.
"Hmm." I nodded agreeing.
"You are silly." She laughed out this time.
"I know right?"
"Yes...... I mean, you did so much of hardship in these three years.. broke all ties with us.. stayed alone..raised your child alone... and what did you gain in return? Success? Definitely not..... for you see, today you are standing at the same place which you had left three years ago!" She laughed bitterly now.
"You knew right, that 'this' is going to happen soon?" I asked after a small pause.
"Honestly saying, I knew nothing. But yes, when Kshitiz came to me and asked about a reconciliation, followed by that invitation to his destination wedding... I got some intuitions that something good was going to happen."
"But this is not good Raima." I protested immediately.
"What is not good? Our reunion or your meeting with Dev?" She countered me.
"The second one." I dropped my eyelids to examine my footwear.
"What if I say that you are overthinking?"
"And what if I say that you people don't know anything at all?"
"Neither we are interested in knowing... its you people's personal matter and we know it would get solved automatically when you two start living in the same room."
"Nothing is going to change anymore, no matter what." I chuckled sarcastically.
"You are supposed to stay together for eight days. Don't understimate the power of these eight days, Nitara...and ofcourse, don't understimate that inbuild spark that you two have inbetween yourselves." She kept explaining.
"I think I am sleepy now... so can we please continue this topic later?" Hella best way to escape!!
"Sure. You need some rest. You look plain tired." She bought my excuse rather calmly. Again, so understanding of her!
"Yeah, this sea sickness is rather troublesome." I got up from my chair. "So... see you in the evening then?"
"Absolutely. Just be there on time... Amaya is throwing her first cocktail party today."
"First cocktail party? How many more parties are going to be there in total?" I rolled my eyes in surprise. Raima just threw her arms in the air and shrugged casually.
"Anyway... you go and take a power nap." She said to me.
"Hmm.. bye." I replied sincerely and picked up my baby from the ground to head for my room upstairs.
•
Lying over the bed, I kept staring at the monotony of the adjascent glass windows with wide, open eyes.
Sleep was nowhere to be found in them. Not that I was complaining, I already knew I had been affected with insomnia long back... but at times like this when I watched my baby sleeping so peacefully and so carelessly, I found myself totally jealous of her!
Silly me, I know. But could never help myself with that insomnia always there to get on my nerves!!
Oh, insomnia reminded me of the person who was the root cause behind this disorder of mine... Dev...... He hadn't entered this room since he left last time!
And this in turn reminded me that I hadn't seen him anywhere during the lunch too.
Where was he? Had he really moved into Priyanka's room??
But his luggages are still here! I told myself as I threw a quick glance on the couch.
The very next thing that came to my mind was- Is he somewhat upset with me? But what did I do? I only spoke the truth. Was that step wrong then? Should I have better kept my mouth shut??
-Why do you care? Just leave him at his own sake na. Mind blabbed from the back quite leisurely.
And well, she was right enough... or atleast I believed so.
I closed my eyes and huffed a sigh. A romantic number was already being played on my ipod's playlist. I plugged in my earphones and concentrated on that song.
The moment I so found next, finally belonged to the one of ultimate solace.
•
My eyes opened to the golden hues of dusk rolling into a deeper and darker shade of blue.
It was quarter past six in the evening and Dev was still nowhere to be seen.
Once again I sighed again as I got up from the bed, stretching away lethargic limbs.
The next twenty minutes was spent in attending my hairs which had turned terribly freezy due to the high air currents I encountered at the deck. I then moved to my sleeping baby and pulled her up from her fancy slumber. Not to mention, she woke up quite grumpily but upon hearing about chocolate icecreams she was supposed to get in the party, she got up in a jiffy and didn't throw a single tantrum anymore while I freshened her up and dressed her into a beautiful peach pink barbie dress which she was always fond of.
Keeping her engaged with the television, I went for my own makeover next. My dress was pretty nice already and I decided not to change it again. Instead, I paired up a golden belt and a matte gold lace shrug with it, tied my hairs in an elegant messy bun, highlighted my eyes with masacara and a layer of smoky colours, applied some nude gloss over my lips and I was totally ready to hit the floor!
By the time I reached the deck, Amaya's cocktail party was already in full bling. A band of three, was performing a live concert on a stage made at the farthest end of the deck. They were singing some rock number and made sure that the audience present below, went hell crazy to their tunes.
Undoubtedly, they sang real good. But since I was neither interested in their genre or in their band members, I didn't pay further attention to the concert as I grabbed a seat at a distant table, from where everthing was clearly without me being an actual part of it.
Soon enough, Raima joined my table too.
She showered me with some honest compliments for my new, sassy looks and our conversation started thereafter which had been left out during during the lunch.
As such we had tons to say to each other, a gap of three years was a big deal afterall, but we had to stop in the middle becoz Coco started nagging for the chocolate icecreams that I had promised her. It was not her fault though, I knew she was getting bored with all the elderly talks around her and thats why Raima excused herself to take my baby to the food section.
She asked me to wait for some time and I lazily agreed to it.
After she left, I turned around for the concert to divert my attention for the time being. It was then I noticed that the rock genre had been replaced by a romantic number and probably somebody else was singing that part, becoz the voice I had listened last time didn't match with this new voice anymore.
Whatever it was, I just shrugged it off my mind and turned my head casually to see the other people in the audience who were throwing disco moves some time ago but had now paired with their partners and got engaged in a beautiful couple dance.
And well, Dev too, was present in there....with his new girlfriend.. Priyanka Pattnayak..... having a really great time in swaying his body along with hers.
Priyanka looked great (read- as usual). Her tall, well maintained figure (quite unlike me) looked ravishing in the off-shoulder chocolate coloured tube dress that was wearing for the party. To add effects, she had applied a bright red matte finished lipstick on her sleek, sexy lips and and tied her hairs in such a sophisticated manner that the tattoo on her back came in full display.
Gosh! She was so elegant...so perfect...so beautiful.... quite naturally why Dev was so much in love with her.. I mean, which man would even say a 'no' to such an angel of a girl? No one can. Not atleast in this life time!!
"Are you checking out that guy over there? Don't do that, pretty lady. He is already taken...just the way that hot lady dancing with him, is taken away too."
Someone whispered in my ears.
I shrieked and turned around....only to find a sinfully hot, young guitarist leaning against the backrest of one the chairs present at my table.
-Damn. He is HOT. Even mind had to agree with me this time.
I know. Now shut up please. I glared at her irritably. No matter how much she was correct or how high my female hormones were, checking out guys was just not my cup of tea. I knew that already and expected mind to learn the same.
"Excuse me, who are you? Do I know you?" I asked in a composed tone, maintaing an overall straight face.
"Not really... why should you know me?.. Actually, I was just having a water break and amidst that I saw you sitting here alone, looking all morosed and watching out that dancing couple over there with a really sadistic, gloomy expression on your face... thats why I thought why shouldn't I better you accompany you.. In this way you'll also get a partner and I will get somone whom I can dedicate my song to.... not a bad idea right?" He said with a careless smile swimming across his clever lips.
Such a contrast!
"We don't even know each other. Why do you still want to dedicate me your next song haan?" I asked, kinda amused.
"Becoz you are one of my least interested listeners and I'm dying to let you know how good I sing!" He replied quickly.
He had actually seen me paying no attention to his music! Such sharp eyes he had!!
"I am not interested in rock songs." I confessed honestly.
"I'll be singing romantic songs next." I clicked his tongue at his own swift moves.
"Why so?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Becoz a pretty lady deserves that." He cocked both of his brows in response.
Such a bigtime flirt!!!
"Stop flirting with me, mister." I announced while straightning my backbone to match it with my determined voice.
"Its Addy for you." He, too, straightained himself up.
Addy? Haven't I heard this name before also?? Well, how does it even matter!!
"Whatever... I don't care."
He observed my face for a brief period. Perhaps he was trying to search the reason that made me reject such a handsome, musician like him. But then as I said- I really didn't care, he understood the fact totally well and came up with a new proposal the next moment.
"Will you be my dance partner tonight?" He asked in a husky barritone, looking directly into the depth of my eyes.
God! what is he trying to do?? I scrunched my nose and moved back.
-Don't be silly. He is asking you out for a date... Go with him. And there mind came in the scene to jumble up my consiousness again!
First of all, THIS IS NOT ANY DAMN DATE.... and secondly, I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH HIM.
I snapped at mind.
-He is hot. He is charming. Amd top of that he sings so well... now don't tell me that you haven't heard his music at all! She glared at me in return.
I admit that he sings well. But that doesn't mean I need to be dance partners with him!... Come on yaar, he is simply flirting with me and I can't allow that!! I have my child here and I don't want to set any bad examples before her...besides that, even Dev is here too and you know right how possessive he gets when he sees me with other men?!!
I helplessly looked at the lady influencer sitting inside my head.
-Dev is your main problem right? Becoz the rest of your excuses are really mere excuses and good for nothing!!! Mind smiled at me sarcastically. She had caught me red handed.
"I think I just asked you something." Addy's voice broke my reverie in a sudden haste.
"Sorry, I had been zoned out a bit...anyway, so were you saying?" I asked him back.
He paused at my face for few more seconds and finally replied-
"Would you like to be my date tonight?"
-See, I told you. He wants to make you his date! Mind jumped into the fore front immediately.
Oh, just shut up for god's sake! I retorted back angrily and faced the person sitting opposite to me with a proud, victorious kind of grin sticking on his copper pink lips.
"Why the hell did you change your proposal?" I threw my questionaire dagger at him.
His comeback was in the form of another question and he asked that quiet innocently- "And why are 'you' being so furious? Did I ask too much from you??"
-No, he didn't. Mind blabbed.
"Yes, you did." I answered to contradict her.
"Not at all....Asking out a pretty, young single lady to be your date for the night- is not commensable under any possible circumstances!" He explained with that same flirt lacing his voice.
"Thats so over confindent of you mister! Please keep that confidence in check, I suggest you sincerely." A small frown accompanied my valuable 'gyaan'.
"I'll try...but from the next time.. as for now, just give me one reason why you don't want to be my date." He still kept pestering.
"Becoz I don't want to! Isn't this a great reason already?" Totally flabbergasted, I threw my arms in the air.
Smirking jovially, he said to me- "Reason not accepted. Try something new."
-He is not going to leave unless you tell him everything. Mind suggested from the back and I sushed her again.
That I am not going to do at any cost! I reminded myself and turned towards Addy again.
"Listen, I am not alone here. My friend will be coming anytime soon. So just leave me and better focus on your own performance!" I tried to appear as calm as I could.
"Fine. Don't be my date. But you can atleast be my dance partner, right?"
"No, I can't." I ignored straightaway. To make it look further meaningful, I added next- "I mean, I can't dance."
"No one is asking you to do contemporary salsa!" He shrugged his shoulders. "Just come to the stage and experience few twirls and twists. Thats it."
"I can't. I have got a major stage fright." I lied again.
"Better then. Today your stage fright will be gone too!" He nodded wisely and got up....not forgetting to pull me away along with him.
"Its not fare Addy...please leave me." I begged as he took me for the stage irrespective of all my non-cooperation movements.
It looked as if he didn't care at all.
And the truth was that he really didn't care. All that mattered to him was his own wishes and commands and accomplishing them probably the greatest mission of his life!
Ugghh....damn stubborn he was!!
"One dance won't cost you much, trust me on that." He said at the end while the stage lights dimmed down to zero to let focus the fluroscent blue spot light only upon both of us.... the dancing couple for the night...... the starter pack of trouble invitation... and maybe the mundane silent before the raging of an upcoming tempest!!
____________________________________
Author's note :P
What do you think this new character Addy, is gonna do in Dev-Nitara's life? Will he bring some problem or is it becoz of him that a pre-existing storm will finally come to an end??
Well, stay tuned to know more.
Happy reading... Miss me till I come back again.
~