"TRACY!"
"I'm s-sorry m-ma'am", Siya's short-haired secretary came, practically in trembling.
"TRACY!" , Siya said again, going red with anger.
"Sorry sir" Tracy looked at him with pleading eyes. But he, Abhi couldn't help her. Siya's temper was certainly not to be tested.
"What explanation do you have for this? Hadn't I given you clear instructions? I wanted every slide to be lilac. You give me grey?" The detest for the colour clear in her voice.
"Tracy", said Abhi as he looked at the Tracy, who was almost double Siya's tiny self, "Please go and change the colour immediately."
"Abhimanyu sir...I'm really v-very s-sorry", she replied glancing at Siya and shuddering, before every word.
Once she was gone, he turned to Siya and handed her a glass of water.
"You hate her!"
"No I don't" And she sipped a little water and sighed deeply. "No Abhi", she added when she saw him waiting for a reply, "It's not her I hate, it's her dim-wittedness."
"Elaborate."
"Well, she is an extremely sweet girl, very hardworking, organized and helpful. But there are things she is slow at. Obvious things!", she took a deep breath and continued, "I told her 'Lilac for the slides'. Which clearly referred to the presentation slides and not my window", she pointed at her now lilac framed sliding windows and shook her head tiredly.
He watched her in silence before saying seriously, "But then it was considerate of her to think up a colour for the presentation slides herself, don't you think so?" And suddenly both of them were laughing.
He watched her laugh with vague self-satisfaction. Though she pretended to be rough, with her boyish attire and tightly tied hair, he knew there was a soft sweet girl who needed reassurance and protection. No she wasn't weak! Hah! Girls aren't weak. Call them fragile, but weak??? Well, He didn't know about the rest but this one was an angry kitten who could turn into a tigress at any instant. But even if she did behave like a tigress she was after all a sweet little kitten.
***
"So, are you free today evening?" She asked as they were sipping coffee in the cafeteria in their usual 3:30 break time.
"If you mean after office, that's six o' clock, yes", Abhi replied, keeping his empty coffee mug on the table.
"So you are free around seven", she asked, leaning forward to wiped the corners of his mouth with a tissue.
"Obviously!", he replied, grabbing at her wrist and pulling it away from his mouth, but holding it still.
"Great! Thanks a lot for saying that." She gently shrugged her hand from his grip.
"Why?", he asked, taking a sip from her mug. He was now feeling suspicious.
"We are going to learn waltz from seven to eight-thirty."
"WHAT!" He almost choked at his coffee. Coughing hard as he said, "NO!"
She looked at him pleadingly, patting his back all the same, "Please, please, please!"
"No. I said No, and that's final", he said once the coughing had died down.
"But you are free, what's the problem?" She countered, sounding miffed now.
"Waltz! What do I look like? A clown?"
"You are such an proud Indian man! Can't you see the grace of the dance? It is so beautiful!"
"Grace. Beauty! Wow, so manly." He made to pay for the bill, but she paid her half fiercely, so he paid for his half.
"Come on! For me", she said in her most persuasively sweet voice, fixing her dark brown eyes on his. Her eyes had a remarkable depth that so many others lacked. They were precisely a very dark brown. But behind her spectacles one would think they are black. Maybe he should go with her after all. It was only a stupid dance! And besides...
"No", he said in a firm voice, shaking his head and shutting his eyes. Man, she was hypnotizing him!
"Fine then!", she said. He opened his eyes to find her visibly fuming. She turned around and walked out of the cafeteria.
***
He checked his watch. Ah! Only thirty minutes more. Today was a tiring day! Not physically, but mentally. He longed to give his mind some rest. He looked at his watch once again. Twenty Nine minutes.
Just then his iphone buzzed: Come to the cafeteria ASAP!
It was Siya. He hoped it was not about that stupid dance class.
The cafeteria was empty except three tables so he easily spotted her. Her cute little self making him feel all warm and happy just by her presence. How she managed to do that everytime he failed to understand! As he walked closer he realised she wasn't alone. With a jolt of irritation he realised there was a young man of about their age sitting with her. His features seemed vaguely familiar. Dark hair falling into his chocolate brown eyes, a neat nose and a neat smile. What girls would call handsome. Abhi snorted at the thought. He was wearing a half-sleeve T-shirt looking completely out-of-place in their overly formal office, undoubtedly showing off his biceps.
The pair of them looked deep in conversation. Abhi saw she was laughing her tinkling laugh. He felt hot in the pit of his stomach. So that idiot was making her laugh now! It was not until he reached their table that they noticed him.
"Abhimanyu Acharya!", he got up, flashing his teeth in a way it made a smile, holding out his hand.
"Manav Darshan," Abhi smiled a fake smile and took the outstretched hand shaking it, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
They both took their seats. Manav replied, "I am in Mumbai for six months, you know my company transferred me to a higher post. Thought I would drop by to see you guys. It's been such a long time!"
"I know almost three blissful- I mean- long years."
Siya shot him a sharp look, but he stared back determinedly at her, making her cheeks redden.
"So I was just telling Siya how beautiful she looked. Only, I wished to see her hair falling on her shoulders", Manav was looking at Siya flirtatiously, while she blushed and Abhi had clenched his fingers to a tight fist. How dare he think about her shoulders!
"I like it tied!" He said before he could stop himself. Siya blushed deeper, while Manav smiled.
"So you two are together now?" He asked.
"No!", both of them replied in unison.
"Good! I might well do with a few lunch dates, what say Siya?", Manav said smirking a little.
Abhi felt like punching his stupid face to pulp.
"Hmm... we'll see!", Siya replied, looking a little uncomfortable now.
Why couldn't she just say no??? Abhi thought, anger starting to build up inside him.
"How about tonight? Seven?", Manav looked at Siya, flashing another smile.
But it was Abhi who replied through clenched teeth, "No we are going for waltz classes."
He didn't know what made him say that. Siya was looking at him with utter surprise.
"You'll come?", she asked her eyes wide. She could swear her heartbeat had increased.
"Yes."
"Oh, Abhi, I love you." She was so excited she leant over him and kissed his cheek. Her childish excitement made him laugh, all his anger drowned the moment her lips touched his cheek.
Manav cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Siya blushed again, withdrawing her hands from around Abhi's neck. She was always so impulsive and carefree around Abhi, that sometimes she forgot that there were people around them.
"Oh, no", she said quickly, "We are just friends! We have been brought up in the same house. You know that!"
"Of course! So then how about a lunch date tomorrow?" Manav pressed. She wanted to say no...but it would be impolite.
"Lunch yes! Date no!"She finally said.