It was the scorching summer month of June for the rest of India, a cloudy winter evening for her, as she remained girdled with hills in that little penthouse. The invitation card lay on the teak wood table and she gave a pensive look at it. To go or not to go? Whatever will I do here anyway! She was apprehensive initially,not knowing how she would react to the unknown people she’d be meeting soon. As she entered the lawn, an atmosphere of inquiry filled the air.
After having being introduced, she settled down with a glass of wine,so refreshing, she thought to herself. It was most certainly a Jacob’s Creek.Everybody settled in meteorically. It became,well,irksome after a point. The same drab discussions,the roaring laughter(read braying) and episodic rushes of little children moving like missiles all over.
Soon after, the hosts requested everybody to hit the dance floor. The music was just right,her favorite numbers trending one after the other.Lose yourself to dance, is exactly what she wished to do. The hosts bespoke he for shaking a leg,she couldn’t say no.
With mixed feelings brimming inside her mind,she plunged into the crowd. The floor was pullulated with youngsters of her age. She was nearing twenty,roughly five feet nine inches tall,fair with short brown hair. She wasn’t exactly your beautiful type, but charming in her own unequaled ways.While she managed to decently move along the beats of the music amidst the madness,she saw somebody approaching her. He wasn’t too tall,just about a few inches from her,wearing the typical Indian suntanned complexion. He didn’t look too young,about thirty-ish. She started working her brains through a hundred reasons of his coming to her. He asked her to dance,she gave a hesitant yes. It was a relief to be in the company of someone after some prolonged isolation. Phew!
He had a radiant smile that accentuated his jawline, and deep eyes that look straight into hers,trying to gather all that he could about her.” I’m Athaha,you?” He took a moment and replied,”Mine’s fathomable,Kovid” I smiled. Athaha, the unfathomable. He knew. We headed for some air after a while,much needed! Just as we settled with a drink, he asked me,”So,what brings you here? It’s very seldom to find pleasing faces like yours in a woe begone place such as this.” I flushed. Gathering myself, I said,”I’m here for filming a part of my documentary I’m working on,college assignments,em.” He gave an impressive nod,and told me he worked with a multinational firm as a financial executive. He was married and had a daughter of five. I didn’t want to know what. Sigh.
As the night progressed, she realized they had a similar taste in music,he was a Bengali and loved his fish. She wasn’t much of a foodie. As they sat humming their favorite Beatles’ track,she realized she had an uncanny likeness for him. She knew there was an age gap overarching them,but hey, can you really help it? It was empowering her mind and making her fall for him. Was it mere infatuation? She didn’t know,she didn’t want to know either. She just enjoyed this feeling, the fog encircled them, people sang choruses in unison and the two of them shared occasional smiles,wanting to say so much more,yet restricting themselves. He liked her too,she could feel it.The night passed by faster than ever,before she knew, it was time to go. There was so much to be spoken. She wanted to have his number,keep in touch or catch up sometime. She also knew it wasn’t possible to,the gravity of the predicament was such. She expected him to make the move,he didn’t. It was infuriating, but then he was only being morally correct.
Athaha returned back a few weeks later,Kovid often entering her mind. His smile,the way he spoke,everything. She remembered him as a refreshing pat of rain on a hot summer evening. It was so calming, just the thought of him. One of those few instances that shall continue to bring a smile on her face in solitude, until they light upon each other,yet again,dancing their lives away.