A Date with Destiny
A big thanks to pranaykatha for editing. The errors left are solely the result of my later alterations. Also, a shoutout to the draft readers for their valuable suggestions.
Feel free to send me your feedbacks and suggestions or to leave a comment. Response from readers always feels great.
***
The night had set into the hazy Gurgaon sky by the time I had returned from office. I was still in my office suit, staring down at the park from the apartment balcony, blankly sipping white wine, when the phone rang. The familiar tingle ran down my spine as I stared at the name for a good two seconds: Akshita.
I don't quite know how she does this to me every single time. It's been years since we separated. True, we have been meeting each other occasionally, particularly since I moved to Gurgaon last year. But I've moved on, and I'm sure she has as well. Hell, she's a mom now.
Perhaps it was her candor and conviction that bewitched me. She knew who she was and never minced her words. Or perhaps it was her hair. They possessed the same vigor and vitality as that of its possessor. And I've had my fair share of fun with them. Or perhaps it was her face, or her body, or her soul. Everything about her was spellbinding. But I'm positive that I've moved on. Well, at least, being with three other women since then technically means that I've.
"Hey Akki," I took the call.
"Hey Bozo, where are you now?" The husky voice on the other end enquired.
"Just got back home. Was a long day. What are you up to? I think it's been over a week since we last spoke."
"I know it's been hectic lately. I thought things would get easier once Ayaan joined pre-school. If anything, it's only gotten worse. There's literally not a second to spare. And Mohit's expanding his distribution to Haryana and UP; NCR is apparently too small for his appetite! Add to that the mayhem in my office and I've got my hands full," Akshita ranted.
"So much moaning! You're now the marketing lead there, right?"
"For the new lipstick line, yeah. Looks flash from the outside. You would think a Billion dollar company would have things sorted and structured. The management recently decided to enter this sector with no prior experience. It's a total shit-show. The idiots in the c-suite refuse to believe that the product is grossly overpriced. And the weekly targets just keep on increasing; it's impossible to meet them. Sometimes I think I should have stuck to the technical side like you," her rant continued.
"Nah, it's the same shit here. The company I'm working for now wants me to sort out the issues with their legacy firmware. To call it a mess would be an understatement. Rather not talk about it. I would probably take a marketing job over this."
"But for you it's just the work Na? I've got a family to take care of. Mohit's a big zero when it comes to doing the chores."
"You've got a maid, right?"
"Yeah, but there's still a lot of stuff to be done. And Ayaan never lets me get a peaceful sleep. Stomach ache, leg pain, fever or some shit happens every night. This, the work, all the stress and tension is getting to me. Man, I really miss our college days! Life's a mess now. Haan, almost forgot why I called. What are you up to this weekend?"
"Nothing much, but don't think I'll be able to come down to Delhi though. Got some stuff going on."
"Well, if not Delhi, how does a trip to Bangalore sound to you?"
"What? Are you out of your fucking mind?"
"I never get tired of making you lose your mind," She giggled.
"I thought being a mother; you'd stop pulling my leg now."
"Listen! One, no, I'd never skip an opportunity to pull your leg. You're an obnoxious piece of shit for thinking mothers don't get to have fun. And two, I'm not joking, I'm serious. We're going to Bangalore this weekend. Hear me out before you freak out again."
"Okay, let me guess the reason. I read in the group about Shehnaz's engagement next week. I've always had a feeling that you both shared some special bond. Am I right?"
"Yeah, you know she was the only level-headed person in our little clique. And yeah, I've a special place for her in my heart. She took care of me like a mother when I was down with Typhoid in the Second year."
"Hey! It was me who got you breakfast, lunch and dinner from the canteen every day."
"Stop blabbering. You could only reach till the girls' hostel gate. She was at my bedside, in my room for the entire two weeks. And it's not just about that. No one else from the group would be coming. Rahul is in London now. Kriti is in Bangkok. Mahima is babysitting her second child. Ryan has got some personal issues going on. It's only we both who can possibly make it."
"What about Lodha? He even had a thing for her back then, right?" I grinned.
"Which is precisely why he won't be coming. I had called him. After some persuasion, he admitted still having some feelings for her and is not keen on watching her get married."
"Damn! It's been what, seven-eight years now, right? He's still not gotten over her!"
"I can tell you he's not the only guy in college who was behind Shehnaz. There's a pretty long list. And that's one of the reasons why I admire her. She never even once fell for a guy during the entire four years. Not a lot of girls can do that, especially at that age."
"It's probably because her father would've skinned her alive if she ever got so much as photographed with a guy!"
"Come on! You think she couldn't have fooled around behind his back? You'd be amazed at what Swati and other girls with similarly strict parents did back then."
"Swati was the girl who got caught inside the boys' hostel, right? Haha, that was hilarious. I still remember the look on Pankaj sir's face when he caught them. Too funny!"
"Yeah, that's her. Girls mess around just as much as you guys do. Thankfully, I didn't have to go to such lengths because I had a sweet and handsome boyfriend!"
"As much as I appreciate you buttering me up and reminiscing our past, I do have a girlfriend now and that's one of the reason I won't be able to make it this weekend. Sorry, Akki!"
"What? That hellcat in your current insta story?"
"Hey! She's a model for Praveen Singania! You're just burning with jealousy!"
"Swear to God, if I had a daughter, I wouldn't want her to look like her when she grows up. She looks so unhealthy. Almost anorexic! I'm surprised you fit inside her. You can do much better Bozo. Anyway, you met her barely a month back, right? Already your girlfriend?"
"Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Well, we did fool around a bit and I've asked her out for dinner this Saturday night."
"And fuck her brains out later?"
"Knock it off, Akki!"
"Alright, sorry! Listen, you know that although we seven were a gang back then, Shehnaz was always a bit left out. She could never come to any of our trips or outings, because of her parents. Even in the hostel, she used to get bullied by the senior girls for being the ideal girl. Then even after college, it hasn't been easy for her. Her parents wanted to marry her off right away. Only because she got placed away from her home, could she resist them for so long. I had hoped she'd meet someone to elope with or something like that. But she finally gave in to her parents' pressure and relented to marry a guy they chose. She's really feeling down now. I'd spoken to her. For God's sake, she hasn't even met her fiancé in person yet. He lives in UAE and would only fly down for the engagement next week. I think she'd really appreciate if we can meet her this weekend. We can reminisce the old time and relive some memories. It was probably the best time of her life. Who am I kidding; it was the best time of all OUR lives."
"Hmm, it's just that it's so soon. It's already Wednesday today!"
"Stop moaning like a schoolgirl. You were the one who was always up for something crazy. Office has sucked the life out of you. Don't worry, I'll make you young again."
"Hey, I'm not that old! Just turned twenty-nine last month. Anyway, Bangalore is a bit too far for a weekend trip."
"Which epoch are you living in, shithead? We take a flight Friday night and return by Monday morning. All you gotta do is take a half day off!"
"Umm, it's actually a six-day week for me..."
"One more excuse and I'll drive down to Sector 66 and kick your ass right now!"
"Alright, alright! What time is the flight? Knowing you, you must've already booked the tickets. Am I right?" I smirked.
"You're goddamn right, boy! Eight PM, Friday Night. Terminal 3. Forwarding you the details right away," Akshita beamed from the other end.
***
"Sir, my seat is two rows down the aisle, 16A. Would you mind exchanging seats with me? I would like to sit with my husband here," Akshita motioned towards me sitting to the left of the man.
The middle-aged man, who had just taken his seat, adjusted his glasses and traced his eyes along her crimson cashmere turtleneck, up the curve of her shapely breasts and stopped at her MAC red lips.
He glanced back the aisle as if to see if the seat is somehow inferior to the current one. "Hmm, ok!" he gruffed.
"You always get what you want," I grinned as the gentleman moved out of earshot and the succubus in the skin tight denims moved into the seat. Her irresistible thighs had my attention transfixed.
"People generally tend to be helpful," she grinned back.
"It helps that you look stunning," I quipped. It was her sparkling eyes that had me gawking at the moment.
"I never get tired of hearing that from you. Though I doubt this is hardly stunning," she said pinching her faint love handle over her cashmere.
"It adds to your appeal, at least in my eyes."
"Says the guy dating an anorexic model."
"Come on, knock it off," I sighed.
"Tell me seriously, do you think I should lose weight? I'd gained significantly after having Ayaan and couldn't get back to my old shape yet. I've been trying hard. I'm just not able to get rid of these completely," she voiced her concern.
"Nah, you're perfect. You're not a college going girl anymore. People change. Yes, you were a shade leaner when we were dating, but if it was this version of you back then, I'd still be super happy. Maybe more than earlier," I chortled.
"Aww, this is why I keep pestering you on this topic. Your words never fail to make my heart warm." She mock punched my shoulder. "But seriously, I do appreciate that. I've been dealing with a bit of body image issues ever since getting pregnant."
If I ever got my hands on the magic lamp and could wish for any woman in the world, I knew, without a moment's hesitation, who I'd pick. Not even Scarlett Johansson could sway my judgement. Akshita is the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on. Perhaps beauty, after all, does lie in the eyes of the beholder. Or perhaps it's not beauty that gets to have the last word. Anyway, it's all a big IF. If only things were so simple. If only I had my life sorted and she was not in mess herself. If... God, I hated that word.
"Hmm. So what's the plan?" I asked, shifting the topic.
The plane had begun its ascent into the twilight.
"We should reach Bangalore by around eleven. There's this pretty decent hotel right outside Kempagowda. We'll stay there for the night and visit Shehnaz tomorrow morning."
"She knows we are coming, right? She could be busy."
"Yeah, I've been in touch with her the past few weeks. She's super thrilled to know that we're coming. Actually, she's pretty free this weekend. The family and relatives are taking care of the arrangements. And the engagement is later this week, next Thursday actually. Apart from meeting some visiting relatives, she's got nothing to do this weekend. She said she's looking forward to spending time with us the whole two days."
"Did she have any siblings? I don't remember her mentioning any ever," I asked.
"No, she's a single child, and she's not very close to her cousins either."
"So what will we do for two days? Just chat? Maybe we can roam around the city with her?"
"Let's see how things pan out. I'm super glad just to see her again after so long. I don't think I've met her in person after graduation. We used to stay in touch for a couple of years. Then it just faded out."
"Same in our case, right? Probably, if I hadn't moved to Gurgaon last year, we'd still be just faces in WhatsApp profile."
"Nah, you'd still have a special place in my heart."
"Really?"
"Yeah, what do you expect? We dated for what, three-four years."
"Hmm. Even I did think of you for some time after we parted ways. But then life takes over, new job, new place, new friends..."
"I understand. Relations from college rarely last precisely because of this. Apart from Namita and George, I'm not aware of any couple in our batch who took it all the way. Even for them, Namita had to put her career in back burner to make it last. For me, IIMA took precedence over you," she chuckled.
"I wouldn't have had it any other way either. Made no sense to compromise our careers to stay together."
"Ma'am, would you like tea or coffee?" A fair, petite young air hostess in a blue cardigan bent over towards us.
It was drizzling when the flight touched down at Kempagowda Airport. We checked in at the Sheraton by half-past eleven.
"You sure of this? Sharing a room seems a bit risqué..." I trailed.
"Stop moaning. If you're that keen to spend an extra six k, buy me new heels. This one is nearly worn out," she scoffed.
"You know it's not about the money."
"Chill Bozzo, you fret as if YOU are the married one, not I. Besides, it's a double bed. You take one side, I'll take the other. Nothing else happens... unless you can't keep it in your pants," she chuckled.
"No risk of that. The last thing I want is to be the reason for your divorce."
"Oh, so you're okay with me getting divorced, but do not want to be the reason?"
"Jesus, stop nagging," I swiped the room key over the sensor and walked into the room.
***
I turned down the seven o'clock alarm and stared absently at the small strands of sunlight that had crept in through a small crevice between the thick golden satin curtains. I contemplated waking Akshita up, who was still sleeping on the other side of the double bed. A rush of nostalgia hit me as I glanced towards her. Lying on her side, turned away from me, her bare shoulders rose and fell as she breathed, with only the straps of her camisole top rising from the thick blanket obstructing my view of her upper back.
I poked lightly on her bare shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. I proceeded to poke a bit forcefully after the first few attempts had no discernible effect. A slight shuffle was felt, and some murmur was audible after some effort. This was not how I'd have woken her up if we were still together. If only. Times had changed, and I had no desire to break up families.
"Let me sleep a bit more. Wake me up in an hour," I heard her mumble.
I turned and lay straight on my back and shifted my gaze to the diffused cove lighting on the ceiling. From what I remembered from our overnight trips, she was relatively quick to dress up and get ready most of the times. But that was mostly treks and the sort. For dates and dine outs, I had no idea how much time she usually took. For any occasions, she definitely took care to dress meticulously and paid attention to each detail. From what I had gathered from the couple of women I'd been with, most really didn't need much reason to take ages to dress up. Anyway, this was all past and if she wasn't too keen on keeping time, I had no intention to coerce her to. Considering the Bangalore traffic, even on a Saturday, there was a little chance of us meeting Shehnaz at ten, even if Akshita yielded to my prodding an hour later.
I got up from the bed and trudged towards the washroom, not wanting to be the one to delay the proceedings. I don't remember ever keeping her waiting, and it didn't have to change tonight. A quick look back at Akshita as I passed her stirred something inside me. Years had certainly brought some changes to her, but seven years isn't much to bring any drastic change. Apart from the little post-partum weight she had gained, there wasn't a whole lot of difference. As if by instinct, I stepped towards her and tucked the few strands of loose hair that had strayed on to her face behind her ear. I'd always loved doing it and looking at her bare face as she slept.
I was at the worktable besides the bedroom lamp, replying to some office mails, when she turned around and rubbed her eyes.
"What time is it?"
"Ten minutes to nine."
"Damn, I need to get ready. We shouldn't keep her waiting."
"No shit."
I eyed her as she got up, her cami top and shorts crumpled from the night's sleep.
"Any changes?" she asked as she saw me eyeing her, and swirled around to give me a three sixty view.
"Come on! We've been meeting nearly every fortnight or so for the last year."
"Still, it's at some café or somewhere, not just after I've woken up and with zero makeup. And not with me wearing shorts."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask, how come you don't wear shorts now. You used to wear it all the time in college."
"Coz I'm a married mom right now and can't go around stuttering in shorts how much ever I want to!"
"I wouldn't mind," I shrugged.
"Of course you wouldn't, shithead!" she threw a pillow at me and marched towards the washroom.
I was still on my laptop when Akshita's phone started ringing after some time.
I looked at the screen and called out to her in the washroom, "Akki, Mohit's on the phone."
"Don't answer, I'm coming out now," she yelled back.
"I know, I'm not that stupid," I yelled back.
She hurried out of the washroom in the white hotel bathrobe, water still dripping from the head-knot she made with the turkey towel.
She took the phone and made some funny sounds.
"Ayaan..." she whispered to me, seeing my inquisitive look.
I figured her husband had taken over when her tone turned terse.
"That mofo is depositing Ayaan at my sister's place. He has asked me to collect Ayaan when I'm back. Can't even take care of his son for a weekend, Dumbass!" she fumed as she cut the call.
"I bet he'll shoot us both dead if he saw us now," I replied, staring at those irresistible thighs visible through the slit running down from her robe's belt around her waist.
"That he will..." she chuckled.
"You sure you're doing nothing wrong?" I asked, eyes still on her thighs.
"Considering I haven't strangled him yet, I think yeah, I'm doing alright!" her reply didn't skip a beat.
I shifted my gaze to her face. "Something you wanna tell me?"
"Later," she waved me off and walked back to the bath. "By the way, how were my thighs?"
"A bit fuller and plump than I recall, but they suit you just as well."
"Thanks! I would have killed you if you said it was as toned as before. Give me another half hour," she called out as she disappeared into the washroom.
***
Shehnaz was one of the lucky few to actually live in a proper house with a front yard and all in Bangalore and not in a box like I was so used to. She had quit her job in Mumbai a month ago and had moved back here to her parent's place on the outskirts of Bangalore.
She was waiting for us at the gate when our cab reached her place. She was super thrilled, and it was as if not a day had passed since three of us last met; there was no ice to break. Her house was decked up for the impending engagement later that week and was fairly bustling with activity, people going in and out, a couple of relatives scattered here and there. She herself had not changed a sliver. Her lean and thin figure was exactly as I remembered her. Even her face was still as unblemished and spotless as I had always known. It was as if time had had no effect on her. The only minor difference was her hair, what was previously always adorned with a headscarf, now cascaded down straight and long to neatly end at her midriff.
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