One Night Stand

One Night Stand

• Rating 0.0

Genre - Romance, Drama

• by Author

He loosened his tie and looked around in exasperation. Some of them were fiddling with their phones, a few were whispering, and a little few were listening to the presentation. It was the launch of a new investment product by a leading financial institution. Over time he had turned from an attentive and avid listener to a detached one. There was nothing new - the same India growth story and the burgeoning consumerism. He casually sipped water as the speaker made the closing remarks and the meeting was dispersed.

In no time, people swarmed the bar counter; he exchanged a few pleasantries, smiled and listened to some wisecracks. As usual, the attendees had formed several small groups and were talking agitatedly, with each group having one center of attraction who seemed to know all and the others nodded in agreement. He got himself a beer and headed out of the dining hall for some fresh air. The meet was at a semi-luxury hotel, unlike the previous times, when it used to be held at a five-star luxury hotel. A small garden like structure stood near the main lobby. With the beer can in his hand, he walked towards it.

There were a few brass chairs and a table; a woman clad in blue jeans, black tee, and black sandals occupied one of these chairs. Her hair was loosely tied and hung till her mid-back. She kept adjusting her reading glasses as she busy rattled the keys of her laptop.

He hesitated a moment before inquiring, "May I?"

She looked up, a bit startled by the sudden intrusion. "Sure."

He clarified with a faint smile, "You were too engrossed in work, I was afraid I might interrupt you."

"It is all right. I am almost done."

He made himself comfortable in one of the vacant chairs and sipped on the beer can. A brief silence interspersed with the occasional clattering of the typing ensued. After a few minutes, she shut down her laptop and slid it into her bag. She picked up her water bottle and gulped down some water.

"So, are you staying at the hotel too?" She asked looking at him.

"Uh...No, just here for some presentation."

"Mhmm...so, you happen to be a weary banker?"

He laughed, "Is it that obvious?"

She smiled. "Just a shot in the dark. In my friends' circle, it is usually my banker friends who are often attending presentations or seminars in different hotels.

"Hmm...and why weary?"

"That was easy." She replied as she removed her glasses slipping them into her bag. "Your colleagues are inside and you are out here all by yourself."

He sighed deeply and smiled. "The presentation just got over and now it is food and drinks time. I don't quite like the hotel food much especially what they serve during conferences and meetings. Moreover, I detest the idea of queuing up for food and drinks.

She nodded. "I get what you mean."

"It is just cheap...cheap may not be the right word.."

"You mean distasteful?" She added.

"Yes, not in good taste. As if the sole purpose of attending the event is to eat and drink."

"You think too much," She said with a disarming smile and continued, "Another way to look at it is that it is easier to bond over food and drinks. Which is why we go out with family and friends to wine and dine."

"Hmm...that's true. What I mean is that people's approach to food can tell quite a bit about their approach to every other thing in life."

She pondered for a while, "Can you elaborate?"

"Hunger is instinct. People get cranky and grumpy when they don't eat. You can't control it and one has to eventually eat. The way one goes about food reflects their attitude to their other basic needs as well." He said thoughtfully.

She nodded and added, "And it's interesting how, beneath all the polished masks, when it comes to basic things like food and sex, people are still the same as centuries ago."

"By that logic, one's approach to food can tell a lot about their approach to sex," Raj remarked as he took another swig of beer.

She flushed a bit and added, "Possibly. There's some weight to this theory."

A momentary paused ensued before he asked, "I suppose you are a writer. Are you from Mumbai or someplace else?"

"Well, sort of, not that I am published but I do write a lot. I am from Delhi but visiting here for some official work. I'm done with my work here and shall be flying back tomorrow noon."

He smiled and added, "From Delhi and a writer?! That is something."

She laughed, "that is so stereotypical."

"You're my first and I am glad to be wrong."

"We still don't know each other's names. "I am Natasha," She said extending her hand.

"I am Raj."

"That's such a Bollywood name," she remarked jokingly.

"Yeah, it is terrible, isn't it? He said with a straight face.

"Nah, it is good." She looked at her watch. "It is time for dinner."

"I was wondering...." he hesitated for a moment and then continued, "if you don't have any plans, then maybe we could go out for dinner? There is an excellent Italian restaurant closeby with a gorgeous view of the sea. You shall love it."

"Ummm...." she paused to ponder, then removed her glasses and smiled, "Well, why not? I'd love to." Give me ten minutes, I will drop drop my laptop to my room and see you in the lobby."

"Sounds good." Raj said getting up from the chair, "I too will go say goodbye to my friends.

Ten minutes later, they both met in the lobby and hired a cab to the restaurant. The restaurant was abuzz, but fortunately they got a nice table which offered a decent view of the sea. The sea breeze was pleasant, not too windy.

"This place is perfect, Raj. I am glad you asked me out."

He looked at her as she swept aside the hair falling on her face. He took in the full view of her face, it was a common face, but unblemished and honest. Her eyes were deep and sparkled, lighting up her whole face.

She snapped her fingers, "Hey!!! where are you lost?"

He flushed and shook his head. "Sorry, I was just....well, you were brushing the hair aside from your face and it made for a very pretty sight."

She grinned and blushed a bit. "'Well, it's the breeze, but thank you."

"Let's order, you must be starving by now."

They ordered a salad, pasta and a bottle of red wine to go with it. In no time, the waiter appeared with the wine bottle and glasses.

Both clinked their glasses and cheered. "Cheers to serendipity," he said smilingly.

She laughed and joined in, "Cheers. It is strange how most nice moments are unplanned and unexpected."

"Quite true! Life is wonderful when it plays out like this, but not so much when the surprises are unpleasant."

"Come on, don't be a cynic, Raj."

"I am being realistic, not cynical. You know, there was a time, I took a wee bit of pride in being a cynic. But, one day, I came across this quote which totally changed how I felt about it."

"Mind sharing?

"Sure, so, it went something like this. A cynic is like a eunuch in a harem who knows everything but can't do anything.""

She laughed out uproariously, "that is nasty but it does make sense."

A momentary pause settled in as both sipped on their drinks.

"Do you do this often, ask out women strangers for dinner?"

"Oh no!! Not really. More often than not, culture dominates instinct."

"Here I am the writer and you are the one talking in riddles." She quipped smiling.

He laughed. "What I mean is, every now and then, we come across someone we are attracted to, but we curb our instinct and the moment fades away. To put it simply, a man sees an attractive woman, his natural instinct would be to mate with her, but social graces and culture take precedence and he goes through the ritual of knowing and seducing her."

"Quite interesting. I think we can attribute this culture to the evolution of human species," she retorted thoughtfully. "And, food has arrived. What wonderful timing!!!"

"So, what do you do when you're not putting words to thoughts?"

"The usual...read, travel, swim and I love to cook. I love to invite friends over and cook for them. It's kinda therapeutic." And as an afterthought, she added, "Once in a while, I love to sing too."

"Nice! You are multi-talented. There's something really appealing about a woman in the kitchen."

"Ha! Really? That's what most women do. On the contrary, a man in the kitchen is more attractive."

"I know but more women do it less and less these days. I have my moments in the kitchen. I can make tea. Does that count?"

"Considering, I am in a relaxed and generous mood, I will allow that."

"Your eyes, they sparkle when you laugh."

She smiled big. "What's your biggest fear, Raj?"

A wry smile formed his lips as he twirled the wine glass in his hands. "That I will never find someone and end up living alone. What is yours?"

"Ouch!! That sounds rough." She looked outside the window and exhaled slowly. "My worry is not that I won't find someone, but the fact that he will not understand me completely."

"Hmm...I get that. You and I are saying the same thing, but the only difference is you will settle for less, and I won't."

"Us women, we don't want much - we just want to be understood and loved, and given that little space to flutter our wings."

"I don't know. I know quite a few who would be more interested in the dough the man brings home."

"Ummm...A few, yes - but I still think the majority wants to be understood and loved."

"mmhmm....what is your favorite childhood memory?"

"It's a bit silly. I used to build sandcastles on the shores of Ganges. My dad used to take me there occasionally on the weekends. In my early years, we were settled in Calcutta; later, my dad got transferred to Delhi."

"Calcutta is a beautiful city. It still has this old-world charm."

"Yeah. Tell me about your favorite memory."

He pondered for a moment. "There was a small hill on the outskirts of my hometown and I used to go hiking along with my siblings. It used to be a lot of fun; we would carry rope and stuff, and pretend it was a tedious and risky climb, even though it was pretty easy.'

She laughed. "That's cute."

"Would you like to have some dessert?"

"No, thank you. The weighing scale isn't favoring me these days."

"Oh, come on. You look in perfect shape."

"I didn't know you were checking me out," she teased.

He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "I will call for the check."

"Yes, please. Raj, I was wondering if the day has not tired you yet, then maybe we could take a stroll by the sea. I love the sea and there is hardly any water body in Delhi."

"Absolutely. I was going to suggest that." Raj said smilingly. "I rarely open up so easily to someone. It's a welcome change to come across someone like you."

He briefly touched her elbow as they navigated through the traffic to cross the road.

"I love this stretch of Marine Drive, especially in the night, they also call it "The Queen's Necklace."

"It is indeed quite lovely," she said softly, soaking in the ambiance.

"I like the roar of the waves; it drowns all the noises inside your head." Raj said to no one in particular as they walked idly, oblivious of the people around, and the cars speeding through.

"I don't like Bombay much, but the sea is one reason, I keep coming to this place. Nature has such a strong influence on our bearing. One look at the sea and all my worries dissipate in a moment, and I feel refreshed and rejuvenated."

Raj nodded folding the sleeves of his shirt. "Yeah. Nature can be quite awe-inspiring. The vastness and the greatness of a sea, or an ocean, or a mountain overwhelms our being and consciousness. Perhaps, it also explains why centuries ago, we worshiped nature, until human beings came up with their own Gods."

She smiled faintly. "For a banker, you are quite grounded."

"We aren't that bad. We just lure people into giving their money to us and rid them of their misery."

She laughed and flicked her hair back. "Right. Evidently, you don't like the crowd much, how do you cope with living in this city? Also, your profession would require you to meet people and be more outgoing; you, on the other hand, seem a bit closed."

"I try and avoid the crowd as much as I can. It makes me restless and uneasy. Like, I will never board a train, I travel by cab all the time, even if it means paying extra. I did the same, even when I had just started my career and earned very little. As regards to the demands of my profession, I behave like a professional - I don't let my personality be a hindrance in my performance."

"There is a term for what you do. It is called the "Peace Tax." You spend extra on yourself and on others to buy yourself peace."

"Hmm....you'd be reading a lot, considering you have to write about various stuff."

"I do read, but more than that, I observe people and surroundings, listen to what people have to say. These are my primary source of ideas when it comes to writing. Some people find it futile, but I like to delve deeper into ways and means of life. Like an industrialist or a farmer, I too like to construct and grow, but I construct new thoughts and new ideas, give shape and meaning to them by writing them down."

"Interesting, I never thought of writing in that sense. Are you in the mood for some ice cream? There's a nice ice cream parlor opposite the street."

She smiled and nodded.

They got their ice creams and sat on a bench beside the sea, looking into the distant horizon. The water complemented the mood, the waves no longer roared, there was a gentleness to it as it kissed the shore.

"I wish time would stand still now." He sighed.

"Usually, I have a list of things that I want, but right now, I don't want anything, just this," she purred looking at him gently.

He looked back tenderly, turned a little as he cupped her cheek and kissed on the side of her neck just below her jawline.

"I am sorry, words fail me," he whispered.

She moved in and kissed him softly on his lips.

A thin smile appeared on her face. "I am sorry, words fail me too."

Time stood still or passed by, it didn't matter. For the next few minutes, neither spoke a word, as they absorbed each other's presence and consciousness; giving a new meaning to stillness. The quietness between them bound them with a bond as deep as the sea.

"It is getting late, Raj. We should get going." Natasha whispered softly.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I will get a cab." He forced the words and rose from the bench.

He hailed a cab and shortly a black and yellow cab arrived at their footsteps.

"So, this is it, Mr. Banker?"

"I guess so." Raj said with a dry smile.

"You know, you should smile often. I like to see you smile."

"And you should avoid wearing glasses. You've beautiful eyes."

"Thank you, Raj."

She hugged him and slid into the cab.

"Natasha, listen. - I've had a great night so far, rather one of the rare great nights I have had. I was thinking.....if you would like to spend the night with me? I know it sounds rather outrageous but it just seems very right."

"I have a flight to catch tomorrow, Raj."

"We could take your bags from the hotel and go to my place and then you could leave for the airport from my place."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Don't stand out there. Come in."

He smiled and slid in beside her.

"Can you please ask him to take us through the route that you usually take while traveling to work from your home?"

He gave the directions to the cab driver.

She turned towards him and said softly, "I was hoping you would ask me to spend the night with you."

"Would you have asked, had I not?"

She smiled, "No."

He shook his head and smiled.

The cab zoomed across the deserted streets, within the next thirty minutes, they checked out of her hotel and reached his place.

"Natasha, would you like something to drink?"

"Only water, please." She glanced around the living room taking in the little details - the books, the stark empty walls and weights lying around in a corner. The hall was surprisingly tidy for a single man or maybe he had very little clutter. She pondered to herself.

The sound of gentle tapping and electronic piano broke her reverie as the music filled her ears and the Shadows song from the Midnight band started playing in the background. She swayed a little and turned around. Raj was standing there with glass of water.

She thanked him and took the glass. "I love this song. The opening music is surreal."

"Oh, yes. It is simply amazing. I love synth." Raj said extending his hand.

She smiled and took his hand and moved in close. His hand fell on her waist, her face rested against his, as they gently swayed to the music. The lights came off and the red and neon lights from the opposite buildings filtered in through the window illuminating them, transforming them to creatures from another world.

The Solitude song came on and their swaying bodies drifted away into the unknown of the night.

The morning sun broke in through the panes and lit the room with its orange-yellow hue. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes, the night, the moment gradually dawned on him. He looked at her, her hair was strewn on her face, and her mouth still carried a faint smile. He looked at the time, it was seven in the morning. She probably had to leave in a couple of hours. He got out of the bed, made a phone call, freshened up and made tea and some toast. He checked the refrigerator, thankfully he had some fruits.

"Hey, Mr. Banker."

Raj turned around and smiled. Natasha stood leaning at the kitchen entrance with a wide smile. "Hey. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded.

I hope you take tea in the morning. Raj looked at her inquiringly as he poured the tea into a cup.

"I do." She said smilingly.

Both sat in the living room sipping the tea. "I could only manage toast and fruits for breakfast. I can order in something."

"Don't worry. This is good, thank you. I am a light eater in the morning." Natasha said with a smile.

Both were quiet. This quietness was not the same. It was heavier. "The night was special," Raj said trying to fill in the void.

"It was." Natasha said quietly.

A mild uneasiness crept upon him as reality dawned and he realized she would soon leave. "I will go get ready," Natasha said getting up from the couch.

Raj nodded as she disappeared in the bedroom.

The blinking mobile caught his eye and despite himself he looked at the screen. A few messages from someone by the name Anuj caught his eyes. "Where are you, Nats? I'vebeen trying to reach you since last night. Miss you babe. Come soon. xoxo."

Raj took a deep breath and sighed. Fifteen minutes later Natasha walked back in.

"So, this is it, then?" she said with a half smile.

"Yeah...I guess." Raj said with a wry smile.

"Can I have your number please?" Natasha asked looking at him expectantly.

"Sure." Raj counted his cell digits.

"Thank you," Natasha said and took a deep breath. "Raj, Is it all right if I don't share my number? Please don't take it otherwise. I need to sort something out at my end. I will get in touch with you."

Raj nodded thinking the worst. "No problem. I understand."

The door bell pierced the awkward silence. "Could you please get the door," Raj looked at Natasha.

She gave a perplexed look and said, "Sure."

A delivery boy greeted her with a bunch of white lilies. "This is for Natasha, Ma'am."

Before she could say something, the delivery boy handover the flowers to her and left. She took the flowers and checked the attached note.

It read, "Thank you for the amazing night. Kiss." The sender's name was Raj.

She shut the door behind her and grinned wide in the direction of Raj. "Thank you so much. I love lilies. But, how?" She inquired waving her hand.

"You're welcome. I just had to make a call." He said with a big smile happy to see her grinning as usual.

She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, again."

Before Raj could say something, her cell rang.

She looked at her phone and sighed. "It's the Uber. I got to go."

He took her bag while she held the flowers close to her as they took the elevator.

"I can accompany you to the airport." Raj offered.

"No, Raj. Please let me take it from here."

"That's okay. I understand."

They got out of the elevator and walked towards the waiting cab. She hugged him before getting into the cab. "Goodbye, Raj." She waved with her usual bright smile.

Raj waved back. "Goodbye, Natasha. I will wait for your call."

***************** The End ****************

 

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