No Name Number
Trisha spent the bus ride home talking to Rao Anna and her friends trying to locate Jayadev. They had found the number of a student from his CA Institute and gave it to her
She called that kid and extracted a promise he would make Jayadev call her, or call her first and give the phone to Jayadev
The kid claimed he had quit his job and didnt know when and if he would return
She assessed her life thinking about the choices she had made and the place it hand landed her
A estranged boy friend, an upset Dad, a Rs. 60 lakh financial bonanza and an unwanted marriage
The only fixed variable was her never ending Ph D struggle. She had that before, she had it now...
Mandira was nowhere to be seen that evening, Trisha sent a note to Mr narang about the food
She didnt want Ashvin to think the cook was gorging on the family's food
She couldnt get anything done at the University as the Registrar's Office closed at 3 just when Sharanbir dropped her
She wondered what recipe she could pull off without Rao Anna's help
Answer = Zero
She didnt distract herself too much with that thought, showered, changed into her peacock kaftan, pinned the remaining flowers to her hair
and went to study in the balcony
Her stuffed toy, aka cat was missing
She went over to Prasad's to bring it
Ashvin returned from work and finding the door open, wandered for a bit spoke to Oscar and then dialed her number
Her phone rang in her room.
He walked over and looked down on the bed
His number showed up with no associated name...
He hung up, stared at the "Missed call from 99144XXX" and walked out
She appeared a few minutes later with cat in tow and went off to the balcony not realizing he had returned.
She had seen YT videos of cats doing genius things, she handed him a marker and helped him draw, unable to focus on reading, lay down on the lounge chair and watched him stretch
Looking like a tiger... she thought
Ashvin showed up in blue jeans and a offwhite oversize tee.
"I went and got the cat" she smiled
"Getting too used to it?"
"He is very naughty"
"Umm.. if you say so"
"Look look, he doesnt like my green marker, he always pushes that down first"
"And you remember everything about him"
Ashvin was still stinging from noticing she had his number show up with no name
"I have to tell you" she sat up somberly
He leaned on the fiberglass waist length wall and looked inward
"Your grandfather visited"
He stiffened
"Oh? did he?" he tried to be aloof
"He stayed for two hours"
"Talking to you?"
She nodded helplessly
"I dont speak Hindi so I didnt know what to say"
"He speaks English if he wants to" Ashvin was grumpy
"He ate lunch" she said and held her breath
Her eyes big as saucers
"And?"
"He said I must not tell you" she said secretively
He was already in a bad mood, this was not helping
"Why did you tell me then?"
"Well because I told you. He ate lunch." she nodded confidently
"Thats fine" he nodded carelessly
"He ate all the chicken and I didnt want you to think someone else came" she explained her smartness
He smiled for the first time that evening
He was hammered at work over some Dinner Thyme (dinners put together to be baked at home) orders going bust.
"Did you tell him you were going to tell me?" he was curious
"I didnt when I got off the car at BU, but I came home and emailed him" she nodded
Her honesty baffled him
"Did u go to the University?"
"it was closed already" she was sad
"Oh?"
"But Chirag said I should go to one Christ University near Koramangala"
"CHIRAG?"
"yes"
"He is helping you get transferred?"
"I hope he will" she said earnestly
Oscar called, he stepped out nodding to her...
An hour or so later after 9 PM the doorbell rang, she ran to open it with the cat in her arms
"Oh Prasad!!" she smiled not looking, startled and letting the cat go upon seeing an irate Ashvin
"No, its not Prasad, not Chirag... not anybody else" he growled pinning her to the shut door
"I... felt it was Prasad" she whispered unable to look at his eyes
He bend down...
"Ashwinnn" she warned, the cat circled her feet wanting to be picked up, he gently pushed it with his toes...
"You got it!!" he whispered, enjoying her shaky shallow breath.nodding "Now feel this!!" he said lowering his head scanning her eyes to lips, eyes to lips, eyes to lips,
she hoped for some oxygen, suspended in outerspace.
He waited for her to protest, or lean forward, she did neither
Bend down and touched her lower lip with both of his. she staggered, falling on him
Her lips were softer than her hands he thought. her body shook as she experienced shivers down her spine, and her fine neck hairs rose to attention
His left hand grabbing her jasmine string possessively for a hold... his right arm wrapping itself around her ribs, placing her firmly in his clutch.
She moaned softly when he lifted his head after 5 or 6 quick pecks... satisfied she "felt him" he stepped back when he heard the key turn in the lock as Mandira had returned.
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