…And I Had No Answer #4

What a downpour!

I gazed out of the glass wall that ran across the entire length of the colossal office floor. Working on the fifty fifth floor of a high-rise did have its advantages. The view was—breathtaking.

I could hardly see outside as a smooth curtain of water continuously kept slipping down the glass. The army of headlights in the traffic below appeared like a graceful chain of gold droplets that had adorned the the entire stretch of the Marine Drive. Heavy rains combined with a hectic quarter end could only mean that there was no way I was going to be leaving office anytime soon. I glanced wistfully at the empty cabin at the other end of the floor and a small voice deep in my heart whispered that I might not have minded waiting late if the cabin had not been empty. The inhabitant was currently in London for a month long session and the month just wasn’t ending.

Aaryan Raheja. I could define him in several ways. He was the most important person sitting on the floor, arguably the most handsome too.  He happened to be my boss and mortifyingly, the man whom I had the slightest, and strictly the slightest, crush on. He was smart, witty, amiable when he chose to be, and had been blessed with generous doses of pure unadulterated attitude. Too many things to handle in one personality.

The soft beeping of my phone neatly cut through my train of thoughts. I glanced at my Whatsapp and the name that topped the list made me wonder if my silent complaint had caught a flight to London.

Aaryan: Hi

I looked tentatively at the text and after a pause, texted back.

Me: Hey.

Aaryan: How come you’re online, Ms. Smartie?

Me: Why shouldn’t I be?

Aaryan: Just curious. I mean, quarter-end +office-hours-not-done+ your-boss-is-a-kameena. Quite enough reason to be busy, I trust.

An unwilling smile crept up my face as I replied.

Me: Boss is in London—for a month.

Aaryan: Too long na….missing him?

Just what did he think of himself.

Me: No way

Aaryan: That was a shade too quick.

Me: And heartfelt too.

He took some time to reply this time. But he did.

Aaryan: Liar

Me: Now why in the whole wide world would I lie!

Aaryan: I can think of quite a few reasons you know

As my cheeks turned a dull red, I was fervently thankful that this was a text conversation.

Me: So when are you back?

That was too direct, I decided and immediately added before he could reply.

Me: Not that it matters. Today, Rohan happened to ask me so I just decided to enquire. To tell Rohan obviously.

I had a sinking suspicion that I had messed up things even more and his reply just confirmed that.

Aaryan: Then you can tell Rohan that I’m back next Monday. Thank God it’s an evening flight. Will be back around 6.

For a few minutes I just allowed his reply to sink in. I must not have replied for a long time because he texted again

Aaryan: Are you there, Miss Rohan-helper?

I replied stiffly.

Me: I’m flying to Chicago on Monday.

Aaryan: Next Monday?

Me: Yes. We had decided, remember? Two week trip.

Aaryan: Hmmm

I was too upset to continue, so I replied,

Me: Listen, I have a meeting right now. Talk to you later.

Aaryan: Hang on! What time is your flight on Monday?

I looked at the screen and smiled faintly.

Me: Why?

Aaryan: Because Rohan was asking.

I just couldn’t stop smiling now

Me: 10:15 pm.

Aaryan: So you should be inside the airport around 8?

Me: Yea.

Aaryan: Fine. Go for your meeting but do me a favour before that.

Me: What?

Aaryan: Tell Rohan I will be at the food court at 8. So if any of his friends have time, they can join me for dinner.

I could  see my reflection in the glass window and I never remember blushing as much as I did then.

Me: You’ll have to wait for two hours before you meet me Aaryan. Be practical.

Aaryan: Two hours sounds better than two weeks.

I smiled softly at the screen and texted

Me: Too long na…..missing me?

Aaryan: No way.

Me: Liar.

I could almost see him smiling as he replied.

Aaryan: Big time. Just like you.

…And I had no answer.

…And I Had No Answer #3

“Is there something special today?

A hot flush invaded my cheeks as I faced the handsome man sitting opposite me. I unnecessarily glanced at my saree and commented casually, “Not really.”

“Then—why the saree?”

“There was a family function, so the occasion demanded we wear traditional.”

“Hmmm.”

No comments. No compliments. No reaction. Just a silly frustrating ‘Hmmm’. Today, from the very moment I had stepped into the office, absolutely everybody had complimented me for carrying off a saree so beautifully. Everybody except the man sitting across the table— and what an irony it was that his compliment was perhaps the only one that mattered. After spending almost the entire day with me, he had never once mentioned what I had wanted to hear. Now that he had finally raked up the topic, my heart coaxed me to continue the conversation but my bruised ego commanded that I didn’t and after all, in matters like this, ego always won. Therefore, I smoothly changed the conversation and said, “Your meeting’s been scheduled for tomorrow, by the way. I hope Shikha told you.”

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if he didn’t want to give up the saree topic— but that moment went as fast it came and he remarked, “Yes she informed me. I have  spoken to the department about it.”

Slightly miffed, I was in no mood to speak to non-complimenting people and I determinedly directed my attention towards my laptop as I continued with my work. He obviously didn’t get the hint as he said mildly, “I bought a new phone.”

I suppressed the massive temptation to roll my eyes and without looking up, said coolly, “You already told me.”

“Android Version 5.0.2 Lollipop. Snapdragon 810 Processor. Internal memory 64 GB, 2TB expandable. Supports 4G network—AND most importantly, 21 mega pixel camera.”

At this I looked up. “What? Are you crazy?” I said incredulously, and continued, “I never heard of a phone having 21 mega pixel resolution.Just not possible.”

“Of course it is!” he said steadily and showed me the phone.

I glanced at the model and told him candidly, “This model has a 16 Mega pixel camera. I have the same phone.”

“21 mega pixel.”

“16 mega pixel.”

“21, Nivedita.”

“16, Aaryan.”

“21.”

“16.”

“21.”

“My answer’s not changing!”

The argument was becoming so silly that I just couldn’t help smiling at his stubbornness. At that very instant, he took his phone and before I realised, he clicked my picture. I immediately became stiff, but he had already captured that moment.

He looked at the photo for a while and during those few seconds, I could hardly describe the gradation my cheeks underwent from pink to a flaming red hue. He finally turned the screen towards me and showed me the picture. I was too embarrassed to say anything.

After a pause, he looked at me and said quietly, “Definitely 21 mega pixel. Can’t you see? You look just as beautiful in the picture.”

…And I had no answer.