Shades of Life

Why her?

I’m sitting in the balcony sipping my whiskey. Yesterday’s events ran in my mind like a reel. It never came to my mind that my dad would start searching a girl for me.

I mean I am 27 and nowhere near marriage age. I haven’t dated anyone in my life. I don’t trust girls at all. I have seen so many 30’s and 40’s ladies trying to seduce my dad when I was younger. I absolutely hated them. The way they treated me and my brother was horrible. Thank god, dad never accepted them. He loved mom too much to do that.

In high school and college, there were few girls tried to get my attention but I knew they were behind my looks and status. I knew if I had entertainment them, they would have run the first chance they get after seeing my real self.

I’m not insecure but I’m just not comfortable letting anyone in. I’ve been alone my whole life. The time when I needed people in my life the most, no one was there. Now I don’t want anyone sniffing around my business.

Challlll vaha jaaatteee haiii, challlll wahhhhhan jaaattteee haaaiiin

Pyarrrr karneee chalooo huumm waahhaan jaatheee haiiiii

I heard someone’s pathetic singing coming from the terrace. I looked up towards the terrace but saw no one. The songs continued and trust me the melody of the song got worse and worse. Getting irritated, I tried calling the security but no one picked the call. Sighing harshly, I got inside the elevator huffing about the nuisance this woman is creating. It was lady voice for sure.

I opened the terrace door and went out to see a girl holding phone in her hand and singing horribly.

Suddenly she stopped singing when she looked at me and with the phone’s light I could see her face.

It was Akshara Vashisht.

No surprise there.

I turned to my left to see a Tuborg strong beer bottle and sighed.

She’s completely drunk.

“Mona, don’t freak out but I think there is a ghost over there” I heard her whisper to her friend. It was so silent here that I could even hear her whisper. Even though there was a garden here, when I got to know they could see my balcony I told the building manager to inform the residents not to be here unless it is absolutely required.

I guess this girl didn’t get the memo!

“What!” I heard a voice shrieking from her phone. She is on video call with someone? Just great.

“Who is there?” Her friend asked her curiously. I stood there crossing my arms waiting for their idiosyncrasies to get over.

“I told you, it’s a ghost” She said to her friend in ‘duh’ tone.

“Let’s continue singing” she shrugged turning around and continued singing.

Okay! That’s it. I can’t handle her nonsense anymore.

I tightened my lips and walked towards her. I stood right behind her. Before I could speak she turned around abruptly and looked at me wide eyed.

“Oh come on!”

“Not him again!”

“Why god! Why!”

“Why the f**k do you hate me!”

She said looking at the sky. And my lips twitched at her drama.

No Varun, don’t smile and entertain her. Biting my lips, I controlled my amusement and gave her a glare.

 “Hello sir” She said smiling cutely.

Cute?

Dude, you have gone nuts.

“Ms. Vashisht, what are you doing here?” I said with a hard voice.

But my tone had no effect on her.

“Singing, do you want to join?” She asked with a happiest smile and forwarded her fisted hand.

“Who is it Akshu? What the hell is going on?” came her friend's voice from the phone.

“Shhh Mona, it’s my bossss. Don’t be disrespectful” She said giving her friend mock disappointed head shake. My lips twitched yet again at her antics.

I’ve seen plenty of girls get drunk at bars and act in a weird way but this girl is taking a whole new turn.

“What is your boss doing in your apartment building?” asked her friend in confusion.

“Because he lives in the same apartment building, duh!” she said completely forgetting that I’m starting right in front of her.

This girl!

“Ms. Vashisht, stop this nonsense and go to your apartment. Stop making a scene” I said keeping my voice low and dominating. I wanted her to obey and agree.

“What nonsense? I was singing so beautifully and you are telling it was nonsense. Mona tell him how well I sing. Tell him” She said moving way too close to me in a second catching me by surprise and shoved her phone in my face.

“Omfg, is that Varun Mehta!?!?”’ Her friend exclaimed from the phone. I winced at her voice. Mobile for too near for this kind of excitement.

“Yesss! Didn’t I tell you that he is my boss and I work in Mehta industries. What kind of a best friend are you!” Ms. Vashisht exclaimed waving her arms around violently. I moved my head back to avoid getting hit.

“Babe! I didn’t know you lived in the same apartment building as THE Varun Mehta. Why the f**k didn’t you tell me?” her friend yelled at her.

“Oh calm down, this is the reason why. He is not that handsome, hot and sexy as you guys say, okay” Ms. Vashisht said rolling her eyes as she tried to stand properly on her two feet.

I raised my eyebrows at her words.

“Shhh, what the hell are you doing? He is right there” her friend exclaimed.

“Oh f**k!” She exclaimed covering her mouth.

This girl swears like a sailor.

“Are you done? Can you go back to your apartment and make less noise?” I said rolling my eyes at her ignoring her previous comment.

I’m sexy and I know it.

“I’ll call you soon, bye take care and don’t make any new best friend. Muaahh” She said and not giving time to her friend to reply she hung up.

“Sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I'm sad and mad and drunk. Everything got messed up. Please don’t fire me. I’m too cute to get fired. Look at me” She said moving very close to me. Very close.

Her shoes were touching mine and her face was too close to mine where I could see her big eyes and red cheeks because of beer and cold. Her lips were so plump and full.

It felt like I was in some kind of trance for a second.

What the hell!

Shaking my head, I moved back.

“Ms. Vashisht, let’s go” I said holding her arm and started dragging her towards the door.

“No, first tell me that I’m cute and you won’t fire me. And also *hiccup* don’t give one of those boring lectures. Seriously, one was enough” She said pouting but followed my lead.

“I’m saying no such things” I stated firmly.

“That’s not fair. I didn’t do anything wrong” She exclaimed as I dragged her into the elevator. I left her arm and pressed her floor number and stood beside her.

“Oh my” she said holding her stomach as lift started to move.

Please, don’t puke.

Please, don’t!

I silently prayed in my head but it went blank when she held my arm and leaned on my upper arm. Her head reached my shoulder.

I got surprised by her action. No one, not even Carla dared to get this close to me or touch me.

In college, I hated parties and mostly stayed in my apartment studying. Dad has a penthouse in US too and I stayed there during my university days away from others. Aakash was the only one with me, that’s it.

My dad knew my brother would never get into family business so he always pressured me into studies. I hardly had any passion so I went along with it. I was always work driven, I didn’t want to just take care of this company and maintain it. I wanted to take it to another level. I’m not that interested in this, which is true but my nature is once I take up some task I won’t sit down until it is done. Anything in life refers the same. I don’t like leaving things in the middle all incomplete.

I stared at her arms that were around my arms wrapped steadily while she leaned happily humming to some song. Just few seconds ago, she was nauseous and now she is humming.

What is this girl?