by Jyoti Singh
‘I can take it from here,’ Niki said to the man, as she reached for her bags once they were outside.
‘It’s no problem.’ He stood waiting for her to walk to her transport. Seemed like his pet phrase, Niki noted, but she did not have the time to waste on an argument. She turned on her heel and walked towards her motorcycle. They walked past a Jaguar XJS with a liveried driver. Niki whistled involuntarily. ‘Sweet ride!’ The driver doffed his hat to the man. Wow! So it belonged to the man. The man who was carrying her bags for her. Niki looked at him and he smiled benignly at her sudden discomfort.
When they reached her motorcycle, the man looked flummoxed. ‘Is this it?’
‘Yes,’ Niki replied, smiling. He whistled and said, ‘Sweet ride!’
The laughter that had hit an awkward stop in the elevator returned, ending with warm smiles. The man handed Niki her bags and said, ‘I really should be getting along. Thank you for sharing the most thrilling elevator ride I have had in a long time.’
‘Likewise,’ said Niki. The man nodded and walked with long loping strides to the Jaguar. She watched his retreating back and then it struck her – she did not know his name! She smacked her forehead just as the Jaguar drove past and the man waved. Her smile was a little manic. He must surely think she was nuts. Niki hoped she never saw him again. Reliving this whole experience would be as humiliating as going through it again!
By the time Niki got home, she barely had fifteen minutes to have a quick shower and change. She literally got dressed in the dark, pulling out a floral printed linen sheath dress and matching sandals in a soft red suede. She tied her wet hair in an up-knot, leaving stray tendrils floating around her oval face. Make-up was minimal; it was just too hot to put on anything other than kohl in her eyes and her favourite coral lipstick. She sprayed a few puffs of her favourite perfume and was out of the door just as the cab driver called to say he was waiting at the lobby of her building.
She pressed the elevator button and chuckled, wondering if you could get stuck in an elevator twice in one day. Her mind wandered back to her encounter with the man as she took the elevator down to the lobby.
In the cab ride she schooled her thoughts to focus on meeting Tanya and this new candidate whom she knew nothing about. Knowing her sister, she would have at least found a thing or two in common, which to her mind would be a great starting point for a relationship. Obviously, it had not worked out the way Tanya had envisioned so far and previous experience had taught Niki to be wary. She found herself thinking of the elevator man. She had changed her mind about never seeing him again. In reality, it would be really interesting to see what would happen if they did meet. He had left quite an impression on her with his deep voice that sent shivers up her spine, the fragrance of his aftershave and his lean tight body that she had unwittingly tangled up with on the floor of the elevator. He was tall too, which was nice. Being reasonably tall herself, it was a pleasure to actually look up to someone rather than be at the same level, as was usually the case for her.
The Karma Lounge was the ‘it’ place these days—low lights, luxurious seating, with mismatched sofas and chairs. The live entertainment started later but early in the evening the music was calm, soothing and unintrusive. It was a little eccentric but Niki had been told the cocktails and bar snacks were to die for.
As she alighted from the cab, she took a moment to check her reflection in a passing mirror. She looked fresh and pretty. Marshalling her best smile, she walked into the Lounge. A hostess immediately found her.
‘I am looking to join Tanya Vora,’ Niki said.
The hostess led her to the seating. Niki saw Tanya first. She was blocked by a tall man who looked familiar. She said something and he turned around. It was then that Niki saw the candidate. Her heart skipped a beat.
Chapter Two
Sid knew people thought he was reclusive. Most people who worked for him rarely saw him and would, in all likelihood, not recognise him if they were to bump into him. He was trying to change that.
As a venture capitalist, meeting people was key to his success. Specialists helped him assess the potential business plans and financial viability of the different proposals he received every day but there was something special about getting himself out there and seeing the enthusiasm and gleam of a dream in the eyes of a hopeful. Money had never been the aim for him but it came as a very welcome by-product of his investments. The more he had, the more dreams he could support. Now that he had returned to India, he was enjoying exploring new opportunities for investment.
Personally, he found himself reaching out to old friends to reconnect with his roots. Tanya was an easy first choice. She had been his best friend and confidante during their graduate studies. What they shared was an easy camaraderie and although they had kept in touch over the years, this was the first time that they were in the same city. It was only logical to Sid that they should meet and catch up.
Since her husband was travelling on work and she had a free evening, Tanya had invited Sid for drinks at the latest happening place in town – the Karma Lounge. She had added that her younger sister would be joining them. Surprisingly, Sid had never met her before. If she was anything like Tanya, the evening would be light, fun and uncomplicated. And he was looking forward to that because he had not been able to shake off the memory of his encounter with the very attractive woman in the elevator. His body tightened at the thought of her befuddled expression as she fell on to him and moved her scarf off his face. He had liked the feel of her and, despite being deprived of oxygen by her stranglehold on his tie, Sid had found himself drawn to her, especially when she threw her head back and laughed, exposing her lovely neck. Then, of course, there was the motorcycle… She was a very fascinating woman.
When Sid had seen her smack her forehead while loading up her bike bag, he couldn’t help chuckling.
He had not had much time to think about getting ready for the evening when he got to his villa. His mind had been on the first woman who had made him laugh in a long time. After a quick shower, he had pulled on a pair of indigo jeans that hung low on his slim hips and paired them with a casual short-sleeved blue linen shirt. Tan moccasins completed his outfit. Sid looked at himself in the mirror as he applied some aftershave; he looked like a man about town in the hot Indian summer.
He arrived at the Karma Lounge well in time. He remembered how finicky Tanya was about punctuality; it was one of the things they had in common. Time was a precious resource.
Tanya was already waiting when the hostess led him to the table or would that be the… what? There were two wing chairs in bright red velvet facing each other across a table the size of a large dinner plate pushed in close proximity to a two-seater in a loud black, white and red print. Tanya rose from one of the wing chairs and hugged Sid just like she used to all those years ago.
‘Sid, Sid, Sid… it is so great to see you! Gosh! You look just the same,’ she squealed in delight.
Sid returned the warmth of her hug with a quick tightening of his arms. ‘And you, my dear, are as lovely as ever,’ he said as he released her.
Then he winked and said, ‘So, does your husband know?’
Tanya threw back her head and laughed. ‘Of course, Sid! He was quite upset that he missed meeting you again and has every intention of making up for it when he gets back. I am booking you now with a special invitation for dinner at our place.’
‘Booked, ma’am! It will be so nice to finally meet the man of your dreams. I still remember that night when your beloved Tushar could not make it for your birthday… You and I sat on the roof of the dorm with our legs dangling over the side, drinking beer and singing loudly until Security was called to escort us down. You hugged the poor man in uniform and said, “Officer, my Tush is awesome.” His expression was priceless.’ Sid laughed at the memory.
‘Oh, my God! I had forgotten about that… how much we laughed that night! I still use that hangover as the gold standard to measure every other hangover I
have had since,’ Tanya giggled. Noticing a movement near the entrance, she peeked over Sid’s shoulder and exclaimed, ‘Ah! There she is.’
Sid turned around and could not believe his eyes. Walking towards them was the woman from the elevator. She looked like a beautiful apparition in a floral sheath dress. Her shapely legs ended in pretty low-heeled sandals. She had an animal grace that wavered just for a second as recognition flared in her warm almond eyes. Her hair was pulled in a loose up-knot with stray tendrils softly framing her face. By the time she reached where they were standing, Sid had a whole new understanding and appreciation for the name of the restaurant-bar – the Karma Lounge. He had really good karma, given that Tanya’s sister was the very woman who had been running circles in his mind since their eventful encounter earlier that day.
Her expression was contained. Sid had a hard time figuring out what was going through Niki’s mind. Definitely not as effusive as her sister. She joined them and Sid caught a whiff of her fragrance. Chanel… classy.
‘I am on time, I hope,’ Niki said as she hugged her sister in greeting. Sid stood at the side, waiting for the next step. Would he get a hug too? No. She reached out her hand to shake his. Tanya jumped in to make introductions. ‘Tanya, this is my best friend from graduate school, Siddharth Shetty. We call him Sid, you remember? And Sid, this is my little sister, Niki.’
‘We’ve met,’ said Niki evenly but her eyes warmed with a smile as she looked up at Sid.
‘And how…’ replied Sid, returning her smile. It was okay if she wanted to play it cool. Sid could too, so he quelled the urge to shake Niki into acknowledging the play of fate. This coincidence, would qualify as a tale with which one could regale future generations.
Tanya’s eyes clouded with confusion. ‘Did I miss something? How did you two meet?’
‘It’s a very interesting story but could we sit down first?’ Sid asked.
‘My God! How remiss of me… Sure, and while we are at it, let’s order our drinks as well,’ Tanya said, waving to the maître d’. A game of musical chairs followed, until each found the seating that worked for them. Tanya and Niki sat on the wing chairs while Sid found himself on the sofa, at knee-touching distance from Niki.
They went through the menu and decided what they would have. Sid ordered his favourite Tanqueray Gin with tonic and was surprised when Niki ordered the same. Another coincidence or a concession? Tanya rounded the order off with snacks that included a fusion version of masala peanuts and warm goat cheese with tomato salad on bruschetta.
‘So tell me about this mysterious meeting. I am dying of curiosity…’ Tanya jumped right into the awkward silence after they had ordered.
‘Will you or should I?’ Sid looked questioningly at Niki. She looked lovely, ensconced in the red velvet of her chair, which picked accents from the print of her dress. She had crossed her legs at the knee, exposing a delectable view of her thigh as the dress rode up. Sid saw faint silver lines just above her knees and disappearing below her dress. Could they be scars? Sid’s curiosity was piqued. He had to draw his eyes away with effort to refocus on the conversation.
‘Please go ahead; I would love to hear your version of events,’ said Niki. Sid caught a glimpse of mischief dancing in her eyes.
‘So… I had a meeting with this group of young entrepreneurs…’ Sid started and went on to recount a very dry and scientific version of what had happened in the elevator, thankfully giving a miss to the whole falling episode. He heard Niki release an audible breath, as if she had been holding it all this while. ‘And the beauty of it is we both forgot to introduce ourselves,’ Sid ended, directing a conspiratorial smile at Niki.
‘And here we are, of all the people in the world… again,’ added Niki.
‘Wow! That is some story… I really wonder what would have happened if you both had introduced yourselves,’ Tanya chimed in. Silence followed as the three of them visualised different scenarios and the drinks arrived.
‘Salud! To many more happy coincidences… chin-chin,’ said Tanya, as they raised their glasses in a toast.
‘So, Sid, what’s the latest on the venture capitalist scene?’ Tanya asked.
‘The usual. I’ve invested in a few good projects, including, by the way, and you may be interested to know,’ he looked at Niki as he said, ‘Knowledge Networks.’
‘Really?’ Niki leaned forward. Sid had her attention.
‘You do good work and Samar Khanna has great business acumen,’ Sid replied.
‘Samar’s a really good boss,’ Niki agreed. ‘And a wonderful human being,’ she added.
‘Come on, you are being polite. I know what a slave-driver he can be,’ Sid teased.
‘He is, but he also gives you a lot of space to be creative under his guidance. I’ve learnt a lot from him,’ Niki averred.
‘I guess he gets away with it because he’s a good-looking bloke,’ Sid baited Niki.
‘That’s not true!’ Niki was quick in her response.
‘Aha! Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Considering more than half the office is made up of women, you have to admit it is a strong possibility.’ Sid was enjoying Niki’s agitation.
‘Wow! You are a sexist pig! Do you really think that all women will fall over themselves for a man? Show a little respect—he’s married, you know.’ The colour rose in Niki’s cheeks.
‘Easy, tiger… sorry, tigress! How would you term this as “sexist”? He’s your boss, he’s good-looking, he’s a man… Come on, you have to agree that good-looking people have it easier in life… Would you really work this hard for Samar if he was bald and pot-bellied?’ Sid continued.
‘Of course! It’s all about the work… if you enjoy what you do and at some level it aligns with who you are then who the boss is doesn’t matter,’ Niki replied. Uncrossing her legs, her foot touched Sid’s under the minuscule table. She jumped and Sid smiled.
‘It’s okay. You should know I don’t bite,’ Sid acknowledged the unintentional contact with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Niki immediately got the reference to their encounter in the elevator and blushed.
‘Do you really think I make a habit of doing this?’ Niki was defensive.
‘It would be interesting to find out, I suppose,’ Sid replied, his eyes twinkling with good humour and something else. Was he flirting with her? Niki’s blush got even deeper as she desperately looked at Tanya.
‘What’s up with you two…? Have I missed something again?’ Tanya looked confused.
Both Sid and Niki said, ‘No!’ in unison. Then looked at each other and laughed.
Tanya’s confusion grew. ‘Seriously, guys, what’s the joke?’
Niki fidgeted and Sid came to the rescue. ‘No joke, Tanya… just something that happened in the elevator today.’ Before Tanya could respond, he looked at Niki and continued, ‘Back to your point… you made a very valid argument but it is a tad too idealistic, don’t you think?’ He revived the earlier thread of conversation because it gave him a glimpse of the woman who captivated him.
Niki took a moment to get her bearings before she caught up with Sid. She paused meaningfully then said, ‘What is wrong with being idealistic?’
‘It’s just that in today’s world, you would be setting yourself up for disappointment,’ Sid said.
‘So, you really believe that one should not be idealistic because it leads to disappointment? I am disappointed in you. But then, I guess being a venture capitalist rests on capitalism, not idealism.’ Niki was biting.
‘Ouch! You don’t know me well enough to be disappointed in me, Niki, and then there is the question of whether you are being paid for your work, how much and who is paying… Capitalism pays for idealism. Would you do what you are currently doing for free?’ Sid replied.
‘Enough, you two! All this talk of work and idealism is too heavy for an evening drink—save it for some other time,’ Tanya jumped in, looking pointedly at Niki. ‘Another round, guys?’
‘Yes, please,’ s
aid Niki quietly. Tanya’s remonstration had worked. Did Niki really think he was all about the money? Sid had been speaking of practical reality! She was really opinionated; he liked that. Most of the women he met were too agreeable, always ready to back down or not take a stance at all, especially when they knew he had money.
‘If you will excuse me,’ Niki said as she stood up, ‘I’ll be right back.’ Sid watched her walk towards the ladies room and, just before she disappeared – the head smack! Sid chuckled and turned to pay attention to what Tanya was asking.
‘Are you in touch with Gauri?’
Sid paused briefly before answering. ‘No. But I heard she’s married and has a son.’
‘Did you know that they have moved to Gurgaon? She’s a Facebook contact of mine. Her husband Jay is some hotshot CEO or something,’ Tanya continued.
‘Good for her.’ Sid was dismissive.
Gauri was history and Sid was not good at history. His thoughts went back to graduate school—to the first moment he had set eyes on Gauri at the orientation. The numbers were skewed in favour of the boys. The girls, of course, benefited because each of them could actually pick and choose who they were interested in. Some girls went through many love interests, leaving a trail of broken hearts, but there were a few, like Tanya, already committed outside of school, and Gauri, who had eyes only for Sid. It had been mutual and beautiful. Everybody had assumed that theirs was a match made in heaven and the relationship would culminate in a long-lasting marriage. Even Sid, with his naïve heart, had thought so. But it was not to be. When they had been placed after completing their course, Sid had found an opportunity at a large software firm in Silicon Valley and Gauri had moved into Finance.
That was when the trouble started. First, there was the geographical distance. Then there was the fact that Sid’s remuneration did not keep up with Gauri’s. He didn’t mind but she did. The transformation from a sweet and gentle girl into an aggressive and arrogant professional had been slow to dawn on Sid.
