Pratap woke up in the hotel room only when the sun was up in the sky and scratched his head looking around. The hangover was still throbbing in his head as he winced his eyes a little at the drapes they had not pulled the previous night. He looked around the room, at his clothes on the floor and picked up the pair of underwear from the headboard. He did not even remember he put it there. He looked around and realised he was alone. That was a first. Usually, he would leave a sleeping beauty behind with a note. His eyes immediately fell on the bedside table where a napkin was placed under his phone. He checked the time first. 7 A.M.
“The night was great! Didn’t wake you up. G2g.” It was written in the same lipstick she wore. The napkin smelled of her. He smiled a little, satisfied perhaps with the validation of his performance and walked to the washroom. As he splashed cold water on his face, memories of the night came back to him. She was experienced. Aloof yet not whimsical. She challenged him and he liked it. Pratap stared at his reflection in the mirror, as the water drops trickled down his chiselled chin and neck to his bare chest.
After one torrid session of passionate carnal satisfaction, he had indulged in a bottle of wine from the minibar in the room.
“So you are a wine person?” She asked sounding a little surprised. “You appear more tequila shots to me.”
“I have a rule…” He said pouring the wine playfully giving her a good view of his physic as she stared, “If it was good, it's wine to celebrate it.” He made her laugh.
“What if it is bad?” She asked eagerly twirling the end of her messy hair.
“Then whiskey, to drown the sadness of wasting my time and energy.” She laughed again as he offered her the cup.
“Thank you for the compliment.” Her eyes twinkled as they met his.
“Well, I did not receive any.” He shrugged.
“Hmm… I guess the celebratory wine was a good idea.” She smiled. “Tell me something, does your one-night thing always work?”
“Pardon?” He asked sitting down opposite her and observing her half lying down with her head on the headrest, her bare shoulders shining in the dim light as she covered the rest of herself with the sheet.
“I mean you said we will never see each other again, what if we bump into each other?” She asked. “This happened to me before. Man, it was so awkward ignoring them.”
“I usually don’t hang out in the pub, do you?” He asked as she nodded.
“Then chances of us meeting again are slim.” He placed the cup down and sighed. “However I have a three-day rule, not only a one-night one.” He said with a hint of amusement, “Just in case we bump into each other again.”
“A three-day rule?” She asked, raising her eyebrows a little.
“Yes, I don’t date and don’t sleep with them past three times. Never take them back to my place. Never exchange phone numbers. I don’t stay till they wake up in the morning and I don’t snuggle. Forehead kisses are a big no. Those are things women take as affection. I have learnt that the hard way.”
“You have so many rules.” She gasped almost irked. “I find it easier to ghost people.”
“Why hurt them?” He shrugged. She frowned at his words.
“You think a girl will fall in love with YOU after three dates? Seriously?” She laughed amused. “That is quite the confidence.”
“Ouch. That hurt my ego a little.” He feigned hurt. She laughed again. “Let me repair that a little.” She put her glass down. He looked visibly surprised.
“I thought you were worn out.”
“You say what you think before thinking whether you should say it.” She chuckled pulling him closer. “I like that.”
“Either you are not making sense or am too drunk.” He said before tasting the wine on her lips.
He discovered how she was open to many things other women he had been with refused and thought of as taboos. He discovered she did not feel disrespected because he lusted on her and did not care about who she was. He found it enigmatic for someone to have so much self-confidence. A part of him wanted the night to continue even if they were worn out. They could start again. But time seemed to move faster than it usually did.
Pratap was startled as his phone rang. It was his mother. He groaned a little as his eyes fell on the time again. He was late for the meeting. He had to hurry home.
Ajabdeh groaned inwardly as her supervisor explained her presentation to the clients as if it were her own. Kiran was the worst person she had ever worked with. Not only did she shoot down her ideas, she also happened to take credit for her hard work. The others in the team were fine with this attitude. Ajabdeh detested Kiran. If not for her need for money she would have taken up any other job. Unfortunately, this was paid well and she had tried in vain to get another with the same pay scale and time slot. She eyed the clients looking bored. I could have been more engaging. First, she seemed to be irked that the team was sent to work from the client’s office for this particular project. Although it was for one month it meant her travelling across the city far from home and giving into odd-hour demands which would not be the same in their own office. To top that she was here with Kiran alone. She was sure that one month was going to be hell. Now watching the client react to Kiran’s presentation, she was sure they would lose the project altogether. The presentation ended as a murmur filled the room. The lady at the head of the table seemed to be the boss. Above her head, the group logo shone on matte metal on the grey wall. Ajabdeh picturised the scene straight out of some movie, just to amuse herself. That was when the lady spoke.
“I liked the ideas. My team will work for you and show you your new work desks. But let me be honest here, my son is looking after the particular project so he will have the ultimate say. She eyed her watch and murmured “And he is late to work today. Mondays as usual.”
Ajabdeh had kept her box of things down on the empty cubicle beside Kiran’s when a man in his mid-30s approached her.
“Hi, I am Shivam.” He extended his hand. “I am the intermediary of the team from our company. If you need any help… ” She shook his hand with a faint smile.
“Tell us, how strict is your boss?” Kiran was straight to business. “Anything to improve in the presentation before I show it to him?” Make it less boring. Ajabdeh held her tongue.
“Oh, he is cooler than Mrs. Sisodiya.” Shivam shrugged. “He will be happy as long as you stick to your deadlines.”
“Still he seems to be late for work himself,” Ajabdeh murmured.
“Kiran?” The PA of the chairman came to interrupt them. “Ma’am is calling you and your team into her office for an introduction to Sir.”
“Do I need to bring the presentation?” Kiran nervously scrambled through her belongings for the Pendrive. The woman shook her head. “No, just an introduction.”
Ajabdeh inhaled as she straightened her kurta and eyed Kiran before following her.
“Let me do the talking.” Kiran reminded her before knocking.
The door opened halfway as Kiran peeped in to see the woman sitting on the chair while a younger man stood before her with his back to them. He was younger than she assumed. Ajabdeh followed her to the threshold.
“Pratap, meet the team that came from Sunfoteck Solutions. This is Kiran and…” The lady looked at Ajabdeh with questioning eyes.
“ Ajabdeh Punwar, Ma’am.” Her familiar voice made him turn as Ajabdeh’s eyes froze and she tried hard not to gasp audibly. YOU!
“Umm… Pratap Singh.” He seemed to recover from his shock quicker than her as he extended his hand to Kiran and then to her. “Punwar… right?” His voice seemed quite formal. Did he look different in the day? Ajabdeh nodded, shaking his hand firmly. Pratap noticed her braided hair and jhumkas that seemed to have tangled themselves with the falling locks. “Ajabdeh, sir.” She tried to sound as normal as she could. He would have been pretty sure she had a twin sister if it was not for her voice and touch. A classic case of Sita aur Gita. He drew his hand away as Kiran started explaining their project. He nodded, half the words barely resisting in his head now that he had a throbbing headache. For brief moments in between, their eyes met and they could sense the boredom that had taken over the room as they were quick enough to look away.
“Now that the introductions are done, you have a few weeks, so…” Mrs Sisodiya looked up at the girls. “Get to work?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Kiran nodded with a slightly weird bow. Ajabdeh inhaled inwardly. She stopped alarmed noticing how he observed her displeasure towards her superior with a hint of amusement in his eyes. She bit her tongue and walked out of the room hurriedly after Kiran.
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