Chapter1

Sunset

“Vihaan…”

Vihaan was lost in his thoughts. It couldn’t have been better, at least given the way life seemed to shape up every now and then. It was an evening in mid-July, on a beach side lounge and yes it certainly couldn’t have been better…

“Vihaannn!”

“Ya ..Yeah tell me Mitali” stuttered Vihaan

She smiled, even as a few obstinate strands of hair decided to cover her brown eyes.

“It’s beautiful, Vihaan”

“Yeah yeah, so it is…possibly the best date till date?!”

“Aha, aha, well let me see it has been fairly punctuated isn’t it, as in you and me and our meetings and stuff “

“What do you mean punctuated!!...Well I know what you mean” said Vihaan with a hearty laugh.

Vihaan and Mitali had met on a number of occasions over the past few weeks. This was 2012, a good eight years after 2004, when they had met for the first time. The long pause of eight years had its own merits. Memories are often tinted with nostalgia.

“So what was that tattooed and pierced hippie gal doing with you the other day” quipped Mitali with a twinkle in her eye.

“I don’t like that twinkle, would rather see a question mark in your eyes when you ask me this” thought Vihaan !!

“Well yeah… we kind of met up” mumbled Vihaan

“I guess I know that” she said with a laugh” And what’s with her piercings and umpteen ear rings”

“Well she said she likes all her holes filled up!!”

“Whaaat…she actually said that?”

Vihaan nodded. Distasteful. Riya looked and felt and spoke as if she was all so desperate to belong, to attach herself, to seek an identity, to be “cool”!!!

“So…you liked her?” asked Mitali

“Aha now we are going somewhere!” thought Vihaan

“No please…” said Vihaan” I don’t fall for black eyes”

 “I see…now don’t gimme the follow-up line” she said with a smile

Sunset by the beach. In a lounge. With soft music. And it had been raining throughout the afternoon. Lovely.

“They will put up nice little torches here in a while. Romance, wining and dining” said Vihaan expectantly

“Hmmm” Mitali murmured with a warm smile

Mitali was 32, divorced and independent. A plush job that promised a good future, a receptive and sensitive mind, an innately graceful presence and a pretty face with strikingly beautiful eyes

“Nemesis….kind of melts hearts into submission. Possibly that’s why they called this place Nemesis” observed Mitali

“Well certainly…did prove to be my nemesis” said Vihaan with a meaningful squint

“Aha! So Viv is in his elements today”

Vihaan smiled.

“Raindrops ….looks like another drizzle on its way…let’s get into the restaurant” suggested Vihaan.

“Yup..” said Mitali

Vihaan gazed at the waves advancing and receding. Symmetrical, he thought, even as both of them abandoned their “open air” lounge for the more timid and predictable confines of the restaurant.

“Picturesque” observed Vihaan, the beach was visible in its full glory from the spot they chose to occupy

“You know what… loneliness catches up…as you grow older…and then you need a companion for seemingly trivial parts of your life….the funny bit is that these trivial moments become so precious when they are missing!!” observed Mitali

“I agree…possibly never felt that way till a few years back but perhaps am growing older..”

“I am with you on that older bit…” said Mitali candidly and continued, “ yes you are right…when I was in my twenties I used to think that nothing could stop me or rather there is nothing that I couldn’t do, but now I do sense the need for support..as if am running out of steam and need someone to keep going…”

“Sir”, interrupted the waiter

“Peach Satin and Caipiroska” said Vihaan, a little irritated at the sudden intrusion

“I love that peach mocktail“ said Mitali “But whatever happened to your obsessive crush for your favorite kind of iced tea” asked Mitali with a cunning smile

Vihaan smiled. “I am always up for a pleasant change, Ma’am”

“I guess I know a bit about your inclination and love for variety…in various matters” said Mitali, with a glint in her eyes

“Now someone certainly is in her elements” said Vihaan

Laughter. Life certainly felt good.

“I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance, they are looking for a little romance, given half a chance” Vihaan sang along merrily

“My blushes” said Mitali with a deadpan look on her face and burst into fits of laughter, then paused briefly and continued “by the way am not wearing anything close to red” and succumbed to another violent fit of laughter!!

“What do you mean anything?!” asked Vihaan with a sly look

Mitali shot a friendly punch at Vihaan and said “Hormones, huh?”

“Well am single and its normal isn’t it” said Vihaan candidly

“Yeah baby it is, bring it on” said Mitali and pouted her lips and broke into laughter. She hadn’t lost her sense of humor in all these years. Or maybe she was regaining it….

Vihaan gazed at her face. Pretty.

“So what’s your plan for people around” enquired Mitali wickedly

“What do you mean by people around?” asked Vihaan

“Well let’s start with the cute girl in that corner, she is young…assuming am right that you are kind of interested in her” she said and again rolled over in laughter

“Wow, now look who’s getting naughty!! If she’s cute, you are hot baby”

“Aha I see”

“But hormones apart” said Vihaan and shot a quick smile “I want to tell you this”

“What……”

“I want to tell you this…my dreams are really clear and vivid now”

Mitali smiled.

It was raining relentlessly.

“It’s almost eleven, guess we should make a move?” said Vihaan

“Yeah….sure, it’s been like five hours but …splendid” said Mitali with a smile

Vihaan glanced at his watch. It had been a lovely evening, mesmerizing.

“Guess your place is somewhere near, I might as well drop by for a bit now..” said Mitali

“Aha… sure” said Vihaan

The car raced along, neither did the rains stop and nor did the thoughts on Vihaan’s mind! Soon they reached Mitali’s place.

“Am in the 2^nd floor, you wanna come up and have a peek? My roommate would be around, she must be having dinner”

“No that’s ok, maybe some other time…oops am sorry I forgot to show you my place”

“That’s ok, next time” said Mitali with a smile

Vihaan stepped into his living room. Switched on the TV.

“Gladiator” mumbled Vihaan

A sms popped in. Mitali. Vihaan scrolled through the message and it read: “Your dreams will come true J”

Vihaan smiled. He was happy, very happy. But a familiar sense of insecurity gnawed its way through his thoughts. Would things work out? Or would something go wrong as usual, inexplicably, or at least seemingly inexplicably…