FF Dostana || NOTE pg 64|| - Page 37

~ C HA P T E R 3 3 ~

'what is up with you?' She asked handing her the coffee.

'what? Nothing! Nothing at all, just...a boring day at work.'

Zia narrowed her eyes, 'No, something is up, you seem awfully happy today.'

'What! No! No! No...no. I- just, it's nothing,' Khanak smiled at Zia, 'Ah... anyway, I will go, thanks for the coffee.'

'oh don't mind.'

Something is fishy, Zia thought as she stirred her coffee, Shaan hasn't called me, I mean if they met, he would have called me. He said he almost had said I love you, then how come he hasn't talked to me and tell me what has happened? And Khanak is looking happier than her usual chirpy self, not to mention she actually has little hop in her walk today.

Zia made her way to her cabin, still thinking about Shantanu and Khanak.

'Hey!'

'what are you still doing here? And why do you have your laptop here? Rohan, you are not working her!'

'well I needed to talk to you, and you were not here, so I thought might as well get some work done.'

Her mouth was hanging open, 'what?! Rohan you have to go, I am meeting this guy for going over Khushboo and Akshay wedding piece and how will we go about it and all.'

'who?'

'what?'

'who are you meeting?'

'his name starts from A, h came in to introduce himself but I wasn't paying attention, I was writing the piece.'

'Which reminds me, you actually didn't like Katherine Hepburn's character going back to his ex-husband in Philadelphia story?'

'Of course I didn't,' she said in a matter of fact tone, 'I mean she was a strong woman who expected and deserved the best, rather than that she went back to a man who had not given her any of these things, and that guy happened to be Cary Grant is no excuse. She should have gone up there and faced all those people waiting for her to get married, and told them that there is no wedding. That would have been much more sensible and true to her character.'

'Well love is not always about sense.'

'Oh you are such a girl!' she said with a sigh as she walked to her desk and sat on her chair, 'love should be about sense! I mean just because you believe that someone is perfect for you, doesn't actually mean they are! And hanging on to a rotten relationship, because the romantic inside you is hoping that everything will be okay, in spite of been given evidence to the contrary is just dumb! She was married to the guy; she knew they don't work together, so why marry him again. That way I liked Roman Holiday, the character did fall in love, but she put duties in front of her heart and went back to being a princess.'

He sat up in his chair, 'Have you ever just sighed and felt your heart fill with joy at two people uniting onscreen? Or is that not sensible too?'

She couldn't help but smile at his sarcasm, 'Well this might come as a shock to you, but I have, sighed or whatever- when Maria and Captain Von Trapp kiss in the sound of music- beautiful, and...I smiled at the end of breakfast at tiffanies... and many more, I do smile if the movie is good, and I will scorn if something doesn't necessarily make sense to me!'

He smiled, 'so you are not a completely heartless? Na I don't believe it!'

'Hey!' she threw a paper at him, 'fine, what can I do make you believe that I am not completely heartless, as I have led you to believe.'

'watch a movie with me.'

She thought about it for a second, 'Ah...'

'come on, it is not that bad a thing, I just found a DVD of the English patient, it is fabulous, one of my favourites, I am sure you will love it!'

'Mehra I love English Patient!'

'So does that mean we actually have something in common?!' he asked, a little shocked.

'Oh please! Don't be shocked, we were bound to have something in common! And I am glad it is English patient- thus I accept the invitation; of course there is one condition. There will be two separate bowls of popcorn.'

'fine by me, keeps you hands off my popcorn.'

She smiled, 'ho gaya? Ab Jao!'

'Fine!' he gathered his things and got up to leave.

'Oh! You had to talk to me right?' she asked, 'what about?'

He smiled, 'we will talk tonight, after English patient?'

She smiled, 'fine, as long as you don't bore me to death!'

'I promise I won't.'

*~*~*

To: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Fr: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Re: Zia

You think Zia will catch up to us?

Your girlfriend.

To: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Fr: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Re: Zia

Of course she will, she is very smart and intuitive. Plus she knows me very well.

Shaan- who loves that you are his girlfriend.

To: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Fr: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Re: Zia

Well doesn't matter, she isn't the kind who will go all gaga, and all romantic-y and keep saying that she is happy for us, and that "we are made for each other" or "it was about time we realised how perfect we are"... I see her as remaining cool about it.

Your girlfriend.

PS. Do you think it is weird I am signing off like this? Anyway, I like it, I canttell the world, so I will sign off like this.

To: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Fr: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Re: Zia

You are right. She will be happy for us, but won't be all touchy- and tears like Tashu...By the way wasn't she supposed to be back in Delhi by about now?

Shaan.

PS. You like it?! I love it... Khanak Kapoor- My girlfriend, it has a nice ring to it.

To: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Fr: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Re: Zia

Hey! just because your best friend will be all cool about it, doesn't mean, you have to say bad stuff about my best friend! Even if she will most definitely shed st least one tear, and hug us both to our deaths...

She postponed her visit by a week.

Your girlfriend.

PS. Good, because I ain't gonna stop signing off like this to you anytime soon.

To: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Fr: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Re: Zia

Your best friend broke my best friend's heart, so I have the right to say things about her. And Zia is really more like a sister to me... Kissing her felt incestuous really... part of the reason we broke up.

Why? She not well?

Your boyfriend.

PS. I refuse to stay out of this fun.

To: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Fr: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Re: Zia

Sister really? And incestuous? What about we broke up because I was too in love with her stuff...

and Yes I guess you can say stuff about her...

and no she is well, the thing unwell is her heart, she is still bumped out about breaking up with Rohan.

Your girlfriend.

PS. I welcome you with open arms into this fun!

To: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Fr: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Re: Zia

Yes well we couldn't say "we broke up because we are more like siblings" now could we? that would have been very weird, so we made up the story about she breaking up with me because I am very romantic, which I actually was. She is the kind who likes watching movies and debating whether Monet was really an impressionist painter or not. And also she loves reading classics. Not really my scene, and by movies I mean documentaries and black and white films.

I am more of a nice dinner and sweet conversation kind of guy- I am okay talking about some art stuff but not the way she does it... which reminds me Dinner tonight? My place or yours? Though it really doesn't make a difference.

Oh and, yes I too f8ind it weird, they shouldn't have broken up, they were so cute together!

Your boyfriend.

To: Shaan Khandelwal <Khandelwal.rockstar@kgrps.com>

Fr: Khanak Kapoor <Khanak_k@trends.com>

Re: Zia

OMG! Why didn't you tell me this before! I didn't know you lied to me... very bad Khandelwal!

Anyway, dinner at mine, we will cook fish and salad... but can you pick up things from the supermarket, I am swamped with this piece I am doing.

And I agree Rohan and Tashu are the biggest idiots. EVER. Period. No debate about it!

Your girlfriend.

PS. Going into meeting so will talk later, cant wait to have our first dinner as boyfriend and girlfriend... dying to see you tonight...