COOL DUDES CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4- WHAT'S IN A NAME

"…… Allaya kaur Randhawa…." NK was almost blushing when he said her name. He was behaving like a school going teenager.

"Oho…Punjabi Kudi?" asked Akash with excitement in his voice.

"No…she's only lived in Australia" NK replied.

"So what….a Punjabi is Punjabi no matter what….its in the blood…" replied Arnav teasing NK as he was not well versed in Punjabi.

"Ji Nanhe ji……" Khushi joined her husband.

"NK bhai….You have found a perfect match for yourself…a Punjabi" Payal joined in the teasing wagon.

"Leave that NK bhai…she is beautiful and you are lucky" Akash finally gave up looking at NK's reaction.

"Yeah Allaya was one of the most beautiful girl that there is in my hometown in Aus" NK said. NK was back in his golden days. He was thinking about how he used to spend time with Allaya and his life was so sweet, not that it was any less sweet now.

"She seems to be…she's so beautiful….so what was she like?" asked Khushi.

"Well…she is very kind and generous. Even after having all the money in the world and the beauty, she was so grounded and was always helping everyone. She worked as a volunteer in charity organizations or NGO's" NK finished and the smile that he had on his face was like never before.

"NK….I know I am bad at such stuff but I guess you guys make a good couple…you are one of the most helpful person I have met and you met her…I guess that pretty much completes the picture doesn't it?" Arnav said but in a questioning tone. He looked at Khushi asking if he had said the correct things. Khushi smiled and nodded her head giving him a green signal. Arnav was happy.

"Speaking of meeting…." Akash intervened before anybody else could say anything "…..where did you and Allaya Kaur Randhawa meet?" he was curious and so was every one else.

"It's a long story…." NK said trying to change the subject.

"So we have enough time….we are not going anywhere and neither do we have any work" said Akash. Khushi laughed. Payal knew her husband well and knew that he would not leave without finding out every detail about the girl.

"Okay….so here goes nothing…." NK said and looked above then back at the gang. Arnav smirked at NK's reaction.

"We met at a cafeteria…." NK said and he had just begun when Akash intervened once again.

"Clich" said Akash. NK did not like it at all. He was pouring his heart out. He made a face.

"Jija ji….let him tell na" Khushi gave a look to her brother in law. NK thanked Khushi, and continued.

"As I was saying…..we met in a CAF …" NK stressed on the word for Akash "…and became friends….and then we became a couple……and then …." NK lost his smile. He was sad and said"….became single again….".

Everyone was waiting for the rest of the story but NK simply started walking.

"He was right…..that was a Loong story…" said Arnav in his sarcasm.

"Arnav ji….." Khushi hit him on the shoulder. She did not want Arnav to make fun of NK although she was also expecting more than this summarised version.

"NK bhai…look…we know you are sad and all that but can you please fill in those blanks which you left." Asked Akash. He wanted NK to come back from his grim mood.

"Which blanks?" asked NK. He was not sure what Akash was talking about.

"The ones which you left while telling your 'long story'…" he said and made air quotes while saying long story.

"Oh…well….. ammm…. Yeah" NK thought for a second. He then started his story again. " I was sitting in a caf and having a cup of coffee of course. What I saw next was going to change my life forever" NK paused for an effect. Everybody came closer to him and were waiting for him.

"I saw an angel entering the caf. Allaya was looking as beautiful as ever. She had come in alone and had ordered a big order. She was buying coffee for the volunteers who had come with her to help her clean the neighbourhood garden. She was waiting for her friends to come in to help her take the order out. But nobody had come….she was standing there for at least for five minutes but nobody came. The caf was also filled with people so they could not spare anyone to help her out." NK said.

"Let me guess…you went to help her and she went all mushy?" Arnav said depicting a path of typical love story.

"No as a matter of fact. She herself called me up for help" NK corrected Arnav.

"Oh yeah….that was so different…" Arnav was being his usual self again. Akash and Khushi both were glaring at him. "Ok…sorry…so what happened next"

"She waved her hand at me and I waved back. I was already taken away by her beauty….she signalled for me to go help her. I went up and…." NK stopped.

"Then what…..?" Akash asked. NK did not want to say what happened next but as everyone was waiting he had to say. He did hesitate. "she said hello and I greeted her back. She asked for me to help her………and……." NK looked here and there "….and I being me directly asked her why she chose me to help her"

"What?" Khushi and Payal said at the same time. Arnav and Akash could not stop laughing. They knew what was going to happen next. Khushi and Payal on the other hand were innocent. The girls did not know NK as long as Arnav and Akash had known him.

"Yeah….. I asked her 'so why me?'…to which she also said what? Just like you both did" NK pointed at Khushi and Payal. He was completely embarrassed.

"Why would you ask her that…..?" Khushi said still not understanding.

"Just tell the girls what you said" Arnav said, still laughing.

"Oh even I cant wait to hear this one" Akash added.

"I said 'well did you chose me to help you because I was the most handsome guy here?'" NK was barely audible and he was looking at the floor.

Arnav and Akash could not stop laughing.

"Why would you say that?" Payal asked looking at Arnav and Akash then at NK.

"I was….I ….." NK could not say it.

"He was trying to flirt with her…and with your looks….I assume that it did not go that well……" Akash said.

"Oh!!" Khushi said now understanding. She gave a smile too.

"No it did not go well…..she said that she had called me because I was the only one sitting alone in the caf and the rest of the people were on dates. I looked around and it was true. I was the only one alone" NK finished.

Arnav and Akash were now holding their stomachs.

"Hey come on…it did not work at that time….but she was my girlfriend later…so I guess it did work right…" NK tried to save his dignity as much as he could.

"Whatever dude……you were unsuccessful at that time….." Akash replied.

"NK ji….leave them..so what happened next…." Payal asked.

"That coffee led to another actual cup of coffee soon and rest is history…..nobody can resist my charms you see" NK said now being cool again.

"Yeah right…." Arnav said.

"But what happened then…." Khushi asked the main question.

"After we had been dating for sometime….we came very close….we were meeting on a daily basis.,….and then one day I had to come here….." he looked at Akash and Payal. " I asked her to come with me….she refused. ….and we had a fight….i did not call her neither did she…." NK said in a sad tone.

"Nanhe ji…so what she could not come….may be she had a valid reason…you should have asked her and at least called her later….." Khushi said. Being a girl she understood Allaya better even when she did not know her.

"I guess you are right……what should I do now…"

"I know what to do…." Arnav said with a lot of confidence in his voice.