An Open Bar, Reluctance, and Sightings…
It's a grandeur event inside Manhattan's Art Gallery…there are cocktails and critics going about the displayed pieces...so much clamor and noise…it's almost suffocating for a certain Shaantanu Sachdev…The Greco-roman art doesn't top his list of interests, never has and never will…he is browsing through his IPhone…
"Gorgeous! Ahurissant femme…!" A loud exclamation from one of Raina's bosses gets his attention…his wife had French and art loving admirers in the form of her bosses…she sure is the best in her profession…a frail smile curves his stiff lips...he possess indifference in his facial expression.
"Merci Monsieur Aldrich…! I am so glad you are pleased with what I have done…"
"Always my love…always..!"
The open bar in near distance is where he decides to park his bored self…orders a neat drink and then busies himself in his gadget again…
"Scotch on the rocks…! And a plain glass of water…" An excited voice becomes audible but he doesn't feel any need to acknowledge it...a few moments later the incessant tapping of fingers on the redwood bar top makes it a little difficult for him to ignore.
"Hey man I…"
"Hey, how's it going…?"
"Umm…"
"Didn't recognize you…are you…"
"You shouldn't…I mean…I was just wanting to make your tapping stop…"
"Oh…! Right…" The tapping stops and the restless hand is withdrawn from the bar top…Shaantanu Sachdev is back to his phone…the man next to him is still there, waiting on his ordered drinks…a couple of guys exchange pleasantries with him…he shouts out a few more hellos as well in the next few minutes…talk about being a socialite…!
"Your drinks Sir..!"
"Thank you…" The socialite is just about walk away with his drinks when he steps back and taps his fingers on the redwood bar top once again…his purpose this time was to get his attention… "Sorry man…by the way I totally get the boredom you are suffering with…"
"That obvious…is it…?"
"Yeah…Armaan Malik…" A formal handshake offering follows his introduction.
"Shaantanu Sachdev…" A firm grip loosens as soon as he names himself to the newly acquainted socialite. "Nice to meet you Mr.Malik…"
"Just Armaan would be fine…"
"Okay then…Armaan it is…"
"I better get back to my wife…hope you find something of interest this evening…" Armaan's simple parting sentence held his mind in place for the next several moments…he looks down at his palm…it had felt something this evening…something of his interest... The kohl-lined dark eyes…the chiffon…
"Hey husband…what ya been up to…?" Raina's timely appearance is actually welcomed by his wandering mind…boredom makes you do things, you shouldn't be doing…a clich, proven so true in this instance.
"Not much…seems like your efforts paid off…"
"Yes they did…I am really happy…"
"Good…that's what matters…" He says sipping down the clear alcohol in his glass.
"You mean that…?"
"I don't believe in saying what I don't mean…" He presses down on his pulled in lips and lets loose as he ends his sentence…something honest and then dishonest reflects in his tone…fortunately Raina only picks up on the honest part of it.
"You're missing Dari aren't you…?"
"I always miss her…"
"Hmm…and me…?"
Silence befalls the two…a moment seemed longer than sixty seconds…he stares ahead in her eyes…he wishes with all his heart to somehow convey his softness to her…to somehow make her feel adored and admired like every rightful wife deserves to…he manages a assuring smile…
"You can't be missed by your own husband…can you?"
"I don't know…I was the one asking you were supposed to answer…" Rains states plainly and reaches for his hand that is loosely framing the glass…he lets her hold on to it…
………….
Somewhere in the opposite end of the same crowded room Khanak stood reading the display card next to one of the precious jewels that supposedly belonged to the Parthenon ages ago…she had been through the sculpted stones and now the collection started to focus of artifacts from specific places rather than just Greco-Roman art forms…Her husband is with her in physical form but every few minutes or so he finds a familiar face to chat with…
"App yahaan meray saath bore hogaye na…?"
"Nahi…I mean I am meeting people…how are you liking it…?"
"It's interesting...to an extent enjoyable…" She answers making a selective word choice as he watched Armaan try really hard to seem interested in some half broken sculpted monument in the glass frame they were standing near.
"Yuvraaj uncle nahi aaye...?"
"Nahi…Dad ko kissi fundraiser dinner per jaana tha…he didn't tell you on the phone…?"
"Maine poocha he nahi…mujhe laga voh yahi millay gay…"
"We can go see him tomorrow if you want…Dad and I usually do Friday night dinners together…"
"Hmm…I can cook something…."
"Only if you want and enjoy doing so…humara cook toh hain he…"
"Hmm…" She grows completely silent and stares at the display.
"Khanak…???"
"Jee.."
"For a moment I thought you decided to become one these rocks…vaisay mujhay bhi batao iss sub mein interesting kya hain…? Maybe I can be a little appreciative…" Armaan Malik coats the moment with his light hearted charm and smiles at her….she manages a soft acknowledging smile in return and begins to pin point the specific details on the display in front of them…Armaan listens and watches her intently.
…………………
The event finally begins to conclude and people begin to make their way out the Gallery…Armaan and Khanak were already seated in the car…ready to leave…Raina and Shaantanu Sachdev were fulfilling the parting formalities with Raina's bosses and colleagues by the exit…
"Armaan…!"
"What happened…?"
"Mera clutch…I forgot to pic…"
"Oh Ghawd you gave me a serious scare there…I can pull up the car at the corner…we can go grab it…"
"Nahi…itna traffic hain…app yahi gari mein rahay main bus jaldi se lay kay aati hoon…"
"Are you sure…"
"Yeah…maine humari table per he rakha tha dinner kay time per…"
"Okay…I'll stay back…tum jaao…"
She gets out the car quickly and takes hasty steps back into the Museum…
"Good Night sweetie…Good-bye Shawn…!" Folerence Andrews bids Raina and Shaantanu in her very natural American accent…their car gets pulled by the valet…Folerence too makes her way to her vehicle right behind theirs…
"Crap…! I forgot to pick up that attendance sheet from the management…" Raina exclaims before getting in through the passenger side door of Shaantanu's Lexus.
"There is always tomorrow you know …"
"I need to send off "Thanks for Coming" cards to my guests by tomorrow…"
"Okay then could you please hurry…in fact, why don't you get settled in the car and I'll go get it…too much traffic ahead of us anyways…"
Raina complies with his arrangement and takes her seat in the passenger side...the valet hands her the car keys instead of Shaantanu who had turned to walk back in to the museum…
………………….
It's completely barren inside now that the crowd of people is no longer hoarding the venue…the bright lights that were turned on for the dinner are now turned off and the usual soft lighting on the displays and surroundings has restored the calm ambience…he walks in and gathers the guest list from the management personal…a situational glance over the guy's shoulder reveals something he isn't expecting... her searching form around the dinner tables gives away that fact that she too had forgotten something here…he walks the distance in between…stops a few feet away from her…conveniently out of her sight, yet keeping her captive in his…she is searching for something on the table it seems…
Khanak turns to walk out as soon as she finds her clutch on the table where it has been all along…she takes slow, elegant steps back towards the door as the cleaning crew of the museum is working around the empty tables that surround her…heels that had already faltered earlier in the evening will not suffer through the same torment and she is making a conscious effort to see to it, anyone watching could tell…
Just as she passes through the door…she stops…turns…there seems to be no one there…no one at all…her magnificent eyes make sure of it as they search for the presence she felt…Shaantanu Sachdev had already made his quiet escape from the venue …leaving behind just a whiff of his scent…a distinct trace that she could sense…that she could recognize...
Khanak Malik makes her exit, shrugging her deterring thoughts…
P.S: I know i took a long time to update...I APOLOGIZE sincerely...school and things were topping the to-do lists...i hope this part makes up for the tardiness...how are you liking the flow of events so far...Shaantanu-Armaan met...? your thoughts... Raina??? Khanak vs. Khanak Malik...Discuss Away...
-J
