Chapter 15

14. Drenched Candy, Dapper Corn

‘So your friend, this Navyam Prakash has asked you to bring along me,’ Mayank asked.

‘He has,’ replied Kirti. 

‘Are you sure this is not a prank?’

‘Hopefully not.Why would he involve a third person if he’s so itching to pull a prank on me?’

‘Tell me again what he told you.’

‘He said, That day you were talking about an actor friend. The Kabhi Na Kabhi guy. I browsed through his works. Is he really your friend?’

‘I was offended naturally and said it was none of his concern. That’s when he spilled the truth. He wanted to meet you. He said, he tried contacting you through social media, but you had none. Why don’t you have any? How will people reach out to you.’

‘You know I am a theatre artist. I just want to act. SM is very noisy. I can’t waste my energy on unnecessary things.’

‘Hmm’

‘So what does this Prakash guy want from me?’

‘He didn’t elaborate. Just said he wanted to meet you for some business.’

‘What kind of a guy is he?’

‘In school I mostly remember him as a foodie, a little condescending. I don’t know his adult self much to pass any judgment. But he’s filthy rich you know South Bombay, sea facing bungalow and he stared at my breasts the other night but yesterday it was like I was talking to a very dignified hot shot CEO. He was all professional.’

‘Wow. Rich professional pervert. Just the kind of guy I want to work with. Should we go?’ Mayank asked.

‘No harm in it. Honestly, I am curious too. Do you have anything lined up?’

‘Had a small role offered and I have finished shooting for it. Now my days are all empty.’ My pockets too, but he didn’t add that.

‘Let’s go then. I will come and pick you up.’ Kirti informed him before disconnecting the call. 

XxxxxxX

‘Scoot, I will ride,’ Mayank ordered.

‘That attitude doesn’t work here, Virmaan ji. Chup chap, hop on,’ she ordered, sitting on the vehicle.

It started drizzling on the way to Navyam’s office, the raindrops furiously hitting her cheeks.

‘Side le le. We’ll take a taxi’ Mayank shouted from behind her.

‘Bas ab toh, we have almost reached. Why waste money?’

But the rain began to get heavier, the soft pitter patter soon turning to loud thumps. She parked her  vehicle on the side and  they waited for the storm to cease. When it showed no intention of doing so and Navyam’s number started showing up on her screen, she pulled out a raincoat from the dicky of her scooty and asked Mayank to wear it.

‘Me? You should be the one wearing it.’

‘No, you are the actor. Your body is precious. You cannot present yourself all drenched in front of your prospective employer.’

‘Let’s cancel it today. We’ll meet some other day.’

‘Itne qareeb aa kar? It’s not even 3 kilometres.’

XxxxxX

It was a huge opulent building, FORSES written in steel, across the head of it,  garden hedges in front, Small fancy fountain. Parking posts and chains. Guarded glass gates. Small flight of stairs that led to the entryway. When they stepped in, Kirti felt nostalgia hit her. There was a time she had dreamt of working at such places, had even waited for hours in the reception with her resume.

‘You go to the reception. I will wait here.’ She guided him, shaking off the rainwater at the doorway. 

‘What? You are sending me to meet ‘the man who stared at your breasts’ alone?’ He was only damp at places and Kirti was glad he was good to present.

‘It’s okay. You don’t have breasts.’

‘I do have other things. And this face...it is said that I have a face that tempts one to sin.’ He waved his hand over his face, regally.

‘Go,’ she pushed him. ‘If he tries anything, just give me a missed call. I’ll be your dame in...soaked garb?’

‘This Sir in to-be-distress-maybe, is departing. Wish me luck my dame’

‘The force be with you’

XxxxxX

A car stopped in front  of the building. Door was thrown open, the chauffeur with an umbrella ran to pull open the passenger door, after which the boss stepped out. 

Ah! Here comes the privileged strata of the society.

She strained her eyes to look through the slanting lines.

The odds of it! 

Nishit Aggarwal  entered and then immediately spotted her. Maybe it was in the reverse order. He spotted her first.

The dapper man came to stand next to her to look at the pouring rains outside. He was dressed simply in a white shirt that fitted his torso and slim fit blue trousers, but being a retail associate gave her an insight that he was covered from top to toe in brands which belied his true status. Even his smell had foreign airs.

It made her acutely aware of her drenched self, the puddle that she formed around her. She was wearing a boat neck long kurta over a pair of ankle length pajamas, all of it sticking to her skin. She had tied her hair into a pony, but it was a mess now. She brought the pony in the front of her shoulder and purposely shook and beat the water out of it. The drops landed on his shirt. Small dots of stain on his pristine shirt. Should be enough to scare the squad leader away. 

He continued to stand and stare outside, unmindful of the hair shower.

‘You work here,’ she surmised.

‘Yes’

‘Navyam?’

‘It’s his family’s company. I have been roped in as CFO.’

‘Oh’ Then she thought she must clarify why she was here. ‘Navyam wanted to…’

‘I know’

‘You are wet,’ he observed.

‘I know, too’

‘Tell me something so that I can say I know three.’ He said looking at her amusedly.

‘We are meeting way too often these days?’ She replied.

‘Fate?’ He offered.

‘I hope it isn’t.’  Why were they making a small talk?

‘Extremely flattterred,’He quipped. Then turning to face her, he asked, ‘Want to come up and dry yourself?’

‘And soil these beaming marble floors? No, thank you.’ 

He looked at her quizzically. ‘Well, as you wish,’ then summoning his driver, he ordered, ‘Bring her towels.’

‘You must have appointments or things to take care of?’ She tried shooing him away. The attention was weird and so unlike him.

The driver returned with beige colored towels and she accepted them reluctantly albeit thankfully. The man’s phone rang but he kept standing there with the set of towels. She took the towels from him, setting him free to answer the call. The man looked at his master for permission.

‘The way you are looking at me Navin ji, people’ll think I am a bloodsucking despot.’ The man, passive, went to answer his phone only when the master nodded.

‘His caller tune is Kissa Hum Likhenge,’ he informed her while she dabbed her face and arms.

‘Sorry?’ She asked.

'Forget it’

Once she had wiped her arms and face dry, she returned the towels to Navin ji, the driver.

‘You’ll be waiting?’ He asked.

‘Guess so.’

‘But you won’t come up?’

She replied by shaking her head.

‘Later, then. Need to meet the handsomest man in the room sorry...building.’

XxxxxxX

‘What did you talk about?’She asked Mayank once they were out of the building.

‘They want to shoot a commercial.’

‘Wow. That’s good, isn’t it?’

‘It is. They were looking for a fresh face and someone who can actually act. My theatre background helped. The idea is to shoot a brand mini documentary. If it hits then to make a small web series that revolves around FORSES automotive passenger vehicles and brand. Short videos to keep people hooked.’ Mayank detailed animatedly.

‘In short you become the face of the brand.’

‘Kind of. Kirti, I know it’s too early to say but I am getting a gut feeling that this is a start of things. That good things are going to happen from now.’

‘Touch wood. Once you become a star don’t forget how I shielded you from rain while getting myself drenched.’

‘You better get this raincoat framed and laminated. After all, Mayank Ojha wore it.’

‘Ha Ha Ha’

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]