They were on the third round of their drinks and the party had reached a better pitch as more people poured in…
Chaits looked around at the crowd and noticed that everyone seemed to be from elite lot. He could see few known models, few well known elite personalities…
“Hmmm – the joint seems quite ok” he thought to himself.
The DJ seemed good even though he played a lot of local bhangrapop. The place had a nice ambience and was full of colourful people.
The song had just finished when suddenly there was an excited silence… Chaits looked around and saw an attractive lady all dressed up in dark purple walk in gracefully.
Her long hair swayed to her catwalk as she prowled to take away all those beating hearts. Her dress which was shimmering and her ornaments glittered in the funky lights.
She turned around and smiled knowing the reason for sudden silence and laughed heartily as the party started again. Chaits and his friends were looking agape as she started walking toward them circling the dance floor.
Chaits looked at her, his expression fall of disbelief “What is Pinky doing here at this time? Isn’t she supposed to be with others studying for her finals? And how come she knows this place in Delhi?” Chaits was thus lost in the train of thoughts.
Jeetesh looked at Chaits and could feel him tense and happy at the same time. “Hey! Chaits! What happened to you?’
“I told you about my girlfriend – my to be wife…” said Chaits excited, “and you all wanted to see her photo, right?’
“Yes! What about it?” asked Rohit.
“She’s your bhabie” said Chaits and pointed and they all looked at her walking toward them.
“Wow! Chaits – You lucky pig.” exclaimed Sukhwinder.
She came walking toward them as Chaits stood up & smiled to welcome her… She walked right past them to the table behind smiling wide at someone…
Confused, Chait’s looked behind and saw a group of familiar faces… He paused for a moment and recognised them to be the TV crew who accompany Alisha when she carries out her sting operations.
“Hi! Alisha!” They greeted her… Now it dawned on Chaits the striking similarity between Pinky & Alisha… he remembered how he had thought it was Alisha who had entered Go Bananas when Pinky had turned glamorous and stolen his heart…
Now, it was Alisha Fire who had entered and he mistook her for Pinky. Even as others looked at him… he put his hands to cover his face as he blushed and smiled at his confusion.
He smiled, looked at others who were still trying to understand whether Chaits had pulled a fast one on them.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like this,” said Chaits blushing, “when you meet Priti you’ll be as confused as I was … they could be twin sisters… she and Alisha…”
“C’mon! Chaits! We want to see bhabie’s photo if we now need to believe you…” said Jeetesh
“I’ll show it to you when we meet on Monday – it’s in my laptop”
“No! Show it to us when we reach back.”
“Okay.” said Chaits laughing. Unknowingly, he shifted his position so that he can look at Alisha Fire his first infatuation…
She looked attractive as ever. She was adorned in a shiny dark purple top that was skin tight. That dress showed her figure to an advantage. She had tight white jeans that contrasted her purple top… She had a shiny thick bead necklace that adorned her queenly neck and shoulders. Sitting on a table next to their group Chaits could not only smell her the fragrance of her feminine perfume but also could see that she had a perfect figure which was toned up due to regular exercise ‘Hmmm’ thought Chaits, ‘Priti needs gym and needs to be bold and more courageous to be like Alisha – Priti is a frightened rabbit who’s cosy inside its own burrow.’ and laughed away to himself.
He could not stop admiring his dream girl who was now sitting on the next table. Chaits was thus engrossed in his own thoughts & comparison. Suddenly the group burst in laughter. Chaits could bear Alisha laugh heartily. She had a sensuous, husky laughter as against sweet chimes of Priti. Alisha’s voice when she spoke normally also was a bit husky & sensuous… Her professional tone on TV was quite different.
He was still engrossed studying style of Alisha as well seeing her for first time sitting so close. He could hear her converse & joke with her colleagues. For the first time he was able to see her nonprofessional side. He found her to be quite bubbly and jovial and thought ‘Pinky has an edge over Alisha… she is in my group of friends and I am more approachable to her’ had Alisha also been in his group… thought Chaits more confused now ‘Well, it’d have been more tough for Pinky to win over his heart’
Alisha got up with two of her friends and walked over to the dance floor. Chaits heart sank as he watched Alisha dance gracefully
‘Why do I fall for girls who dance gracefully?’ he asked himself. Thinking thus, he looked at his friends who were intently looking at him with raised eyebrows.
“Sirjee!” asked Jeetesh but was cut off by Sukhwinder “Sirjee! Can you please join us if you’ve finished adoring Alisha Fire?”
Chaits looked at them, blushed and laughed heartily, “Sure” and helped himself with unfinished mug of beer on his table. Soon, he was back to his normal self after getting over the shock of seeing Alisha – live in flesh and blood…
“One more for everyone?” asked Jeetesh enthusiastically.
“I think, we should stop here, we got to drive back – a long way” said Chaits.
“Aw! C’mon Chaits” grumbled Rohit, “the party’s just begun…”
“Ya – and if we do feel high or sleepy, what use are these khatiyas?” asked Sukhwinder.
“Lemme tell you something about this dhaba – they turn back anyone who comes after the place its full except on New Years’ – so we can sleep here if we want and drive back in the morning.” said Jeetesh and got up along with Rohit to fetch another round of beer.
Chaits smiled remembering Chaps, ‘They’re all the same – wherever you go’ and waited patiently for them to return and started humming the tune that DJ was blasting.
Amid fun & frolic & amid the sips Chaits kept on stealing glances at Alisha who seemed to enjoy her dance a lot. After a couple of songs she returned to her table along with her friends who carried beer for all of them.
Chaits once again he glanced at her – however he noticed something which rang a panic bell…
Alisha had been playing coy with Chaits all this long. Her feminine instincts had told her that he was looking at her. She was playing the typical hide’n’ seek basics of attraction with him.
She was about to deliver another bat of eyelashes at him when she saw Chaits rise up with urgency and urging his friends to get up and leave the place. Taken aback, she looked around for a reason for this sudden change in his behaviour… It suddenly dawned on her that Chaits was trying to hide his face from her.
“Get up at once I say” Chaits was almost commanding his bewildered friends now, “You said this place is decent” he said looking at Jeetesh, “I’ve every reason to believe this isn’t…”
“Chaits – please listen to me…” Jeetesh was dumbfounded as he saw Alisha approach his group and tap Chaits on his shoulder…
Chaits looked around to see Alisha toss her hair and smile at him. His mouth was agape – one could easily slip a Gulab Jamun and there’d be place left for some more. Alisha tossed her hair again and helped Chaits close his mouth with palm of her hand and burst out laughing.
“Hey! What’s the ruckus all about?” asked Alisha sweetly.
“Honestly! I’ve been to this place only today – I don’t even know what this area known as… my friends here had heard about this place and decided to visit here… we got nothing to do with any shady business that goes on here…” Chaits stopped as his sight got arrested by the twinkle in Alisha’s eyes.
“Do you think I’m here for a sting Operation?” now that was a direct question from Alisha
“Yes.” murmured Chaits – barely audible and his friends realized the horror that Chaits had – a few minutes back
“Aahh! I should’ve listened to Chaits and obeyed him when he asked us to get up” mused Jeetesh, “now we’re going to be on TV for all the wrong reasons….”
Alisha looked at horrified faces that innocently looked back at her for pity. She then looked sternly at all of them and said “Well I’ve a reason to believe you” they suddenly looked relived but were again sullen as Alisha said, “However.” and stopped…
‘Now what?’ they thought “However… I can let you go only if you buy another round for me, my friends and yourself “she gave an evil smile.
Chaits pinched Jeetesh and Rohit who grabbed Sukhwinder and they raced to the counter while Chaits stammered “S-ss-sure – it’ll be our pleasure”
Soon they returned with the refills and Jeetesh & Sukhwinder made another visit to counter to get refills for their group. “Would you mind if I share the table with you?” she teasingly asked Chaits. He simply nodded and offered her a place next to him. All sorts of silly ideas about him being shown on TV and he feared Priti’s and her father’s reaction crossed his mind.
Alisha sat next to Chaits & tossed her hair again which slithered down. Chaits’ shoulders… secretly he felt nice as her hair touched big shoulders.
Alisha looked at sullen and sorry faces of the group and then winked at her colleagues. Then she could bear it no longer. She burst out to uncontrollable laughter…
“Okay!” she said, “You pass the test of good guys… C’mon don’t look so glum I was just kidding…” Chaits and his friends looked bewildered at her. Still gasping for breath & trying to control her laughter “Sorry” she said.
They all looked flabbergasted. Finally, she had a control over her fit of laughter… She looked directly at Chaits who had tough time controlling his rising heartbeats. She had beautiful, beckoning eyes. This was the exact look Chaits had dreamed over & over again in Alisha’s eyes.
She put her hand out to Chaits and said “Hi! I’m Alisha. You may know me as Alisha Fire – the sting operations fame…”
A bewildered Chaits shabbily shook her hand, “Yes! I know that. I’m a great fan of you and have been religiously watching your editions where you’ve dared to uncover shady businesses that run in many places…”
He gulped at the thought of him being shown on TV at a shady joint “I’m Chaits” he mumbled still unsure about Alisha’s motive.
“Yes. I know that. I know you work with Netsoftworth which is one of the biggest in IT Industry in India. You’ve been recently promoted and have addressed your first seminar last week at Nehru Memorial” Alisha looked at confused Chaits & smiled.
‘Why was Alisha following him and his career? How did Alisha know so much about him? Was she going to make a scapegoat out of him to next episode?’ Chaits’ fears were on rise as the questions kept on popping – one after the other…
“C’mon Chaits!” said Alisha in a friendly tone, “don’t give me those suspicious looks” Chaits now wanted to know more as to how Alisha knew so much about him. “Look at me Chaits – and stop wondering” she took his hand in hers and continued, “Now that you’re holding my hand pray tell me – don’t I feel human? ‘Alisha Fire-Fires’ – is just a job & a career to me. I work hard every day to get the right kind of matter to keep the TRP of the episode high – and believe me – it’s not only hard – it’s hazardous as well…”
Chaits was looking at her blankly; he was trying to gulp every information Alisha was throwing in at him.
“Just the way, you came here, along with your friends to get the stress out of you over the weekend – don’t you think I’d love to do so? I mean – think of it – I’m a human too – I need to de-stress myself over the weekend – I’ve a home – I’ve friends – though my parents are happy watching me on TV hundreds of miles away and caring for me, as well worry about my safety when they watch all those sting operations in all those dangerous hide outs…”
Chaits smiled sheepishly at her – held her hand firmly with concern, “I understand” and blushed, “I’m sorry, I’m so accustomed to watch your sting operations – this aspect of your life never clicked to me”
“It’s okay.” Alisha brushed his apology aside, “And if you’ve watched the channel I work with” added Alisha, “You’d have seen me covering other information like games, politics and business – in fact, I was covering the IT seminar where you delivered your first public speech. I liked your confidence and so I remembered you…”
“Had someone else shown the reaction I saw in you – I’d have laughed and joked about it with my friends – however – I don’t know why I explained all this to you” she smiled.
“I’ll tell you why…” Jeetesh interrupted, Alisha looked at him inquisitive of what he was going to say, “I’ve not seen anyone who’s not impressed by Chaits. He’s so honest in his intentions and such a goody goody person – everyone feels so about him. He carries an aura of his goodness around him”
“Hmmm – I guess so” said Alisha
“Thanks! Alisha.” Chaits smiled
“Aw! It’s alright” said Alisha & got up to join her colleagues, “now, next time” you bump into me – I would expect a more friendly reaction from you Chaits…” she added, tossed her hair and laughed heartily.
They ate a hearty meal and were ready to leave. It was almost 3 am in the morning. Chaits waived a bye to Alisha & her colleagues who also were in the process of finishing their party…
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