‘You don’t know what boys are like,’ he said, running a hand through his hair. ‘You should ask me before you do stupid things like this.’
I told him that I do know what boys are like, since I spend all my time with one. He said that’s not the same thing.
Such a child.
March 2014
‘What do you mean you can’t share it right now?’ Nidhi demanded, clutching the receiver of her office landline tighter.
‘Thoda patience, Nidhiji,’ Monty said calmly.
‘Monty, the ad has to go to press in two hours. I need Vikram’s approval now!’
‘Lekin he needs to see the ad,’ Monty replied.
‘I emailed it to you ages ago,’ Nidhi reminded him impatiently.
‘He needs to see a physical proof. He is very particular about looking good.’
‘In that case, maybe he should consider altering his behaviour instead of his appearance,’ she muttered. ‘Look, I’ve been asking you to share the address since this morning. By now a peon could have gone and come back with Vikram’s approval!’
‘No pyoon-shoon, Nidhiji. You are talking about best batsman in world cricket,’ Monty said in a grave tone.
This from the man who had pitched Vikram as a ‘humble, down-to-earth boy from the neighbourhood’ during their first meeting.
‘Okay, Montyji,’ Nidhi gushed in a sing-song voice. ‘I will personally take the proofs to him, ji. Can you please text me the address, ji?’
‘It is very nearby to your house. You live in Lajpat Nagar only, no? Why don’t you leave for home and I will SMS you address immijately?’ Monty suggested.
‘Fine,’ Nidhi grumbled, reaching for her purse.
Thirty minutes later, as Rao Uncle pulled into the driveway of her house, Nidhi was on the brink of losing her temper. She had been calling Monty non-stop ever since she left work, but the calls had gone unanswered. The next time she saw him, she would wring his fat neck.
She sat on the sofa in the lobby of her home and shoved her face in her hands, acknowledging the harsh reality of her professional life.
The EducateIndia campaign was doomed to fail.
Nidhi’s dismal thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of Mangal Singh and Bhimsen guffawing behind her. ‘What are you two giggling about?’ she asked.
‘Kuch nahi, Nidhi Baby,’ Mangal said, unable to hide his smile.
Nidhi sighed. ‘What’s for dinner?’
‘Biryani.’
‘Biryani? You know I don’t eat rice at night,’ Nidhi said, puzzled.
‘It’s not for you, Nidhi Baby.’ Bhimsen sniggered.
‘Papa is in Mumbai. So who is it for?’ Nidhi asked curiously.
‘Vikram Baba,’ he responded.
‘Who?’ Nidhi gasped.
‘Vikram Baba is in town,’ Mangal Singh said, his chubby face beaming with pride.
‘I know,’ Nidhi groaned. ‘But how do you . . .’ Her phone beeped and she picked it up, finding the answer to her unfinished question on its screen, in a pithy message from Monty.
68 Lajpat Nagar.
For a moment, Nidhi thought her eyes had deceived her and she was looking at her own address, 66 Lajpat Nagar. But as soon as she realized what the difference in that one digit meant, she grabbed the printouts and stormed out of the house, her entire body shaking with restrained anger.
When she barged into the Walias’ living room, she found Monty sitting on the sofa. ‘Where the hell is he?’
Monty grinned, not seeming the least bit surprised by her appearance or her tone. ‘Upstairs in his room.’
Nidhi threw back her shoulders, raised her chin and stomped up the old wooden staircase, not bothering to knock before entering Vikram’s room. ‘Is this your idea of a joke?’ she snapped.
‘Hello, Nidhi. Lovely to see you too,’ Vikram said, an amused smile playing on his lips.
His long legs were stretched out on the twin-size bed in a lazy posture that was the very embodiment of indolence and relaxation.
Nidhi’s temper rose a notch. ‘You’re staying here?’
‘Where else would I be staying?’
‘Monty said you were staying at home.’
‘This is my home.’
‘Yes, but I didn’t realize home meant here. I assumed a home more conducive to your . . .’
‘To my what?’ he challenged.
Your wealth. Your ego. Your sheer arrogance.
‘Your taste.’
‘Right,’ he said dryly.
Nidhi remembered why she was there in the first place. ‘I’ve been chasing you since morning.’
Vikram locked his hands behind his head, looking more carefree than ever. ‘Congratulations. The chase is over.’
Nidhi took a deep breath. ‘Vikram, this may be just another campaign for you, but it’s very important to News Today, and very important to me. I’ve worked on it for the last six months and now when it’s finally about to become a reality, I won’t let someone like you put it at risk.’
‘What does “someone like me” mean, exactly?’ Vikram asked casually.
‘Look, you might be a big celebrity who is used to getting his way all the time—’
‘You think I’m a spoilt brat,’ he stated in a flat tone.
She resisted the urge to nod. ‘I just think that a certain level of commitment and seriousness is required to—’
‘Nidhi,’ he said, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. ‘Last week, did you or did you not tell me that you would be my single point of contact?’
A look of confusion crossed her face. ‘Of course, I did. And I’ve been following up with Monty since—’
‘You were supposed to be my point of contact, not Monty’s.’
She gave him an incredulous look. ‘But this is standard protocol. We never approach the talent directly, we always go through their manager.’
‘That wasn’t our deal. I can call your boss and have him jog your memory,’ Vikram said, reaching for his cell phone.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ Nidhi said icily.
‘Didn’t think so,’ he said, taking a step closer to her.
Even in heels, Nidhi was several inches shorter than Vikram. He smelt fresh and misty, like a cool ocean breeze, and his broad shoulders seemed to fill the entire room.
‘So you, ummm, you . . .’ she stuttered, racking her brain for what she had been about to say.
‘I, ummm, I?’ he prompted with a grin.
‘You want me to call you for every little thing? I mean, won’t that be really annoying?’ she asked.
His eyes locked with hers and he spoke in a quiet voice. ‘When has that ever stopped you, Nidhi?’
A shiver ran down her spine.
Was he making a reference to their childhood? Was he actually acknowledging knowing her before their meeting at News Today?
‘That’s true,’ she said, graciously accepting his silently offered truce.
‘I know this campaign is important to you, and believe me, it’s important to me too. I promise not to screw it up,’ he said sincerely.
She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘And while we’re working together, it would be nice to get along, wouldn’t it?’ he ventured casually.
‘It really would,’ Nidhi said with such feeling that Vikram chuckled. He took the proofs from her hand and studied them for a couple of minutes before nodding. ‘They look great. Go for it.’
‘That’s it?’ she asked, surprised.
‘Yup.’
‘That was much easier than I thought,’ she said bluntly.
A smile spread across his features. ‘I’m much easier than you think.’
And that was the moment when Nidhi finally understood what the fuss was all about.
One side of Vikram’s mouth curved up in a crooked half-smile so sexy that it sent a jolt of electricity through Nidhi’s nervous system. A flush spread over her neck, and her cheeks flared up under his heated gaze.
> She turned around abruptly, walking towards the door in her dazed state.
‘Nidhi?’ he called after her.
She looked at him expectantly, resisting the urge to fan her face.
‘Would you like to have dinner on Friday?’
‘I can’t.’
His smile faded. ‘Oh.’
‘I mean, I’m throwing a party at my house on Friday. Do you . . . do you wanna come?’ she asked tentatively.
‘Do you want me to come?’ he asked, confused by the hesitation in her voice.
‘Yes, sure. But it’s just going to be a bunch of . . . regular people. Will you be okay with that?’
Vikram’s lips twitched. ‘I’m a regular person too.’
‘I just meant—’
‘I know what you meant. I’d love to come.’
‘Okay.’
‘And Nidhi?’
‘What?’
‘Text me the address.’
She burst out laughing.
Nidhi watched from across the garden as Vikram humoured Risha’s request for a selfie. They were standing by the angeethi, and Risha was laughing at something Vikram had said. Come to think of it, they’d been talking for almost an hour, and Risha had been laughing a lot. Tanvi, on the other hand, was watching Vikram with crossed arms and narrowed eyes filled with suspicion.
Nidhi started walking in their direction, but halfway through the garden, she ran into Sam.
‘You are the prettiest girl in the whole world,’ he said, bending down to kiss her cheek.
‘You come up with the shittiest lines in the whole world,’ she replied, imitating his tone.
‘That’s because I believe in less talk, more action.’ He smirked.
Nidhi laughed. ‘Glad you could make it, Sam.’
‘Of course. And I’m glad to see you’ve got our celebrity wrapped around your little finger. Just like me,’ he said with mock solemnity.
Her head jerked up. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘He can’t take his eyes off you. Not that I blame him,’ Sam said, raking a slow, appreciative glance over her.
Nidhi flushed. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! I’m a professional.’
Sam sighed dramatically. ‘I’m aware of that. I’ve been at the receiving end of your professionalism for the last two years.’
‘I loved the campaign coverage today, by the way,’ Nidhi said, trying to change the subject.
‘Thanks, but if I wanted to talk shop, I would’ve gone to Sukhi’s house,’ Sam said dryly.
‘Sure, if you want to hang out at a dingy flat in Paharganj,’ Nidhi retorted. ‘Which is probably where he lives for easy access to booze, sex and drugs.’
‘Actually, he lives in a fancy apartment in Gurgaon. By the way, did I tell you about Chirag?’
‘The sports intern?’
‘As of yesterday, no longer an intern, but a junior copy editor.’
Nidhi’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Doesn’t that make him the first intern Sukhi has hired in a million years?’
‘Yes. That too after assuring Chirag on day one that he had no future at News Today.’
‘Wow. So then how did he land the job?’
‘Sukhi told all the interns that one offer was available for the person who could change certain autocorrect settings on Kabir’s laptop,’ Sam said, referring to Kabir Bose, editor of News Today’s entertainment and lifestyle supplement, Delhi Today, and Sukhi’s long-term nemesis. Despite having started their careers together as friends, the two men had turned into bitter rivals after spending over a decade at News Today.
‘What autocorrect settings?’ Nidhi wondered.
‘Change “what” to “what the fuck”.’ Sam grinned.
Nidhi’s eyes widened. ‘No way!’
‘Yup. And Chirag succeeded! Apparently Kabir sent an email to Jay asking him “what the fuck time” he was free to meet.’ Sam chuckled.
‘Sukhi is such an asshole,’ Nidhi laughed.
‘Sure is. But for reasons unknown, your Mr Walia is a big fan of his,’ Sam reminded her.
‘A big fan of whom?’ an amused voice asked from behind them.
Nidhi spun around and came face-to-face with Vikram. ‘Sukhi,’ she responded casually, trying not to notice the way his steel-grey V-neck sweater clung to his muscular chest.
‘He’s a nice guy.’ Vikram shrugged.
Nidhi and Sam broke into uncontrollable laughter.
Vikram looked at them in confusion. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘You’re the only person in the world who thinks Sukhi is “nice”,’ Nidhi said, still laughing.
‘Nice as a rabid dog,’ Sam whispered in her ear.
Vikram crossed his arms over his chest, watching how close Sameer was standing to Nidhi. His arm was slung casually around her shoulder as she giggled at his comment.
Vikram suddenly realized that he had no idea if Nidhi had a boyfriend. Maybe she was dating this guy. He was a good-looking fellow, if you were into the hippie types. Kurta and Nehru jacket with distressed jeans. Longish, messy hair. Probably a wine drinker. Definitely an asshole.
‘I was just telling Nidhi how pretty she’s looking tonight,’ Sameer said, watching Vikram intently.
‘Yes, she is,’ Vikram said, his tone and expression completely blank.
‘Talk about a genuine compliment,’ Nidhi teased.
Vikram stared moodily into his glass.
‘All set for tomorrow?’ Sameer asked, referring to the rural-school visit.
Vikram nodded. ‘Are you coming too?’
‘Unfortunately not. I’ll try to bear the separation as best as I can,’ Sameer said, cocking his head towards Nidhi.
‘Sam!’ Nidhi warned.
For some reason, Nidhi’s use of the nickname made Vikram want to drive his fist into Sameer’s face.
A few hours later, when the party drew to a close and people started heading home, Risha slipped her arm through Nidhi’s. ‘I love him!’
‘Who?’ Nidhi asked.
Tanvi rolled her eyes. ‘Walia, who else?’
Nidhi felt her stomach clench.
‘He’s such a great guy!’ Risha gushed.
‘I’m not impressed,’ Tanvi said blandly.
Risha ignored her and went on. ‘The music was blaring when I introduced myself and he misheard my name as “Riksha”. So the entire night he’s been calling me “Auto Rickshaw”.’ She laughed.
They have their own little nicknames now?
‘He’s nothing like the media describes him. On the contrary, he’s really chilled out and fun. The only thing they got right is his movie-star good looks,’ Risha said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Nidhi turned to Tanvi expectantly.
‘Frankly,’ Tanvi admitted with some reluctance, ‘I was quite disappointed not to hear a single gaali come out of his mouth the entire night.’
‘You know how exaggerated newspaper articles can be,’ Risha said, resting her elbow on Tanvi’s head, emphasizing the six-inch height difference between them.
‘A little more loyalty to your profession and a little less to the man-whore, please,’ Tanvi said dryly.
‘He is not a man-whore, he’s a complete gentleman,’ Risha said defensively.
‘Don’t listen to her,’ Tanvi said to Nidhi. ‘She’s clearly smitten.’
Nidhi frowned at Risha. ‘You do know he has a girlfriend, right?’
‘Who cares? You’re way cooler than Natasha Sahay!’
‘No, I’m . . . wait, what? I’m cooler than her?’
‘Duh. Of course you are.’
‘What are you saying?’ Nidhi asked, confused.
‘I’m saying that Vikram has been staring at you the entire night and you’ve been ignoring him.’
Nidhi gave Risha a blank expression.
‘So he’s a gawking lech. Big surprise,’ Tanvi said in a flat tone.
Risha shot her a dirty look before turning to Nidhi. ‘We’re getting a ride home with Khalid. And you sho
uld go be a good host now.’ She grinned, darting a quick, pointed glance at Vikram.
Nidhi followed Risha’s gaze and realized that Vikram was leaning against a tree, sipping a beer and watching her. She felt her cheeks heat up and she hugged Risha goodbye, mostly to hide her face.
‘Come on, Shorty.’ Risha grinned, dragging a surly Tanvi behind her.
She walked towards Vikram, her legs watery and unstable. ‘Hey.’
‘Hi.’
‘Did you have fun?’
He nodded. ‘Your friends are cool. Risha is a particularly nice girl. Super funny too.’
She smiled in agreement. ‘She’s hilarious.’
‘Tanvi, on the other hand, doesn’t give a damn that she’s a foot shorter than me—and seems ready to set me on fire,’ he said dryly.
Nidhi laughed. ‘That’s her standard first impression, but she grows on you.’
‘I noticed you didn’t hug her goodbye,’ Vikram said.
‘She doesn’t like hugs. It’s a weird personality thing,’ Nidhi explained. Then feeling the need to defend her friend, added, ‘But she’s always got my back.’
‘Your boyfriend is nice too,’ Vikram said casually.
Nidhi’s eyes widened. ‘Who?’
‘Sameer.’
She snorted. ‘He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a habitual flirt.’
Suddenly, Vikram’s entire body seemed to relax and he grinned at her. ‘Good, because I was just being polite. I don’t really think he’s nice.’
She laughed. ‘You haven’t changed at all.’
‘I haven’t?’
‘To be fair, I’ve only known you for a week.’
‘A week and six years,’ he reminded her.
Nidhi stared at the ground, unsure of what to say. She was spared the awkwardness of a response when Bhimsen suddenly appeared in front of them. ‘Vikram Baba,’ he began, his eyes aglow with excitement. ‘Cricket khelegi?’
‘Abhi?’ Nidhi asked. ‘It’s late, Bhimsen. The neighbours will complain.’
Bhimsen looked at her, then at Vikram, then back at her.
Right. Vikram was ‘the neighbours’.
Man of Her Match Page 7