The usual routine of work and college went on in Raina's life. College exams before Christmas got over. Christmas came and went, and then came the New Year. Unlike majority of people in the world, New Year Eve wasn't party time for Raina and many other people living in slums. Raina and her family went to sleep like any other day.There was no waking until midnight to wish New Year when the clock struck twelve. It was only in the morning when they got up that they wished each other.

             It was day off for the working ladies on the first day of new year. In wake of the party plans for New Year, they had told her to come late for work. Her college was also to open on third, so she was home that morning. She was sitting and thinking of new year resolution when Asha Bhosle's songs started playing in her neighbor's house. She wasn't complaining as she loved those songs.They were so good. They were old, but they always sounded so fresh and new. They were evergreen. No wonder her neighbor and she could listen to them all day long.

                 Later in the day, she went for work. Her heart fluttered with the thought that she might get to see her never at home master again, as she was going at a different time today. She remembered how she wanted to see all Hrithik movies when she first saw him in 'Kaho Na Pyar Hai'. The movie was playing at her friend's house next door where she had gone to play. She was only ten, but when her eyes caught a glimpse of him, she sat down to watch the whole movie and other than his face, his dance just got her. He was her first actor crush and only crush since then. But this extremely handsome master of hers so effortlessly uprooted her deep rooted crush of years on Hrithik. The problem was this crush was not some two dimensional image of a man that played on screen. This was different. He was three dimensional with multidimensional effects on her as she could see him in flesh roaming in dimensions around her. What is it with beautiful people that catch your attention and then suck your eyes. The effect transfers from eyes to mind with mind taking a moment to admire and absorb them. When the exceptionally beautiful person in question is from opposite sex, the body's response to it from within is very different with your eyes getting hearts, and feeling a feeling that cannot be explained. It's not like you want to jump in the bed with that stranger then, but it wouldn't be incorrect to say that it's a subtle feeling of want, like 'I would like to know and want that man if it was possible along with how I wish he hanged around longer and I could see him again'. Eyes want to see beautiful things, and  with handsome of handsome men, it's only normal that they want to see him again and again and wish their was a way to do that every day.

               She opened the door and entered the house. She had an urge to call out to let him know about her presence, but she found her tongue tied. If she had not seen him she would have called out 'Sahib' like first day, but now she didn't want to call him that. There was no way she would call him 'Bhaiya' and she couldn't call him Abhimanyu. She decided to not use any word to address him.

                There were no dishes to be washed in the kitchen sink. She picked up the broom and went upstairs. To avoid what happened last time, she knocked on the bedroom door. No response. She knocked harder. No response. She turned the handle and pushed the door. It opened. She went in slowly, and no one was there. Bed sheet was not crumpled, and there was no folded newspaper in the bin. She swept the room and knocked the door of each room and bathroom before entering it. He was not home. It seemed he hadn't returned from the party he went to. She felt sad. She was sad because she had hoped to see him and he was not there. This whole thing of feeling sad on not finding him was very strange, but she couldn't help it because that is how it was, that is how she was feeling, she was feeling sad.

             After her work got over there, she went to work in the other two apartments. Rest of the day was uneventful. She studied and did some household work. In the evening, her neighbor again played the same Asha Bhosle's record, and this time she connected with each and every song as she heard them intently. They were in tune with her state of mind.

            January mornings were little cold and dark. Next day was off for her at college, but not for the working women she worked for. She went to work on usual time next day. She opened the door, and like always, entered into a very quiet house. She saw the dishes in the sink, and decided to clean the kitchen first. She could still feel the songs she heard last night. They expressed her heart in words.

              Abhimanyu who was asleep upstairs was awakened when the quiet house suddenly came alive to Asha Bhosle's song, "Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam". He looked on his side and saw the girl next to him, sleeping. He covered her with the blanket, slipped into his track pants and slippers, and quietly walked out of the room without a shirt. He knew who was singing. He didn't want to disturb her. He only wanted to hear her properly. He sat on the wooden stair out of her view, listening intently. She was not in his view. He didn't want to see her, only hear her.

             Raina was singing openly,freely and loudly in full mood while doing her chores in kitchen. She was singing with a lot of feel in her voice. Her voice filled the whole house with;

Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko, najar nahee churaana sanam

Badalke meree tum jindagaanee, kahee badal naa jaana sanam

Oh le liya dil oh hai meraa dil, hai dil lekar mujhako naa behlaana

Bahaar banake aau kabhee tumhaaree duniya me

Gujar naa jaaye yeh din kahee isee tamanna me

She started singing another song without any break when the song got over. He was sitting there without a cigarette, he wanted to smoke, but he didn't get up to get one. He sat there listening her sing.

Laa Laa Laa~

Ye Meraa Dil Yaar Kaa Diivaanaa

Diivaanaa Pyaar Kaa Paravaanaa

Aataa Hai Mujhako Pyaar Me.N Jal Jaanaa

Mushkil Hai Pyaare Teraa Bach Ke Jaanaa

Ye Meraa Dil Yaar Kaa Diivaanaa

Dil Vo Chaahe Jise Chaahe Jise Use Paaye

Pyaar Vo Yaar Ke Jo Naam Pe Hii Mit Jaaye

Jaan Ke Badale Me.N Jaan Luu.N Nazaraanaa

Ye Meraa Dil Yaar Kaa Diivaanaa

She finished the dishes and started cleaning the stove moving on to another song without stopping. She was singing as if only she was there and she had the whole house to herself.

Paagal Mujhe Kar Diya Kya

Jaanam Samjha Karo

Jaanam Samjha Karo

Kehene ke Liye Hai Kitne Yaha

Lekin Inme Ye Baat Kaha

Kaisi Baatein, Aji Kaisi Hasi, Jara Khul Ke Bata,

Main Samjhi Nahi

Paagal Mujhe Kar Diya Kya

Jaanam Samjha Karo

Tum Mujko Acche Hi Lagge

Baton Ke Sacche Hi Lagge

Phir Bhi Dil Kyu Darta Hai Dhak Dhak Dhak Dhak Karta Hai

Dar Kya Hai Jab Sath Hai Mera Hatho Me Hai Hath Mera

Jaanam samjha karo

He time traveled to past as he sat there listening to the song Jaanam Samjha Karo. He smiled at the memories of that song. His ears stood up as she hit the high notes of high on energy song.

Piyaa tu ab to aa jaa he he he he

Monikaa

Vo aa gayaa dekho dekho vo aa gayaa

Monikaa monikaa

Piyaa tu ab to aa jaa

Sholaa saa man dahake aa ke bujhaa jaa

Tan ki jvaalaa thandi ho jaa

Aise gale lagaa jaa

Ah ha hah hahaa

Monikaa, o mai darling

Monikaa, o mai darling

Pyaase pyaase in mere labo ke liye

Tere hotho ne hazaar vaade kiye

Bhulane vaale koi jiye to kaise jiye

Are haa are haa are haa haa

Laa laa la laa laa la laa laa la laa laa la laa aa aa

Her work in kitchen finished and she stopped singing. 

           He felt he heard an artist perform live in front of a big audience. It was that good. Her voice was different in a good way. It was sensual with a unique texture to it. When she stopped singing, he couldn't help but stand and clap. To the sound of clap, she turned her head and saw a vision coming down the stairs. Her heart skipped few beats and forgot to breathe as her eyes caught his handsome shirtless sight.

" What a performance!" he said. "Asha Bhosle live in my house," he said looking at her as he came down the last step to walk to kitchen.

"Oh, Shit!.... No!" she cried out in her head, feeling embarrassed.

Raina: You heard me sing? She asked picking up the broom while he took out a bottle of beer from the refrigerator.

Abhimanyu: Sexy! Very sexy! He said looking at her after gulping a sip of beer.

She looked at him a bit shocked and a bit confused.

Abhimanyu: I mean.... your singing voice is very sexy. He explained.

Abhimanyu: You have uniquely different , and very good quality of voice. He said and dropped his head back to take another sip.

She started walking out of the kitchen with broom.

Abhimanyu: Wait! By any chance, have you ever had any vocal training? He knew the answer, but he still asked.

Raina: No. She turned to say and her eyes found themselves on his bare torso. She immediately turned and started walking towards the stairs.

Abhimanyu: Hey! Where are you going? He shouted.

Raina: Upstairs, to sweep the rooms. She replied looking at him.

Abhimanyu: Skip the bedroom today, and also the bathroom in that room.

Raina: Oh! She said.

He told her to skip only the bedroom, and she didn't know why, her legs walked back to the kitchen where he was standing next to the refrigerator drinking beer.

Abhimanyu: Can you go and get me the lighter, and the packet of cigarettes from upstairs?

Raina: From the bedroom?

Abhimanyu: No! From the music room.

Raina: Yes. She nodded her head and went up.

She returned with his packet of cigarette and lighter, and gave it to him. He looked at her hand and then looked at her face as he lit the cigarette and turned the lighter off, and took a long drag from it.' Very strange', he thought to himself blowing out a cloud of smoke.

Abhimanyu: How did your exams go? He asked as she started dusting the living room.

Raina: Good, but university exams are in May.

Abhimanyu: I know. Howz your IAS preparation going?

Raina: Thank you for the magazine. It's really useful.

He smiled his beautiful infectious smile.

Abhimanyu: Raina, would you be interested in professional singing or playback singing? He asked after thinking for a while.

Raina: No, I want to become an IAS, and I really can't sing.

Abhimanyu: You, of course can, much better than many artists out there.

He took out another bottle of beer from the refrigerator and walked towards the wooden stairs.

Raina: You want me to make coffee for the lady? She asked very innocently.

He looked at her with a smile standing on the first step.

Abhimanyu: You want hundred bucks?

Raina: No, not for money!

Raina:  I have no college today, so I have time. I'll make it for free. She said looking at him with bright eyes.

Abhimanyu: This girl doesn't drink coffee. She starts her day with beer. He said with a hint of smile.

Raina: Oh! She said with her jaw almost dropping.

           She didn't see him after he went into the bedroom. She finished her work skipping the rooms he told her to; closed the main door and went to work in other apartments. "Rich guys and their lifestyle interests. They are like these wasps who want to  taste the nectar of every flower," she thought.

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