“Neha!” Devika called to her best friend. “You have to come meet Rohan.”
Neha broke apart from the people she was talking to at the office party. Her brain was going to explode from the small talk she had been doing. All calories and weight loss and weather. Blah! Blah! She was here with Devika as her plus one because Devika clearly felt sorry for her. “You cannot sit alone by yourself on New Years eve! It’s illegal in some countries, I’m sure.”
And her Neha was, against her wishes, meeting new people against her wishes, wishing she was home, in her pjs with a book.
As she walked towards the table where Devika and Rohan were sitting, she paused. Rohan had her back to her but the moment her eyes fell on his neck, the hair on her hands rose and her mouth went dry. She felt pulled towards the vibe he was giving off. What was up! She was attracted by the way he was sitting?! Elbows on knees, leaning towards Devika. He wasn’t even looking at her yet.
She had heard a lot about him from Devika. She was drawn to the idea of him. Hardworking, strong, owned his own business, volunteered constantly and was loyal to his one-year-old girlfriend, deeply. Neha new all the deets because Devika hated her best friend’s girlfriend and couldn’t stop whining about how snobby and shallow she was. To Neha, Rohan sounded too good to be true but …
Neha’s eyes fell on his arms, red shirt’s sleeves rolled up and two hands grasping a cup of hot chocolate. How was that a turn on?! She licked her lips.
When Rohan finally turned as he stood up, she was washed away in his deep black eyes and long lashes. She touched her own brown hair done up in a chignon bun and patted her shimmery A line dress down. Wiping her sweaty hands on her thigh. He paused a moment, a sudden question on his face but he quicky recovered and his lips curved into a friendly smile.
“Hi!” he said, putting his hand forward.
Neha smiled and extended her hand, “Hi. Heard nothing about you.” What the hell was that?!
When their hands shook, she instantly felt hugged in his firm handshake. Rohan snickered at her lame joke, and looked down, hand moving to rubbing his neck. “Same here.”
Devika humphed and grabbed their hands into her own, “If you are insinuating that I talk too much. Yes, I do. But the world benefits from it. And you both know it. Now, if you will excuse me, I have others to chat up.” With that she put Neha’s hand into Rohan’s, “Take care of her. She’s fragile.”
Both looked at Devika’s back aghast!
Neha’s body’s reaction made her jerk her hand away. She wasn’t sure if the heat she felt was sexual or if it was from being called “fragile”.
“So, easy to break huh?” Rohan said.
“Huh?! Yeah, I guess she must be referring to the heart shattering break up I had few months ago. I’m sure you have heard of it from our town’s gossip queen.” Neha launghed.
Rohan smiled to himself and said, “I just know there was a breakup. Not about heart shattering part. She’s an anomaly for sure. How did you two meet?”
“Same old story. Girl gets cheated on by boyfriend. Girl throws him out. She starts looking for roommate who was halfway sane, responsible, cooked and paid rent on time. I got the clean home, yummy food and rent. The sanity part is questionable but livable.”
Rohan laughed. Was she that funny? Then his eyes softened, “I’m sorry that happened.”
Neha brushed it off, “It’s been more than six months. I think my ego was more hurt than my heart at the time. I don’t think I really even liked him by the end.
How did you two meet? As in Devika and you. Oh! Wait, we are at the place you met.”
Was she crazy or did his eyes flick to her lips? “Actually”, he said. “We met in college. And then last year when she lost her job, she joined here and we restarted our friendship and how. She is a real buddy’s buddy.”
He was being sweet and humble. Neha knew firsthand that he had a big role in helping Devika get this job. He had gotten out of his way to get her multiple interviews in addition to this one and pushed her CV multiple times to HR. Spoke to the kind of guy he was.
“It’s too loud here. And hot.” Neha looked around at the dancing disco lights and DJ who was increasing the volume.
“Not my scene either. Want to go to the balcony?”
They headed there and started talking about their hobbies (she loved drawing and he was into adventure sports), and her job as a financial consultant and the stars and planets. He refilled her drinks enough to show he was paying attention.
At midnight, Devika found them and the three counted down and wished each other Happy New Year.
She thought of him all night. He has a girlfriend, she thought to herself. It’s the thrill of the chase, she rationalized.
A few days later, Rohan came over to drop the laptop Devika left at work. They all got to talking over chai when Devika had to rush into her room for a meeting. Neha and Rohan kept chatting and soon the cold chai turned into a hot meal that the two cooked together. Devika was impressed at Rohan’s cutting skills so much so that she set a date for them all to have another dinner next week.
Rohan’s girlfriend would come up often in conversation, and Devika would roll her eyes and Neha would die inside a little. Why were all the good ones taken?!
Over a meal of chicken pulao, raita and crispy okra, Neha looked at Rohan and thought, “I wish you were mine.” When he looked back at her, she quickly stuffed her mouth with a spoonful of rice.
They all started meeting more frequently. As a threesome or in their bigger group. Was it her imagination or was Rohan stealing glances at her too? She would catch him looking at her hands, or her eyes or would notice how he noticed and remembered the smallest details like the kind of bread she liked or the date she had an important meeting. Was he this attentive with everyone? If this was him with a friends’ roommate, imagine what a lucky girl his partner was!? URGH!
Neha had never felt this way before. She tossed and turned for weeks, crazed with the thought of wanting him, and that it was wrong. She wanted him, all of him but then she knew she would never make a move till he was committed and the way he was, he was just off limits. Her insides felt all muddled up, like the points inside a river where water comes from multiple streams and collides and form a whirlpool. Only her whirlpool was made of wants and should nots!
One morning, Devika banged her coffee on the table and was snapping at everything. “What’s wrong?” Neha asked.
“I think Rohan is going to propose to that Cruella girlfriend of his.”
Was Devika in love with Rohan? Why was she so upset? OMG, had she been lusting after a friends’ love??? And Rohan was going to propose. How much worst could this morning get? A lump of coal got stuck in Neha’s throat. She coughed, “So, that’s a problem? It’s nice na? They’ve been together more than a year.”
“Bah!” Devika yelled and threw a pillow.
Neha couldn’t get it, “What’s wrong? Do you like Rohan?” She felt herself choke on the sentence.
Devika looked at Neha, “Are you crazy?! NO. Ew!”
Neha laughed with relief but registered the Ew as unneeded, “I continue with my investigation then…. ”
“I hate her. I just know once they get together, he will stop hanging out with the group and being friends with me or any of the girls. She’s so insecure and bitchy and mean. You know she told me last week “, Devika raised her voice and rolled her eyes mimicking Cruella, “It’s so nice that you don’t feel the pressure to buy branded things.
Like Bitch! Not all of us care about a fancy logo on our stuff. Then she proceeded to count the cents on everyone’s bill when it was divided. Ha! She’s just so fake boogie.”
Neha looked down at her chai and touched the rim, “The kind of people that love us says a lot of about who we are. I’m sure she’s got good qualities that Rohan can see. He’s a nice guy.”
“See? See? That’s something She wouldn’t ever say OR no. She’s so fake around him. All manners and light. I honestly don’t know what he sees in her except that they volunteer at that animal shelter together. That’s where they met you know. Oh! She’s so not right for him.”
“Not for us to decide.”
“Now You, you were perfect. Gosh, I tried so hard. I forgot my laptop at work, I set up meetings, dates. I just knew when we met that you both would be perfect for each other. I even gave your hand in his for God’s sake!”
Neha was shocked. And flattered. Devika was a real buddy’s buddy. She smiled and touched her friend’s arm to calm her down.
Devika came closer, “You like him, right? I see the looks you give him. I see the way you look at his social media. How you both take care of each other.”
“Well…”
Devika pumped the air. “I knew it. You like him. Why don’t you tell him?” She grabbed Neha’s hands.
Neha laughed and waved the idea off, “It’s probably just a crush. We just met a month ago. And now he’s about to propose anyway. How do you know anyway?”
“He was being very antsy yesterday and asking weird questions to us a couple of day ago about commitment and how long before you knew someone was the one etc. Then Deepak from HR told me, he saw him at a jewelry store yesterday.”
Neha’s heart plummeted. Oh, she was hoping it was just a guess.
A tear fell from her eye. Devika wiped it with her sleeve. “Aw, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you liked him that much.”
“From that first look.” Neha confessed. Devika stood up to get water when the bell rang.
Neha wiped her eyes quickly and opened the door and was started.
Rohan was standing in the doorway, the light from the stairway lighting his silhouette. Neha looked down at her pajamas, conscious.
“Goodmorning,” he said.
“Hey, come in.” Neha called him. “Devika! It’s Rohan.”
“Actually, I came to see you.”
Devika walks in, “Rohan. Everything okay? It’s 7 in the morning.”
“Yeah, I just wanted to talk to Neha.”
Devika grinned and said, “Yeah, sure. Whatever. I’ll be in my room. Have at it!” As she walked towards her room Devika turned and said, “Neha, tell him to get that thing we were talking about okay. I think he would like it, a lot!”
Neha made a face and used her eyes to tell Devika to bugger off!
“What thing?” Rohan asked.
“Nothing. So, what did you need to talk about this early, fresh morning? I don’t give out financial advice in my pjs. ” Neha said.
Rohan laughed, “You are cute in pjs.” Neha blushed and he continued, “I did this thing last night and I stayed up all night to come tell you first.” And he took out a box from his pocket.
Ah! He had come to talk about his ring investment or get her thoughts on the ring.
“I went and got a ring at the market a few weeks ago.” Neha looked at him as he took a step closer. “It was right before the New Year’s party actually. I thought I knew what I wanted from a marriage. And then I met you.”
Huh?
“The ring started burning holes. In my drawer, in my pocket, in my hand. It was asking me questions I didn’t have answers to because when I met you, it was like I learned what love was.”
Neha put a hand on her throbbing heart.
Rohan took a step closer, “In two weeks I knew I wasn’t ready to be married if I was lusting after someone else and in few more, I knew it wasn’t lust but love and in the past week I realized that even if I never got married, I would wait for the one I truly loved, all my life.”
God, if he’s talking about Devika now, I’m going to jump out of the window, Neha thought.z
“So Neha,” another step closer, “I came here this early morning to tell you, that I broke up and if you would have me, I would love to be your someone special and see where this goes. Because I like you. I really like you, a lot. Hell! I think I love you.”
Neha opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.
Rohan came one more step closer, now she could smell his perfume. “I love the way your mouth opens when you are lost. I love how you twirl your hair when you are nervous. I adore the way you are so nice to everyone, no matter their age or pocket size. I love how you are willing to take care of others, even if you have spent all day at work. I love these freckles on your nose. I even love the way you get irritated when you are hungry.”
Neha touched her nose. “You love my nose?”
“Not just your nose, even the freckles on it, every breathe it takes.” Rohan smiled, taking her hand.
“Since when?” Neha smiled, intertwining her fingers into his hand.
“Since that first look.” He raised her chin, with a question in his eyes and Neha smiled and nodded and raised her head. Their lips met in the softest way, and he pulled her into a hug.
Somewhere inside the apartment, there was a shout, “Woooooohoooooo, I knew it. I knew it. Who’s the man!? Devi. Devi. Devi. Bye bye Cruella!”
Rohan and Neha fell into each other laughing…
* THIS is my first attempt at the romance genre with tropes and fun moments … Let me know how the reading experience was for you.
