Chapter Four
The days went by peacefully with Kria working for GRP. She totally loved her job, redecorating and renovating rooms, changing the wallpapers, selecting wall paints, deciding on the type of floral decoration and many more in different hotels. She also got to meet new people and make frnds. One such frnd was Aakash Mathur..a member of GRP'S decoration team. Kria considered him only as a frnd but AM really liked her though silently, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"Uncle my cabin has become soo boring. I want to decorate it with some new pictures..and u r the best judge in this matter" Rey one day asked GRP.
"Sure beta...anytime...u can visit the shop of my new employee..she is brilliant, I am sure u can find many interesting things there" GRP said and gave him the address.
Kria had a little shop of her own at the back of her house, where she used to store and sell the paintings she had made.
Today she was working on a particular frame that required mending when Rey entered the shop. She was dressed shabbily in a loose pajama and t-shirt, her hair was tied up in a knot. The familiar smell of aftershave disturbed her so she looked up...her face went white like she has seen a ghost. She was sitting on the floor, she got up. Rey was also surprised to see her.
Without any argument he said "I have come to buy some paintings for my office..can u show me some?"
"Sure...yeh saare oil paintings hain aur idhar sab water colour..aap dekh lijiye aap ko kya pasand hain" Kria was trying to be professional.
"Pasand to tum ho Kria..koi inti casual dress mein itni desireable kaise lag sakti hain" he was asking himself.
Kria was feeling shabby and uncomfortable in her dress..."aaj hi mujhe yeh pehen ke dukan aana tha...Rey kya soch raha hoga mere bare mein...woh to kitni khubsurat ladkiyon se milte honge" suddenly thinking about those girls made Kria jealous "par main kyun affected ho rahi hun? Mujhe kya?" she brushed the thots aside.
Rey's eyes stopped before one particular landscape oil-painting. It showed a small wooden cottage surrounded by mountains and jungle of pine and fir trees. It seemed strangely familiar to Rey, like he has been to the place a long time ago. "I want to buy this picture" he told Kria.
"Sorry it's not for sale" Kria answered.
Rey was not expecting this "excuse me?" he said.
"Yeh picture mere mom ne banai thi, she was also a fantastic artist..yeh unki ankhri nishani hain main isse khabhi nahi sale kar paungi" tears came to her eyes.
"That's ok Kria mujhe accha laga to maine socha that I will go for it par agar tum bechna nahi chahti ho koi baat nahin" he tried to comfort her. At last Rey settled for a picture of a deer chased by a lion.
"Pata hain miane yeh tasveer banate waqt khabhi nahi sochi thi yeh koi kharedega..its weired" Kria said.
"Aur miss Ghai mujhe wiered cheeze bahut pasand hai" Rey said smiling. Kria for the 1st time saw him smile. He looked so handsome. She also smiled.
"What????????? U r not coming to the party with Rey??? But kyun Ronnie tum dono ka jhagra hua hain uss ladki ko lekar?" Simmi was asking Sharon over the phone.
"Jaane de na yaar...Rey aur main ek doosre ko bachpan se jante hain firbhi khabhi khabhi lagta hain I don't know him at all...aur kisiko bina jaane lagle laga hain k main use saalo se janti hun" Sharon was lost in Swayam's thot. Simmi cudnt understand a word she said.
"Tu kiski baat kar rahi hain?" she asked.
"Well that's a secret babes..time aane pe pata chal jayega" Sharon laughed.
It was Sunday nite. Mumbai was a bit chilly that day; it was the middle of November. Swayam was at the gate of Rai Prakash Villa..his hair set with gel, looking handsome in a black suite. "Main sachme SRP ke date banke party mein jar aha hoon or am I dreaming" he pinched himself "ouch..abbe gaadhe yeh dream nahi reality hain. Ab jaldi kar she must be waiting".
Sharon looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a halter-neck black dress. It was full length but it well showed the curves of her body. She heard the door bell. A few secnds later the maid informed her that some one has come to meet her. She went down the stairs and saw him reading the newspaper..oh he was looking so handsome..she felt her heart wud stop.
"Hi Sharon" Swayam looked up.
"Hey..." for the first time in her life SRP was feeling shy in front of a guy.
"U r looking stunning...anyone at the party cud fall in love with u" Swayam said jokingly. The words made Sharon blush deep pink which was also unusual for SRP coz getting compliments was natural to her. They set out for the party in a cab.
The hotel lobby was full of people. Some had come to enjoy their Sunday dinner, some to the spa and saloon, some for clubbing and many were just guests staying there. Hotel Fine Day was famous for its nite-life. It was Sunday but Kria was there for work.
"I have brought you here today so that u can study people here and redecorate according to their tastes and preferences. Kria u go with Aakash to the VIP lounge and start working on the furniture." GRP distributed the work orders.
"We r lucky, we will get to see the VIPs" AM was grinning who was obviously very happy to be paired with Kria.
"Aakash we r going there to study the furniture not the VIPs" Kria smartly replied. As they entered the VIP lounge the smell of tobacco and expensive liquor filled Kria's nostrils. There were many well known and famous personalities there. Suddenly Kria noticed him, sitting all alone in a corner, busy with some papers. He looked sad and left-out. She don't know why but her her cried out for Rey. She wanted to comfort him to ask about his troubles. "Come on Kria..u have to get started" AM prompted her.
If some one had asked Sharon what happened at the party, who were the guests, what food and drink was served she cud have answered none...coz the whole time she was too conscious of the man beside her, the whole time her heart was beating crazily. Even her name on his lips made her shy. This feeling was altogether unknown to her, she never felt this way for anybody.
Swayam during the whole party tried to avoid her as best as he cud..but her innocent smile, the scent of her lustrous hair, her cute little antics mesmerized him.
"Swayam Shekhawat is it u?" he heard someone take his name. He turned around and saw a mean looking man with French beard. He was holding a glass of wine in one hand and a girl young enough to be his daughter in the other hand. He looked familiar but he cudnt quite remember him.
"Surprised to see u at the party and that too with SRP!!!!, may b u don't remember me but I remember u too well" he was saying. The whole crowd was staring at them.
PRECAP: Who is the person Swayam met at the party? What does he know about him? Will Kriyaansh come face to face at the hotel? Why was Rey sad? 😲
Anupamaa
Hindi TV Shows
32