SUDDEN TWIST

by Flame Dragon

  “Good riddance!” Mathew thought “Just one more to get rid of,” and he looked at Sakshi.

  “Oh my god!!!” Sakshi shouted suddenly while looking at her phone on the way to the conference room, there was a guest lecture and Sakshi felt it was a good idea to take a peek.

  “What now?” Mathew asked annoyed.

  “Ow Sorry, it this thing I am watching….I am a great fan of this sport,” and she showed him her phone.

  On the screen it read “MMA prodigy Craig breaks Vladimir’s 30 match winning streak!”

  “MMA….what’s that?” Mathew asked innocently.

  “Seriously?!!! You never even heard of it?” Sakshi asked surprised for which he simply shrugged.

  “Are you a guy or what!” she asked as if insulted by his lack of knowledge.

  “Of course I am guy what the heck!” he shouted back.

  “MMA stands for mixed martial arts,” she explained.

  “You mean like a karate and such?” he asked.

  “Bingo!” she pointed her finger at him and winked.

  “You know there’s illegal MMA fights taking place in this college too!” she continued excited.

  “Whatever! As if I care lets go,” and he walked on.

  “Hey! Wait a minute don’t you wanna know?” she ran behind him.

  “I don’t give a damn! And you should keep your distance that kind of knowledge will get you in trouble,” he warned her.

  “I have been to these fights, I have seen first-hand so don’t tell me what to do!” she shot back.

  Suddenly Mathew stopped and said “Seeing and fighting are two different things,” and went into the conference room.

  Natasha soon found Sakshi at the conference hall and sat next to her.

  “So! Report?” Sakshi asked clasping her hands eagerly.

  “Huh?” Natasha was spacing out.

  “Boyfriend report!” she whispered in Natasha ear.

  “Where’s…where’s Mathew?” she asked looking around.

  “Don’t change the subject! Answer me now!” she demanded.

  “Not here okay, somewhere private,” Natasha answered flustered.

  “Teehee he did something naughty didn’t he?” Sakshi asked giggling.

  “Keep it down okay? I promise I will tell you later,” and Natasha tried to hush her over excited friend.

  As they went out they saw Mathew coming out of the hall as well.

  “There you are! Where were you?” Natasha asked.

  “Do I look like your bodyguard?” he asked her.

  “No but how—” she started.

  “Then don’t bother me all the time,” he cut her off.

  “Well its Sachin’s birthday tomorrow so I asked him what kind of gift he would like” she said.

  “Ah stupid girl! Let me guess what he asked, a kiss from you?” Mathew shook his head in disbelief.

  “No he did not!” she defended him.

  “Then what did he ask?” Mathew was curious a bit.

  “He asked me to have dinner date with him,” she looked at the two of them.

  “Well it’s not that bad,” Sakshi said.

  “Yep! strange things can happen on a date you never know,” Mathew said.

  “What do you mean by strange tell me!” Natasha asked worried.

  “You never ever had a boyfriend?” Mathew asked surprised.

  “She is very choosy and her dad’s scary,” Sakshi answered.

  “Ouch! What a pity!” he said.

  “Her dad’s condition was no dating until she finished her studies, he thinks it’s a distraction,” Sakshi explained.

  “I won’t argue with that and you?” he asked Sakshi.

  She showed him 6 fingers “One for each year that’s my rule,” she said proudly.

  “Wow and yet Natasha turned out like this strange,” he thought scratchings his forehead.

  “Any advice?” Natasha asked.

  “Hmm when he tries to kiss you just close your eyes it will be easy for you,” Mathew began.

  “Is that the first thing that comes to your mind you pervert?” she asked annoyed.

  “Well actually I was being decent dirtier things than that can happen,” and he roared in laughter.

  “Stop scarring her!” Sakshi scolded him and looking at Natasha she said, “don’t worry honey everything will be alright just be your normal best and smile a lot”.

  “Well still if does something pervy then?” Mathew asked.

  “He won’t okay! He is not a rascal like you!” Sakshi glared at him so Mathew shrugged and turned around.

  “And ya by the way from Monday onwards we are starting our group studies you can join if you want,” Natasha said but he waved off the idea and left.

  Natasha’s First Date

  The bell was ringing. “Sakshi’s look who it is?” Natasha asked her friend.

  “Coming!” Sakshi replied.

  When she opened the door, a young guy stood there with a box and was wearing a shirt that read FedEx.

  “Madam are you Natasha?” the delivery guy asked.

  “No I am her friend,” she replied.

  “She has a delivery,” he told her.

  “Natasha delivery for you come fast,” Natasha came to the door looking puzzled, she was asked to sign and was given a box.

  “What’s inside?” Sakshi asked.

  “How should I know? Let’s find out bring those scissors from the kitchen,” Natasha looked at the box and immediately after reading the contents description she realized it was dress. “It’s from him,” she thought. “Sakshi will probably make me wear this right now,” she murmured to herself.

  “Got it!” Sakshi came with the scissors, she didn’t give it to Natasha though instead she opened it herself.

  “Wow! Its beautiful,” and she looked at Natasha.

  “I wanna see it now!” and she commanded Natasha to wear it who had no choice but to comply, so half-heartedly she went in to change.

  “Soooo pretty!” Sakshi clasped her hands smiling “It’s perfect!”.

  “Not bad,” even Natasha was impressed by the outfit, her dad never encourage her to wear flashy and revealing outfits this was her first she was touched.

  “But how did he know my measurements?” she asked her friend. Then realising she starred at her friend with glaring eyes, Sakshi pretended to be busy checking the box.

  “Sakshi! No wonder you were so excited!” She said in a raised voice.

  “I swear I thought he was just curious I didn’t know he would buy you a dress,,” she said innocently.

  “Oh, shut up I know you helped him with this on purpose,” Natasha knew her friend better than anyone after all they were friends since childhood.

  “Maybe I should get you a boyfriend that way at least you will leave me in peace,” Natasha said.

  “It’s getting late,” Sakshi said looking at the clock.

  “Ya I better hurry,” Natasha replied “Why am I even doing this?” she thought.

  Mathew was waiting in his taxi as she came dressed and ready to leave.

  “Ah what kind of boyfriend is he…. can’t he pick up his own girl instead of leaving her to the fetch her own transport!” Mathew began.

  “Actually he did, but I refused,” Natasha answered.

  “Really! why?” he asked surprised.

  “I wanted you to come with me I will feel safe if you are nearby,” Natasha said smiling.

  Mathew was silent for a while “You trust me too much,” he said finally.

  “Well you are a nice guy, so I think you can be trusted, am I wrong?” she asked.

  “Ah never mind!” he said.

  They finally reached after a few minutes of driving.

  “Wow! So he owns this hotel?” Mathew asked looking at it.

  “Yep and plenty more,” she took a deep breath.

  “If you need anything just call I will be in my cab nearby and Ya waiting fee will be added,” he said.

 
“I will pay you double for your trouble tonight it might take long,” she said and Mathew smiled gleefully.

  And so she went in Sachin was waiting for her and looked pleased when he saw her in the dress he bought for her.

  “Wow you look stunning!” he said and with a big bow he welcomed her into his hotel.

  “Thank you! Happy birthday by the way!” She said and gave him a gift one she carefully picked with Sakshi’s help.

  “Thanks!” he said and shook the box and then looking at her asked “What’s in it?”

  “It’s a secret,” she said smiling.

  And he gestured her to follow him up the stairs until they reached a room with a table and two chairs. It was dimly lit with candles a bottle of whine and four glasses were placed at the table, in the centre of it was a flower vase with plenty of golden coloured metal roses. She wondered why keep metal roses instead of real ones she wanted to touch one but decided it was best not to.

  Sachin noticed her looking at the strange roses. “I wanted to try something special and different because you are not just any ordinary girl,” she blushed at that but in the dimly lit room it was difficult to tell.

  He snapped his fingers twice and two waiters came in with large food trolley’s. There were all kinds of dishes she wondered how big an appetite he must have to finish all this or did Sakshi lie to him saying she loved food. In fact, she lost her appetite after looking at the quantity.

  “I didn’t know what you like so I asked them to prepare all of their specialities,” and he snapped his fingers again and the waiter showed him a bottle of wine.

  “I will have the other one, same for her,” Natasha raised her eyebrows surprised.

  “This must be all new to you I can understand, selecting the right wine for the right dish can be a bit difficult so I’ll just chose one for you, but don’t worry you’ll get used to it,” Natasha was completely lost there she had no idea why he was telling her what she already knew, then she suddenly remembered.

  “Of course, only Sakshi knows about it the rest of them think I am just an ordinary girl,” she thought to herself and giggled at his stupidity.

  “Something funny?” he asked her noticing her smile.

  “Oh nothing” she said.

  “You know what? Most girls would swoon and go crazy when they realized how rich I am but you hardly seem bothered…. you really are special,” he raised his glass to her.

  “That’s because I am richer than you idiot!” she thought.

  She then remembered how far her dad had gone to keep her away from the media and public attention and the life she couldn’t have because her dad wanted her to see life the way he did with all its struggles and difficulties a self-made man who appreciated humility above all else.

  Yes she did go to five star hotels and had a palace for a house, but most of the time she was away from home living in hostels or as paying guests with Sakshi’s being her only companion, she could come home only on Christmas and Easter, the rest of the time her dad forbid her to visit saying she must learn to live without the luxuries of her home.

  “I don’t want my daughter to be a princess who’s only ambition is to marry a prince,” he would say “I want you to be a leader in your own right bending to no one’s will,” he would constantly remind her.

  “C’mon it’s my birthday and yet here you are spacing out,” Sachin reminded her.

  She immediately realized she was in a hotel with Sachin. “Sorry!” she murmured.

  “This lobster is way too big and scary,” he said looking at it and Natasha laughed at that.

  “Find me something that is not so intimidating,” he ordered them and they replaced his lobster with a chicken dish.

  “Ah much better,” he said.

  “Didn’t you hold a birthday party?” Natasha asked him.

  “Hmm…of course I did,” he said munching his food.

  “But I didn’t feel confident inviting you…you know daddy problems I need his approval for that”.

  “Dig in,” he encouraged her and she took a few bites off her mutton dish just to please him. (He did go to the trouble of preparing all that food after all or at least his chef did!)

  She felt sorry for the chef “Poor fellow” she thought “you had to suffer because I am pretty”.

  “I haven’t told my dad about you yet, but I promise I will get there in a few days he is busy at the moment on some business trip to London,” Natasha nodded at that.

  “You can wait right just a bit?” he asked her worried.

  “Take your time,” she assured him.

  In fact she preferred of he didn’t tell his dad at all she had her own dad after all who warned her against dating while studying.

  “You know compared to my birthday party this is so much more pleasing,” he said.

  “That’s good,” she replied.

  “A few minutes with you gives me more pleasure than all that boozing, partying and girls”.

  “Oh…..ah…..great,” she said with her white cheeks turning pink.

  She drank some more wine but then reminded herself not to get drunk.

  “So anything interesting in class today?” he asked.

  “Hmm no just the usual,” she answered. “By the way why did you not invite your classmates to the party?” she asked.

  “I will host a second party tomorrow actually so everyone can attend you can call it my post birthday party,” and took a sip of wine.

  “Show off!” she thought to herself “Are all of them like this?” she wondered.

  “Need some music?” he asked her.

  “No its okay,” she replied noticing the musicians standing in line at the far end of the hall.

  “You know if you feel uncomfortable I can send them off,” he said noticing her nervous look.

  “No!….I mean let them stay….I could use some music it’s a waste having them stand there idle”. Obviously, Natasha felt much more safer to have them standing there then be left alone with Sachin, who knows what would happen if he was left alone with her.

  After the food the waiters brought desert, a big ice cream was placed on the table she took pieces of it in her plate and began eating it and Sachin did the same. She also noticed a cup of milk shake in the trolley with two straws in it she did not like what he planned to do with it.

  “Good thing he changed his plan I guess he too got nervous of sharing the same glass with me,” she thought to herself relieved.

  After the dinner was finished he took her soft palms in his hands Natasha tried to free her palms from his grasp but he held them tightly.

  “Oh no! here it comes, brace yourself!” she thought, and she clenched her fists in anxiety.

  “Natasha when I first saw you I knew that I was looking at a star in the sea of darkness, nothing else mattered, nothing else was visible just you when I look at you my heart leaps and I get nervous!” Natasha could only nod at that her heart was racing fast.

  He then took a metallic flower from the vase on the table and placed it in her hands.

  “I don’t want to be just your boyfriend I want to be more than that, when I see all those beautiful girls all I feel is lust but when I look at you I feel love!”.

  “Ew! that’s creepy,” Natasha thought.

  “I want you to wear this as a memory of me, it will make me happy,” he gestured her to the flower in her hand.

  “You want me to wear this?” she asked surprised.

  “No I want you to open it,” he replied.

  Sachin twisted the stem of the metallic rose and like a blooming flower it opened revealing a diamond ring inside it, he took the ring out and put it on her finger.

  Natasha was speechless she didn’t know what to do. Sachin then gently placed his palms on her cheeks and got close to her. Natasha’s heart was beating so fast that she could barely breath and her vision was getting blurry she thought she would faint then and there. She could feel his breath on her right cheek as he got closer she tightly
caught her chair digging her nails in the seat. She could even smell his cologne. Then surprisingly she remembered Mathew’s advice and she immediately closed her eyes.

  With her eyes closed she could feel his lips as they locked on to hers warm and soft. Natasha whimpered softly and grasped Sachin’s hands tightly. It was over faster than she imagined and yet strangely she wanted it to last longer just a little bit.

  As they parted from each other’s grasp Natasha turned to her left trying to avoid looking into his eyes her cheeks were pink with feeling of love.

  Sachin chuckled looking at her cheeks. Natasha could almost feel the blood flowing into her cheeks like ants crawling over her skin. She felt her cheeks with her palms they were warm.

  “I….need to go…I gotta go, its late bye!” and without looking back Natasha rushed back out of the hotel.

  The Party

  “So how was the date?” Mathew asked Natasha when she got into his car.

  She smiled to herself but said nothing. He turned to her and after a long pause laughed.

  “Sakshi will love to see this,” he said.

  “See what?” Natasha asked nervously.

  He placed his finger on his lips and said, “Your lipstick is ruined”.

  “What?!” She quickly pulled out a mirror from her hand bag.

  “Oh god! No! it’s not what you think it is, I swear I didn’t kiss him!” She said blushing in embarrassment.

  “I was talking about how funny you looked,” he said raising his eyebrows.

  “Oh…..I…. ahem!” she cleared her throat.

  “Well so how was the kisssss!” he asked her teasingly.

  “Oh for gods sake drive already its getting late!” she urged him.

  “Fine fine! Sakshi asked me to file a report on what happened,” he said starting his car.

  “Skip the last part!” she said wiping her lipstick.

  “The kissing part?” he asked smiling.

  “Yes! Dammit! If she finds out she wont let me sleep tonight, I have to spend the rest of the night with her you know,” she took the mirror again and applied fresh lipstick just to be safe Sakshi had keen senses after all.

  Mathew then put some music it was a soft love song.

  “Turn that off! That’s enough!” she was getting annoyed.