Part 9

In Bengaluru, A Month Later

Roshan felt someone tap on his shoulder and he turned around. He smiled at Rohini, who was waiting in the next counter, at the medical store.

"Just the usual ..." he grinned as he paid for his purchase and moved outside. He waited for Rohini who joined him shortly.

"A pleasant surprise. Do you stay somewhere around?" Rohini asked, as she placed the medicines inside her bag.

Roshan indicated towards a posh complex - The Sapphire. "I stay there. 7th floor. Come on. Let's go and have some coffee. Poorvi will be so happy to meet you."

Rohini glanced at her watch and nodded. She had some time before she could return home.

...

Poorvi's smile widened into a grin as she opened the door. She hugged Rohini warmly

"This is all that my belly will now allow ... I have one possessive baby, going by all the kicks that I get ..."

Rohini smiled; she was already feeling better. Poorvi and Roshan were a made for each other couple, and Rohini was sure that baby would complete the happy circle.

"My wife's a chatterbox" Roshan complained, as he pottered around the sitting area, and then moving onto the kitchen to brew coffee.

Poorvi grinned "He is always complaining; he keeps on saying that since marriage he has had hardly any chance to talk. I tell him that's fine; he only needs to listen anyway"

Rohini and Poorvi laughed heartily, as Roshan grimaced at them.

Poorvi held Rohini's hand and squeezed "We could not talk much that day, at Ritwik's Birthday. I am so glad you could come today. i feel so alone at home, with nothing much to do. There are no friends nor relatives around"

"Of course" Rohini smiled. "Once the baby is here, I am sure you will be able to come over to my place as well."

Poorvi turned towards Roshan "We could visit now only. I feel so bored sitting at home"

Rohini smiled as Poorvi chattered happily, talking nineteen to the dozens

"Look at you. You are so beautiful! I wish I had such flawless skin. Roshan tells me you are an architect. Wow! ..."

"Whoa Poorvi!" Roshan interjected. "You are embarrassing her"

Rohini was indeed abashed. She did not know how to respond, all she knew however was that she felt happy, after a long time. Poorvi and Roshan were the perfect friends that she had hoped for. Rohini crossed her fingers unconsciously and prayed for all of them.

...

Rohini's Apartment, Two Hours Later

Rohini entered her apartment and switched on the lights. She could feel herself grinning still, and it felt good.

Poorvi and Roshan were good for her, she realised. The best part was that they lived in the same neighbourhood, albeit a little distance away.

Them, at The Sapphire. Her, at The Crescent.

She looked around. Her prim and proper apartment stank of loneliness.

"I have to fight this one out" she spoke out aloud.

...

Two Months Later

Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bengaluru

Nikhil rushed towards the elevator while adjusting his tie. Formal events did not appeal to him much. Often he got himself excused from their company parties, much to the dismay of his Grandfather. But he knew that he could not miss this one. He had promised Roshan that he would attend this Anniversary for sure.

He stepped out of the elevator to find Madhukar Nayak standing there welcoming guests. Madhukar Uncle was beaming and his grin widened as he took Nikhil in.

"Nikhil, my Boy. Glad to see you here" he clapped Nikhil's back. "Roshan called. They won't be able to make it, that's what he said. We will be missing Roshan and his wife though ..."

Poorvi and Roshan had become proud parents of a baby boy a month back, and Roshan was on his paternity leave, doting on his beautiful wife and baby all the while.

Nikhil adored the baby alright - "Yeah. They are all fine. Poorvi is sad though that they could not attend."

Madhukar Uncle's booming laughter filled the waiting area "There's always a next time. I hope my daughter will remain married till then and beyond ... "

...

Dipti and Amit were meeting guests, friends and relatives. Their sixth anniversary, and Madhurkar Nayak had spared no expense and had booked the entire rooftop bar, on the 15th floor of the Hotel. People milled all around Nikhil as he maneuvered himself around, trying to reach the couple.

He was pleasantly surprised to meet them, and smirked internally as he realised the love of love in Dipti's eyes. Love!, he snorted. People are so wrong about it, he thought.

Dipti was no longer using the wheel chair and she radiated like a new bride, basking in her husband's love and attention. Handing over the bouquet and a Gift Coupon from D'damas, Nikhil scanned all around. He was virtually standing in a sea of vibrancy, of colour, of energy - a wave of humanity, and it irked him. The younger crowd had by then already hit the dance floor, and the loud music thumped through Nikhil's body.

"The code ..." Dipti mouthed at Nikhil, who leaned forward to catch her words. "It's a NO Black code actually"

She grinned.

...

Nikhil checked his watch for the umpteenth time. He was bored, he hardly knew anybody at the party. After cursing Roshan for the thousandth time, he wondered when it would be a proper time for him to slip out. He could already feel a headache blooming. Picking up a glass of Pinot Noir, he retreated towards the private seating area. Crossing it, he walked towards the other end of the terrace, partly lit up by fairy lights, though still shrouded in darkness. This is what he preferred.

Placing the goblet on the parapet, Nikhil tugged at his tie once again.

"To hell with it" he claimed as he pulled it lose and tucked it inside his trouser pocket.

He felt like an idiot for not reading the Invite properly. The harm was already done, he shook his head as he picked up his drink. He sipped slowly, his eyes taking in the panoramic view of the city.

"Et tu?" the question jolted him from his reverie. He turned around to find Rohini walking towards him, with what seemed like a mocktail in her hand. Nikhil nodded in acknowledgment. He felt a bit invaded, he was looking forward to spending some more time alone, and then leaving for home.

However, somewhere within his heart, he was happy that it was Rohini who was leading the invasion.

"You look beautiful" the words slipped out of his mouth, even before he could stop himself.

Rohini blushed lightly "You clean up pretty well too"

Nikhil nodded. "How did you manage to overshoot the NO Black rider? I am inattentive, I know. But you ... "

"Life happens while we make plans, Mr Shastri" Rohini smiled. "Please wait for a minute"

Rohini disappeared for a moment and then returned with a hotel attendant. Five minutes later, they were sitting together, far removed from the party, looking up at the night sky, companionable in their silence. The attendant had managed to pull two chairs away to this corner of the terrace.

After a while, Nikhil sighed. Folding the sleeves of his shirt, he looked at Rohini; he could almost see the stars dancing in her eyes.

"I would appreciate if you could call me Nikhil. Mr Shastri seems so distant, so forlorn ... so old"

Rohini smiled.

"I thought you would be the heart of this party" Nikhil pondered. "Never knew not following dress codes could have such disastrous results" Nikhil's eyes twinkled.

Rohini looked down for a moment, twirling the cool liquid in her glass.

"Sometimes black is far more deeper, far more denser, far more misunderstood and shunned than the actual colour itself. 

In real life, it's necessary to stay away sometimes, even from your close ones. Emotions and lives cannot always overlap. that's what I think and believe."

Nikhil looked at Rohini as if he was seeing her for the first time. Of course, she was beautiful. He could stand up on the parapet and shout about her beauty to the entire world and challenge them to contest. But she was much more than her beauty, he had realised it over time.

The woman, sitting beside him, in semi darkness, revealing herself, bit by bit, layer upon layer, was someone that he was struggling to understand.

With the masks in place, she was everything good in the world. Without them, she was an enigma. And Nikhil realised that he wanted to know more, though he had no clue why.

Rohini turned towards him, her eyes gleaming "I guess if I call you Nikhil, you have to call me Rohini"

Their glasses were both empty now.

...

Gentle music floated in from the party area.

"Guess it's dance time now ... " Rohini said, a sense of nostalgia hitting her.

Percepting a sense of loneliness, Nikhil got up and paced around, not sure of what he could and he should do. Rohini was now quiet, solemnly staring at the darkness outside.

"I say, let's dance" Nikhil walked up to her, and extended his hand. Rohini looked at him surprised.

"Come on. We don't have the entire night"

"What makes you think I want to dance? With you?" Rohini's words were a bit sharp for her liking.

Nikhil moved to her other side

"Nothing. Apart from the fact that you are tapping your feet in tune with music. Further, I am the only handsome guy around. We could well pretend this to be a fairytale with all these fairy lights, but I guess we are both cynical about love."

Rohini placed her hand on his and found herself on her toes, in no time. His arm went around her waist as her hand found it's way to his shoulder.

"We are good" Nikhil smiled, as he twirled her around, their smiles lighting up the semi dark corner of the terrace.

...

Madhukar Nayak stood at the periphery observing the couple, who were now smiling at each other as they danced. The black accentuated them both, and they glimmered and glittered as they moved together, their entire beings focused on each other.

His mind went on overdrive.

End Part 9

Note : Thank you all of you for reading this story. I hope at this phase, it's making some sense to you all. Frankly, it wasn't to me 4 updates back. :) Thanks once again. Keep on reading