ANIKA

We sat in silence for a few minutes which felt like hours. Ketu appeared wretched and my heart ached seeing him like this.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me, how did you discern that he is gay? What did you see or hear?"

"Well I went to a bar with a client, a month ago. And there he was....," he cleared his throat and then paused.

"Then what?"

"First Promise me, you will take this seriously."

"Of course, I can assure you of that Ketu."

He continued, "He was dancing with the bar girls grabbing the pole and moving his ass spirally and...."

My noisy laughter interrupted him and I managed to say, ll in between my laughs, "Wow, I missed the comic scene. By the way, did you happen to take any pictures?"

He looked agitated which made my laughs die out and I patted his hand in empathy, though I had to cover my mouth from my other hand to veil my smiling face. Somehow, with difficulty I composed myself.

"Sorry for that, please go on."

"I was sitting on the stool next to the bar counter. He was approaching me with cautious steps. I saw him coming near to me but I never expected him to do such a stupid thing."

I waited holding my breath but all of a sudden, he fell silent.

"Ohh! Just tell me already. I am dying of curiosity."

"He- he kissed me on my lips," he revealed, avoiding my gaze, embarrassment taking over every inch of his body.

"What? He- he kissed you."

In that moment, I couldn't fathom how blatant my cackle must have been, since the next moment I sensed a pin-drop silence in the restaurant. Every eye peeped towards me through the hall with the inquisitiveness hundred times magnified than mine.

Ketu gestured everyone to resume their rendezvous and simultaneously eyed me too as if pleading to stop humiliating him, in public. Rather than alleviating my howling joviality, his surly visage blended with his incongruously imploring folded-hand gesture, intensified my gaiety manifold. And I convulsed with laughter.

Espying his pouted countenance and face reddened in uneasiness, I administered myself and attempted to sit with a sincere attitude.

"I am sorry Ketu. But I need to know, did he- um.... did he steal your virginity?"

I tried to sound as sincere as I could.

"No," was all he could muster up with his crimson face and I cracked up into laughter again.

"A-O-h, sorry again," I said wiping my tears which drained due to the extended guffawing, "And that's how you deduced that he is gay. I think, you should think again. It may be part of a bet or dare or something else."

"I told you to take it soberly, see what you made out of me in front of everyone."

He blushed more. It was more than entertaining and I was desperate to see more of his vulnerable, yet funny gestures. Though I surmised nothing more could have happened, yet I yearned to watch his reactions.

"He tried to seduce me in front of my client and I was turned into an amusing spectacle for everyone."

I took his hand, in both of my hands, and empathized with him in the most earnest tone, "It's okay dear. Take it as fun. But what I can't apprehend is how did he try to seduce you?"

He beseeched scornfully, "Oh my God, Anika. Please leave the topic, I am now practically begging you?"

I could see that he was virtually on the brink of explosion and excusing myself, I went straight to the washroom. There I laughed my remaining dose out, grabbing the edge of the slab below the large mirror.

A lady who ushered inside, bursting for a pee left only about a minute later, murmuring curses under her breath. I could picture her stopping mid urination scared out of my laughing fits.

Subsequent to my fourth attempt to stabilize and incorporate myself with solemnity, I temporarily succeeded and walked out confidently.

"Are you ok, Ketu?"

"I am, but I must ask you the same. You took ten minutes. Is everything good?"

Of course, I couldn't tell him, that I was laughing my ass out and nearly caused a heart attack to a fine lady.

"Yeah, I am good. So let's get serious now. I have to tell you something," I paused and bit my lower lip before carrying on, "Gul caught Lalit making out with a woman on Friday, in his clinic."

"What, that's unbelievable. By making out you mean really doing that stuff," embarrassed, he stressed on the word 'that'.

I quickly rehearsed the events Gul told me in hushed tones concealing the identity of the woman. That revelation would be the most difficult for him to handle.

He mused for a few seconds before reinstating, "Then I think you were right about his hitting on me. By the way, who was that woman?"

"Umm.. it was," clearing my throat I resumed, "it was, Ms. Vidya, umm...y-your, s-step mother."

He was shocked. He looked pale, angry and all the blood drained from his face.

"Scoundrel," he said, profanity, distinct in his voice. Angrily, he cursed him lowly so I couldn't exactly hear the words.

He rammed his fist on the table and I shook in apprehension.
He noticed and murmured a 'sorry' to which I nodded in acceptance. He looked defeated and entreated me for cloaking the entire episode and especially her step mother's name. I gave him the assurance that I wouldn't, under any circumstances, let it out.

I could observe that he was perturbed and I perched on the seat just next to him. I stroked the back of his hand with mine and gestured a 'dont worry, everything will be alright' look. He grabbed my hand between both of his hands and whispered 'thank you'.

"I am sorry, I ruined your day but I had to put it in your knowledge," I broke the unresponsive quietude when we were heading towards my parlour in his car.

"Don't be. You just pulled me out of a fib I was living in. I just need to sort things in order, please don't take my silence to be rude."

Smiling I said, "Ok. Just one query."

"Shoot," calmness gleamed in his dark brown eyes.

"You didn't tell me how will you take appointment from Bakul. If he has over the time, converted into a gay then you just have to use your seductive charms and 'hurray', Mission Accomplished," I joshed, poking him with my index finger in his upper arm. A wide grin stretched across my face.

He chuckled, "I don't have to do it. He is my childhood friend and the meeting is just a phone call away, sweetheart."

Sweetheart?? Sounds cool.
But, friend. Nooooo!

I reddened and glancing me, he chortled, "I like the after effects of 'sweetheart'. And in that case, I can say it all the time."

"Oh! Shut up," I whisper shouted on him as we stepped out of the car and walked towards my parlour.

"But you never told me before that you are friends with him."

"Don't worry. I won't let him approach you now," he proclaimed brushing my cheek gently with his thumb.

I flushed and the thing that bemused me was, I didn't flinch.

**********

The meeting was fixed at Bakul's work place, 6 pm today and I notified Daksha of the same with the address.

The remaining hours passed by in a blur with a series of tasks materializing themselves. Jessy was expecting some guests so she left an hour before. At the same time that the wall clock hit 7 pm and I motioned for closing the parlour, I got a phone call from Gul.

"Hi! Reaching there in half an hour," I enunciated grabbing the keys and my belongings.

"Hi! Do you still want to meet Mika? I mean, shall I call him at home?" Gul asked.

"Why? Of course." I wondered why did she seek permission for what was already talked about.

"Ok then. He will reach in 15 minutes before you land in. Is that fine?" She probed again.

It made me curious as to what she was planning. Something sounded absurd, so I thought the dirty way and instructed her on that ground, "Yeah. Sure. But don't do any nasty things in my apartment."

"Ughh! Ok," her voice reflected irritation, not a blush.

I knocked on the door and a few seconds later Gul greeted me with an embrace.

"Where is Mika?" I asked doubtfully.

"Inside. Sit, I will get you fruit cream I made for us." Everything she went inside again.

Shoving my bag on to the side stand by the door, I barged in the living room curious to meet him. All of a sudden, I felt something with small, thin legs crawling up my neck. In an instant I found my hand grabbing and throwing it in air.

I screeched in panic and shuddered as the dark coloured insect moved it's tendrils and approached me with it's supersonic speed. I thought I heard some snorts and suppressed giggles but in my frenzy, I couldn't make my brain focus.

"Stay there, else I will kill you, crush you, with this," I warned it, showing it the TV remote in my hand, "this, this.. remote."

Oh my God Anika. Of all the weapons you could have gathered, you are frightening it with a REMOTE.

It seemed to be growling at me, swirling it's long tendrils and taking steps back, I yelled, "Help, Gul, Mika, where are you."

The muted snorts, now became a bit louder. Somehow, I gathered the courage to side glance Gul. She was standing behind the wall peeping after every few seconds trying to suppress her more than obvious tittering.

Catching glimpse of me fighting with it, she howled with laughter and landed beside the animal taking it in her palm.

I was mad, fury evident, in my eyes, "Grrr! Gul, stop these gags or you are dead. And what the hell, where is this Mika."

"Mika, meet Anika. And Anika say hi to him," she said, flipping her eyelids, an uncontrolled smile still spanning her face.

"What..?"

Damn! Why couldn't I guess?

"What the... ? This... this.. this grubby cockroach, is Mika," I rolled my eyes, "Jeez, you are mad Gul."

"My dear, a little fun never harms anyone. See for yourself," grinning she handed me the recording of my scuffle with the insect.

"So you were recording it the whole time," I scowled.

"Sssh! Look."

I could then conceive why Gul laughed like a maniac. I acted really funny in the presence of these animals. The video clip was hilarious. I couldn't stop the smile extending from my lips till my ears and we both chortled.

In midst of our merrymaking and relishing the fruit cream, my phone clinked against the metal coaster on dining table.

Bakul calling.

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