“Guys with hearts?”…Nina broke into a loud laughter.
“Why, come on, but he is so nice” said Ritu, squirming at the way, Nina sent the ashes flying from her cigarette all over the raw silk curtains.
“What makes you think, he is in love with you? ”
“Well he shares his dreams with me, he is so grounded…”
“That’s the point girl, he is grounded and you are not !”
“I know you have been up close…done that foreplay part also..”
Ritu was alarmed, “come on don’t shout so loudly...”
“Why see, the kind of mindset you have, you think the walls are up all ears?”
The steaming hot coffee was staring from the mugs with a placid black face, olfactorily alluring , nevertheless bitter..
Soon the bell rang. A handsome man with deep set eyes walked in.
Nina introduced him to Ritu, “ This is Samrat, my live in partner…multifaceted guy…he is an artist, poet, photographer…and great..”
Samrat cut her short, “How are you ?”
Ritu in a tangerine south cotton was the total antithesis of bubbly Nina, romping around the apartment in her tee and shorts.
“Fine, …and you? still staying near Sinthee?”
Nina was surprised, “hey you guys know each other?
We were in the same college…Ritu’s voice trailed off
“So when are you guys getting married?” Ritu couldn’t help asking..
Even before Samrat could bring himself up to a reasonable reply…Nina gushed out, “marriage or no marriage, he is a darling, he is so committed…so caring...i am just loving it!!”
“me too, very happy for you dear…well I must be leaving now” said Ritu
As the taxi sped past the city high-rises, Ritu took out her phone, she had to say something…
“True life is functional…but isn’t it sub human to be a heartless freak?”
Samrat never answered…he never knew, Nina was Ritu’s school friend and she would ever drop in their apartment just to say hello…he would miss those tangerine sarees and dusky eyes…the soft touch…and a lot of peace may be forever…