Chapter 2.1
"Get up!", said Milind pulling the duvet off Neev. "Leave me alone, Milind.", begged Neev. "We haven't got a minute to lose. I got to find her. I'm sure she is at this resort.", said Milind. Neev looked up at him bleary eyed, "Who?". "The girl I met last night.", replied Milind with a smile. "Oh right, the one that drank tequila and danced with you. Just how much did you drink? You can start seeing things after a while.", said Neev, pulling the duvet out of Milind's hand and over his head. Milind knew Neev didn't believe him. They had got separated in the crowd at the bar and had only met back in their rooms. "Listen this trip was your idea, and you're helping me if it's the last thing you do.", said Milind pulling off the duvet and the pillow under his head. "She rather be worth it.", grumbled Neev as he stumbled out of bed.
Neev came out the bathroom, still brushing his teeth to see Milind rummaging through his travel bag. "Using this?", asked Milind holding up a blue t-shirt with black graphics on it. "Hell no, Milind!", said Neev with a mouth full of tooth paste, "You're stretching all my t-shirts. Use your own clothes." Milind was decidedly broadly in the shoulders than Neev, giving the t-shirts an even tighter look. "I don't think my golf shirts are going to do it with this girl.", said Milind unconcernedly as he took the shirt and headed back to his room. "You're lucky, you're family.", yelled Neev and then realized toothpaste foam had dribbled all over his chin. "Hell!", he cursed even louder.
Neev and Milind were first cousins. To celebrate Milind's new job and Neev completing a major project at his graphics design company, Neev had twisted Milind's arm into coming on this holiday. Milind was as conservative and inscrutable as Neev was outgoing and friendly but they were the best of friends. Neev was there for sun, fun and girls and Milind was there to scuba dive, sit on the beach and read and make sure Neev didn't get into too much trouble. But since the previous night, they had seemingly gone through a personality swap. Milind was chasing a girl and Neev was trying to keep him in check.
As they sat eating their breakfast, Milind searched the room for her. Neev regretted forcing him to go to the bar the previous night. He regretted even more making him ditch his glasses and use his t-shirt. Neev looked at him and sighed, "Okay, what's her name?" 'I don't know.", admitted Milind sheepishly. "You don't know? You're chasing some girl, whose name you didn't even bother finding out?", asked Neev incredulously. "She said we shouldn't bother about such trivialities.", said Milind. Neev had just taken a sip of his orange juice when he spat it out. "Are you sure you didn't dream her up? She sounds pretty incredible.", he said. "She was.", said Milind. Neev looked at him shocked. Was his stern, 29 going onto 65 cousin, actually looking a bit like a dreamy-eyed teenager? "Wow, cuz, not sure what's going on here.", said Neev. "I don't know, Neev. I just felt so alive around her.", said Milind earnestly. "Damn, Mishra, that's the corniest thing I ever heard come out of your mouth. You even got me convinced now, we got to find her.", said Neev.
Just then, Neev looked gobsmacked. "Is that her?", he asked excitedly but as he got a closer look at her, he suddenly wished that it wasn't. Milind turned around and looked at the girl at the buffet table. "No", he replied disappointed. "Well, beautiful woman like that travel in packs.", said Neev already out of his chair. "Hi, I'm Neev.", said Neev as he approached her with a disarming smile. She just looked at him skeptically and continued pouring out her orange juice, "Can I help you with something?". Neev suddenly felt unsure of himself. She was petite with flawless pale skin and light brown eyes. She was an unusual beauty. "Yeah, do you have a friend?", blurted out Neev, suddenly getting nervous under her piecing gaze. "Not for me, for my cousin.", continued Neev.
Ayesha just arched an eyebrow and continued to drink her orange juice. Ayesha had quickly summed up Neev in one swift glance. Good looking, flirtatious, a player. She come across guys like him at work all the time. Though usually they were a lot smoother than Neev. Neev realizing how he sounded, regained control of himself. "That didn't sound right.", he said with a charming smile that never failed to impress the girls. However Ayesha just calmly took a bite of her toast and had no particular expression on her face. "My cousin met this girl last night, an Indian one but he didn't get her name and I was just wondering if you are with any friends who maybe '", said Neev. "Where's your cousin?", asked Ayesha, slightly suspicious now.
"He's right over there.", said Neev pointing over to Milind at their table. Ayesha immediately recognized him and her face betrayed her. Neev noticing the change in her impassive expression exclaimed, "You recognize him! But he said you're not her, so it has to be your friend or someone you're know." Ayesha just then noticed Prachi entering the breakfast room wearing dark glasses, a huge t-shirt and jeans, her hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. Ayesha smiled at Neev sweetly, "Neev, is it?". "Uh, huh'", mumbled Neev, stunned at the sight of her gorgeous smile, was entirely unsure of even his name at that moment. "Why don't you go back to your table and I'll join you in a minute?" asked Ayesha still smiling. "Okay!", said Neev excitedly.
As soon as Neev turned his back, Ayesha ran to the entrance where Prachi was standing looking for her. Ayesha dragged Prachi behind a pillar. Prachi was still a bit hungover and regretting every moment of the previous night. "He's here", whispered Ayesha. "Who?", asked Prachi confused. "The guy you were dancing with last night amongst other thing.", said Ayesha. Prachi leaned against the pillar, looed pale. "Where?", she whispered. "There!", said Ayesha pointing towards a still unsuspecting Neev and Milind. Prachi turned around slowly. All morning, she kept getting recollections of him. She had started to believe that she had half imagined him. No man could be that gorgeous.
She pulled off her glasses and got a good look at him. He really was that gorgeous, if not more so. "Oh god, oh god!", she said panicked, "What am I going to do?" "Let's just go back to our room and we'll just hide from him now on.", said Ayesha. "I don't want to.", said Prachi softly. "What?", asked Ayesha, shocked. "I don't want to hide from him.", repeated Prachi. "But I can't let him see me like this.", said Prachi in dismay looking at her oversized t-shirt and baggy jeans. "Give me ten minutes. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere.", said Prachi to Ayesha. "What?", repeated Ayesha flabbergasted. It looked like Prachi wasn't about to recover from her Mauritius madness anytime soon.
Prachi nearly tripped over her feet in her haste to pull off her jeans. She didn't pause to think. She was just going with her instincts. Maybe it was the heat or the residual alcohol in her bloodstream or she really was having a nervous breakdown but she had to see him again. She felt this magnetic pull towards him. She had never been attracted to any man like she was to him. She knew he was interested in a facade rather than her but she was willing to play along if it meant being near him. "I'm losing my mind.", admitted Prachi, looking at herself in the mirror but right now she was quite happy to.
Ayesha made her way towards Neev and Milind's table. "Hey", said Neev, "This is my cousin Milind." "I'm Ayesha.", said Ayesha politely. "Ayesha", repeated Neev softly. Ayesha looked at both cousins. They must be deadly together when it came to woman. Little did she know, how nervous Milind was about broaching the subject of her supposed friend, whom Neev seemed convinced was his mystery girl. "So, Ayesha are you here alone?", Milind finally asked. But he didn't wait for her answer, because at that moment Prachi entered the room.
His chair fell to the ground as he hastily stood up. She was wearing a pair of stone-colored shorts showing off long legs and a pink spaghetti strap top, her long hair swinging free. Prachi had never felt more exposed in her life but it was worth it when she saw the expression on his face. She calmly made her way to the table. As she reached the table, Prachi was glad she still had her glasses on. She could feel her eyes popping out at the sight of him in that tight blue t-shirt and jeans. He was smoldering and he was directing all that heat towards her.
"Ayesha, there you are!", said Prachi in what she hoped was an unaffected tone. Ayesha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Prachi, this is Milind and Neev.", said Ayesha.
"Prachi, I guess since we're meeting again, names are no longer a triviality.", said Milind a bit huskily. Neev taking a sip of water, snorted it out when he heard his cousin's deepening voice. Ayesha looked at Neev curiously. "Wrong passage.", said Neev with an impish smile. Ayesha actually feeling her pulse quicken slightly, turned her attention back to Milind and Prachi.
"Oh, right.", said Prachi, indicating in a tone that she had only just remembered, "We met last night." " Yes, we did.", replied Milind a bit deflated. It obviously wasn't as memorable a meeting for her as it had been for him. He had to play it equally cool. Prachi sat down and quickly ordered a cup of coffee. "So, are your'll from Mumbai?", asked Neev. "Yes and your'll are from Delhi, I suppose.", replied Ayesha. "Yeah but Mil'", said Neev. "What do your'll do?", asked Milind quickly interrupting. "I'm a junior designer at Sensations.", replied Ayesha. "Really, I'm also a designer.", said Neev eagerly, "Actually a graphic designer but still same thing." "Really?", asked Ayesha perplexed, "How is a fashion designer the same thing as a graphic designer?". "Both are designers.", replied Neev lamely. Dammit what was it about this girl that made him such an idiot.
"And I guess you're a model?", Milind asked Prachi. Prachi nearly burst out laughing. But she wasn't about to tell him that she was an accountant, so she merely smiled. "And how about you?", asked Prachi. "Uh '", Milind was stumped on how to reply. The reason he had stopped Neev from tellings the the girls that he about to move to Mumbai for his new job was because he didn't want to reveal to Prachi just how boring he was in reality. Neev looking at him, took pity on him, "He's a photographer.". "How perfect.", said Ayesha, "Since Prachi is a model, maybe she could pose for you." Milind looked panic stricken. His Sony Cybershot was a far cry from professional photography equipment, not that he would know how to operate it even if he had them. Prachi glared at Ayesha. Ayesha merely smiled back. She wanted to make Prachi realize she was going too far with her charade.
Edited by blackcurrant - 16 years ago
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