“Hey handsome.” A girl’s sweet voice pierced through his ears.
Dev Dixit, paying no heed to her, ogled the glass filled with auburn liquid in his hand, swishing it a little before chugging it down. His throat burned, his vision blurred, and he almost lost his balance on the bar stool. Resting his right elbow on the countertop, he signalled the bartender for another round of alcohol. Dev finally turned towards the voice, furrowing his eyebrows at the scantily dressed girl.
“Hey beautiful.” He responded with a tone of raspiness as the girl in front of him blushed, still inching her way towards him.
“What brings you here?” He asked, raising one brow.
“You.” She flirted unabashedly, smirking.
“Why are you this far, then?” He reciprocated the smirk, stepping off the stool. Amidst a few tumbles, he made his way to the girl and slithered his arm around her petite waist. It didn’t feel perfect, but it would work.
“What’s your name?” She asked curiously.
“How does it matter?” Dev chided, brushing off the topic. His fingers caressed her cheek, giving a glimpse of the night that would come.
“You truly know how to please a woman.” She brought her hands to his cheek as he stiffened. Her touch hadn’t hit him as much as her words did.
Loosening his grip on her, Dev whispered with a contorted face, “I doubt it.”
One month ago.
The jet black BMW swerved to a halt as a man in a three-piece tux stepped out, his designer shoes adorning the ground. Fixing his metallic Hublot watch on his wrist, he walked to the other side of the car, opening the door for his lady. She carried a tinge of timidness, yet visible tenacity in her gait as she stepped out. Fixing the invisible creases of her light blue gown, she passed a small smile, her orbs glinting with happiness for the man standing in front of her.
“Dev..” She began but soon got distracted with the way he pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, the rest of her hair tied up in an extravagant bun.
She blushed at the gesture as he wished in whispers, “Happy birthday, Sonakshi.”
Presenting a bouquet of roses from behind, she softly took the bunch of flowers in her hands. “Thank you, Dev. Again.” He watched her inhale the famous scent of roses with closed eyes, looking as radiant as ever.
“Shall we?” He asked, reaching out for her arm.
Placing her hand in his, she smiled, “We shall.”
They stepped inside a lavish five-star restaurant; its ambience bringing a satisfied grin on Dev’s face. The entire place had been dimly lighted, with scented candles radiating their glow. Two waiters came to guide them towards their reserved seating arrangement. It wasn’t just a table for two; rather half of the restaurant had been reserved under their name. Dev made sure to have no disturbances for his special lady. As they turned towards their table, he noticed the vase of roses placed at the center of the table, surrounded with candles. Melodious tunes of the piano played as a faint lull in the background. Their seats had been decorated in a sophisticated fashion, layered with cloths of white and red. Lifting their joined hands, Dev motioned her towards her seat as she positioned himself, directly opposite her.
“So..how’d you like the place, Sonakshi?” He asked, a satisfied smile plastered onto his face. She looked around, in awe by the place as she whispered, “It’s beautiful.”
Menus were placed in front of them just then, and he proposed, “Order whatever you want, perhaps the most expensive dishes on this menu. It’s your day and I want to make it special.”
“Oh wow. Aren’t I lucky, celebrating my birthday with you.” She giggled, lowering her eyelids to read the menu that consisted of a few dishes she hadn’t heard in her entire life.
“Of course you are. And this one’s on me.” He grinned.
“Dev, we’ve always split the bill.” Sonakshi reminded him.
He placed his hand over hers on the table, “Not today. It’s your day today.”
His orbs spoke volumes of genuine love as she nodded in acceptance, “Thank you.” She voiced softly.
For the next half hour, they delved into scrumptious food and vivid talks; reminiscing old memories and laughing over the events taken place over the course of the day. He spoke about the business deals their multinational company cracked, while she revealed her new yet annoying patients at the hospital she worked at.
“You find your patients so frustrating. I don’t understand why you don’t quit.”
“Because it makes me happy, Dev. Working makes me happy. Bringing a smile to someone’s face makes me happy.” She glimmered optimistically, reiterating her passion for her work.
“Your understanding of happiness is beyond me.” He shook his head in mock exasperation while scrolling through emails on his phone.
“What has engrossed you so much?” She asked inquisitively.
“Our main competitor has just left a very important deal. We can seal it within seconds. It’s big, Sonakshi.” Words danced through his lips in excitement as his fingers hovered over the miniature keyboard on his smartphone, typing an email.
“Oh. That’s great.” She smiled, wiping her face with the silky smooth napkin, indicating she was done with dinner. All she now hoped for was--
“Just a second, Sonakshi, someone’s calling.” He pointed towards his buzzing phone as she nodded.
It took him around two minutes and thirty-seven seconds before he came back, a tensed look arched across his face.
“What’s wrong?” She asked as he sat.
“We need to write an official letter right now and the manager isn’t responding.” He huffed with a frown on his face.
“Have they left for the day?” She asked.
“They have, but the least they can do is keep their phones and emails on. I mean, what kind of unprofessionalism is this?!”
“It’s a Friday night, Dev. They might be busy with their families.” She reasoned.
“Work should be made a priority, Sonakshi. People should be passionate about what they do. I suppose I’ll have to ring in HR.” He slightly raised his tone, cautioning the nearby waiters. Sonakshi passed a tensed yet understanding look around her as she tried to change the topic, “Have you spoken to your mother?”
His jaw clenched at the mention and straightened his composure. Sonakshi understood the answer to her question and looked away in disappointment.
Before she could say anything else, his phone buzzed and he stood up, “Just give me a second.”
He walked away, giving her the unwanted space to ponder upon. She brushed one arm over the other, looking at all directions coyly, watching couples immersed in each other, sipping on wine, laughing at irregular intervals. She shifted her gaze back to the empty seat in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the manager of the restaurant passing a consoling look. She attempted at a weak smile and lowered her eyelids. She nodded to herself in a convincing manner. The world didn’t know. They didn’t know him, nor her. They didn’t know them. And their love. Their importance for each other in their lives.
Apparently she didn’t either. Because it didn’t take him a second to return. It took him seven minutes and forty-five seconds.
What brightened her smile was the way he returned to their table; a happy skip in his gait as he grinned.
“The deal has been signed!” He fisted his hand in the air in satisfaction.
“That’s great!” She rejoiced with him, watching his eyes scrunch from the ends in elation.
“How’s you like the food, by the way?” He pointed at the near empty dishes in front of them.
“Different but nice. I enjoyed it. And more so because you were with me. I’m happy, Dev.” She expressed her content.
“Well, get ready, ‘cause I’ve got something that’ll make you happier!” He chanted, pulling out a rectangular box from behind. He passed it across the table to her as she took it with a slight frown on her face.
“What is this, Dev?” She asked in curiosity.
“Open it.” He urged with a wide grin on his face. Sonakshi unlatched the navy blue colored velvety box that revealed an exquisite diamond set. The precious diamond necklace had an exclusive emerald stone in the center that radiated its unique glow. Accompanied with the beautiful neck piece were two tear-drop earrings, both adorned with little stones of emerald.
“Oh my God, Dev.” She gasped in amazement.
“All for you, my love.” He caressed her hand, making her feel all kinds of giddy inside.
“I can’t--this is too much, Dev.” She met his gaze.
“You’re my girlfriend, Sonakshi. You deserve this.” Another call buzzed through his phone as he retracted his hand over hers, making her heart fall. His face reflected his inner dilemma between the vibrating cell phone and the special lady sitting in front of him. She solved his problem by saying, “Go on. Take the call. I’ll wait.”
Another twelve minutes passed before he returned. They silently ended their dinner by paying the check and walking towards their car. Her orbs glistened occasionally but she bit back tears, not ready to accept the reality or what it had become. Her heart tried to pacify her cynical mind, her face conflicted in this emotional turmoil. As they sat and buckled their seatbelts, he tuned in his bluetooth speaker on one ear as he clutched the steering wheel.
Something important had come up, she justified to herself. Their evening had been cut short by his never ending calls. Apparently work had called up and he had to rush to his office. As always, she understood, understood the passion for work, understood the urgency. Something like this could be done some other time.
He spoke unanimously to the speaker, sometimes with a condescending edge to his tone, other times with a glint of softness and compromise. She aimlessly peeked out the window, watching pedestrians as the car whizzed past, glancing at skyscrapers of Delhi, the bustling metro, and scrumptious street food stalls. A few notifications popped up on her phone; reminders of the meetings she had the next day, queries her juniors had. She answered the few pressing ones and left the rest for the following morning.
She recalled her bond with the man sitting next to her. So close, yet seemingly so far. She started reminiscing every memory; all of their firsts. The initial jitters that still bumped in occasionally. The first profession of their love for each other. Their first dance. Their first gaze into each other’s eyes. Their first cup of coffee together by the tea stall near her house. Their first emotional conversation, where they opened up to each other. This rigmarole of memories brought a serene smile on her face.
And that’s when it struck.
She had been delving into the past a lot more often than she’d like to admit. She’d been trying to grasp onto incidents that gave her happiness that weren’t with her today.
And that’s when she voiced, before she lost the courage to do so, “I can’t do this anymore.”
Dev had just cracked another deal when he asked, a little surprised, “What?”
She took a breath and elaborated, “You and me. I can’t do this anymore, Dev.”
The car screeched to halt as he reflexively bumped against the steering wheel. She austerely looked ahead, unaffected by his reckless action.
“What?” He repeated, his voice quivering a little this time.
“I can’t, Dev.”
“Can you stop saying the same thing over and over again and explain what’s gotten into you? You were fine, Sonakshi. We were fine!”
“That’s what you think. Dev. Or you pretend to think. And that’s probably what I was pretending for the last few months too. But I can’t pretend any longer.” Her voice rose from murmurs as a lone tear escaped her eye.
“I can’t deal with your undivided attention. I can’t fill these silences with words any longer. I can’t accept the level of importance you give to our relationship; as if it’s nothing more than a facade. I can’t bridge these distances anymore.”
He rubbed his forehead with his hand as she closed her eyes in defeat.
“Is this about work? About the number of calls I was getting? You know the importance of work in my life, Sonakshi. I had nothing. This one company was the door to all my dreams. This--”
“I get it, Dev. Trust me, I do. I get how important your work is to you. But do you get how important our relationship is to me?”
“God, Sonakshi, why are you pestering over such a small issue. It was just this one time, we had a deal to crack.” He reasoned when she plainly responded.
“You know it wasn’t the first time, Dev. And it’s not the last.”
“My work is important to me, Sonakshi. You, of all people, should understand this. You claim to be equally passionate about your work.” He huffed in exasperation.
“Did you see me attending to phone calls all evening, Dev? Did you see me responding to the incessant stream of emails? It’s not like I didn’t have any. But I didn’t. Because this evening was about you and me. Not about work.” She vented.
Calming herself down, she spoke, “I’m passionate about my work, Dev. But that doesn’t mean I’m invested in it twenty-four hours everyday.”
“It’s not like I just attended to work, Sonakshi. The flowers, the gifts. I thought I made you happy.” His voice softened as he spoke the last few words.
She looked away in hysteria before turning back to him, “Dev…”
“Were you not happy?”
“Did you do all that for me? Or just for the sake of doing it? For the status, for the approval of society?”
“A question for a question, great going, Sonakshi.” He cackled inwardly.
“You know, it’s really hard to understand what makes you happy, Sonakshi.” He spat. This time his orbs reflected a fire of anger. She understood they were treading on thin ice. After all, she was the one to have dropped this bomb.
So she decided to answer his question, “You make me happy, Dev. Those gifts are nothing compared to the time I get to spend with you. Materialistic things have never made me happy. Spending moments of togetherness with you do, and trust me, they’re one of my most treasured memories. Society, the socialite lifestyle doesn’t enchant me, but sipping on tea, sitting next to you on a crooked bench near a tea vendor’s stall, seeing the carefree side of you makes me happy. Your flourishing company makes me happy, but not as much as seeing you taking care of yourself.” Her voice lessened to a whisper as she caressed his cheek, tears beginning to stream down her face.
“Seeing you bond with your family, talking to them because they need you as much as you need them makes me happy. Your genuine, unconditional love and laughter makes me happy, Dev.”
“So this is it, then?” His voice rasped anger and clouded pain. But she could see through, she always had.
Taking his hand in hers, she turned towards him, a pained look on her face that reflected his inner turmoil. “You know what hurts, Dev? Knowing that we had it all. Our love consumed us and made us both equally happy. But now? Your love for work is consuming you and my love for us is drowning me. I can’t destroy you. So I have to save myself first.”
She stifled a few tears as she took a breath, waiting for his reaction. His wrath, his pleads, anything. But she received nothing. Dev continued to stare ahead into the oblivion, while she sat, gazing at him.
A few long seconds passed before he grasped her hand and looked towards her, red-eyed with tears lingering on his face, “So you’re leaving me? Without a fight, Sonakshi?”
She whimpered a little before crying out to him, “I am, Dev. I’m fighting. I just don’t know who to fight for right now.”
“I can fix this, Sonakshi. Please.” He begged, clutching with both hands.
“I have faith in us, Dev. We can fix this. We just need some time. A break, maybe.” She resolved, looking away. She struggled to watch him in this condition, struggled to breathe. It was too difficult, too agonizing leaving him. She had never imagined a day like this. Never imagined the ever optimistic Sonakshi Bose to take such a brutal step.
She closed her eyes to take a deep breath and shook her head off all heart-consuming thoughts. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she turned to open the door.
“Don’t go. Sonakshi please, let’s talk. We can fix this. We can’t end like this.” He reasoned, trying to stop her frantically.
“Dev…” She began when a familiar ringtone interrupted her thoughts. Or put a stop to them. He checked his phone and then at her, pleading with his eyes as he confessed, “I have to take this, Sonakshi.”
She sniffed a little before replying, “It’s okay, Dev. I’ll wait.”
And she did, for a month. Sitting at their favorite tea spot, she thanked the tea stall vendor and held her cup by the rim, careful of the wisps of smoke coming out of it. Breathing in its famous aroma, she sighed in happiness, reminiscing the times she spent with Dev here. Remembering how he would laud the tea, claiming there was no place that served better tea. She would laugh at his exaggerated talks, yet unknowingly fell for them too.
And she still did. Because she knew he would come. She knew they would reunite. She knew their love, and she knew their love was strong enough to cross every hurdle.
“I love you, Dev.” She whispered to herself as she took her first sip.
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