Part 20

Rohini's Apartment, Bengaluru, Friday

Rohini concentrated on the drawing in front of her, while chewing the end of her Staedtler pencil. There was something wrong with the measurements she knew, but she could not put her finger on it. She frowned. Her eyes hurt, and she squinted. Looking up, she was met with a glorious morning blooming outside.

"Wow! Time indeed did fly" she mumbled, as she rubbed her eyes. She needed a break definitely; her stomach was churning with hunger. It being a national holiday; Rohini was home. But she had committed herself to finishing the sketches that very day and had started working on them once she had woken up early in the morning, due to the recurring nightmare.

Rohini sighed as she stirred some cream in her coffee, waiting for the toaster to pop up the usual boring bread slices. She looked at the bottle of jam longingly, wondering if she could already dip the spoon inside the bottle and gobble up some jam. Nope, she sighed audibly - she was on a diet, she could definitely not o such things.

Few minutes later, she walked over to her favourite window seat, carrying her breakfast. Pulling her legs back, she reclined against the worn cushion, as she tasted the coffee. Humming in contentment, Rohini looked out of her window. The neighbourhood was nearly deserted, except for a group of kids playing cricket. She smiled as she decided that she would spend some quality time with her own self, once the drawings were finalised by Lunch.

Nikhil. His name crept up to her, all of a sudden, and she felt something warm course through her. Rohini was surprised, wondering why he didn't feel like a stranger any more. Are we even friends? she asked herself, reaching for the dry toast. Her lips curved into a smile as she remembered how happy she had been during their visit to Dilli Haat the last week, and how blue she had felt on her return flight. Nikhil had definitely created a favourable impression on her alright, far removed from the hot-headed, maverick, arrogant personality that he portrayed himself to be. In fact, Nikhil had also been quite chilled during their visit, as he had pulled her from one stall to another - until they could eat no more.

Is he burrowing his way into my life? Rohini thought for a while and she clucked her tongue. Should this even be happening?

As if on cue, her phone started to ring, from somewhere inside her bedroom.

Her face broke into a bemused smile as she saw Nikhil's name flash on the screen. Telepathy indeed! she thought as she settled down cross-legged on her bed.

"I need your help" Nikhil started not even bothering to wish Rohini.

Rohini smiled, stalling his words "Hello Stranger. What is it that thou seeketh?"

There was a momentary silence at the other end. Nikhil was sombre in his response

"Stranger back to you. I seeketh you. Your experience, knowledge that will help me refurnish and refurbish the bungalow. Whaddya think?"

Rohini stretched out her legs, prodding at her toe nails.

"Nikhil, I am sure your company has connections with many interior designers ..."

"And they all suck. Have you seen how our office has been designed? All glam, with no proper space utilisation" he breathed fire from the other end.

He continued after a while

"And since you have been ignoring my requests for help, you could at least help me with a designer. By providing some details."

Rohini sucked in her breath, there was a change in his tonality and mood, she sensed, as she let the words sink in. She let herself imagine him in his apartment all alone, lounging in the chair facing the window, as the sun rays foamed and frothed around him.

All this without even knowing anything about his apartment, nothing. Zilch.

"I don't know ... " she whispered, unknown to herself.

"Hmm" Nikhil's voice reached her across the chasm. "How about I pick you up today evening? Of course only if you want to. I am driving to Ullal."

Rohini did not know what to say. She hemmed and hawed, now that her heartbeats had picked up cadence

"Of course if you are upto the challenge ..." Nikhil continued, stoking her imaginations further.

"And yes, I promise to behave ..."

The deep, rich satiny texture of his voice reached someplace deep within her, and Rohini turned sideways on her bed, to check herself on the mirror.

Am I blushing? she thought, a bit disturbed, but by then the harm had been done. She had agreed verbally to join him. Nikhil's words were like a challenge to her. And she could never resist a challenge, had never backed out of one, however simple it might be.

...

Rohini was nervous however. She didn't know why she had agreed. Nikhil had mentioned that they could return by Sunday evening.

She picked up her phone and called her Dad. Maybe, maybe he could come along with.

...

That Evening

Rohini picked up her travel bag and locked the door. She frowned for the umpteenth time, thinking if she was creating a moment of personal harakiri. The call to her Father hadn't helped much, he had solemnly supported her in her decision to go, citing that he had a pain in his left ankle, and couldn't come along.

What the fish! Rohini thought. Only yesterday night, she had seen him prancing around the staircase at home, playing with Ritwik.

Nikhil had alighted and was waiting for her outside the building. Rohini gaped at the sleek black Range Rover parked in the driveway. She could sense inquisitiveness in the eyes of some of her neighbours who happened to be around; she ignored them as usual. She knew that they were curious about her life and resented the fact that Rohini hardly socialised with them. Now the presence of Nikhil was surely going to raise their curiosity and keep their tongues clacking for some time more.

Not that Rohini cared.

Nikhil grinned as he noticed her checking out the car "Isn't she a beaut?"

Rohini nodded in affirmation, as she swung her bag inside, beside his, and then climbed on the passenger seat. Buckling up, she turned to find Nikhil looking at her.

"You look ... different ..." he said, in response to her raised eyebrows.

....

"Are you uncomfortable, Rohini?" Nikhil asked after a while. "I didn't want to make this awkward for you. I really need help, but ..."

"Its ok" Rohini answered, turning slightly in her seat. He smiled at her and concentrated on the road once again. Rohini noticed how relaxed he looked in his worn down jeans and a crumpled white cotton shirt, his muscles rippling against the fabric. She felt an insane urge to lean forward and push the errant lock of hair off his forehead. Instead, she smiled.

"You are ogling at me" Nikhil teased her. "Let me tell you those muscles you see, I have inherited genetically; I am as lazy as a sloth, when I don't want to do something. Otherwise, I am a cheetah on prowl."

Rohini giggled in response as familiarity swept its way back inside the car, thus helping the butterflies in her stomach settle.

"It's a long drive Nikhil. And it's already night. You could get your driver ... " Rohini asked.

"Nah, then I would have to share my time alone with you with the driver as well" Nikhil looked at Rohini for a moment, his eyes gleaming. "This is better, I get to torture you all along the road ..."

"And you get to drive in the morning. We are not stopping anywhere" he added for good measure.

"But ...." Rohini interjected.

Nikhil smiled "Ok, loo breaks are allowed. There's a huge picnic basket at the back. Dinner will be under the star studded sky"

As the car flew towards Ullal, Rohini turned on the car radio and tuned to her favourite station, where they played classic English songs. As the strains of the music filled the car, Rohini glanced towards Nikhil remembering how he had mentioned that music had left him after the incident with Barkha. She was worried, but he seemed ok, so she let the music play on.

Nikhil waited for that exact moment when the music inside the car would drive him crazy, making him seethe in anger. Instead, he felt himself in a zone of tranquility; music didn't hurt him any more, it seemed.

After a while, Nikhil glanced towards Rohini, she was now dozing comfortably in her seat, her face turned towards him. She seemed comfortable in her jeans and baby pink tee, a silk stole loosely draped over her shoulders. Strands of silky hair fell across her face, and NIkhil tucked them gently behind her ear.

And then turned his attention to the road.

End of Part 20

Note : This is a short and simple update. Had a really hectic week. Hope you all like it.

Thanks a lot for all the comments, the votes, the reads and the messages. Much appreciate. :))

Keep 'em coming. :D

R