by Nikita Singh
He felt something different about Shambhavi. She was twenty-three and had achieved more than an average girl her age does, especially given her laidback attitude towards everything. She was carefree, followed her dreams and did whatever she felt like, with no pressure of the world. But when she was working, she got absorbed in it completely and an extraordinary spark shone in her eyes. He felt drawn to her. They connected at a deeper level-a bond that was shared because of their mutual love for art. He was a very observant person, always the one for details, but he had not got to know so much about her from sheer observation. Google had helped, just like she had told him it does. But most of it was still an observation.
Love is like a fresh breeze, to the stifled. No wonder he found it impossible to resist.
hat was that?' Shambhavi questioned, a bewildered look on her face and her hair looking equally wild. It only added colour to her cheeks and made her look more adorable. Arjun guessed it was because she travelled in her car, with the windows pulled down, in the hot summer day; it was the middle of July. He knew her car's air conditioner was not working; he remembered her ranting about it on their way back, after lunch the previous day.
'I'm sorry? Can I help you?' he asked, trying to put as less emotion as possible in his tone.
'What is this all about?' Shambhavi repeated, this time, shoving a small card in his face, which read,
Arjun read the note and asked, 'I believe that was the note attached to the flowers I sent you?'
'What do you mean you believe? You sent them, right? Don't you know?' Shambhavi's tone started getting more and more animated.
'Technically ... Faisal sent them, from me,' Arjun dared.
'Don't you get into all that, mister. Do you not know that sending a girl flowers raises expectations? Especially if it is after a first date? How could you do that to me? If you did not want to continue, fair and good, you should have just told me. Why the huge bouquet of flowers? And the box of chocolates?'
'I just thought it was a decent thing to do.'
'Really? That was your idea of putting me down easy? Guess what-it's your loss. I'll get thousands like you, you won't get a girl like me,' Shambhavi said, and with that, she turned to leave. 'I have left the flowers and the chocolates at the reception, you can have this card,' she threw it in the paper basket by his door.
'Shambhavi-' Arjun tried to stop her, but she cut him off.
'Yes, Mr Datta?'
'Nothing,' he said, noticing that they were no longer on first name terms.
'Good. Let's meet at 12:30 pm like planned, then?'
'Sure.'
As she walked out of his office, he glanced at his watch. 12:30 pm was exactly eight minutes away. She did not need to be so overtly theatrical about it. But that was who she was, gregarious drama and all. He was just relieved that it was over.
When Arjun made it to the factory's east end-which was where they kept the first Arjun-made prototypes of all the pieces he had ever made-he saw that Shambhavi and her colleague Tutul were already there, along with Faisal.
To his great relief, Shambhavi did not mention their interaction, or the date the previous day or anything personal at all during the entire time they took to tour the area and select items from it. In fact, she acted like nothing was off, as if nothing out of ordinary had happened. It felt like she had already moved on, like it had not affected her in the least.
For some reason, Arjun did not like the feeling. Maybe because he was still a little disturbed inside, and she seemed to have forgotten all about it. And it had been just eight minutes.
'This is it, I guess?' Shambhavi asked, turning to Faisal.
'Actually, no. This is just one floor; there are three more floors of this,' Arjun replied, before Faisal could say anything.
'I know that, Mr Datta. Faisal here told me about that. But I just wanted to see these pieces in person. I have seen the catalogue of the rest of your pieces,' Shambhavi said.
'Yes, Mr Datta. These are the newest of your designs. We do not have them on the catalogue yet,' Faisal added.
'So, you have already selected whatever you needed?' Arjun asked Shambhavi, ignoring Faisal.
'More or less. I have marked them in the catalogue. We have a few confusions, which we would like to clear with you. Other than that, we are done here.'
'Good. What kind of confusions?'
'I'll have Tutul send them over to you?' Shambhavi asked.
'Sure.'
'Great,' she said and turned to Tutul. 'Add the model numbers of the pieces we selected from here on this list. We'll go through it and finalise the final list tonight, okay?'
'Okay. And Shambhavi, I think I should check out the selected articles in person once?' Tutul suggested.
'Yes, good idea. Go with Faisal and take a look? Fill me in later?'
'Yes, I will. You go now. Take care of him, okay?'
'Of course,' Shambhavi said and turned to the men and bid them goodbye. 'Gentlemen, I will see you later.'
'Later,' Faisal said cheerfully.
Arjun nodded. He wondered whom Tutul was referring to when she asked Shambhavi to take care of him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was none of his business.
As soon as Shambhavi left, Faisal and Tutul also took their leave for the first floor, leaving him standing there alone. For some reason, he felt lost, even though he was standing at the one place which was truly his own-his factory, his office, his home.
The next five weeks went by at an unrealistic pace, or at least that was how Arjun felt. Working with Shambhavi was an overwhelming experience. Even though he had always been good at what he did, he had never been so enthusiastic about his work. That was probably because the money had always mattered more to him than the work he was doing. But with Shambhavi, it was different. Just seeing her work was an experience.
He had gone through her portfolio, the one she had left behind in his office after their first meeting. He had grudgingly admitted to himself that he was impressed by her work. That was partly the reason why he had even looked at the sample designs she prepared for the Ahluwalia mansion. Otherwise, he had planned to brush her off directly, when she called on the personal number he gave her on his visiting card. But her work had not let him do that. On working together, he got to witness the process through which such impeccable designs came into existence.
She got engrossed in whatever she was doing, be it something as important as detailing her designs or as insignificant as taking printouts. She put her heart into everything. He also realized that she had not been faking aloofness and pretending to have got over his decision of not having anything personal between them. She had genuinely forgiven him and moved on. She was not the kind of person to hold grudges. Like a child, she was easy to please and could never stay mad for long. Not once, in the whole time he had worked with her, did he feel like she held something against him. She was back to calling him Arjun and behaving normally around him.
He was grateful to her for that.
That night, they had a housewarming party at the Ahluwalias' mansion to attend. Arjun was against the idea of going there, but changed his mind, when he found out that Shambhavi would be there.
It was probably his last legitimate chance to meet her and he was in no mood to miss it. Over the weeks they had spent working together, she had slowly grown on him. If nothing else, he was just used to having her around. Her laughter, her chirps, her bright eyes and her ... sheer presence had become a part of his routine. He had no idea how she had managed to get under his skin so quickly, but she had. There was no denying that.
'Where are you?' Arjun asked Faisal over phone.
'At my place, sir,' a slightly anxious Faisal replied.
'I'll be getting to the Ahluwalia mansion in an hour. Be there.'
'But, sir ... I was going to go to a movie with friends. The show starts in forty minutes.'
'Then you will just have to miss it, won't you?' Arjun snapped.
'Yes, sir.
I will be there,' Faisal changed tracks immediately.
Arjun hung up and turned to the mirror. He was wearing a deep violet shirt under a charcoal suit. He played with a few ties and decided not to bother with any of them. He unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and flicked his fingers through his hair. He needed a haircut, and his stubble was getting out of hand, too, but he didn't have time for that. Trying to manage his hair to make it look presentable, he grabbed his car keys and walked out of his bedroom.
By the time Arjun got to the mansion, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He wished he had made some friends over the years, if only to have been able to ask for their help in the situation he was in. He was like a teenager in love, only with a whole lot of baggage and reservations. His mind was in complete chaos. He did not know what to do.
He could not let Shambhavi go. But making her stay was not something he was prepared for either; that would mean commitment and he was not ready for that yet.
But when he saw her that night, all his hesitations and uncertainties vanished. And not just because she was looking resplendent in the bottle green saree she wore. It was because of the expression she wore.
She stood only a few feet away from him, but was still far away. She had a drink in her hand, which remained untouched. Her physical presence was the only proof of her being there; her mind was elsewhere. There was something going on in her head, something bothering her. She looked weak and distraught. For the first time since he had met her, she felt older than sixteen to him. And that told him that she was much more mature than he had first thought.
She was staring at a distance, alone in the crowd surrounding her. Her eyes were fixed on something he could not see, something visible only to her. Her shoulders were hunched, as if in defeat, as if she had lost a battle. She looked small and fragile, and Arjun immediately felt an urge to rush to her and protect her.
He tried to catch her attention, but she was not looking at him, even though her eyes were turned towards him. She continued gazing unseeingly at something, lost in her thoughts.
'Hi,' he went to her and said, inspecting her eyes to find a sheen of wetness in them. He was right; something was up.
'Hey,' she replied shortly, coming out of her reverie abruptly. Her smile did not stretch her lips for more than two millimetres.
'Something wrong?'
'What? Oh. No, no. Nothing's wrong. I am all right.'
'You are?' he cocked his eyebrow. He never asked her if she was okay. Something was definitely up.
'Yes. Anyway,' Shambhavi looked around, clearly searching for something to help her change the topic, 'where is Faisal? Is he not coming?'
'He is. Must be getting here any moment.'
'Tutul is not. She's down with fever-viral. I tell you, it's the worst thing ever. You have to get all kinds of stupid blood tests done over and over again and nothing comes out positive. So the doctors just prescribe every kind of medicine there is in the world, which only makes things worse. Plus it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth-you can't even enjoy eating. Imagine that.'
'Agreed. So, is that why you look sad? Because you are worried about your friend?' Arjun asked. He was not going to let go, until he got to know what was bothering her. Her nonsensical rant was a failed attempt at distracting him.
'A little. I thought you guys were not coming. And Tutul can't either. I felt like I was going to have dinner alone tonight, in the midst of so many strangers,' she said. 'Oh, look. There's Faisal.'
Soon after, Faisal joined them and they did not get a chance to spend any time alone. Arjun just kept feeling like Shambhavi was extremely sad inside. He tried to get it out of her, but with Faisal around, he could not prod. Also, he feared that she would tell him that he had no right to know ... no right over her. So he kept shut. He regretted having forced Faisal to come. He would have preferred his assistant watching a movie with his friends' circle, after all.
He wanted to ask Faisal to give them privacy, but he could not do that without giving Shambhavi the wrong idea. He had done that before, and it had not ended well. He knew better than doing that again.
So he just kept stealing glances at Shambhavi, trying to figure out her problem. Every time she found him staring at her, she smiled politely and turned away, resuming her dinner. She chatted fake-happily with Faisal, about everything under the sun, while Arjun's heart sank lower and lower, as he realized that it was probably the last time he was seeing her.
Three months had passed since he had last seen her. There had not been a single day when he had not thought of her and missed her, in his own convoluted way. He had decided what needed to be done. He wanted her back. He wanted to give themselves-and any relationship which could ensue between them-a chance.
Other than that, there was another reason why he was willing to take a leap of faith-had she been a gold-digger, she would not have gone out of his life so easily and completely. She would have done something to have another shot at him. But she had not. Not once in the three months had she tried to contact him in any way. That gave him a little something to build some faith on.
He promised himself that he would be careful. He knew she probably was not after his wealth. But she was in need of money ... that much he was sure about. She had been working tirelessly on the Ahluwalias' assignment for the paycheckshe admitted that herself. She liked to paint; interior designing was to make a living.
After telling himself for the hundredth time to tread carefully, he picked up his phone and called her number. He got a busy tone. He tried again, with the same outcome.
It was in the evening, when he was engaged in polishing his latest article of furniture-a teak wood dresser-that his phone rang. His thoughts went to her immediately. And sure enough, it was Shambhavi's cell number, which was displayed on his phone's screen.
'Hello?' he answered the call.
'Hi. Arjun?' she asked.
'Yes, Shambhavi. How are you?'
'I'm good. How are you? Long time. It's the craziest thing ever-I was just thinking about you. And I check my phone and find your missed calls.'
'Is that so? And why would you be thinking about me?' Arjun asked, pleasantly surprised.
'I was just in one of your showrooms and saw a few new designs. That maple wood chest, I tell you, it was beautiful. So ... perfect. I mean, the texture, the design, the detailingeverything.'
'Thank you. I am glad you liked it.'
'Liked it? Loved it. I told the salesman that I personally know you and have worked with you, but I don't think he believed me. He just eyed me from head to toe and shrugged,' Shambhavi said. Arjun could almost imagine her making a face and crinkling her nose at the other end of the phone. He had really missed that, he suddenly realized.
'There might have been some other reason for that, you know-the eyeing from head to toe,' he said, tongue-in-cheek. It was tough to be with Shambhavi and not get into the same light mood as hers. She was almost contagious.
'Ahh! I see your humour has developed over the last, what, two months? Three?'
'Three.'
'Phew. Long time, really. I thought you must have forgotten me, seeing as you do not make friends, just business acquaintances,' Shambhavi said. 'I must say-your call came as a surprise.'
'I had expected it to be so.'
'Hmm. So, what is going on?'
'I called you just to ... see if we could catch up sometime, maybe?' He was suddenly nervous.
'Sure. Dinner tomorrow?'
'Sounds great.'
'But may I ask why the sudden interest in me?' Shambhavi asked.
'No reason.' Actually, I have wanted to get back in touch since a long time, but was not sure whether or not it would be appropriate. Because the last time, I ended it abruptly after the first date ... so I was worried you would not be willing to give me a second chance after that kind of behaviour from me. Also, I was making sure you weren't after my wealth, so I stayed away from you to find out whether you would try to get in touc
h. Now the test is over and you have passed. He felt slightly disgusted at himself for having those kinds of thoughts.
'Okay. Never mind. See you tomorrow then?'
'Yes. Tomorrow,' Arjun replied shortly.
'Text me the address; I will be there.'
'No. You don't have to come. I mean-I'll come to pick you up from your place.'
'You do know that that would make it a date, don't you?' Shambhavi asked, surprise evident in her tone.
'I do. It was intentional.'
'Oh.'
After they hung up, Arjun got back to his polishing. He appraised his most recent creations-a rocking chair and the dresser he had been working on. He wondered what Shambhavi would have to say about it. Maybe she would like the dresser. But maybe not the rocking chair; the colour was a bit too dark for her taste. He had come to know these things about her over the weeks they had worked together.
Suddenly, he was hit by another idea-to build a similar armchair, in a slightly smaller size and a lighter shade. He might even keep the carving a little delicate. The two chairs together would complement each other beautifully-the dark and the fair, together. Perfect. That, he was sure, she would love. He looked forward to showing them to her, casually, and asking for her opinion.
He was already excited about it. Her excitement was definitely contagious.
He immediately got to work.
Life doesn't give too many options. One is to trust, to try, despite one's reservations. The other is to never know what could've been.
ellow suited her, he thought, as soon as he laid his eyes on her. Standing at her door, one hand holding the door open for him and the other putting back an escaped curl behind her ear, she was a sight. However, he did not let her know that.
'Ready?' he asked, instead.
'Yes, just let me get my handbag,' Shambhavi said, and rushed to her room. When she got back, he noticed that her lipstick was a shade darker. 'I like your jacket,' she said.