Chapter 20
Prashant had managed to butter up Mihir and he gave him a chance to assist him in an interview with the megastar, Tiggu. I don't know if I was elated for him or jealous of him. He had managed to get more work than I had ever in these many weeks. Pooja fell in the same bracket as me, except she wasn't even trying that hard to get work.
"Are you waiting for me?" Pooja asked while packing her bags."Do you mind going shopping with me?"
I had no energy to refuse anything and maybe this would be a much-needed change from the boring routine of work to home.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Palladium!"
"Okay. Is it nearby?"
"It's next door. Lady, what have you been doing in the office for so long, if you weren't working? The most happening place in this part of the town."
"Waiting for you to do the honours of taking me there."
"That is true."
"Can you wait for a few minutes I need to freshen up?"
"I need to use the restroom too."
"Cool."
Pooja was working on her eyes, and her bold red lips looked seductive and appealing. She showed me her make-up accessories and asked me to use them. I thanked her for being generous but I declined her offer.
"Why don't you apply mascara and kohl?"
"Where do you wear the mascara?"
She gaped at me with her mouth hanging in surprise.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No, I am not," I replied in a taciturn manner.
"Abhi, kohl is applied on eyes and mascara on the lashes."
"Okay."
"I can help you if you want."
"No thanks."
"Lipstick at least."
"Do you have gloss? I won't mind that."
She passed me a nude coloured gloss and I wore that to make her happy or better to fit the bill. I could not lose out on her in Mumbai. She was my only friend.
"Let's go." She said as soon as she was done. I felt a little uncomfortable venturing out with a lip gloss. I was hoping I didn't look like a fool. It was so uncharacteristic of me. We picked our bags and moved out. On our way down we met a friend of hers who was working in the company. She got lost in the conversation and I decided to wait for her outside the building premises.
It was a divine ploy for our paths to meet again. I couldn't think of anything else. He called out to me while I had my back turned to him.
"Hey!"
"Hi, Agam."
"How did you know that?"
"Because it's your speciality to greet people without calling their names."
"That's intuitive,"
"If it's that, then it is."
He came in front of me and looked at me with such endearment that I thought there was something really wrong with me.
"Heading to a party?"
"No, shopping but I ain't shopping."
And he raised his eyebrows to show his disinterestedness, curiosity, bewilderment...whatever emotion it was but I was hell-bent not to read it the way my heart liked.
"So, why are you going?"
"Because I have nothing better to do in life." I snapped. It was rude and I decided to undo it, "Just kidding. A friend of mine wants to go shopping. She is busy chatting with one of her long lost friend in the office and here I am waiting for her."
"Where are you heading?"
"Palladium."
"Nice choice by the way."
"Not mine."
"How are you guys going?"
"I have no clue because I don't even know where this place is."
"I can drop you."
"Why the effort?"
"It is on my way home."
"Sounds..." and if I had spoken my mind Agam would have held it against me forever.
"Listen, it's no big deal. I can drop both of you to Palladium."
"Are you suggesting a triple seat ride to me?" I looked at him in complete shock.
"I have got my car today and not the bike."
"Oh!"
"You are so judgmental."
"No, I am so not. Can we like walk out of this place and talk?"
"Yes sure. I was just about to suggest that. Let's please walk towards the parking lot. Why don't you call your friend and ask her to join us at the mall?"
"Sure." And not for a fraction of a second, it crossed my mind while agreeing to his ridiculous proposal that Pooja has no clue about the history between me and Agam.
Agam was a star reporter, a senior and if she found out we knew each other, she would not hesitate to think otherwise or the worst put a label on something that did not exist. Plus, she caught me ogling at him in the evening while he was at the studio.
Agam snapped his fingers at me and that brought me out of my self-imposed stupor.
"Can you please call your friend?"
"Yes."
"I dialled her number and said a quick prayer, hoping she wouldn't agree to this arrangement and would insist on the two of us going together."
She picked up her phone and let out a sigh of relief on hearing my voice.
"I thought you left."
"No, why would I."
"Hey, can you do me a small favour?"
"Sure."
"Can I meet you directly at Palladium? It is a two-minute walk from the office. And it's a total straight walk. How about I meet you at Shopper's Stop or Mango?"
"Anywhere is fine."
"Good. Shopper's Stop and please wait for me. And I am so sorry but I need to catch up with this friend of mine and..."
"No need. I will see you there."
I was happy for a few seconds and then a little sad because what was I hiding that I behaved like a chicken. Agam and I weren't friends. We just knew each other and why couldn't I like him. I mean he is smart, handsome and single...no I am not sure about that.
"Are you single?" And I spat out those words so randomly that Agam was too stunned to react.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean that. I was talking on the phone and the conversation was on a loop and so I just spat it out."
"Were you going out on a date with someone? He ditched you?" There was mirth dancing on his face while I pinched my temples to ease the knot of worry in my stomach.
"No!" I shouted so loudly that the few people who were in the parking lot turned to look at us."
"Can you control your volume, please? I don't want unnecessary attention on us."
"I am sorry. No, I was going out with Pooja and she just got stuck with her friend and now she said she would directly meet me at Shopper's Stop."
"Okay, that's great. And to answer your question about whether I am single or not, let's do it over coffee. Anyways you owe me one."
I agreed without any reluctance because I was ashamed of bringing the question about his relationship status like this.
