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Week 1- Friday: 11 PM
"Where's she? Do you see her?" said a man's almost-desperate voice.
"She'll be somewhere around, sitting on some table, sipping her lemonade, munching on a wrap or sub... looking busy, punching keys on her laptop." replied a calm voice.
"Gosh! Has Bombay airport always been this crowded, or is the whole city here to see you off!" the man exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I think the latter!" the woman gleefully replied and grinned at the man. "Oh! There she is... just like I said..." she pointed to a girl all dressed up in an office suite, sipping lemonade, munching over a sub, hitting the keys on her laptop.
"Kavya! Here!" The woman tried to grab the other one's attention through the crowd, calling her out loud, waving her hand.
The other one just threw her hand in the air pointing her finger to the sky, indicating "in a minute" without even looking up.
The first woman almost ran to her, and just as she reached Kavya, she exclaimed, "Dammnit!" again without even taking her eyes off the screen.
"What? What did I do?" The woman wondered, huffing because of the small jog.
"Nothing, just some stuff of my own." Kavya frowned, slamming her laptop down.
"Hello there big girl! My dear Gazal! All set?" Kavya cheerfully said while hugging Gazal, actually squeezing the remaining air out of her lungs, getting her completely out of breath.
"Stop! Don't-suffocate-me. Can't-breath" Gazal mocked.
"I always said, you need bigger lungs." Kavya joked.
"Yes, you know why I've smaller lungs? Well that's because your big belly took up all the space inside mum." Gazal replied, and winked.
"Hey! What belly?" Kavya pointed out towards her flat stomach.
"Yeah, well we had to starve you for that achievement." and both the ladies burst into laughter, tightly hugging each other again.
While hugging Gazal, Kavya realised a man, with a huge bag, was standing behind them, awkwardly smiling at her, moving his hands in to and fro motion, probably implying a "Hello". Kavya released her sister from her hug, stretched her hand to the man and said, "Oh hi! You must be Rishi. Nice to finally meet you. Gazal has been telling me about you forever now. So how are you?"
"Good!" Rishi replied in a gruff voice, heavily breathing.
Kavya smiled back.
After taking another couple of deep breathes, Rishi said, "Good as in, good to see you too and I'm good! After spotting you, Gazal came running to you, forgetting 'bout her bags and all, and I was worried that I'll lose both of you, so basically, even I had to jog, that too with all these bags and all, so that's why the breathing."
"Yeah... alright." Kavya replied, unimpressed.
"Well, given my schedule, I rarely get time to exercise actually. I'm not lazy, I'm just busy. It's hard being an investment banker, you know." Rishi tried to cover up.
"No! That's fine! It's okay... I can't joke on or about you anyhow, you are my to-be brother-in-law. I'm only allowed to pull Gazal's leg. Right Gazal?" Kavya winked at her sister.
To which Gazal replied only by smiling.
"So, I guess, we should get moving, your flight, Gazal is on time, and you should be boarding soon." Rishi broke the silence.
"Yes, it is." Gazal affirmed.
"So my dear sister, this the first time I guess after college, that I'm leaving you alone for this long?" Gazal asked Kavya.
"I know! I just can't believe that you'll be gone for four weeks. I've no clue what I'm going to do on weekends. I mean we've never spent four weekends without each other. Never ever. Damn your work!" Kavya pretended to be angry.
"Don't worry, you have Rishi here now, he has been transferred to Bombay now, show him around, bond with him, after all I don't want two of my best friends trying to tear each other apart." Gazal joked, looking innocently at both of them.
"Wow! You have been transferred to Bombay now! Great! When Gazal is back from her wall painting and floor shining job from Vegas or whatever place she is going to, we three can hang out together." Kavya sounded excited.
"France!" Gazal said firmly. "France dear France, as in Paris-France, not Vegas."
"What? Both have Eiffel Tower." Kavya shrugged. "I mean just because the Eiffel Tower at Vegas is shorter you don't have to be mean to it. Look at us, you are a little shorter but mum and dad love both of us equally." Kavya joked further.
All this while, Rishi, just stood by, watching the two sisters.
"Okay go now. Don't be good. In fact, I would suggest: be evil. Don't work too hard, have a little fun as well." Kavya said bidding her sister adieu, "check out the good looking flight stewards and the handsome French guys." Kavya winked, at which both sisters laughed, Gazal stealing a glance at Rishi.
"Oh common! Rishi would have done the same thing if he were going to Paris! Wouldn't you Rishi?Only, he would be checking out the ladies." Kavya, jokingly asked, and Rishi smiled, somewhat unimpressed.
"Okay, now I should really leave else they will leave me here and the tan walls in Paris won't look beautiful in the movie." Gazal acted serious.
"You media people, I really never get you. If any how you have to create a set in Paris, then why not create a set that looks like Paris, in India itself?" Kavya joked.
"Because the producer has too much of money of which he has no clue what to do and the heroine's mum likes Paris." Gazal taunted. "So be a good girl, and work a little, don't enjoy all the way. See ya soon. Bye" Gazal told Kavya a little seriously and turned to Rishi, hugging him a good bye, "See ya soon" she whispered in his ears. "I'll be waiting" Rishi replied with a smile.
Both Kavya and Rishi waited untill Gazal got inside the airport when she actually took a U-turn and came back. "Sorry I almost forgot, Rishi, will you please drop my sister home? It's really very late, I know she'll say that Bombay is safe and all that, but I give you the responsibility to drop her home." she said.
"What?!" Kavya exclaimed. "Are you crazy? I live in Goregaon, Rishi here, lives in Wadala, why do you want the poor guy to go all the way to Goregaon and then go to his guest house? Even if he starts now, he'll take ages to reach there, dropping me home first and then going to his place is a whole different level. Let him go I'll manage, the poor guy has a life." she continued.
"Just ignore her. Please do me this favour. Will you?" Gazal looked at Rishi.
"Yeah, it's no big deal. I'll drop her, it's no favour." Rishi assured.
"Thanks!" Gazal said cheerfully giving him a swift peck on his cheek. "Bye"
Finally when Gazal had entered the airport, without any 'ifs', 'buts' and 'pleases' Kavya and Rishi decided to leave the airport.
"So, I guess we should get moving." Kavya said.
"Yes, of course."
Rishi checked his mails on his phone, while walking towards his car, and Kavya just stared at the blank screen of her phone.
Once out of the airport, Kavya tried to break the silence, "So, how's work? Settled at the new place?"
"No, actually, I just got in here today, I will join on Monday." Rishi gave a brief reply.
"Oh, okay... it's sad, that you just arrived and Gazal had to leave." Kavya said, dreamily, to comfort Rishi.
"Yeah" he again gave a brief reply.
"But, it's actually good in a way, you will get time to settle down. I mean with Gazal around, you would have wanted to spend more time with her." Kavya added.
"Yeah, that's true." Rishi, said and smiled, focusing on his driving.
"So, what do you usually do in your free time?" Kavya asked, determined to keep the so-called conversation going.
"Nothing much. Actually, I don't get much of free time usually. Work keeps me busy. I-banking is a 24x7 job." Rishi replied, again, precise, to the point and as if determined to kill the so-called conversation.
And then, there was a long silence. Nobody said a word. The lights from the down lane were blinding Kavya and she was zooming in and out of her thoughts, about her weekend plans, about what movie she should be watching tonight, or should she simply go home and sleep and what nots.
The only sounds that broke the numbing silence were the honking cars and the almost synchronized message beeps, of Kavya and Rishi's phone stating that Gazal had checked in, boarded the flight etc.
After what felt like an eternity, they had finally reached Goregaon and Kavya gave him a couple directions to her home.
"Thanks for the ride back home, I can't believe that Gazal forced you to do that. Though she's just 5 minutes older to me, she behaves like she's some big old sister. Anyhow, it was nice meeting you, thanks again, I'll see you around." Kavya said while getting out of the car.
And Rishi muttered things like, "Not a problem. Bye. Sure."
***
Week 1- Sunday
"What do you mean, you guys did not talk much. How is it even possible to have a minute's silence in your presence? I thought Rishi must be finding a way to tell me how I should you ask you not to talk so much!" Gazal was shouting so loudly on the phone that Kavya could hear her clearly even after keeping her phone inches away from here ear.
"I tried, but he would not talk. Not my fault, okay?" Kavya replied in the same fashion, assuming Gazal must have held her phone inches away from her ear.
"Not a single word?" Gazal inquired, a little calmer but surprised.
"Just a few words, like: 'yeah', 'work keeps me busy', 'yeah', 'bye'" Kavya replied sarcastically.
"That's it?" Gazal was a little surprised.
"Yes, that's it." Kavya snapped.
"I can't believe you. He talks usually, unless he has had a rough day at work. He's a sweetheart!" Gazal tried to convince Kavya.
"May be Gazal, you have schizophrenia and you imagine having along romantic conversation with him. You know, I'll ask Rupal, if she knows any psychiatrist practicing at her hospital, because your guy, talks absolutely NOTHING and hence I conclude that something is wrong with you. Kavya was getting irritated.
"Seriously Kavya, what did you do? He's a nice guy. Are you sure you didn't say something that might have annoyed him?" Gazal asked a little concerned.
"If asking someone 'how's work' and 'it's sad that you just arrived and Gazal had to leave for a 4 week work visit to a different country' annoys someone, I choose not to talk to such a person." Kavya replied, still irritated.
"I don't understand any of what you are saying..." Gazal wondered.
"Anyhow, Gazal, I got to go. I've few things to do and there are huge network issues here. I can barely make out what you are saying." Kavya said.
"What do you mean by 'here'? Where are you?" Gazal asked.
"Lonavala." Kavya gave a one word answer, much unlike her usual self.
"Why?" Gazal questioned.
"Business trip." Kavya was terse again.
"What kind of business trip? You never told me about any business trip before I left? Besides, what business takes you to Lonavala that too on a Sunday?" Gazal questioned further.
"It was a last moment thing." Kavya replied uninterested.
"And?" Gazal inquired.
"And what? And nothing!" Kavya replied a little irritated.
"No, you did not answer all my questions, what business are you doing in Lonavala, that too on a Sunday? Gazal's voice raised.
"Well, I'm planning to buy chikki in bulk and sell them in local trains." Kavya replied sarcastically.
"What nonsense!" Gazal snapped.
"Will strawberries convince you?" Kavya said a little child like, and Gazal could almost imagine her sister making puppy dog eyes.
"I'm serious Kavya." Gazal started sounding concerned.
"So am I. Now please, if you'll excuse me, I have a client to meet. Bye." and just like that Kavya hung up the phone.
***
Week 2: Wednesday.
1 Text message
"Hi Kavya! Rishi here. Sorry for being such a fool last week. A lot was going on my mind, so I couldn't connect properly with you. Free this Friday?"
"Did you put your boyfriend on this?" Kavya wrote quickly, before replying to Rishi, and pressed send.
"Did what? Put whom, where, what?" She got a reply in a few minutes.
"Your boyfriend asked me if I was free this Friday, to meet him hopefully-and not that he again has to a point to prove that he is busy working on some report to help his client buy the other company's shares for peanuts, but making them feel worth a zillion dollars at the same time on a Friday evening- when rest of us normal (read lame) people are busy drinking, watching movies and being merry, planning how to waste their weekends doing absolutely nothing worthwhile. Plus, he also said that he was sorry for being such a fool last week. I mean he texted me FULL FOUR SENTENCES! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! So the crux of my whole pointless ranting is that, whether you talked your boyfriend into this? Did you ask him to try and reconnect with me?" Kavya replied instantly.
"Seriously Kavya, I've had a very long day, today at work, I came back at 3 in the morning and it's 5:30 something here. All I can read is blah blah blah. Please decide for yourself and PLEASE for Heaven's sake stop disturbing me and let me sleep." Gazal called Kavya being annoyed and sleepy at the same time, and hung up the phone even before Kavya could reply.
"Okay" Kavya replied to the dead line.
"Sure. I've nothing scheduled for this Friday." Kavya replied to Rishi.
1 Text message.
"Great! Let's meet over some drinks and connect."
"Done. Just let me know the time and place, I'll be there." "'Connect over a few drinks!' so much business-like!" Kavya exclaimed to herself in disgust pressing the send button.
***
Week 2: Friday
"Hi! Is this place taken?" a guy tapped Kavya's shoulder, pointing towards a chair next to her.
"Do you see anyone sitting on the chair?" Kavya asked mischievously.
"No. So I can sit here." the guy grinned to Kavya.
"No, you can't, because though this chair is not taken, it's been saved... by me..." Kavya told the guy holding the chair so that he couldn't sit on it.
"But..." he was surprised.
"For you of course Rishi!" Kavya grinned and winked to Rishi. "Come have a seat. I was waiting for you."
"Oh! Am I late?" Rishi checked his watch.
"Not by IST but indeed by KST." Kavya remarked.
"KST? Kavya Standard Time?" Rishi wondered aloud.
"10 points to Ravenclaw." Kavya mocked.
"Ravenclaw? Seriously?" Rishi looked perplexed.
"I'm still not over Harry Potter." Kavya replied with a sparkle in her eyes.
"I got that, but why Ravenclaw?" Rishi was still confused.
"Oh common! With brain like that. You've got to be in Ravenclaw." Kavya mocked him.
"Alright. And what house you would have been?" Rishi asked.
"I think Hufflepuff, but Gazal thinks I'm evil enough to be in Slytherin. Kavya replied.
"Anyhow, I'm sorry, I was stuck up with a client. So I got little late. I'm lucky I got a Friday evening off else I rarely get a break from work." Rishi gave an explanation.
Kavya only shrugged in reply.
"So what would you like to have?" Rishi asked.
"Is your bartender a guy or a girl?" Kavya asked the server.
"He's a guy madam." he replied
Rishi looked at them wondering what would happen next.
"So ask the dude to whip up some nice non-alcoholic drink that you can serve in a martini glass." she placed her order acting serious without even taking the menu card.
"Any special preferences towards the drink ma'am?" the server asked seriously.
"Surprise me!" Kavya gave a cunning smile.
Rishi watched all this awestruck. It took him sometime to zoom back into the reality.
"And you sir?" the server looked at Rishi.
"One double whiskey please." Rishi ordered.
"What was that?" Rishi asked surprised.
Actually, I'm teetotaler. But I fancy martini glasses. So the unusual order, which is very usual for me." Kavya replied quite obviously.
"Oh! So you don't drink?" Rishi asked.
"No. So you drink?" Kavya asked him trying to mock him.
"Yes! Actually, we have to. In investment banking industry, you have a client meeting every other day, weekend parties. If you don't drink how can you socialize?" Rishi tried to explain.
"I guess these are just excuses. Investment banking, hostel life, peer pressure, these all are very easy excuses to to blames other for your wrong doings." Kavya gave a stern reply. She then gave him a quizzical look.
"What?" Rishi asked.
"I was wondering, why are you so dressed up? I mean who wears a suit to a 'Friday evening girl friend's sister meeting'. she asked, sipping her drink.
"Well, you know, like I said, I'm coming directly from a work meeting." Rishi replied a little obviously.
"Of course." Kavya rolled up her eyes, taking another sip from her drink. "Hey!" She called their server. "By any chance, is your bartender named Kabir?"
"Yes" the server replied a little surprised.
"And I see him showing his skills off at the bar." she looked over her shoulder towards the bar. Kabir! Kabir!" she tried to grab his attention, all in vain. "Come I'll introduce you to one of the coolest person I know and probably the world's best bartender." She told Rishi.
"Don't you think, we should go there sometime later? He seems busy." Rishi hesitated.
"Oh no... no worries. Come... Let's go." Kavya almost pulled Rishi.
They reached the bar and watched Kabir showing off his skills and impressing the people around. After he finished his act, Kavya reached over the bar and pulled him over to herself and gave him a tight hug. "That was awesome! You were brilliant there Kabir! Absolutely amazing man!" Kavya just couldn't stop praising Kabir and Kabir couldn't stop smiling, and said, "Can't-breath. Getting-suffocated-choking-need-air."
"Shut up you!" Kavya hit his arm, affectionately.
"There is some strange guy, looking at us, standing behind you and smiling at me. Do you think I should smile back?" Kabir shouted in her ear, since the music in the pub was deafening.
"You can also give him your number." Kavya replied in similar fashion, teasing Kabir.
"What? I'm not that kind of a guy." Kabir said somewhat annoyed.
"No. He's not that kind of a guy either. Meet him, he's Rishi, Gazal's boy friend" releasing Kabir from the suffocating hug.
"Hi! Kabir." he shook hands with Rishi.
"So how did you know, I was there? Did you see me around?" Kabir asked Kavya.
"Of course not silly. I recognized the moment I had the first sip from the drink. I took a couple more to confirm. You are the only person in this whole wide world to come up with such a bizarre idea of making a drink purely out of cucumber. I tasted it and my mind shouted KABIR at the top of my voice." the over excited Kavya recited. "How come you are here? Last time I met you at some other pub."
"Yes, actually, I've been promoted, the owners from both the pubs are the same, they saw my work and were thoroughly impressed, so they asked me to work here, since this is a more hip pub, plus it's near town, so I concluded that I'm promoted." Kabir explained.
"Kabir here is a very talented guy, Rishi. He and Gazal studied together at college, he was into production and dramatics, Gazal as you know, is more of a designer. His dream is to one day work for a 'travel and living' kind of a show, explore places, dine in around the world's best restaurants and all that stuff. But still, he's one of the most awesome yet modest persons I've met in my life. Very humble. Very rooted." Kavya told Rishi. "He's just brilliant at all the things he does. Many times Gazal offered him to show his work to one of her producers, but Kabir on the other hand wants to get into the industry working hard, not the easy way." Rishi seemed unimpressed.
"So next time, when ever I want to see you, I have to come all the way to town?" Kavya frowned.
"No, you can just turn on your TV." Kabir winked.
"Meaning?" Kavya was surprised.
"Meaning, the famous show 'Around the world in 80 pitchers' happen to have our pub shortlisted for one of the hotspots in India. They came here to shoot and their host wanted to learn a few bartending skills on the show. I volunteered, actually the owners of the pub insisted that I flaunt my skills on screen. The producers were very impressed and they asked if I would like to join them, as an anchor, for their upcoming project. I happily said yes. At first I was a bit worried about what the bosses would say about this, but they were quite supportive about it. So here I am, serving the last few drinks of my life, pulling over the goodbye acts to impress the girls for one last time, live of course 'cause here on, they will get impressed on TV, woohoo!" Kabir chanted.
"This is so exciting, finally your dreams are coming true! I'm so happy for you Kabir! Wow!" Kavya caught along.
"Seems interesting." Rishi remarked, who seemed unimpressed.
"What?" Kavya asked.
"Nothing." Rishi replied.
"Say it. Is something wrong? You seem unimpressed." Kavya asked again.
"No. I just don't understand why people do such things. I mean why wish to do something completely out of their league. No offences Kabir, but in order to become what you wanted to become your whole life, what all things you had to go through. You'll grow older soon and the charm and the good looks you have would fade away then. Don't you think it's a little late to join the media industry as an actor? Let's face it Kabir, you might assume that girls get impressed by all these impressive and stud like acts of yours, but you know, at the end of the day you are just a bartender. Nobody wants to marry a bartender Kabir, because he cleans empty glasses and he may be able to whip some very good drinks but honestly, how many out of these can you afford?" Rishi said with an aura of sophistication.
"Enough Rishi! Just stop okay?" Kavya was annoyed.
"Reality bites Kavya, that's the truth." Rishi wouldn't stop.
"God Rishi! I just thought that you were like other bankers, consultants, lawyers, very uptight about themselves but deep down you must be having a soul. I hate to say this but I don't understand what Gazal saw in you? I would never ever fall for a person like you. Do you even know who and why Kabir is what he is today? Do you have any idea what he has been through?" Kavya asked Rishi in utter annoyance, Kabir tried to stop her but Kavya won't let it go.
"This guy here lost his father when he was 13. He put up at small snack shop with his mum. He would attend school in the morning and help his mum with the stall in the evening. He dreamt of studying dramatics one day, when the students from different colleges would come at his stall he would carefully listen to what they said asked them for guidance and finally ended up studying the subjects and graduated with flying colours. He could have easily taken a back seat and struggled to make it big in the media industry but he had to earn because his younger sister wanted to become an engineer. I gave her my books and guided her and you know what, she was in top 50 students of the entrance exams. One sharp girl I must admit. She is studying in the Ivy league college right now and she could do it, you know why, because she had a brother like Kabir, who sacrificed his dreams to fulfill his sister's. This might sound like a movie story to you, but it's a reality Rishi. Not every one wants to become a doctor or engineer and not everyone can be those, and besides the world needs bartenders and waiters and bouncers, else what would useless bankers like you would do, where would you people hold your crappy and unnecessary meeting and parties, wasting all the bonuses you earn for sitting in AC cabins hitting the keyboards? There is a big world outside your cubicles Rishi, try to look out of them, for once try to peep out of the closest window and see the truth. Now that's reality and that bites. Not everyone is as lucky as you, to get into their dream college and b-school and land up in the job they always wanted to, there are people who have to fight hard for their dreams, I'm not saying that you did not work hard to get good marks to get into those colleges but at least you had your dad to support you, your dreams, you had a financial backing, someone paid your fees, gave you clothes to wear, food to eat, took care of your medicine bills, there still are people around the world who have to earn their bread at the age of 5, before they could eat it, even if they have to polish others' shoes at local stations, or sell newspapers at the traffic signals. How can someone be so self-centered Rishi, I just don't understand. What for are you so proud of yourself? There are thousands of investment bankers in the market but there are more, who deserved to be there but couldn't be, you know why? Just because their luck did not favour them. It' been two weeks that I know you Rishi, but do I really know you, all I know about you is that you are a banker. That's it. It's one thing being good at something Rishi and completely different being a jerk about it." saying this Kavya paced down to their table, clenching her palms, stamping her feet on the floor, picked up her bag and left the pub.
Rishi realised his mistake and followed her outside, but he was too late, she had already hired a cab and left. He came back inside feeling sad about what just happened, reached out for his wallet to pay for the drinks but Kabir refused to take the money and said, "I can't take your money sir, it's on me. Think that it's a treat from Gazal's best friend." Rishi didn't have anything to say, he felt very embarrassed for what he had said and started to walk out of the pub when he heard Kabir say, "Hey Rishi, I don't know you man, but I know Gazal, way better than anyone else does, if you are her choice, I'm sure, she must have seen something in you. I'll just say one thing, keep my best friend happy." he patted on Rishi's back and went back to the bar.
To be continued...
Part II
"Where's she? Do you see her?" said a man's almost-desperate voice.
"She'll be somewhere around, sitting on some table, sipping her lemonade, munching on a wrap or sub... looking busy, punching keys on her laptop." replied a calm voice.
"Gosh! Has Bombay airport always been this crowded, or is the whole city here to see you off!" the man exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I think the latter!" the woman gleefully replied and grinned at the man. "Oh! There she is... just like I said..." she pointed to a girl all dressed up in an office suite, sipping lemonade, munching over a sub, hitting the keys on her laptop.
"Kavya! Here!" The woman tried to grab the other one's attention through the crowd, calling her out loud, waving her hand.
The other one just threw her hand in the air pointing her finger to the sky, indicating "in a minute" without even looking up.
The first woman almost ran to her, and just as she reached Kavya, she exclaimed, "Dammnit!" again without even taking her eyes off the screen.
"What? What did I do?" The woman wondered, huffing because of the small jog.
"Nothing, just some stuff of my own." Kavya frowned, slamming her laptop down.
"Hello there big girl! My dear Gazal! All set?" Kavya cheerfully said while hugging Gazal, actually squeezing the remaining air out of her lungs, getting her completely out of breath.
"Stop! Don't-suffocate-me. Can't-breath" Gazal mocked.
"I always said, you need bigger lungs." Kavya joked.
"Yes, you know why I've smaller lungs? Well that's because your big belly took up all the space inside mum." Gazal replied, and winked.
"Hey! What belly?" Kavya pointed out towards her flat stomach.
"Yeah, well we had to starve you for that achievement." and both the ladies burst into laughter, tightly hugging each other again.
While hugging Gazal, Kavya realised a man, with a huge bag, was standing behind them, awkwardly smiling at her, moving his hands in to and fro motion, probably implying a "Hello". Kavya released her sister from her hug, stretched her hand to the man and said, "Oh hi! You must be Rishi. Nice to finally meet you. Gazal has been telling me about you forever now. So how are you?"
"Good!" Rishi replied in a gruff voice, heavily breathing.
Kavya smiled back.
After taking another couple of deep breathes, Rishi said, "Good as in, good to see you too and I'm good! After spotting you, Gazal came running to you, forgetting 'bout her bags and all, and I was worried that I'll lose both of you, so basically, even I had to jog, that too with all these bags and all, so that's why the breathing."
"Yeah... alright." Kavya replied, unimpressed.
"No! That's fine! It's okay... I can't joke on or about you anyhow, you are my to-be brother-in-law. I'm only allowed to pull Gazal's leg. Right Gazal?" Kavya winked at her sister.
To which Gazal replied only by smiling.
"So, I guess, we should get moving, your flight, Gazal is on time, and you should be boarding soon." Rishi broke the silence.
"Yes, it is." Gazal affirmed.
"So my dear sister, this the first time I guess after college, that I'm leaving you alone for this long?" Gazal asked Kavya.
"I know! I just can't believe that you'll be gone for four weeks. I've no clue what I'm going to do on weekends. I mean we've never spent four weekends without each other. Never ever. Damn your work!" Kavya pretended to be angry.
"Don't worry, you have Rishi here now, he has been transferred to Bombay now, show him around, bond with him, after all I don't want two of my best friends trying to tear each other apart." Gazal joked, looking innocently at both of them.
"Wow! You have been transferred to Bombay now! Great! When Gazal is back from her wall painting and floor shining job from Vegas or whatever place she is going to, we three can hang out together." Kavya sounded excited.
"France!" Gazal said firmly. "France dear France, as in Paris-France, not Vegas."
"What? Both have Eiffel Tower." Kavya shrugged. "I mean just because the Eiffel Tower at Vegas is shorter you don't have to be mean to it. Look at us, you are a little shorter but mum and dad love both of us equally." Kavya joked further.
All this while, Rishi, just stood by, watching the two sisters.
"Okay go now. Don't be good. In fact, I would suggest: be evil. Don't work too hard, have a little fun as well." Kavya said bidding her sister adieu, "check out the good looking flight stewards and the handsome French guys." Kavya winked, at which both sisters laughed, Gazal stealing a glance at Rishi.
"Oh common! Rishi would have done the same thing if he were going to Paris! Wouldn't you Rishi?Only, he would be checking out the ladies." Kavya, jokingly asked, and Rishi smiled, somewhat unimpressed.
"Okay, now I should really leave else they will leave me here and the tan walls in Paris won't look beautiful in the movie." Gazal acted serious.
"You media people, I really never get you. If any how you have to create a set in Paris, then why not create a set that looks like Paris, in India itself?" Kavya joked.
"Because the producer has too much of money of which he has no clue what to do and the heroine's mum likes Paris." Gazal taunted. "So be a good girl, and work a little, don't enjoy all the way. See ya soon. Bye" Gazal told Kavya a little seriously and turned to Rishi, hugging him a good bye, "See ya soon" she whispered in his ears. "I'll be waiting" Rishi replied with a smile.
Both Kavya and Rishi waited untill Gazal got inside the airport when she actually took a U-turn and came back. "Sorry I almost forgot, Rishi, will you please drop my sister home? It's really very late, I know she'll say that Bombay is safe and all that, but I give you the responsibility to drop her home." she said.
"What?!" Kavya exclaimed. "Are you crazy? I live in Goregaon, Rishi here, lives in Wadala, why do you want the poor guy to go all the way to Goregaon and then go to his guest house? Even if he starts now, he'll take ages to reach there, dropping me home first and then going to his place is a whole different level. Let him go I'll manage, the poor guy has a life." she continued.
"Just ignore her. Please do me this favour. Will you?" Gazal looked at Rishi.
"Yeah, it's no big deal. I'll drop her, it's no favour." Rishi assured.
"Thanks!" Gazal said cheerfully giving him a swift peck on his cheek. "Bye"
Finally when Gazal had entered the airport, without any 'ifs', 'buts' and 'pleases' Kavya and Rishi decided to leave the airport.
"So, I guess we should get moving." Kavya said.
"Yes, of course."
Rishi checked his mails on his phone, while walking towards his car, and Kavya just stared at the blank screen of her phone.
Once out of the airport, Kavya tried to break the silence, "So, how's work? Settled at the new place?"
"No, actually, I just got in here today, I will join on Monday." Rishi gave a brief reply.
"Oh, okay... it's sad, that you just arrived and Gazal had to leave." Kavya said, dreamily, to comfort Rishi.
"Yeah" he again gave a brief reply.
"But, it's actually good in a way, you will get time to settle down. I mean with Gazal around, you would have wanted to spend more time with her." Kavya added.
"Yeah, that's true." Rishi, said and smiled, focusing on his driving.
"So, what do you usually do in your free time?" Kavya asked, determined to keep the so-called conversation going.
"Nothing much. Actually, I don't get much of free time usually. Work keeps me busy. I-banking is a 24x7 job." Rishi replied, again, precise, to the point and as if determined to kill the so-called conversation.
And then, there was a long silence. Nobody said a word. The lights from the down lane were blinding Kavya and she was zooming in and out of her thoughts, about her weekend plans, about what movie she should be watching tonight, or should she simply go home and sleep and what nots.
The only sounds that broke the numbing silence were the honking cars and the almost synchronized message beeps, of Kavya and Rishi's phone stating that Gazal had checked in, boarded the flight etc.
After what felt like an eternity, they had finally reached Goregaon and Kavya gave him a couple directions to her home.
"Thanks for the ride back home, I can't believe that Gazal forced you to do that. Though she's just 5 minutes older to me, she behaves like she's some big old sister. Anyhow, it was nice meeting you, thanks again, I'll see you around." Kavya said while getting out of the car.
And Rishi muttered things like, "Not a problem. Bye. Sure."
***
Week 1- Sunday
"What do you mean, you guys did not talk much. How is it even possible to have a minute's silence in your presence? I thought Rishi must be finding a way to tell me how I should you ask you not to talk so much!" Gazal was shouting so loudly on the phone that Kavya could hear her clearly even after keeping her phone inches away from here ear.
"I tried, but he would not talk. Not my fault, okay?" Kavya replied in the same fashion, assuming Gazal must have held her phone inches away from her ear.
"Not a single word?" Gazal inquired, a little calmer but surprised.
"Just a few words, like: 'yeah', 'work keeps me busy', 'yeah', 'bye'" Kavya replied sarcastically.
"That's it?" Gazal was a little surprised.
"Yes, that's it." Kavya snapped.
"I can't believe you. He talks usually, unless he has had a rough day at work. He's a sweetheart!" Gazal tried to convince Kavya.
"May be Gazal, you have schizophrenia and you imagine having along romantic conversation with him. You know, I'll ask Rupal, if she knows any psychiatrist practicing at her hospital, because your guy, talks absolutely NOTHING and hence I conclude that something is wrong with you. Kavya was getting irritated.
"Seriously Kavya, what did you do? He's a nice guy. Are you sure you didn't say something that might have annoyed him?" Gazal asked a little concerned.
"If asking someone 'how's work' and 'it's sad that you just arrived and Gazal had to leave for a 4 week work visit to a different country' annoys someone, I choose not to talk to such a person." Kavya replied, still irritated.
"I don't understand any of what you are saying..." Gazal wondered.
"Anyhow, Gazal, I got to go. I've few things to do and there are huge network issues here. I can barely make out what you are saying." Kavya said.
"What do you mean by 'here'? Where are you?" Gazal asked.
"Lonavala." Kavya gave a one word answer, much unlike her usual self.
"Why?" Gazal questioned.
"Business trip." Kavya was terse again.
"What kind of business trip? You never told me about any business trip before I left? Besides, what business takes you to Lonavala that too on a Sunday?" Gazal questioned further.
"It was a last moment thing." Kavya replied uninterested.
"And?" Gazal inquired.
"And what? And nothing!" Kavya replied a little irritated.
"No, you did not answer all my questions, what business are you doing in Lonavala, that too on a Sunday? Gazal's voice raised.
"Well, I'm planning to buy chikki in bulk and sell them in local trains." Kavya replied sarcastically.
"What nonsense!" Gazal snapped.
"Will strawberries convince you?" Kavya said a little child like, and Gazal could almost imagine her sister making puppy dog eyes.
"I'm serious Kavya." Gazal started sounding concerned.
"So am I. Now please, if you'll excuse me, I have a client to meet. Bye." and just like that Kavya hung up the phone.
***
Week 2: Wednesday.
1 Text message
"Hi Kavya! Rishi here. Sorry for being such a fool last week. A lot was going on my mind, so I couldn't connect properly with you. Free this Friday?"
"Did you put your boyfriend on this?" Kavya wrote quickly, before replying to Rishi, and pressed send.
"Did what? Put whom, where, what?" She got a reply in a few minutes.
"Your boyfriend asked me if I was free this Friday, to meet him hopefully-and not that he again has to a point to prove that he is busy working on some report to help his client buy the other company's shares for peanuts, but making them feel worth a zillion dollars at the same time on a Friday evening- when rest of us normal (read lame) people are busy drinking, watching movies and being merry, planning how to waste their weekends doing absolutely nothing worthwhile. Plus, he also said that he was sorry for being such a fool last week. I mean he texted me FULL FOUR SENTENCES! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! So the crux of my whole pointless ranting is that, whether you talked your boyfriend into this? Did you ask him to try and reconnect with me?" Kavya replied instantly.
"Seriously Kavya, I've had a very long day, today at work, I came back at 3 in the morning and it's 5:30 something here. All I can read is blah blah blah. Please decide for yourself and PLEASE for Heaven's sake stop disturbing me and let me sleep." Gazal called Kavya being annoyed and sleepy at the same time, and hung up the phone even before Kavya could reply.
"Okay" Kavya replied to the dead line.
"Sure. I've nothing scheduled for this Friday." Kavya replied to Rishi.
1 Text message.
"Great! Let's meet over some drinks and connect."
"Done. Just let me know the time and place, I'll be there." "'Connect over a few drinks!' so much business-like!" Kavya exclaimed to herself in disgust pressing the send button.
***
Week 2: Friday
"Hi! Is this place taken?" a guy tapped Kavya's shoulder, pointing towards a chair next to her.
"Do you see anyone sitting on the chair?" Kavya asked mischievously.
"No. So I can sit here." the guy grinned to Kavya.
"No, you can't, because though this chair is not taken, it's been saved... by me..." Kavya told the guy holding the chair so that he couldn't sit on it.
"But..." he was surprised.
"For you of course Rishi!" Kavya grinned and winked to Rishi. "Come have a seat. I was waiting for you."
"Oh! Am I late?" Rishi checked his watch.
"Not by IST but indeed by KST." Kavya remarked.
"KST? Kavya Standard Time?" Rishi wondered aloud.
"10 points to Ravenclaw." Kavya mocked.
"Ravenclaw? Seriously?" Rishi looked perplexed.
"I'm still not over Harry Potter." Kavya replied with a sparkle in her eyes.
"I got that, but why Ravenclaw?" Rishi was still confused.
"Oh common! With brain like that. You've got to be in Ravenclaw." Kavya mocked him.
"Alright. And what house you would have been?" Rishi asked.
"I think Hufflepuff, but Gazal thinks I'm evil enough to be in Slytherin. Kavya replied.
"Anyhow, I'm sorry, I was stuck up with a client. So I got little late. I'm lucky I got a Friday evening off else I rarely get a break from work." Rishi gave an explanation.
Kavya only shrugged in reply.
"So what would you like to have?" Rishi asked.
"Is your bartender a guy or a girl?" Kavya asked the server.
"He's a guy madam." he replied
Rishi looked at them wondering what would happen next.
"So ask the dude to whip up some nice non-alcoholic drink that you can serve in a martini glass." she placed her order acting serious without even taking the menu card.
"Any special preferences towards the drink ma'am?" the server asked seriously.
"Surprise me!" Kavya gave a cunning smile.
Rishi watched all this awestruck. It took him sometime to zoom back into the reality.
"And you sir?" the server looked at Rishi.
"One double whiskey please." Rishi ordered.
"What was that?" Rishi asked surprised.Actually, I'm teetotaler. But I fancy martini glasses. So the unusual order, which is very usual for me." Kavya replied quite obviously.
"Oh! So you don't drink?" Rishi asked.
"No. So you drink?" Kavya asked him trying to mock him.
"Yes! Actually, we have to. In investment banking industry, you have a client meeting every other day, weekend parties. If you don't drink how can you socialize?" Rishi tried to explain.
"I guess these are just excuses. Investment banking, hostel life, peer pressure, these all are very easy excuses to to blames other for your wrong doings." Kavya gave a stern reply. She then gave him a quizzical look.
"What?" Rishi asked.
"I was wondering, why are you so dressed up? I mean who wears a suit to a 'Friday evening girl friend's sister meeting'. she asked, sipping her drink.
"Well, you know, like I said, I'm coming directly from a work meeting." Rishi replied a little obviously.
"Of course." Kavya rolled up her eyes, taking another sip from her drink. "Hey!" She called their server. "By any chance, is your bartender named Kabir?"
"Yes" the server replied a little surprised.
"And I see him showing his skills off at the bar." she looked over her shoulder towards the bar. Kabir! Kabir!" she tried to grab his attention, all in vain. "Come I'll introduce you to one of the coolest person I know and probably the world's best bartender." She told Rishi.
"Don't you think, we should go there sometime later? He seems busy." Rishi hesitated.
"Oh no... no worries. Come... Let's go." Kavya almost pulled Rishi.
They reached the bar and watched Kabir showing off his skills and impressing the people around. After he finished his act, Kavya reached over the bar and pulled him over to herself and gave him a tight hug. "That was awesome! You were brilliant there Kabir! Absolutely amazing man!" Kavya just couldn't stop praising Kabir and Kabir couldn't stop smiling, and said, "Can't-breath. Getting-suffocated-choking-need-air."
"Shut up you!" Kavya hit his arm, affectionately.
"There is some strange guy, looking at us, standing behind you and smiling at me. Do you think I should smile back?" Kabir shouted in her ear, since the music in the pub was deafening.
"You can also give him your number." Kavya replied in similar fashion, teasing Kabir.
"What? I'm not that kind of a guy." Kabir said somewhat annoyed.
"No. He's not that kind of a guy either. Meet him, he's Rishi, Gazal's boy friend" releasing Kabir from the suffocating hug.
"Hi! Kabir." he shook hands with Rishi.
"So how did you know, I was there? Did you see me around?" Kabir asked Kavya.
"Of course not silly. I recognized the moment I had the first sip from the drink. I took a couple more to confirm. You are the only person in this whole wide world to come up with such a bizarre idea of making a drink purely out of cucumber. I tasted it and my mind shouted KABIR at the top of my voice." the over excited Kavya recited. "How come you are here? Last time I met you at some other pub."
"Yes, actually, I've been promoted, the owners from both the pubs are the same, they saw my work and were thoroughly impressed, so they asked me to work here, since this is a more hip pub, plus it's near town, so I concluded that I'm promoted." Kabir explained.
"Kabir here is a very talented guy, Rishi. He and Gazal studied together at college, he was into production and dramatics, Gazal as you know, is more of a designer. His dream is to one day work for a 'travel and living' kind of a show, explore places, dine in around the world's best restaurants and all that stuff. But still, he's one of the most awesome yet modest persons I've met in my life. Very humble. Very rooted." Kavya told Rishi. "He's just brilliant at all the things he does. Many times Gazal offered him to show his work to one of her producers, but Kabir on the other hand wants to get into the industry working hard, not the easy way." Rishi seemed unimpressed.
"So next time, when ever I want to see you, I have to come all the way to town?" Kavya frowned.
"No, you can just turn on your TV." Kabir winked.
"Meaning?" Kavya was surprised.
"Meaning, the famous show 'Around the world in 80 pitchers' happen to have our pub shortlisted for one of the hotspots in India. They came here to shoot and their host wanted to learn a few bartending skills on the show. I volunteered, actually the owners of the pub insisted that I flaunt my skills on screen. The producers were very impressed and they asked if I would like to join them, as an anchor, for their upcoming project. I happily said yes. At first I was a bit worried about what the bosses would say about this, but they were quite supportive about it. So here I am, serving the last few drinks of my life, pulling over the goodbye acts to impress the girls for one last time, live of course 'cause here on, they will get impressed on TV, woohoo!" Kabir chanted.
"This is so exciting, finally your dreams are coming true! I'm so happy for you Kabir! Wow!" Kavya caught along.
"Seems interesting." Rishi remarked, who seemed unimpressed.
"What?" Kavya asked.
"Nothing." Rishi replied.
"Say it. Is something wrong? You seem unimpressed." Kavya asked again.
"No. I just don't understand why people do such things. I mean why wish to do something completely out of their league. No offences Kabir, but in order to become what you wanted to become your whole life, what all things you had to go through. You'll grow older soon and the charm and the good looks you have would fade away then. Don't you think it's a little late to join the media industry as an actor? Let's face it Kabir, you might assume that girls get impressed by all these impressive and stud like acts of yours, but you know, at the end of the day you are just a bartender. Nobody wants to marry a bartender Kabir, because he cleans empty glasses and he may be able to whip some very good drinks but honestly, how many out of these can you afford?" Rishi said with an aura of sophistication.
"Enough Rishi! Just stop okay?" Kavya was annoyed.
"Reality bites Kavya, that's the truth." Rishi wouldn't stop.
"God Rishi! I just thought that you were like other bankers, consultants, lawyers, very uptight about themselves but deep down you must be having a soul. I hate to say this but I don't understand what Gazal saw in you? I would never ever fall for a person like you. Do you even know who and why Kabir is what he is today? Do you have any idea what he has been through?" Kavya asked Rishi in utter annoyance, Kabir tried to stop her but Kavya won't let it go.
"This guy here lost his father when he was 13. He put up at small snack shop with his mum. He would attend school in the morning and help his mum with the stall in the evening. He dreamt of studying dramatics one day, when the students from different colleges would come at his stall he would carefully listen to what they said asked them for guidance and finally ended up studying the subjects and graduated with flying colours. He could have easily taken a back seat and struggled to make it big in the media industry but he had to earn because his younger sister wanted to become an engineer. I gave her my books and guided her and you know what, she was in top 50 students of the entrance exams. One sharp girl I must admit. She is studying in the Ivy league college right now and she could do it, you know why, because she had a brother like Kabir, who sacrificed his dreams to fulfill his sister's. This might sound like a movie story to you, but it's a reality Rishi. Not every one wants to become a doctor or engineer and not everyone can be those, and besides the world needs bartenders and waiters and bouncers, else what would useless bankers like you would do, where would you people hold your crappy and unnecessary meeting and parties, wasting all the bonuses you earn for sitting in AC cabins hitting the keyboards? There is a big world outside your cubicles Rishi, try to look out of them, for once try to peep out of the closest window and see the truth. Now that's reality and that bites. Not everyone is as lucky as you, to get into their dream college and b-school and land up in the job they always wanted to, there are people who have to fight hard for their dreams, I'm not saying that you did not work hard to get good marks to get into those colleges but at least you had your dad to support you, your dreams, you had a financial backing, someone paid your fees, gave you clothes to wear, food to eat, took care of your medicine bills, there still are people around the world who have to earn their bread at the age of 5, before they could eat it, even if they have to polish others' shoes at local stations, or sell newspapers at the traffic signals. How can someone be so self-centered Rishi, I just don't understand. What for are you so proud of yourself? There are thousands of investment bankers in the market but there are more, who deserved to be there but couldn't be, you know why? Just because their luck did not favour them. It' been two weeks that I know you Rishi, but do I really know you, all I know about you is that you are a banker. That's it. It's one thing being good at something Rishi and completely different being a jerk about it." saying this Kavya paced down to their table, clenching her palms, stamping her feet on the floor, picked up her bag and left the pub.
Rishi realised his mistake and followed her outside, but he was too late, she had already hired a cab and left. He came back inside feeling sad about what just happened, reached out for his wallet to pay for the drinks but Kabir refused to take the money and said, "I can't take your money sir, it's on me. Think that it's a treat from Gazal's best friend." Rishi didn't have anything to say, he felt very embarrassed for what he had said and started to walk out of the pub when he heard Kabir say, "Hey Rishi, I don't know you man, but I know Gazal, way better than anyone else does, if you are her choice, I'm sure, she must have seen something in you. I'll just say one thing, keep my best friend happy." he patted on Rishi's back and went back to the bar.
To be continued...
Part II
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