Elated at the succesful completion of the presentation which resulted in the confirmation of the deal, Rishav and Rahul sauntered out of the conference hall with a contented smile adorning the handsome features of both the pals.
Rahul thumped Rishav's shoulder : " The client is pretty impressed with the presentation. I'm so happy man that we got the contract. Did you hear what he said? The presentation was the best he had ever seen."
Rishav's lips pulled up into a smug smirk : " It had to be the best. You know buddy that Rishav Kundra always settles with nothing but the best. And RK never accepts defeat. I get what I want and I never fail Rahul."
Rishav winked at his best friend as his lips curved into a devious smirk while Rahul rolled his eyes.
Rahul : "God Rishi! Can you get any more arrogant than this? You and your attitude problem!"
Rishav chuckled as he retorted : "Well well well my attitude is something every girl go gaga about. As for my arrogance, trust me I can get extremely arrogant and obstinate in my quest of something upon which I really set my eyes."
Rahul threw his hands up and fisted the air in utter frustration : " Arrrghhh! You know what you are just impossible. To make you understand connotes banging my head on the wall. So just let's leave it at that. Now tell me are you gonna come tonight at my place. I was thinking of having a movie night. How does that sound?"
Rishav : "Sounds absolutely brilliant. Will see you tonight."
By the time they had strolled out of the multistoreyed building and had set their foots on the pavement just outside the office building.
As soon as he set his foot outside the building a cool, sooothing gust of wind hit his face and Rishav felt as if it was bringing alongwith it a soothing fragrance and essence of existence of someone close, very close to his heart. As the breeze caressed his face, he felt the presence of some unknown bliss. He was yet to know what or who it was. Whatever it was, it felt as if it was soothing his scorching soul after such a long duration and he felt an instant contentment which was identical to the one a farmer feels when the heaven blesses his dry land suffering from draught with a shower.
Rishav was lost somewhere when he felt himself being shaken a bit too harshly and he immediately gathered himself up and whirled around only to find Rahul staring at him with a bemused expression.
Rahul : "What happen Rishi? You seemed…lost."
Rishav shook his head: "I don't know. It felt as if… . Oh forget it! I think I need a break. See you at evening buddy."
He strode off leaving behind a befuddled Rahul.
*******************************************************************
As Rishav settled behind the wheel, his mind buzzed with the unknown contentment and feelings he felt for that particular moment. However, soon he regressed to his original rationalistic state of mind and shook off the unusual thoughts and he pressed the accelerator and the car zoomed away.
He didn't know why he was feeling like that but he was feeling fidgety. Time and again the only thing that was foraying repeatedly into his mind was an uncanny feeling that he was gonna have some life-changing experience. Yet again he forcefully shook such weird thoughts off and tried to focus on the road.
"Damn!", he muttered frustrated as he pressed the brakes as the long line of immobile vehicles came into view. Soon the came to halt just behind the last car in the apparently endless queue.
He hit the steering wheel in utter frustration as he despiced being hold up for anything and reclined on his seat and shut his eyes for a moment. However soon his eyes snapped open as the tinkling sound of a musical laughter resonated in his surrounding. Curious, he peeped through the window on his side and the enthralling sight that met his gaze left him enchanted, mesmerised.
A girl, oblivious of the world around her, was engrossed in merriment with some kids. She was giggling as she was chasing them while the kids were apparently enjoying themselves to the fullest. It was as if in a trance Rishav couldn't blink his eyes for a moment as he captured the enchanting sight in his mind. The girl wasn't clad in any designer wear nor had she done any makeup. There was nothing artificial either about the extraordinary beauty or about the sprightly nature of the girl who was the epitome of beauty even while she was clad in a simple white salwar kameez with absolutely no makeup done. Unknown to himself, Rishav 's lips curved into a genuine smile, a smile he had long lost in years of struggle to acquire the topmost position and reach the zenith of success, a smile which even the company of Rahul and Muskaan failed to fetch. A smile he was used to with when…..
Rishav chided himself mentally : "Don't go there. Don't you dare go there."
Successfully he steered his mind and focus back to the present, back to the enchanting angel who was, without the slightest effort on her part, was bringing back memories, memories of happiness, of company, of a happy family and bringing back the Rishav that he once used to be.
The rays of the setting sun of the moment prior to the dusk was playing hide and seek with her sleek, black, waistlength hair. The lustrous locks of the thick, black mass of her hair were glitteriing in the red golden rayas of the sun and were flying freely due to the gentle breeze caressing them. Her smile and laughter were adding to the charisma of her exquisite features.
He didn't know when it happened and how but he began to loss himself without his knowledge in that divine smile and those amazingly beautiful and fathomless hazel brown eyes.
His lips automatically curved into a sweet smile as he found her now holding a little kid by the waist whom she had caught after chasing them all and she is laughing alongwith the other kids.
However soon the trance shattered and he was rudely brought back to the real world from an enchanting dreamland which was inhabited by only him and his angel as a shrill noise perforated his ears. He immediately regressed to his senses and glanced around gathering himself. He was startled to find that he was totally oblivious of his surrounding and the fact that the traffic was no longer immobile. The vehicles in front of his car had moved away while the vehicles behind him was honking him to either move away or give them space to move. His brows furrowed as he shook himself out of his reverie and then, as if compelled by an unknown force, he yet again peeped out of the window. But he was flabbergasted to find that on that particular spot there was not a single trace of any human being, neither her nor the kids. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air.
Befuddled, He frowned as he thought to himself : "What was that? Was I dreaming and that too with open eyes? Was she nothing more than a figment of imagination? If its not true then where the hell did she go? (The honking was louder now) Arghhh! These impatient idiots! Don't worry I'm leaving now."
With that his car joomed away. However the thoughts of the mystery girl still lingering in the recesses of his mind.
Soon enough his car joomed through the colossal gates which led to his mansion.
He applied brakes and stepped out of the car and tossed the keys to the chauffeur who almost appeared out of nowhere as soon as Rishav 's car came into view.
He trotted towards the colossal doors that led to the interiors of the mansion and pushed them open, revealing the poshly decorated living area, every single piece of art in which screams opulence.
However inspite of all the oppulence and rich taste regarding art and luxury, what the house lacked was warmth, the warmth that comes from the presence of family, from the presence of dear ones, the kind of warmth that makes a house home.
Unwantedly and rather unconsciously his mind walked down the memory lane and the memories burried in fathomless abyss of his mind forced their way back to his conscious mind.
In his venture to keep the disturbing memories at bay, he thought of his stress relieving option and strode off towards his private gym.
He mounted the spiral staircase, draped in an expensive blue carpet and crossing the long corridor on the 2nd floor with long and hurried strides trotted towards the gym.
He slide open the glass door that led to the Gym which was much more well equipped than many renowned Gyms all over the country.
He inhaled a deep breadth and sauntered inside his private gym. Soon he reached the tread mill and unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it off to the nearby table.He was only n his black vest. He also changed his formal trousers into tracks that were usually kept ready in the changing room within the gym He mounted on it and increased the speed level to the maximum and began to work out vigorously.
Sweat trickled down his well toned and burly body like pearl drops, causing his body appearing to be all the more delectable.
However, as far as Rishav was concerned all he could think of was his mystery girl who had successfully occupied his mind, a feat which no other women had ever been able to accomplish.
Her fathomless black eyes, her dupatta swaying with the gentle breeze, her earlings dangling from soft petal like earlobes and moving in a rhythm with her every movement, her enchanting laughter, everything just re-occurred in front of his eyes whenever he would close his eyes.
Frustrated, he snapped open his eyes and raked his hand through his partially clammy thick, dark hair.
Rishav : "What the hell is happening to me? Why on earth the image of that girl is not leaving my mind? I don't even know whether she was real or just a figment of my wild imagination. Why cant I just shove her off my mind? Her eyes…her beautiful black eyes….keep coming back to my mind. And her laughter….so sweet, charming, enthralling….so full of innocence….so genuine….away from all kind of worldliness….adds a divine glory to her extraordinary beauty."
A genuine smile crept up on his lips as he recalled her laughter. However soon he came out of his musings as a knock on the glass door resonated in the gym and his attention went to the door.
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
Anupamaa
