Wake up, girl!

by Niharika Jindal

  ‘You know I can’t divulge trade secrets, Naina. Come on, let’s sit,’ Shiven said.

  ‘Wait.’ I beckoned him with my finger. ‘Come here.’Shiven saidn

  Shiven seemed a bit wary as he came closer to me, which wasn’t surprising as I was swaying slightly.

  I settled my lips on his, and just as he was about to deepen the kiss, I pulled back, ‘I just want to clarify that I don’t generally spend my time with gay men. I love a hot heterosexual male.’

  Shiven was once again trying to control his laughter. ‘Let’s sit, Naina, before you fall.’

  I settled myself in a comfortable position on the couch and turned towards him. ‘So, Shiven. I can see how meticulously you’ve planned your play.’

  ‘Play? What play?’ Shiven looked perplexed.

  ‘Oh, please. Stop playing dumb. You bring the girl back and make her drink more. And I’m sure she’s more than ready to get a taste of your skilful lovemaking after that.’

  ‘Hmm. Maybe. I’ve never paid much attention to the way things play out. Hold on. What word did you use? Meticulously? We’re not talking about some spy operation here, Naina!’ Shiven exclaimed.

  ‘Whatever. You get my point,’ I said.

  Before Shiven could say anything else, I took a deep breath and continued, ‘I just want to get this out of the way. I’m not as skilled as you are in the sexual department. I’m way out of my league here. So, don’t judge me if I’m a bit inept!’

  ‘Okay.’ Shiven said. He was smiling.

  Fuck, he had the sexiest smile.

  ‘You’ve had a lot of sex in your life, right?’ I asked.

  ‘Well…’

  ‘Okay. I get the picture. That doesn’t help right now. God, I need to relax! Can you please stop smiling? It’s really distracting.’

  ‘Okay,’ he said again, with a straight face this time.

  Shiven slowly pulled me towards him and whispered, ‘You’re perfect, Naina. You have nothing to worry about.’

  He leaned in and kissed me gently.

  Shiven’s lips moved slowly over mine, and I couldn’t help sighing. He was such an amazing kisser.

  ‘Does that thing turn on?’ Once again, I pulled away and pointed to the wall-mounted fireplace.

  Wow. Way to ruin the mood.

  What’s wrong in that, inner voice? I’ve been wondering about that fireplace ever since we got here!

  ‘Hold on.’

  Shiven lit a match, threw it into the fire pit and, voila! there was fire.

  ‘Oh, wow. That’s hot.’

  The way he lit the fire looked incredibly sexy and stylish.

  Shiven laughed softly, ‘Thanks.’

  He got a rug out from one of the nearby cabinets and placed it in front of the fireplace.

  I cozied up to him on the rug and put my head on his chest.

  ‘Tell me something about yourself, Naina. What made you decide to come back with me?’

  I grimaced, ‘I had a terrible day at work. My boss was being an asshole. And my mother once again managed to ruffle my feathers. It was just the last straw. Did you know that I was once engaged to a gay guy?’

  If Shiven felt any adverse reaction of hilarity or shock at my sudden declaration, he didn’t show it. I might have mentioned the weather outside, he was that nonchalant about it.

  ‘Oh, really? What happened?’ He stroked my back lightly.

  I briefly told him about the Delhi debacle. ‘But, ultimately, I realized it wasn’t my parents’ fault. I had let things get out of control.’

  ‘Smile, Naina. You have the most amazing smile. Don’t let things like this upset you. There are much worse things out there. Besides, you won’t realize it now, but your parents just wanted the best for you, in their own way.’ His face clouded over briefly, as if he was recounting an unpleasant memory.

  ‘Yes, you’re right. I’ve spoilt the mood completely, haven’t I?’

  ‘Not at all, Naina. Don’t worry,’ Shiven said.

  ‘Okay, Shiven. By the way, am I the only one who’s going to share embarrassing details about life, or are you going to join in, too?’

  Shiven laughed loudly. ‘I’m definitely going to join in. Start the questions, please.’

  ‘What do you do? For a living, I mean.’

  ‘Banker at Goldman Sachs. Thus, the perks, you know.’ He motioned towards his sleek apartment.

  I laughed. Shiven was funny.

  ‘Next.’

  ‘What were you doing at the bar tonight? Do you go there often?’

  ‘I like going to Mandarin bar after work sometimes with my buddies from Goldman. It’s a nice place to hang out.’

  ‘Okay. Are you originally from India?’

  His face clouded over again. ‘Yes. Bangalore. But, I’ve been in London for as long as I can remember. My parents passed away in a car crash when we lived in Bangalore and, after their death, I moved to London to live with my aunt. So, yes, it’s been a while.’

  Poor baby.

  Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. The flirtatious guy I’d met earlier seemed so vulnerable right now.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’ve managed to upset you,’ I said quietly.

  Not cool, Naina.

  I know, inner voice. I feel like kicking myself for broaching such a sensitive topic.

  ‘No, you haven’t. It’s been a long time and I’m a big boy.’

  ‘Hey! We’re supposed to be doing it by now!’ I said, suddenly remembering the real reason why I was here. Besides, I knew it would work as a ruse to change the topic.

  ‘Yes, I know. I promised you a night of unadulterated sex and, here I am, just yapping away. I can’t seem to help it, though. I want to tell you these things, Naina. I don’t normally talk about them.’ Shiven seemed quite baffled about being able to share intimate details of his life with me, a total stranger.

  After we talked for a while, Shiven got up from the rug. Going to the couch, he flopped on it with his guitar. He started strumming random chords and humming a song that I couldn’t place.

  Wow. He looked so hot.

  ‘Hope you’re okay with this. I like to play sometimes when the mood strikes,’ Shiven said in a low voice, his face bent towards the guitar. ‘What’s your favourite song these days?’

  I thought for a bit and said a tad sheepishly, ‘Samjhawan from Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya. I don’t know if you’re into Bollywood or not.’

  Shiven commented, ‘I love a good Bollywood movie from time to time. Besides, there are no songs like our Hindi movie songs.’

  He started murmuring the lyrics of Samjhawan, and strumming the chords of his guitar, ‘Main tenu samjhawan ki… na tere bina lagda ji…’

  Oh. My. God.

  I think I had a mini orgasm right then and there.

  Shiven looked amazing. And he had a really nice voice as well.

  There was just something about a musically talented person that was incredibly attractive.

  I wanted to compliment him profusely, but could only sputter, ‘That’s…uhh…wow. You play really well.’

  He smiled, put the guitar aside, and joined me on the rug once again.

  I tried to stop myself from asking more questions about his past but failed. ‘How old were you? When you moved to London, I mean.’

  ‘I was eight,’ Shiven said simply. ‘I don’t remember Bangalore much. London is home now. After Mom and Dad… I don’t think I could have stayed there, anyway. It just wouldn’t have been the same.’

  I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the eight-year-old who’d lost his parents, and had to leave his home behind.

  I leaned forward and kissed him.

  Shiven’s hand moved to the back of my head and deepened the kiss.

  I pulled back and lightened the mood. ‘How do you manage to stay so fit? Don’t bankers have to slave over their jobs?’ I poked at his flat stomach.

  ‘Naturally blessed, of course,’ Shiven joked.

  I hit him playfully. ‘I wish I was n
aturally blessed. I look like a hurricane’s hit me, most of the time.’

  ‘What are you talking about? You’re hot, Naina. And the confidence you exuded earlier at the bar? Whew. You were hotter than most women tonight.’

  I smiled at him. Shiven was obviously referring to me kissing him.

  ‘Just be proud of who you are and fuck anyone who makes you feel shitty about yourself. You’re amazing,’ Shiven said.

  I snorted, ‘You should tell my boss that. He thinks I’m incompetent and useless.’

  Shiven propped himself up on one elbow. ‘I think he’s a foolish man and needs to be set straight. Show him a bit of the confident Naina that’s hiding within you and you’ll be fine.’

  ‘Are you so nice to all the women who come here?’

  Shiven smiled, ‘Nah, just you. You’re special, Naina.’

  He looked like he was processing that piece of information himself.

  I got up from the couch and walked towards his kitchen. ‘You hungry? I missed dinner, I think. Plus, the alcohol is rolling around in my stomach and making me feel sick.’

  ‘Knock yourself out,’ Shiven said. ‘Oh, Naina? There’s Maggi around somewhere. I don’t know why, but I’m craving Maggi.’

  I stopped and looked at Shiven in shock. ‘I think I must have died and gone to food heaven. Did you just say Maggi?’

  Shiven started laughing and I couldn’t help but join in.

  Chapter 28

  Iwoke up to my alarm going off.

  Shit.

  I was still in Shiven’s apartment.

  In his bed, in fact.

  Which was empty.

  I was wearing one of his loose t-shirts. He’d given it to me late last night so that I could get out of my rain-soaked dress.

  Shiven and I had spoken till the wee hours of the morning, till we both finally passed out on his bed.

  And no.

  We had not had sex.

  There was a warm glow inside me after last night.

  Was I falling for him?

  The more I spoke to Shiven, the more I liked him. Plus, the guitar playing definitely helped.

  I shook that thought aside. I was jumping the gun.

  Another look at my phone made me shriek with alarm. Fuck, I had that evaluation with the review board today.

  I was changing into my dress when Shiven re-appeared.

  ‘Good morning, beautiful. Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?’ Shiven kissed me lightly on the lips.

  Yuck, Naina, morning breath.

  ‘I didn’t want to intrude on you any longer. I’m sure you want your privacy now,’ I said.

  ‘Intrude? Naina, I thought we were past the point of intrusion after last night, don’t you think? I thought we could have breakfast together. I ran to this bakery close by before you woke up and picked up a couple of things,’ Shiven said.

  He motioned to the bags that he’d kept on the bed.

  I felt that warm glow inside me again and tried to hide my flushing cheeks.

  I couldn’t help wondering if he was this nice to all the women he brought over.

  ‘Sure. Yes.’

  ‘Dig in.’ Shiven placed a bag of croissants and two coffees before me. ‘You need to fuel up before you kick ass at your review meeting today.’

  I sneaked a quick look at him while opening the bakery bags.

  Shiven was looking even better in a casual tee and track pants, than in the suit I’d seen him in last night. His cheeks were pink and rosy from the outside chilly air.

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

  Focus on Jack Taylor and his cronies, Naina!

  …

  ‘This meeting has been called to discuss the performance of Ms Naina Bansal from the market research team. The supervisor of this team is Mr Jack Taylor who is present as well. According to Mr Taylor, Ms Bansal’s work has generally been mediocre, to say the least, and her performance at yesterday’s presentation before senior management was abysmal,’ the head of the review committee read out from her printed page.

  There were a total of five people seated in front of me. It was sort of similar to facing a firing squad.

  I could see that Taylor was trying to hide the biggest smirk on his face.

  I felt like punching him.

  ‘So, Ms Bansal, what do you have to say in your defence?’

  This is it, Naina. Don’t buckle under pressure. Don’t be scared of them.

  ‘You’re amazing, Naina. Just be confident, be yourself.’ Shiven’s words played in my head and I felt an odd reassurance that all would be well.

  I pictured myself barging into the Mandarin bar, taking Shiven by surprise, and I was ready.

  I took a deep breath and began, ‘Good morning. I joined Citibank four months ago and, I have to say, it has been the most enriching experience of my life. For the first time ever, I feel like I’m actually doing something worthwhile with my time. I would have to agree with Mr Taylor that it did take me time getting used to the work pattern here. As I’m from India, it was a totally new experience for me. But, I do believe that I have improved. After the initial hurdle, I overcame the predicaments of data research and collection. I have dedicated the past four months to procuring and collecting the necessary data of Unilever, Vodafone and BP accounts. I have all the relevant documents available in order.’

  I handed over a folder to one of the representatives. They were all looking at me without any expression on their faces.

  I sighed, ‘I don’t want to waste your time here. Presenting has never been my forte. All through school and college, I have struggled with presentation assignments. The same thing, as we all know, happened yesterday. I take full responsibility for my actions. I embarrassed Mr Taylor and wasted the senior management’s time. But, I would ask you to please give me another chance. I promise that I will work harder. I will fail at times, but I will work my heart out to succeed for this company.’

  They were going through my documents now.

  ‘Hmm. Thank you, Ms Bansal. We shall let you know the review board’s decision by tomorrow.’

  I couldn’t judge by their faces what their decision was going to be.

  ‘Oh. Okay. Thank you.’

  I walked out of the room and let out the breath that I had been holding.

  Even if their verdict was to let me go, at least I knew that I’d said everything in my defence.

  I felt infinitely lighter.

  I walked over to my cubicle, and right on my desk was a huge vase filled with roses.

  My heart took a back flip.

  I knew who’d sent them even before I opened the card tucked in the bouquet.

  ‘So that you know you’re as beautiful as these red roses. Hope you kicked their asses today! Love, Shiven.’

  I couldn’t stop smiling.

  ‘Whoa! Who sent you these gorgeous flowers?’ Michael came running over.

  I hid the card in a hurry. I didn’t want to disclose last night yet.

  ‘Oh, these? My parents. They thought this would cheer me up,’ I said quickly.

  ‘Are you serious? That is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe you just left the bar last night. And passed up on that hot treat!’ Michael said.

  ‘I know, right? Can’t help it!’ I quipped. ‘You know me, Michael.’

  ‘I can’t believe you, Naina.’ Michael shook his head. ‘But, considering the abysmal end to your night…you seem unusually happy. And you have this weird glow on your face.’

  Michael was peering at me closely.

  ‘It’s nothing. I tried on this new facial scrub. I’ll text you the details.’

  Michael rolled his eyes and walked back to his workspace.

  I decided to call Shiven.

  Thankfully, we’d managed to exchange numbers at some point last night.

  Shiven picked up immediately. ‘Hey, beautiful!’

  I felt the warm glow again. I really needed to get that under control.

&
nbsp; ‘Got the flowers. Thanks,’ I said smilingly.

  ‘You’re welcome,’ Shiven said. I could swear that he was smiling over the phone.

  ‘How’s your day going?’ I asked him.

  ‘Okay-ish till now. I was planning on making it better by having dinner with you,’ he said.

  ‘Okay. What did you have in mind?’

  Naina…you’re asking for trouble…

  Shut up, inner voice.

  ‘How about Novikov? I remember you saying you love Italian. It has the best tiramisu ever.’

  ‘I’m convinced. See you soon,’ I said before hanging up. Was I doing the right thing by meeting him again?

  I already liked Shiven quite a bit by this point, whereas I had no idea how he felt.

  Stop it, Naina! Don’t be stupid! You’re acting like a child! I needed to control my thoughts.

  I knew Shiven was an expert when it came to all things female. He was so charming that, I’m sure, he had girls falling for him all the time.

  Probably, I was his flavour of the week.

  Well, it’s just dinner, I thought What’s the harm in that?

  A hot guy and the best tiramisu in town. The day was looking up already.

  Chapter 29

  ‘Can I get the burrata with tomatoes and olive oil?’ I said to our server.

  ‘Certainly, madam. And you, sir?’ The server asked Shiven.

  ‘I’ll have the Sicilian red prawns’ carpaccio with a lemon dressing, thanks,’ Shiven answered.

  ‘Anything to drink?’

  Shiven looked at me questioningly.

  ‘I’m good. Just water, thank you. I had enough to drink last night.’

  ‘I’ll have a Corona,’ Shiven said. ‘Yes, you were adorable last night.’

  I tried to hide my red face. Shiven must really find me amusing.

  This restaurant was easily one of the best in London. The dim lighting and the vibrant atmosphere gave it an authentic Italian feel.

  I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been here before.

  I hoped my black jumpsuit and golden heels didn’t seem inadequate. I noticed Pradas and Valentinos flashing all around me.

  ‘Naina. Earth to Naina,’ Shiven said.

  I looked at Shiven and was, once again, taken aback by how darn attractive he was. A candle was lit in the middle of our table, and he looked incredible in its mellow light.