Yours Accidentally Read Free

protective circle around her.
    Who the
hell does she think she is? And why don’t her loyal bodyguards drill some
modesty into her instead of encouraging her? Do they think she’s too good for
all the boys here? His own friends drooled over her but she kept her
distance; he was exasperated at the attention she was getting but he tried not
to let it affect his evening. He was determined to have a good time and quit
the floor only when Punjabi uncles started their gyrations on it, whiskey
glasses balanced precariously on their heads.
    The evening
wore on. Gautam sat at the bar with Rohan and Mihir chatting about the events
of the day.
    Sameera and
some other girls came their way and one of them asked, “Would you guys mind if
we sit here?”
    “It’s a free
country. I would not risk trying to tell a bunch of girls what they may or may
not do.” Gautam threw his customary caution to the winds.
    “Sameera,
the elusive ‘poor guy’ can also talk,” said one of the girls.
    “Sameera,
you don’t know what a chupa rustam our Gautam is,” said Mihir. “Allow me
to introduce you to the many wonders of our friend here. One look at him and
you know he’s a handsome dude. Speak to him for a minute and you will know how
intelligent he is. He works harder and smarter than all of us put together.
Always been a winner—first in class—teachers’ favorite plus an artful debater,
master at quizzing besides being the fastest bowler, and the captain of the
school cricket team. His best quality of course is the effect he has on pretty
girls.”
    “What a
terrific story.” Sameera looked directly at him and continued, “If one were to
believe them, you would be perfection personified, too good to be true.” Gautam
was spellbound under her scrutiny. She turned towards his friends, “Rohan,
Mihir are you guys sure he actually exists and is not some mystical creature?”
    Gautam
stared back at her, desperate to score a hit. “People should keep their
prejudices to themselves rather than air them in public. Girls like you should
know that.”
    Surprised by
Gautam’s vitriolic reply, Rohan and Mihir exchanged sly glances.
    Sameera was
unfazed. “You seem to have a PhD in ‘girls like me’. But then, by your age, you
must have met so many girls. What am I, according to you? Do educate us.”
    Sameera’s
friends had never seen her engage in such verbal duels.
    Gautam
laughed. “Decoding you should be a no-brainer. Let me see. Judging by your
attire, you have wealthy, indulgent parents. You have a job to earn pocket
money, and more importantly, to lend an air of independence around you. Glamor
attracts you and yes, you do seem to have a way with words. My guess is that
you work in some creative firm like an advertising agency or an art gallery.
And of course, deciding what to wear could be one of the most stressful
activities in your life. Correct me if I am wrong.”
    Sameera
raised her hand to silence her friends; she held his gaze as she calmly
replied, “Perfect score. You must be a face reader. If your investment banking
fails, you could become a fortune teller at any railway station in Mumbai.”
    She walked
off with her entourage, leaving behind a confused, annoyed and visibly
red-faced Gautam.
    “What the
hell was that?”
    “You seem to
have pressed the wrong buttons, yaar ,” said Rohan.
    “It’s a
mistake to engage with this mad woman. She sure knows how to spoil my mood
completely. Curse Sanjay for getting me into this mess. Come five-thirty
tomorrow morning and I’ll be off to Mumbai, to my work, to my world.”
    ≈

 
    FOUR
     
     
    Back in
Mumbai, Gautam plunged into work. With a huge merger proposal due for
presentation, there was little else he could do. Life revolved around three
hours of sleep, push-ups on the office floor, innumerable cups of vending
machine coffee, and Domino’s Pizza. His whole team toiled together, their
camaraderie sealed as they all struggled to stay afloat. Sometimes he