by T. A. Chase
Ajay plucked at his pyjama pants, needing to control his nerves. He had to keep telling himself that it didn’t matter whether Rajan took him up on his offer or not. He’d given him the opportunity, and whatever Rajan did with it was up to him.
Chapter Three
Rajan pulled his cell phone away from his ear and stared at it in shock. Had Ajay just offered him a place to escape to, after not having heard one word from the man in years? It was amazing, really, how natural speaking to Ajay seemed, but then, they did used to be roommates, best friends, even more…
“Raj?”
He returned his attention to the call and the proposal sitting out there, awaiting a response. No strings attached?
What sort of strings was he willing to…?
Stop it!
“Yes, I’m sorry, I was just thinking. Um, you mean, you want me to…what? Come stay with you as a houseguest?” The thought had definite appeal. To go someplace where no one would walk in on him, drag him places, hover at all times of the day…
“As a friend, Raj. My house would become yours. I’m gone a lot during the season with matches and practice. So there are times when the place would be completely yours.”
The sincerity and compassion coming through in Ajay’s voice struck an emotional chord in Rajan, and he inhaled deeply. How long had it been since someone had cared about him? Not what he could do for them, not the image he presented to the world, but about the man he was inside?
The upwelling of emotion at that realisation was bittersweet and he knew he had to get off the phone before he did something really crazy…like agree.
“I’m…so appreciative, Ajay. But, I just can’t manage any time off right now. In fact, I’m meeting with a studio tomorrow to discuss my next movie. I just…can’t. You don’t know how much it means to me that you offered, though. Thank you.”
Rajan had missed having Ajay in his life. He could admit that now. Could he open up to him again after the pain he’d gone through? He searched his feelings. As friends, yes. As more? Well, that wasn’t an option anymore. So friends it was, then.
“I would like to see you soon. Would that be okay with you? I’d sort of hate to have you disappear again.” Rajan grimaced as what he’d just said hit him. “I don’t mean anything bad by that. Honestly, bygones and all that.”
Ajay’s laugh warmed Rajan’s heart. “I know you didn’t mean anything, and trust me, I feel the same way. How about I text you my address, and you can come here when you can get away from the press and your agent? We can have dinner and catch up on what’s been going on in our lives.”
Rajan smiled. “That sounds great.” He gave him his private mobile number. “You can text me anytime, and I’ll try to find a free evening sometime soon.” He could sense the conversation winding to a natural close, yet hated the thought of it ending. “I’m so glad you called, Ajay. And thanks again for the offer. I really wish I could.”
“The offer is always there, honey. I want you to know you always have a safe place if you need it. Have a good night.” Ajay hung up before he could say goodbye.
Honey?
Rajan slowly placed his phone on his coffee table then leant back in his seat. His mind hummed pleasantly with the mingled memories of this conversation and their past, coming together to plant a seed of hope in his heart. One that had no place growing in his life. But oh, he wished it could.
* * * *
It was a great day for a match. Ajay finished padding up, then strolled to stand in front of the stumps. Neel, the second batsman, took his place at the other end of the pitch. Ajay grinned at his best friend, knowing that this match would be a challenge. The opposing team was currently in second place in the Indian Premier League, and their players would love nothing more than to knock Ajay and his teammates out of first place.
Ajay wasn’t about to let that happen. After stretching, he took his position, holding the bat firmly in his hands. The bowler glared at him, but Ajay smiled, doing what he could to get under his skin. His opponent tensed, and it was time for Ajay to do what he did best.
The bowler commenced his run-up, charging at Ajay, who watched the man’s arm. The ball was released in a near-perfect over-arm throw, and Ajay timed his swing just right.
He slammed the bat into the ball, and started running. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind that they would be able to score a run on his hit. He passed Neel in the middle of the pitch, then crossed the crease by the stump just as the ball bounced and went over the boundary line. Yes! Four runs from one hit. He was having a good day so far. Hopefully, he’d keep up the marvellous inning and they would best this up-start team.
Wankhede Stadium erupted into cheers and shouts. One of the many things Ajay loved about cricket was the fans—they were some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated people around. Of course, there were the fanatics, and those were the ones Ajay tried to avoid at all costs. Being stalked was never fun.
After three hours and twenty overs, the match ended. Ajay congratulated the other team on a game well played, then went to celebrate with his mates in their locker room. They had managed to win the match and extend their lead on the other teams. There was joking and laughter, yet no one got too rowdy since their coach didn’t like that. Most of the players waited until they left the stadium before getting too wild.
The room grew quieter once the reporters left. Ajay stripped off his flannels, then wandered into the shower area. He hated driving back to his house covered in sweat.
“Great match,” Neel said as he walked past Ajay to the next shower stall.
“Thanks. You had some good hits.” Ajay ducked his head under the cascade, groaning softly as the hot water hit him.
“Hey, did you see the news? Rajan was seen with Karishma at one of the clubs last night. They said she was sporting a giant ring on her finger. Do you think he might have popped the question?” Neel peered around the edge of the wall to eye Ajay.
He shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything about it, and really? Is it any of our business if he did?”
What an idiot. Ajay sighed as he shampooed his hair. Why couldn’t Rajan take control of his life and not let other people make decisions for him? Ajay tilted back to rinse, wanting to smack himself in the head. He had no say in how Rajan ran his life, even though Ajay wanted to be able to tell Rajan what he thought.
Hell, he wanted Rajan to be happy, and if he thought his friend was excited about how his life was right now, Ajay would leave him alone. Yet the tone of Raj’s voice, and the expression on his face in the photos Ajay’d seen told him Raj wasn’t thrilled and wanted out.
Which was why he’d offered Raj his place as a refuge. The gods knew Mrs Mehra wouldn’t tell a soul that one of Bollywood’s biggest names was staying at the house.
Ajay shrugged as he shut the shower off. He vigorously rubbed his body dry before wrapping the towel around his neck. “Hey, do you want to go out tonight?”
Neel snorted. “Yes, and I know the perfect place. I’ll come by and pick you up in two hours. We’ll eat out as well.”
“Fine. I’ll see you then.” He dressed quickly, and after shoving his flannels into his bag, he left the arena.
One of the valets brought his car around. Ajay exchanged some rupees for his keys, bringing a smile to the employee’s face. He tossed his bag into the back seat, then climbed behind the wheel. The smooth growl from the engine as he turned it on caused Ajay to grin.
The Aston Martin Vanquish he’d purchased last year brought joy to his heart when he got a chance to drive it.
Pulling into Mumbai traffic was always a test of patience, but Ajay wasn’t in any hurry to get home. Neel would be a while, and all he really had to do was change his clothes.
As he drove home, Ajay thought about Raj and the conversation they’d shared. He’d told Raj that there were no strings attached to coming to stay with him, but deep inside, Ajay wanted more than just friendship with Raj. He’d never forgotten how attractive he�
��d found Raj, and how he longed to kiss Raj’s plump lips. All those nights at university, talking and spending time together, had given him a strong friendship with Raj, one that even his own idiocy couldn’t destroy all the way.
Ajay frowned as he stopped at a corner. No more thinking of that. Raj had made his choice and if, by some weird change of fate, Raj showed up on Ajay’s doorstep, then Ajay would welcome him with open arms. Yet he’d keep his heart out of the equation because it wouldn’t pay to get attached to a man who didn’t know what he really wanted.
After turning into his driveway, he parked the car in his garage and headed inside to change into his club clothes, looking forward to relaxing with Neel and whoever else joined them that night.
He stood, staring into his closet and tried to pick out his outfit. His gaze kept trailing over to a bright blue silk shirt. Ajay remembered Raj telling him one time that he loved seeing Ajay in blue. With an annoyed huff, Ajay took the shirt off the hanger and slid it on.
How lame was he that he dressed according to what an ex-boyfriend said looked best on him?
After tugging on a pair of white linen pants, Ajay dug out his favourite loafers. Neel was going to give him hell for dressing like that, but considering Neel would be showing up wearing leather pants and some kind of tight T-shirt, Ajay wasn’t really worried about his friend’s opinion. His friend had no shame about showing off what nature had given him.
Since he had no idea where Neel was taking them, it was important for Ajay to be comfortable and able to dance. He knew they’d be staying out rather late tonight. They didn’t have any matches scheduled for the next couple of days, then they would be leaving to play against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eden Gardens stadium. Just the thought of playing there made Ajay’s head throb. So many fans, and while most of them were well-behaved, there were a few who caused a lot of problems. There had even been riots in the stadium.
He wandered into his bathroom to style his hair. As he stared at his reflection in the mirror, he found himself thinking about Raj, and what his friend would think of him if he saw him now.
Ajay had been thin when they had first met, but as he’d continued playing cricket and working out, he’d put on weight and muscle. Every inch was sculpted with exercise and diet.
He had to take care of himself to keep at the top of his game.
Shaking his head, Ajay left the room to walk to his study. It wasn’t right to be arrogant about how he looked or his athletic ability. They were things fate had given him. Maybe in his last life, he’d done something good, so his karmic payment was success in this life.
He snatched up his laptop to check out the stats from that day’s game. His coach would have had the statistician email them to the team, wanting everyone to know how they had done and what they would have to work on during practice tomorrow.
“Have you been checking your stats the entire time you’ve been home? Isn’t that a little obsessive of you?”
Ajay glanced up to see Neel standing just inside the room. He grinned at his friend.
“How am I going to get better if I don’t know what I need to work on?”
Neel snorted. “Ajay, my dear man, you’re damn near perfect. You can’t get any better than you are now. I think it’s against the laws of nature.”
“Thank you for saying that, Neel, but even I know I have faults.” Ajay thought about his temper.
“Whatever you say, man.” Neel crooked a finger at him. “Are we going out? I made reservations for dinner, and we need to get there.”
Ajay shut down his computer, then grabbed his keys and phone off the desk. He followed Neel out to the driveway where he got in the passenger side of Neel’s car.
It was time to forget about Raj for a while, and enjoy himself.
Chapter Four
Rajan glanced down at his phone when it vibrated with the text that his hired car was outside the club. He quickly rose and walked around the table to peck Karishma on the cheek.
“I’ve got to go. You stay and enjoy yourself.”
She blinked up at him, looking more than a little drunk. “Raj, honey, you can’t leave.
We’re celebrating! What will our friends say?”
A sick feeling twisted in the pit of his stomach. Celebrating? For the first time in his life, there wasn’t a shred of excitement about having signed a new contract, much less such a big one.
His brain caught up with the rest of what she’d said. “They’ll understand. I need to get some affairs in order with the shooting starting so quickly. Don’t forget, you’ve been signed on for this for months already. I only just got”— roped in—“offered the role.”
He glanced up at their ‘friends’, including Beni Sharma, who was sitting two tables away in the VIP section of the nightclub they were monopolising. His agent was busy talking to a couple of people he couldn’t recognise in the dim lighting and flashing strobes. But he knew Sharma would see Karishma safely home.
Now, to duck out before he noticed Rajan was leaving.
He kissed her once again, this time on the temple, noting a flash as he did so. Probably a cell phone camera. “Bye,” he murmured into her smoky-smelling hair, playing nice for their ever-present audience.
He rose then walked quickly out of the second-level loft, descended the curving staircase to the main floor and made his way through the crowd to the exit, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. People reached out to touch him, as they always did— nightclubs in particular seemed to embolden them—and one particularly aggressive person actually wedged their hand into his front pocket.
Rajan gave an abrupt twist of his hips, dislodging their hand, but didn’t stop moving.
He finally gained the entrance and burst through the doors into the much cooler night air. He scanned the vehicles and finally spotted one of his usual drivers leaving the car double-parked as he rounded the vehicle to get the door for Rajan.
He waved him off and the driver headed back towards the front as Rajan let himself into the backseat. He closed the door and settled back into the seat as they pulled into traffic.
A vibration from his silenced cell phone. Beni Sharma. Wow, hadn’t taken him long to notice him missing. Another vibration.
you should be sitting with Karishma
where are you?
Next would be the phone call, so he quickly set the option on divert all of his agent’s calls directly to voicemail. He’d learnt that trick a long time ago, but tried not to abuse it since he definitely heard about it afterwards. I work for you… How am I supposed to do my job if you screen my calls…?
Feeling a twinge of conscience, Rajan sent a quick text.
Need to rest. Big week ahead. Please see Karishma home, will you?
Barely ten seconds passed before a response came.
I will. Next time tell me you’re leaving. See you in the morning.
Of course he would.
His phone buzzed again, just as he was putting it away, and his blood pressure leapt with his frustration. But the incoming text wasn’t from Beni, and his pulse jumped for an entirely different reason as he read the message.
Are you here somewhere? I see your agent and gf…
Ajay… And he was evidently at the club he’d just left.
Rajan dropped his head back to smack the headrest a few times before texting back.
No, just left actually.
Damn it. Inspiration struck. They were only a few blocks away.
Not far. You want to meet me for a thali?
He impatiently stared at the screen until a response popped up.
Just ate a ton with Neel. Chai?
Neel? “Pull over,” Rajan instructed the driver, who turned down a feeder street at the next opportunity. “Do you know a coffee shop nearby? Back that direction maybe?”
“For you?”
Rajan knew what he meant—something appropriate for a Bollywood star to ‘be seen’ at.
“Just anything good. Meeting a
n old friend.”
“Café Pringa is a block down and over. It has outdoor seating and good chai.”
He was already texting Ajay before the man had finished talking.
You know Café Pringa? Meet me there?
Then he pre-emptively answered the driver, “Yes, that sounds good.”
A vibration.
See you in ten.
Rajan’s stomach flipped at the stark words on his screen, confirming that he’d soon be standing in front of Ajay once again. It had been years and a lot of water under the bridge since their ignominious parting. Rajan took a deep breath to try to combat his nerves, but the memory of the last time he’d seen Ajay was vivid in his mind.
A feeling of dread pooled in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Ajay, still sleeping deeply in his own bed, across their shared university room.
“It’s an opportunity that I went to no small trouble to get for you, Raji.” His mother’s smooth, cultured tones brought his attention back to the phone in his hand.
“I know that, Maa, but to leave school mid-term… I just can’t walk away from my classes.” Or Ajay.
“I have never understood your obsession with education. It’s just a piece of paper. And my son is meant for better things than teaching a never-ending wave of mediocre brats. Look at yourself, Raji.”