Recap: Episode-1, Episode-2, Episode-3, Episode – 4, Episode – 5, Episode - 6, Episode - 7
1435 to 1645 Hours:
“Listen. I have a plan. This is my last day in Hyderabad right? I might never come back here, and well, incidentally, it's your first day here. I was thinking that maybe, I can show you around, you know, so that in the process, I could take with me, fresher and unbroken memories, of the City. Maybe enjoy what this city is all about, one last time! Of the places, of the people and sorts. And by the end of the day we'll split the fare!” she said sounding a bit nervous for some reason, as we dragged ourselves out of A Star Biryani Point.
“No, but listen! You'll have to do something first! ", she said shuffling forward.
“I have to do something??” I asked her, hoping that it wasn't something to do with picking up some of her friends on the way. That would totally ruin the cheeky premise of the Rom Com that was shaping up here!
“Well. It's nothing really. You'll have to ask me to come, join you in the trip, and also ask me to show you around. And then I'll say OK. And thereafter we can go!” she said shyly looking at the ground.
“Excuse me! What? ", I said trying to get a grasp on the proceedings.
“Look! It's not difficult. I don't want to come out looking as a Pile On. Or even worse, an Easy Wheezy!"
“Ok, now. Stop right there. What exactly is, Easy Wheezy?” I said finding the word rather amusing
“You know, what Easy Wheezy is! Just ask no? And I'll say OK. What's the big deal? ", she said avoiding looking at me. I stared at her for a few seconds, took out my shades, put them on and started crossing the road, to our cab. Geetika looked at me cross, and after successfully waging a World War Three with her ego and soul, calmly walked behind me.
"Next time, I'm not coming without you asking me to!!” She hissed as she walked past me and took the back seat. I could only afford a smile, as I took mine in the front.
“Kahan Jaana Saab?” ("Where do we go from here, Sir?") a yawning Yusuf Bhai managed to ask, as he turned the cab round the corner, and to the main road.
“I've got some shopping to do, Can You Ask him to drive to InOrbit mall, which isn't far from here! There he can take rest for an hour or so” she said looking at her watch for some reason. I promptly relayed the message, and Yusuf Bhai dutifully took a 'U' turn.
Yusuf Bhai, drove into the Entrance bay of the mall, and stopped at what looked like the main entrance.
“Kab tak jaana, Sir?” (When do we leave, Sir?) Yusuf asked as I was about to get down.
“Aap ek kaam karo, chaar baje tak aap mujhe ek baar call kardo, theek hai?” (Do one thing, call me up at around 4, all right?) I replied as I got down. Geetika was already walking through the security check at the entrance, and I followed, as Yusuf slowly drove the cab away and through the Exit Bay.
“Come, let's go up! To the second floor” she continued, as we entered, and bent to adjust her sandals. Ok! That was the first time I saw the intricate design skilfully tacked over her brownish sandals. Made of Semi Circles.
“Yeah, Geetika you carry along. I'll just go have a look at the Gizmos and then join you” I said watching a random kid play ice hockey through Xbox Kinect, on display at the Digital Stores to my left.
"Ohk cool. I'll be on the second floor, Shoppers Stop. Formals section. Have fun!” She said and took the escalator up. I walked into the Digital lair.
“Yes, Sir, How you may help you!” a neatly dressed attendant in his early twenties came forth, as I entered.
“I’m sorry? I didn't get that. What did you say?” I asked him as I hung my shades over my t-shirt’s collar. The attendant suddenly realized his mistake.
“I am sorry, Sir. What can...? I mean how may I help you?” he came again. This time sounding a bit cautious but grammatically correct.
“We’ll see. What's your name?” I asked him casually, trying to calm his nerves a bit
“Why what happened, Sir?” he replied, looking somewhat scared.
“No, nothing happened. I'm just asking your name. There's nothing to feel tensed about, all right!”
“Jagdeesh, Sir!” he said nervously smiling
“Ok. Jagdeesh, are there any Prepaid SIM connections for sale in this store? "
“I’ll be happy to let you know about that Sir, once I talk to the store manager!” he said and swiftly walked towards the Employees Only door. I took to checking out the latest innovations in mobile phones. I had to open up Google search and type in the word “Juxtaposition” in every available model, just for fun. That again was my thing. Just as I was typing the word in a Sony Z Tablet, Jagdeesh returned.
"Sir, a prepaid connection sales person is due to come in an hour. You could buy a connection from him” he blurted out, as if he was rehearsing the sentence all the way through.
“Thank you, Jagdeesh. Can I get a Vodafone connection, too?” I asked him just to confirm the fact.
“Vodafone.... I'll be happy to let you know about that, Sir, once I talk to the store manager!! ", he replied and off he went hurriedly.
I felt sorry for the poor guy, but at some level I was enjoying this.
"Sir, Vodafone will also be available. Both 2G and 3G” Jagdeesh returned and said trying to maintain the smile.
“Thanks Jagdeesh. Could you do me a favour? This is my number. Could you call me up when he comes?” I said handing over my number. He sincerely nodded, as I walked out of the store. The kid who was now smashing his way through in kingdoms, as he shifted from Air Hockey to God of War, eventually got the system to hang. I stood there for a few moments, and silently strolled out of the store.
A sweep panorama of the ground floor, revealed a colourfully decorated bouquet stall, a herbal ‘Get Well Soon’ kind of store exhibiting artificially made natural cosmetics , an entrance to the Hypermarket, a couple of escalators and a bunch of young people laughing out loud to something that a slim girl with red streaks on her hair said, an old couple praying to the almighty that they survive the escalator climb, a small boy chasing a red balloon unmindful of anything going on, and a wipe cart mopping the...wait a second. I knew that slim girl with red streaked hair, which was definitely longer the last time I saw her.
“Vikky! Vik... Vishaka! ", I called out to her, remembering mid-way through that she hated being called Vikky in public. She turned and started scanning the people, until she found me. She excused herself from her friends and walked swiftly towards me.
“What the hell, Bunny. How? You moron! I was trying to reach you!” she said hugging me.
“Oh it was you! I thought it was some customer support service” I said trying to remember the unknown number that I had a missed call from earlier.
“Yeah Yeah. I didn’t reach you actually, so stop playing along. Anyways what are you doing here?", she said shuffling on the spot.
“Well you know. General, shopping stuff. I came here with a friend of mine. What the hell have you done with your hair? What are you, the 'Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' or something??” I said touching her hair " And what have you got in your hair. Mucous?” I said wiping my hand on my jeans.
“It’s hair wax. And by the way, it's the latest look, Bunny. It's cool and chic!!” she said winking at me.
“It’s foolish and sick. It's ridiculous, Vikky. You look crazy!”
“Whateva! Anyways, friend of your's? Is He a She? Or is she a He?”
“It’s Geetika! And no, she's not transgender, if you were asking that!”
“Haha! No re. I meant. Nothing, lyt. Come I'll introduce you to my friends!” She said and without giving me any chance to slide away, held my hand and forcibly dragged me to her gang of friends.
“Hey, people! Meet my cousin, Bunny. Be nice and say Hi!” she said introducing me to them with my pet name.
“Thanks Vikky!... Oh yeah, for those who didn't know, she's called Vikky at home. Pretty cool name, if you ask me ", I smirked at her, and effectively got back at her.
“This is Zakib & Suganda, they are seeing each other!” she said proudly as the couple couldn't help but give out a shy embarrassed smile.
“Vikky! Don't be Facebook here! Hii, Zakib & Suganda!” I said trying to mellow her excitement down, and introduced myself to the couple, who looked good together, though the girl seemed taller than the guy, which to me was totally cool.
“Ok ok. Right. Cool. So this is Malini, Kanika, Uttam, and Aneesh! "
“Hii, all!” I said, trying to catch the youthful exuberance normally exuded by groups of their age. Somehow they were all very silent, apart from the chatter box that Vikky was.
“We all went to the same college. Arey, I forgot only. I told you guys about a cousin of mine who wrote a book a couple of months back, no? Yeah he's the one, ladies and gentlemen. So who wants to beat him up first!” she chuckled as the group finally got into the act and laughed.
“Yup. That's me. I'm guilty. Hope some of you have read it! "
“I read it. Found it very interesting ", said a tall guy, called Uttam. That's an interesting way of saying that the book was bad, Uttam, I thought to myself.
“And me too. But to be honest I like Romcoms you know!” a girl named Kanika said.
“Well thank you. Guess you'll like my next work then” I said
“Bunny, you are writing a Romcom next? Oh no! Don't ruin the genre” Vikky said.
“I will try not to... "
“Vishaka, the pizza party? Bunny! You can come along too. It'll be fun!” said Suganda, the significant other of the embarrassed couple.
“Well thank you! But next time for sure. I'm with my friend, and she might be expecting me! So yeah maybe some time later” I said politely declining their invite. Vikky however abruptly looked at me with a suspicion laded expression on her.
“People! You go and have the pizza party. I'll join you in, like fifteen minutes. I've got something to discuss with my mysterious cousin here! ", Vikky said and put an arm over my shoulder. The batch of friends said the goodbyes and left presumably talking about the pizza crusts.
“So, six on the first ball, huh, Bunny!” Vikky said as she tightened her grip over my neck, obviously trying to make me confess through asphyxiation.
“Well nothing like that..... Ah... I mean she's... Vikky, you want to kill me or something...” I said ducking from her hand and breaking free
“I shall entertain the possibility of killing you, if I am not shown this girl in the next precisely ten minutes... This Geetika girl!” she said with her hands folded and some sort of stern look on her.
Finding myself in mortal danger of being strangulated, I was left with no other option but to take her along, to Shoppers Stop store on the second floor. After getting through the security check, we started searching for Geetika. Interestingly, Vikky too was searching for Geetika too, as if she knew who she was or what she looked like, or maybe she expected her to wear a name tag. Her excitement was getting the better of her common sense, I wondered, as we branched out to sweep the whole 'Female' section . And at the far end of the Formals section, I found Geetika checking out a suit with her free hand, as she carried a cloth bag which by the looks of it, contained a couple of shirts. She glanced at the price tag, looked up at the ceiling mumbling something within herself, and let go of the price tag along with the suit. I slowly walked behind her. I never know why I did that. It wasn't as if I was going to startle her from behind. That would be such a stupid thing to do. Vikky who was a few rows of suits apart, parallel to Geetika, saw me approach her and quickly walked to me.
“Costly much?” I said, unintentionally startling Geetika. She turned to look at me, making a real good effort of not letting her surprise show.
“A bit, yes. But it is affordable if you've got the reward points for it” she said walking forward to the next set of designer suits.
“The reward points! They accept your mobile number.... "
“Hii, you must be Geetika, no?” Vikky said, figuratively and literally pouncing at the millisecond window of opportunity that my sleepy brain provided her. Geetika looked at her, quizzically, as Vikky stood beside me with a stupid and broad grin on her face. I smiled timidly at her.
“Yeah... Do I know you....?” Geetika said clearly trying to recall her.
“Nay! I'm Bunny's cousin!” Vikky said extending her hand in order to shake hers, and all I could do was to hide my face behind a half cotton suit hung beside me from a hanger.
“Bunny? I'm sorry! I don't know any Bunny!” Geetika said fairly perplexed at the prospect of knowing someone with that funny a name, yet was polite all the time
“This...” Vikky said hooking my t-shirts collar with her forefinger and pulling me out of my hiding.
“I’m Bunny!” I said with a nervous smile, feeling embarrassed for the first time in the day, a feeling that I knew I had to get used to, for as long as the ever devilish Vikky existed in my vicinity.
“That’s something!” Geetika said looking at me, as if I was that polka dotted fish in Finding Nemo.
“Yeah, my parents were extremely busy right after I was born to give it a thought, and my mum remains a big fan of Bugs Bunny. So here I am!” I said sincerely, so that she didn't have to go into the crypts of past “And this girl, is Vikky, my cousin!” I introduced her to Geetika. They shook hands, and smiled at each other.
“Yeah that's how he got his name. Same story here too. We've got so much common, that we can pass off as twins, you know” Vikky said spiking up her cropped hair again as if it was going droop down anytime soon. Geetika pleasantly nodded.
“No we are not!” I said.
“Shut up. We are!” Vikky as was her automated response, shut me out. Geetika found that funny, as she chuckled.
“Vikky! You want a war, I'll give you one. Let's leave Geetika to her shopping, shall we? ", I said trying to avert a showdown.
“Oh no no! I wasn't shopping. I'm just looking at stuff. I've already got what I want!” she said showing us the cloth bag.
“Men’s Shirts?” I asked as I saw a turquoise colour full sleeves shirt and a light pink half sleeves one.
“Yeah. Shirts. I did want to go for three shirts, but then the discount package wasn't really working around with three, so instead..... "
“Ooh Shirts! Gift huh? For whom?” Vikky jumped right in. I mean she had to.
“Vikky! That's not....” I said trying to control the damage, which I knew wouldn't be possible. And never going to be enough.
“Hey! That's cool. It's for a friend of mine. I promised him that I'll buy him a couple of shirts” Geetika replied seemingly taking no offense to the blatant lack of courtesy. “Guys! Let's get something to eat no? I'm starving you know, Geetika... And by the way what's your pet name?” Vikky said quickly recouping.
“I don't have a pet name. Somehow I don't really like people calling me anything other than Geetika” said Geetika now walking towards the nearest billing counter, as Vikky and I, trailed her, having zero interest in the background score.
“Bunny! Why exactly aren't you talking?” Vikky said remembering that I actually existed behind them, as they went on chit chatting about something called JudaPin. “Yeah I was thinking about the same thing. Guess my subconscious mind is heavy-eyed with all the biryani” I said actually stopping an emerging yawn. The three of us finally got to the level where all the action was. Nope not the disco or pub contaminants, but the Food Court. Vikky saw her group of friends at the Pizzas, but somehow felt prudent enough to still continue with us. We took an empty table somewhere in between Just Idli store and KFC.
“So, you guys! What's the plan today?” Vikky, who took the chair beside me, asked as she took out a hair gel and started applying it to her soft spikes. Geetika shrugged her shoulders and I told her that I had to visit Charminar after this.
“Cool. Chalo guys, you have fun. I'll have to catch up with my friends and watch a movie later” she said and checked her bag.
“Movie? Which one? When?” Geetika said.
“At 4.30, which is like ten minutes from now. I Love a Vampire and a Werewolf loves me: Part Two - The Cold Howl!!” She replied swiftly giving no window of opportunity for any kind of ridicule that was bound to ensue.
“Oh, I saw the first part, what was it called, The Waning Moon and The Shedding Fur, right?” Geetika got into the act. And I was like, Seriously??
“Yeah that one I loved. Especially the scene where she has to die for the vampire but is saved by the werewolf... I mean even my boyfriend had a lump in his throat...” Vikky went on with the presumably moving recounting of the epic tale.
“I highly doubt that it had anything to do with... Wait a sec... You have a boyfriend!! I mean... How? When?” I finally woke up to the world around me. Geetika giggled looking at both of us, finding my confusion a good source of humour.
“What how? You mean how that’s possible? Because technically that is very much hurting” Vikky snapped at me and got up to leave.
“No! I mean... Geetika you'll have to excuse me. I got to talk about this boyfriend of hers” I said standing up and putting my hand over Vikky's shoulder. It was my turn to conduct the interrogation. Geetika smiled at us, and waved a bye bye at Vikky.
“You are coming to the dinner, alright Geetika? Don't you dare... skip that!” Vikky said trying to free herself from my Kung Fu Dragon hold.
“Sure Sure! Thanks for inviting me over, Vikky!” Geetika replied in her trademark courteous manner.
I ushered Vikky away from the table and towards a store called 'Taste Buds’.
“So who is this psycho?” I asked her plainly.
“Psycho? Hardly. People, if you have noticed, aren't exactly you!!” Vikky answered not so plainly “You've met him actually. The name's Uttam!” she continued as she managed to peek at her friends sitting a few meters and a couple of rows behind us.
“The one with the weird hairdo?” I asked her shuffling across and cutting off her line of vision
“No, the tall guy! The guy who read your book re” she said sternly.
“He read my... Oh! I see... I mean I should've known. Ohk that's not cool. He looks odd and does Pinni know about him?”
“Are you kidding me, bro? He's great all right. And he's a writer too. He has a blog!”
“Ohk first of all. Having a blog makes you a blogger, not a writer. And second of all, I hate his name. I mean, Vikky come on, that's not even a noun, Uttam! .... That's like an adjective at best!”
“What the... That's ridiculous. Uttam is a proper name! "
“I’m sorry bud! That isn't. It means... Hmm... It means super. I mean it's an expression. Super what right?” I chuckled trying to make her see sense. Agreed that I hadn't actually met him yet, but then that was the brotherly automated denial response mechanism that had just kicked in, just as I handed her my IDs and passport photo for the new SIM card. She’d have to pick up my SIM eventually.
“I don't care. I don't care if he is a noun, or an adverb or even an effing punctuation mark, he still is a great guy to me. So thank you very much but I got to shoot now....!” she said as my mobile rang. She took the opportunity and slid away from me, smirking at me. I waved my hand at her, affirming the fact that the conversation was far from over. The call was from Yusuf Bhai. And then we had to leave. Next stop Charminar.
To be continued...
Chai Bisket’s Story Series – Double Ka Meetha (Part – 8)
