LAST-ING IMPRESSIONS - 1

ONWARDS WE MARCH

“Are you ready?? Or do I have the time to download one more song?” Sheeba screamed from the hall room.

“Download two songs, for all I care... I’m in the mood to get dressed up today...” I replied...

“Hmmm... Someone seems to have made up her mind to rob a lot of hearts today, eh?” Sheeba teased.

“Yeah, yeah!!! Easy for you to say... You already have a boyfriend... I’m the single one...” I yelled back.

“Know which song I just downloaded?? ‘I got a feelin... That tonite’s gonna be a good nite...’ Black Eyed Peas... I really got a feeling that tonight might be the night when something good will happen for you...”said Sheeba.

“Maybe, maybe not!!!” I said, as I applied the finishing touches to my make up... “I’m good to go...” I said as I slipped my freshly pedicured feet into my new pair of heels... “Get your arse off that chair, girl... Come on...”

Akshat was waiting in the car...

“Godbless... I was almost beginning to believe that we could go out clubbing next Saturday...” he joked.

“Shuddup hon... Push on the accelerator now...” I said... Once I was ready, I would always be the most excited about reaching the club.

“But wasn’t all the wait worth it? Don’t we both look smashing?” Sheeba asked, as she flaunted her new dress.

“Yes you do, baby... You girls make my job tougher every time... I think we will have to recruit a bouncer only to take care of both of you if you girls keep looking this good everytime...” he laughed... We giggled along at the thought...

After an hour, and numerous traffic jams later, we were at the club.

“Hey Ali... Wassup!!” said Akshat, as he hi-fived the bouncer at the entrance... “Aaj crowd hain ki nahi?”

“Of course sir... There’s very good crowd today... Aap khud hi dekh lo...” Ali replied.

Sheeba and I waved at Ali as we entered... He smiled and opened the door for us...

On entering the club, we were greeted by a sight that always made me smile... The darkness that engulfed everyone there; the music that drove you to the dance floor; the alcohol that made all inhibitions vanish; and the DJ console, where my darling friend Zac would be found...

“Hey Zac.... Long time, eh!!! Sorry bout not calling you last weekend... I was caught up with a work party... We were at Pheonix Mills...” I justified.

“Yeah yeah... You seem to have an encyclopedia of excuses stashed somewhere at home” he joked... “Hey Sheebs... Where’s Akki?” he asked; when he saw Sheeba standing behind me...

“He’s around somewhere... Must be ogling at some other girls, as usual...” said Sheeba...

“Oh cmon Sheebs... You know he’s the best... I haven’t seen him out of line ever... I’m giving you the guy perspective here... He is a gem...” said Zac.

“He’s right...” I said. “If you don’t want him, then pass him on to me...” I teased.

“Chal chal... Go find one on your own... Akki is mine...” she said, with a grumpy face.

“Possessiveeeeeee...” I teased.

“Awrite... I want to hit the dance floor now... See ya around, Zac... After hours” I winked; as I pulled Sheeba by her elbow.

“See ya” Sheeba yelled out to Zac over all the noise... Zac smiled back as we disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor.

Sheeba had been right about one thing on that particular day... There was something special about that night... My life would never be the same again... It could not go back to being the same, no matter how hard I tried... Coz that was the night I met him....

“Girls, there is someone I’d like you to meet...” said Akki...

Both Sheebs n I turned to see who it was that Akki wanted us to meet... I could only see the silhouette of the of the person standing with Akshat... He wasn’t very tall, neither was he well built...

OF FRIENDS AND MORE...

Akshat:

I had known Akshat since the day he was born... His sister Anandini and I went to the same school; and given the fact that our families were already so close to each others, she and I had always been rather fond of each other...

Akshat was Anandini’s younger brother... Years later, there came another brother Akash... But Akash and I never got that close, owing to the huge age difference between us... Akshat was 4 years younger than me...

As luck would have it, Anandini and I had to say goodbye to each other early on... She went to Delhi for her colleging... Akshat would come and spend time with me whenever he would miss his sister... That’s how he and I got down to having this close-knit relationship that we shared...

When it was time for Akshat to choose a college, he chose mine... He was extremely fond of me and all my friends.... Given the fact that he was a good looking kid, he got a lot of attention from all my female friends... They would go all ‘Oh! He’s so cute’ over him... And needless to say, he would enjoy all the cheek-pulling sessions... And post the sessions, he would tell me who was the best looking amongst all of the women who had thronged him on that particular day...

In other words, Akshat was like the kid brother I never had... But our relationship had a twist to it... We were both fully aware of the fact that we weren’t blood relatives... And due to exactly that, we were ‘friends’ and not ‘siblings’ ever...

Sheeba:

I liked Sheeba for the person that she is from day one of meeting her...

I was the editor of the college magazine that year... Sheeba was one of the applicants for the Editorial team... She was applying for the post of ‘Head of Design’... She may have been my junior, but I knew she meant business from the moment she set foot in the Student Council office...

She was an image of confidence, beauty and grace... Whooooo... Deadly combination... Had I been a guy, I would have been swept off my feet by a woman like that... So it wasn’t surprising when my Akshat, who was pretty much like a male version of me, fell for her the instant he saw her...

“If you get me her number, I’ll be your slave from this moment on...” is what he said when he saw her walking with me one day...

I couldn’t say no to him... He was my Akki after all...

Turned out she found him cute as well... So there, it was done... My job had become easier...

Akshat and Sheeba had been dating for 4 years now; two years through college, and two years after...

They were just 22... But at 26, I definitely felt like a pain in their asses when they took me out... I didn’t have a boyfriend, so it was just the 3 of us wherever we went... I always felt like a sore thumb, an oldie sticking out her ugly head...

I just wished I had someone to call my own... Someone to love... Someone to hold... Someone who could care for me... I wanted to be the center of someone’s world; and have a center for my own...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

“Girls, there is someone I’d like you to meet...” said Akki...

Both Sheebs n I turned to see who it was that Akki wanted us to meet... I could only see the silhouette of the of the person standing with Akshat... He wasn’t very tall, neither was he well built...

Akki was always busy introducing me to his eligible friends...

‘How many times have I told this fool that I’m not into younger guys’ I thought to myself...

“This is my ‘girlfriend’ Sheeba” said Akki, as he protectively placed his arm around Sheeba’s shoulder... “And this here is the light of my life, ‘Ashwini’ or ‘Ash’ as we fondly call her” he said, introducing me to his mystery kiddo friend...

“Hello” he said, and put his hand out for a handshake... “I’m Ashutosh Kapadia...”

In order to shake his hand, I had to step a little forward... When I did, the sight that was in store for me left me zapped...

He may have looked little, but he was definitely not younger... He had one of those faces that shone with the wisdom that one can garner only from experience and graceful aging... Not to say that he was old or anything, but he was definitely older than me...

‘Must be around 28 or 29’ I thought to myself, as I did some mental calculations to confirm if I was still 26 or not... I was sure I wouldn’t have wanted to turn 27 ever... In fact, I didn’t want to go beyond 25... Alas!! Nature wouldn’t agree to any of my stupid plans of ‘stalling time’ or going into ‘rewind mode’...

His eyes were hazel in colour... When he smiled, he had one of the deepest set of dimples I had ever seen... He had a twinkle in his eye when he smiled, which gave away his ‘boyish’ nature at the first glimpse itself...

“Have fun” Akki whispered in my ear, as he took Sheeba’s hand and led her away... They disappeared into the crowd... And for once, I didn’t mind them leaving me alone... Coz I wasn’t really alone, was I?

“Would you like to dance?” he asked, politely... “Sure!!” I said; and he led me to the dance floor...

Swoooosh he went sliding from one side of me to the other... And I was left gaping...

‘This man could actually dance... He had dimples... He wass cute looking... Okay, let me rephrase that, really really really cute looking... Tonight had to be my lucky night’ I thought to myself, as I watched him moving around the dance floor... He sure had some groovy moves up his sleeve...

But I wasn’t the types to sit and watch... So I zapped out of my trance, and started moving my feet...

We both finally stopped; we were panting... I looked at him... He had this awesomely adorable smile plastered all over his face...

“Drink?” he asked... “Great idea...” I replied...

“Beer?” he asked me... “Yeah... Wat bout you?” I asked... “I’ll stick to beer as well” he replied...

“Hey Ron.... 2 Fosters please... Chilled, eh...” I said, as I winked at the bartender.

“Anything for you darling...” replied the bartender, as he smiled and opened up two pints for us; before going back to the mad rush at the bar...

“Hmmmm... You seem to know everyone here, don’t you?” he said...

“Maybe... Maybe not...” I said...

“Huh? Wat do you mean by that?” he asked...

“I do seem to know everyone... But quite obviously, I don’t seem to know the important ones...” I replied, as I took a sip from my beer and simultaneously waved out to someone in the crowd that I knew.

“Important ones, eh? Like...?”

“You” I replied... “Akki got to you before I could...”

He laughed... And my, did I fall in love with that laugh or not... It sounded like the music that was produced by the fingers of angels on harps, up in heaven...

I smiled at the thought...

“Want to dance some more?” he asked me with a naughty smile, as he placed his empty beer bottle back on the bar top...

“Do you even have to ask?” I exclaimed, as I emptied my own bottle...

Before we knew it, it was 2:00 a.m. It was time for the club to shut down... Ashutosh took my hand, as we left the club... He had to literally drag me out of the place as I air-kissed everyone I knew... ‘Goodnight’ I kept saying to whoever I was bumping into...

“So did you kids have fun?” Akki asked us when he met us near his car.

“Kids??? Really??? You think you’ve grown up in one night, huh bacchhu???” I said, as I proceeded to pull Akki by his ears.

“Sorry sorry sorry...” he squealed... “I was kidding, meri maa...”

“As for your question, we did have fun...” I said.

“We?” Sheeba asked me, with one raised eyebrow.

“So Ash, since when did you and me become ‘we’?” Ashutosh added.

“Ummm... I don’t...” I was searching for the right thing to say... With every passing second, I was turning a darker shade of red. “I didn’t mean it that way. You know wat I meant... Don’t you?” I asked, looking at Akki, hoping for some support to come from that direction.

“Answer them...” Akki said. “Since when, eh?”

“You useless bastard...” I said, as I set off to beat up Akki. “You can never bail me out of awkward situations, can you now?” I yelled at him, as I proceeded to pull my heels off. I couldn’t be running around in heels.

Ashutosh and Sheeba smiled at each other, as they watched Akki and me run around the car like kindergarten kids...

THE MAN OF THE MOMENT

Ashutosh, or AK as I began calling him later, is now my boyfriend of 6 months...

I’d been right about his age... AK turned 29 around 2 months back... We celebrated his birthday in style... Akki, Sheebs and I threw a surprise party for him at Red Lounge...

The night when AK and I met for the first time, was the day he had landed in Mumbai after 6 years. He had spent the previous years of his life in Dubai, where he worked with Toyota. He was a hardcore marketing person.

He had some savings from the last 6 years, which he wanted to invest in a small time business in Mumbai...

“Why Mumbai?” I asked him once...

“Coz this is where I was born... So this is where I belong...” was his reply.

He didn’t discuss too many details about the business venture... But from what I understood, he wanted to take up the franchisee of some leading resto bar... I never pried into his professional life beyond that... So that was the limited knowledge I had...

He stayed with his mom and dad... He had a younger brother, Ayaan... I’d never met Ayaan, but I’d seen pictures of him and AK together... The similarity was stark...

Ayaan was working with a leading call centre in Mumbai. He was Sheeba and Akki’s age.

As far as I was concerned, romantically, things were going very well between AK and me... We were pretty much in the ‘let’s see where this goes’ phase... But it was moving fast towards the ‘Let’s go steady’ stage... I could feel it... But I didn’t want to get my hopes up; for the fear of feeling foolish later... All said and done, I was a noob at this dating game... I hadn’t really been in a real, mature, adult relationship ever... This was my first... And I didn’t want to rush anything, for it would risk the ‘perfection’ that was being built, slowly and steadily.

WHY I HATE SURPRISES

“But where are we going?” I demanded to know, as AK took a sharp left turn... I was in an area that I didn’t find familiar...

“Hold on to your horses, woman!!!” he said... “I’m sure you’re going to love it...” I could see him smile in the rearview mirror of his bike.

We stopped in front of an under-construction building... “What are we doing here?” I asked him, genuinely confused.

“In another 14 months, I’m going to live here...” he replied finally, looking up at the building that stood tall in front of us... “22^nd floor, 2 ½ BHK, prime location...”

I didn’t know how to react...

“Let’s go have a look at the place...” he said, as he took me by the hand, and led me off into the building...

“Are you sure you can afford it?” I asked him, as I got onto the bike after having checked out the place...

“Maybe I can’t...” he said; “But maybe we can...” he smiled at me... “Afterall, we’re going to live in together, aren’t we?” he asked.

“Huh?” I looked at him suspiciously...

“Did you like the place or not?” he asked, firmly.

“I loved it... It’s brilliant, no doubt...” I said.

“Cool, so then that’s settled...” he said, as we vroomed away...

MEETING THE BEST MAN

Sheeba, Akki and I met up early for a round of drinks... AK was late, as usual...

“Where is he?” Akki asked

“God knows... He should be here soon, though...” I said, as I turned my attention to the plate of spicy chicken wings that had just been placed on our table.

“There he is...” Sheeba exclaimed.

I turned around to see him... Sure enough, he looked as gorgeous as ever... But he wasn’t alone.... Ayaan was with him...

“Guys this is Ayaan... My lil bro...” he introduced, as he playfully ruffled Ayaan’s hair...

“This is Akshat a.k.a Akki... Sheeba a.k.a Sheebs... Sheebs and Akki have been dating for 4 ½ years now... Can you beat that?” he said; with the surprise evident in his voice.

“And this here...” he said, locking his arms around me from the back of my chair; “is my darling... The one person you have been waiting to meet for so long...”

“Hi... I’m...”

“You’re Ash, of course... I have heard so much about you” Ayaan started...

“Really now? I wonder whether it’s good stuff or bad stuff” I said, with a mischeivious smile directed at AK.

“By the way, I heard you call him ‘AK’...” said Ayaan.

“Yeah...” I replied.

“By that virtue, am I ‘AK’ too?? My initials are the same too, aren’t they?” he asked, with a smile.

‘Their smiles are exactly the same’ I thought to myself as I took a piece of paneer off Akki’s plate. He hated paneer.

“Nah boy... Don’t try your luck there... I don’t think I’m ready to deal with two-timing as yet...” I joked.

Everyone at the table laughed...

(TO BE CONTINUED)