Every Time It Rains

by Nikita Singh

  And it was. As the sun had begun to set, all the lamps surrounding the lawns had turned on. To begin with, their side of the lawn, the one that offered all the dessert and sweet treats, wasn’t in demand. The other side had all the appetizers and alcohol. Slowly, people had begun filing in and spreading out and the more they ate and drank, the more they leaned towards dessert. It was already close to midnight, and after the hours they spent serving the guests and constantly replenishing their stock, exhaustion was a given. Laila didn’t know about Maahi, but she personally felt more exhilarated than exhausted.

  ‘And that’s the last of it,’ Aparna said, bringing four large boxes of cupcakes, closely followed by Javed carrying the cookies. They set them down behind the counter and began filling up the empty spots on the table, while Maahi got busy with another guest. Ram returned with the tray.

  As Laila helped him load it up again, she said, ‘You guys are definitely getting a bonus.’

  ‘And a raise,’ Javed declared.

  ‘Well, that depends—if we get this account. But a bonus I can promise,’ Laila said.

  ‘And a treat. We have to celebrate!’ Maahi added, once her guest had left with a cookie on a fancy plate.

  ‘Zaroor,’ Laila said. She had a good feeling about this. She’d tried all night to keep her nerves in check, not look towards other stalls, and not overthink things when Aparna came back with all sorts of local news. The continuous activity on social media was both exciting and slightly scary. Maahi was doing a great job of documenting the highlights of the night on their social media, but so were the others. The response on their social had been phenomenal. There was a buzz of enthusiasm all around, which Laila found thrilling.

  When she looked around at the end of the night, she felt satisfied. It had been an immensely fulfilling experience.

  ‘You guys should go home now. It’s midnight,’ Laila said to Javed, Ram and Aparna.

  ‘You sure?’ Javed asked.

  ‘Yeah, everything’s out of the freezer, right? We can handle the counter. The crowd’s thinning anyway,’ Laila said, examining the crowd. ‘I’d say we’re at less than fifty per cent capacity.’

  ‘Can one of you make sure Aparna gets home first? It’s late,’ Maahi said.

  ‘We can take her,’ Javed said, looking at Ram, who nodded his agreement.

  ‘Perfect, thanks again, you guys. Go team!’ Laila cheered as they began to leave.

  ‘How are they going? We all came in one car,’ Maahi said.

  ‘Wait!’ Laila called out. When Javed turned, she gave him her keys. ‘Take my car. We’ll order a cab. You have to go all the way to Gurgaon, but we only have to go to Chanakyapuri.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Javed asked again.

  ‘Haan, haan. You go!’

  After they’d left, the party also began to thin out. Over the next hour, the guests had more or less cleared out. Apart from the full display on the counter, they had two boxes of cookies and one of cupcakes left, which they stashed under the table and took turns to clear out the trays, empty boxes and extra cutlery. Laila stacked the chairs one on top of the other and took them to the back of the house. When she returned, Maahi wasn’t alone. She was leaning against the edge of their counter, chatting happily with JD, who had got rid of his stupid bowtie and looked far less funny with his collar button undone and his coat open.

  ‘Inspected the counter yet?’ Laila asked as she approached them.

  ‘I did, in fact,’ JD said, once again looking at Laila as if she was the only person that existed in the world.

  ‘Well, it’s of no use now, isn’t it? We could’ve done with your criticism before the party,’ Laila said.

  ‘Good thing I didn’t have anything to criticize then.’

  ‘Right. What did your boss think?’

  ‘Too drunk to remember,’ JD said, looking at the big, round man in a pearly white suit, which matched his hair perfectly. He laughed loudly at something one of his guests said and took a long swig from his glass. ‘We got the votes though, so we’re good.’

  ‘Votes, as in with a ballot box and all?’ Maahi asked.

  ‘Nothing that extreme,’ JD laughed. ‘A group of RH employees and I sort of … mingled with the guests and casually asked their opinion on the dessert and noted down the names. All in here.’ He tapped his phone.

  ‘So you know?’ Laila asked.

  ‘Not yet. We’ll all have to sit down and gather and analyse the data.’

  ‘When will that be?’

  ‘Since it’s the weekend, we’ll probably regroup on Monday—’

  ‘So we’ll know by Monday?’

  ‘Cannot promise that. After we have all the data, and final numbers, we’ll obviously have a meeting after to discuss every highly rated bakery and then decide which ones to choose,’ JD said. He chuckled. ‘Damn, you girls are all about business, aren’t you?’

  ‘Our relationship is professional, after all,’ Laila said haughtily.

  ‘Come on, yaar,’ Maahi said. ‘He gave you his orange.’

  JD’s eyes immediately darted to Laila. ‘I see you’ve been talking about me.’

  ‘It means nothing,’ Laila said quickly. ‘I tell her everything.’

  ‘She does.’ Maahi nodded.

  ‘Did you girls wake up today aiming to completely destroy my ego?’ JD frowned at Laila.

  ‘Nah, we woke up aiming to kill it at the fancy party—which looks like it’s over now, by the way,’ Laila said, scanning the almost empty lawn. All of the stalls were still there, but only a few guests remained.

  ‘Right. The fancy CEO wants the stalls to wrap up only once all of the guests have left. It’s rude to start wrapping up while the guests are still here,’ JD said. Glancing at Laila and Maahi’s expressions, he hastily added, ‘Which is stupid, if you ask me. In my opinion, the guests who are still here are very rude to keep the host and all of the staff waiting on them.’

  Maahi giggled. ‘Wow, Laila, you keep a tight leash.’

  ‘Shut up,’ Laila muttered.

  ‘Looks like the last of them is leaving,’ JD pointed at the three men who had been chatting with the CEO and were now shaking his hand.

  Laila, Maahi and JD watched the small group intently, making sure they were actually leaving, and once they did, they cheered.

  JD exclaimed, ‘Finally!’

  Maahi sighed with relief. ‘I’m packing up!’

  Laila bent down, pulled empty boxes from under the counter and set them on top. She began stuffing one of them with whatever was left on display. Maahi was doing the same.

  ‘We should take these back for the kids,’ Laila said.

  ‘Yea—’

  ‘You have kids?’ JD asked.

  ‘You’re still here?’ Laila looked up.

  ‘Ouch. I think I’m trying to see how many more insults I can take before I reach my limit,’ JD said. ‘You didn’t answer my question.’

  ‘Not our kids. We’re both single and straight,’ Maahi said.

  ‘I see—’

  ‘I meant the kids in our neighbourhood. We don’t throw away perfectly good food. And they’ve come to expect it from us,’ Laila said.

  ‘If we are carrying this home with us, I should first order a cab,’ Maahi said.

  ‘You guys are taking a cab?’

  ‘Yeah, we gave Laila’s car to our team,’ Maahi said, fidgeting with a taxi app. ‘What’s the exact address of this place?’

  ‘I can drop you. Where are you guys going?’ JD asked, looking from Maahi to Laila.

  ‘Dude, you’ve got to draw the line somewhere. You don’t need to offer to drive us home just for a chance to flirt,’ Laila said. She filled her box and set it aside. She opened another one and began piling cookies in it. ‘Especially at, like, two in the morning.’

  ‘Exactly. It’s 2 a.m., please let me drop you home,’ JD said, looking part-worried, part-hopeful. ‘And the chance to flirt is just a perk—an enticing one though.’

 
Maahi looked at Laila.

  ‘All right, fine,’ Laila said.

  ‘Awesome. I’ll meet you over by the front in fifteen minutes?’ JD said and departed at high speed, without waiting for their response.

  When Laila and Maahi were done wrapping up their table, it took two trips to bring everything to the front of the bungalow. They set the boxes down and waited for JD, watching everyone else clearing away their stalls. The night was beautiful in the light of the dull lamps, a cool breeze playing with their hair. Laila took a deep breath.

  ‘Mission accomplished,’ Maahi said.

  ‘We did our part,’ Laila said. ‘Which is all we can do.’

  ‘I really hope we get the account.’

  Laila nodded. She had a good feeling about it, but didn’t want to say it aloud for fear of jinxing it.

  ‘So …’ Maahi said in a small voice, ‘JD’s pretty awesome.’

  Laila grunted in response.

  ‘Funny, and so cute, with the hair and all—’

  Just then JD and his car appeared where Jasmeet had the day before. JD got out and helped them with loading everything in the trunk. When he rounded to get back into the driver’s seat, Laila muttered to Maahi, ‘I’m sitting in the back.’

  ‘Wha—?’ Maahi looked confused for a second, and then walked up to the passenger side. ‘I guess I’m riding shotgun,’ she said, sitting next to JD.

  JD glanced at Laila and said, ‘Stone cold.’

  ‘I never said I’ll sit with you,’ Laila smirked.

  ‘I like Maahi better anyway. She’s funny, and not to mention, much nicer. So, Maahi? Tell me about yourself!’

  ‘Umm, I like Game of Thrones?’

  ‘Ah, great taste in TV—slightly gory and porny but great. What else do you like?’

  ‘Cricket, Bollywood, big fan of Arijit Singh and Priyanka Chopra is love. Of the Brontë sisters, I love Emily the most, even though Jane Eyre is my favourite Brontë book. Also, I love cupcakes, which I guess you must’ve figured out by now,’ Maahi said. She glanced back at Laila and added, ‘I love cookies too.’

  ‘Of course, of course.’ JD nodded.

  ‘God, seriously! You guys act like I’m Hitler!’ Laila scowled.

  ‘You’re not Hitler. You’re just … disproving of certain things,’ JD said.

  ‘A lot of things,’ Maahi added.

  ‘Fun things,’ JD said.

  ‘Fine, exchange biodatas if that’s your idea of fun. Just leave me out of it.’ Laila sat back and decided to ignore them for the rest of the drive home. At least she pretended to ignore them at first, but it was hard to do so in such a confined space. Once JD began playing R.D. Burman and he and Maahi started singing along to ‘Sar Jo Tera Chakraye’ there was no turning back. After the first few minutes, Laila reluctantly joined them, sticking her head between their seats and being the third vocalist.

  Suddenly, they were pulling over outside her house in Chanakyapuri. They tried to be as quick as possible, carrying the boxes inside through the main gate, which creaked again, and Laila made a mental note to oil it again. They piled all the boxes by the front door and came back for a final scan of the trunk.

  ‘I guess we got everything,’ Maahi got the last of the napkins and said, pushing the trunk shut. She looked from JD to Laila, and said, ‘I’m going to … not be here. Thanks, JD!’

  ‘Anytime. Good night,’ JD beamed.

  Laila was slightly annoyed at how much energy this dude had at 3 a.m., after such a long day at work.

  ‘My phone …’ she muttered, peeking into the back seat through the window. When she couldn’t find it, she got inside and bent to check under the seat. ‘Give me some light, please?’

  ‘Of course,’ JD said and got in too. He switched on the torch on his phone. The open door on his side caused a cool breeze to waft in, causing goose bumps on Laila’s exposed stomach. As the light from JD’s phone hit her, she saw JD glance at her stomach. Catching her eye, he quickly looked away. For all his flirtatious ways, he could actually be very shy on occasion. Warm in the face, Laila swore never to wear a sari again, but at the same time, she wanted to wear one every day.

  ‘Found it!’ Laila said, rescuing her cell phone from between the seat cushions. As she turned to open the door, JD stopped her.

  ‘Wait!’ he said, his hand on hers. ‘Just … sit with me for one second.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because. I’m trying to get to know you, but you’re hell-bent on making it impossible!’

  Laila turned back towards him with a dramatic, ‘Fine.’ She adjusted the stupid sari with as much poise as possible in the limited space and sat back.

  JD closed his side of the door and sat down facing her. In the faint light coming from the streetlamps, his face was partly visible—curly hair falling playfully over his forehead, lopsided grin in place, eyes that refused to leave Laila’s.

  ‘Very cute,’ Laila said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

  ‘What?’

  ‘This whole act.’ Laila motioned in his general direction. ‘The happy boy thing you’ve got going.’

  ‘Not an act—it’s just me.’

  ‘Oh yeah?’

  ‘A hundred per cent. Fine, I’m not always the happy boy, but I’m very happy right now, especially in my present company,’ JD said, smirking at her. ‘So tell me, who’s your favourite Brontë sister?’

  ‘I don’t have a favourite Brontë sister. I have a favourite Brontë book.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Wuthering Heights.’

  ‘Ah, a romantic!’

  Laila snorted. ‘I used to be, I guess. I haven’t read it in ages.’

  ‘Maybe it’s time to re-read it now.’

  ‘Maybe. Who’s your favourite writer?’

  ‘R. K. Narayan,’ JD said, his face splitting into another childish grin. ‘Malgudi Days, Swami and Friends … I grew up on his books.’

  ‘You’re very rooted in Indian culture,’ Laila observed.

  ‘I guess so. I’m not old-fashioned or anything, but along with adapting to the new that’s coming from the West, I like to keep the old, which is sometimes the Indian, alive.’

  ‘Good point. There’s a lot of great stuff to find right here.’

  ‘Exactly. Like this,’ JD said and leaned forward to turn the music back on. As Lata Mangeshkar began singing ‘Lag Ja Gale’ he said, ‘Ah, classic!’ and started singing along.

  ‘God, you’re so cheesy,’ Laila grinned.

  ‘…jee bhar ke dekh leejiye, humko kareeb se…’

  ‘Stop!’

  ‘…phir aapke naseeb mein, ye raat ho na ho…’

  ‘Seriously, stop!’

  ‘…shayad is janam mein, mulaakaat ho na ho…’ JD continued singing devotedly, his teeth displayed in a wide smile as he moved with the music.

  At that point, Laila gave up and sat back, letting him do his thing.

  When he reached the chorus, he finished with a flourish and said, ‘Have you fallen in love with me yet?’

  ‘Not yet, no.’

  ‘Not yet, but soon?’

  Laila pushed him away and laughed. ‘Dude, you’re good at normal conversation. Just stick with that, you were doing well. Why do you have to go be weird every few seconds?’

  JD paused and studied her. ‘If you want the truth…’

  ‘There’s a truth?’ Laila raised her eyebrow. ‘I thought this is just who you are!’

  ‘It is, but … I become weirder than usual sometimes because you scare me. A little. Sometimes. And I buckle under the pressure and start singing cheesy, old Bollywood songs, which are great by the way—no offense, Lataji,’ he said, looking up.

  ‘Lata Mangeshkar isn’t dead,’ Laila pointed out.

  ‘I know. I’m imagining myself at her feet, hence the looking up.’

  ‘Ah, of course.’

  They laughed, which ended in an awkward silence, broken by the song changing to ‘Gulaabi Aankhein’ which JD promptly started singi
ng along with.

  ‘All right, can I go now?’ Laila asked, shaking her head at his silliness. She reached for the door handle, but a part of her wanted to stay just a little longer.

  JD stopped singing immediately and held Laila’s elbow to stop her. ‘I don’t get a good night?’ he asked, his face falling.

  Laila turned back towards him, ‘Good night,’ she said, hiding a smile, her hand still on the handle.

  ‘Ugh, you’re killing me. Literally the least romantic person in the whole world.’

  ‘Deal with it.’

  ‘I guess I’ll have to.’

  They looked at each other, JD with his eyes wide and hopeful, Laila smirking.

  ‘Go home, kid,’ she said.

  ‘You didn’t! I’m a grown-ass man of twenty-six!’

  ‘Age is just a number. Still a kid.’

  ‘I’m actually almost twenty-seven!’

  ‘I’m twenty-eight. So, still younger than me.’

  ‘Age is just a number,’ JD said and added seriously. ‘I’m a person and you’re a person, and we like each other—that is all that matters!’

  ‘You’ve decided that I like you?’

  ‘You’re here, aren’t you?’

  ‘I’m going to have to go now, however,’ Laila said, smiling. JD stayed where he was, still holding her elbow.

  Laila was very aware of the touch of his fingers on her bare skin. Her heartbeat quickened as she looked at those dark eyes, shining under the streetlamps, refusing to leave her eyes. In that moment, locked inside that car filled with his scent, their breaths mingled with each other’s in the still darkness, and Laila couldn’t think of one reason why not. In that moment, every cell in her body wanted to taste his lips. Laila suddenly began to resent whatever little distance there was between them. She placed her fingers lightly on his cheek and leaned towards him. She watched his eyes widen slightly as he realized that it was really happening. In a split second, his expression changed from shock to joy, and he met her halfway, grinning as wide as ever.

  Laila touched his lips with hers, and JD’s grin disappeared. His mouth closed around hers, her fingers still resting on his cheek. Feeling his warm breath on her face, Laila tilted her head to the right. She held his eyes for a second, her heartbeat pacing even more. JD closed his eyes and Laila followed suit. As they kissed, her fingers slipped softly from his face to his neck and she struggled for air. She trailed his jaw with her thumb, as a shiver ran all the way down to her toes. JD groaned and pulled her closer to him by her elbow and—