launchora_img

When Roy Met Giza: London

Info


Time: 11.25pm


A college party is in full motion at a 4-story mansion in Chelsea, London. About 200 people. Last day of the term.


Roy enters the party. Or tries to.


He’s met at the door, by Giza.


Giza: (sounding happy and merrily drunk) Hello.


Roy: (sounding surprised and sober-ish) Hi.


Giza: What’s the password.


She doesn’t say it like a question.


Roy: (confused) Excuse me?


Giza: Ah. indian.


Roy: Sharp skills, you have.


Giza: Ah. Star Wars fan, you are.


Roy: Uh, yeah. Who isn’t?


Giza: Anyone born after 1995. And still, not the password.


Roy sees all the people inside. And spots someone.


Roy: Well, August '94 and guilty. And I'm actually meeting someone here… and she's right there! (he spots more familiar faces) I actually know a lot of people here so...


Giza: So what, crasher?


Roy: So… can you stop barricading the door like that?


Giza is standing in front of Roy, sort of barricading the door, but only about 20% of it because it’s a big door and Roy could just pass through it.


Giza: My house. My rules. Password.


Roy: You know I could just pass through here…


Roy tries to show her that he could literally just sidestep and walk through.


Giza: Really? Why don’t you try it, Yoda.


Giza slowly, without breaking eye contact, stretches out her leg. Still, only covering about 40% of the doorway.


Roy: Wow. Dancer?


She doesn’t answer. Roy sidesteps and walks into the house, slowly. As he walks in, Giza too turns, on one foot, like a party ballerina.


Giza: Why do you ask?


She doesn’t want an answer.


Roy: See? I’m in the house.


Giza stares at him, sizes him up with her eyes, and then puts her leg back down in the same exact way - slowly.


Giza: You’re not that tall.


Roy: Ouch.


Giza: Hey! You got the password! Welcome to the party.


She shoves him in to the house. Roy tries to say something, but before he can, she’s moved on to the next person at the door.


Giza: (to the girl trying to get inside) Blondie. Password.


Blondie: I beg your pardon?


Giza: Hmm. Has your face always looked like that or are you recovering from a surgery?


Blondie: What?!


Giza rolls her eyes, and then not-so-gently punches blondie on the shoulder.


Blondie: OUCH!


Giza: Hey! Finally! Welcome to the party.


Blondie rubs her shoulder.


Giza: Drinks are on me, blondie. Have some tequila, it’ll take the pain away. We’re gonna be best friends in an hour.


Giza moves on to the next person at the door. Roy stares at Giza for a moment, and then walks into the party.


30 minutes later.


Giza: Having fun, Jar-Jar?


We’re in the kitchen, the size of a regular-sized studio apartment, and Giza says that to Roy right when he’s in the middle of doing a semi-involuntary keg stand. That is, he's upside down, from her point of view.


Roy isn’t expecting this, so he falls down during his keg stand, as the crowd stops cheering, and a group-semi-sadness occurs for 10 seconds, until the next volunteer steps up on the keg stand mantle and everyone forgets Roy.


Roy gets up, wipes the beer on the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and looks at Giza.


Roy: (catching his breath) Hi again.


Giza: You look like you need a shot.


Roy: I just had a whole liter of beer.


Giza: Unsuccessfully.


Roy: I…


Before he gets a word out, Giza hands him a shot glass full of something, pulling it out of thin air as if she was was a magician, and does a cheers with her own glass, then makes him drink it.


Roy: (resisting a gag reflex) Okay… so you don’t listen, clearly.


Giza: I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page. You’re late, whoever you are. Party started at 5, if anyone shows up late, you must have one drink for every 30 minutes since 5pm.


Roy: Is that why all these strangers have been force feeding me alcohol for the past half hour?


Giza: You’re welcome.


She puts out her hand.


Roy slowly shakes her hand.


Roy: I’m…


Before he can say his name, she’s already gone.


Another 30 minutes later.


Roy searches for Giza amongst the crowd, and then spots her, standing in the middle of a big group. She’s smiling, but not participating in whatever conversation is going on. She sees him walking towards her.


Roy: Hi again.


Giza is a bit surprised. Roy just walked through a circle of 8 people, in the middle of a relatively interesting conversation. The group notices, and stops talking.


Giza: (impressed, confused) Hi.


Roy: This is a weird party you have here.


Everyone is staring at the two of them. Roy doesn’t care for the eyeballs on him. Giza is aware of the eyeballs on them, but she ignores them too.


Giza: You should be happy.


Roy: Why exactly?


Giza: I only let weirdos in here.


Roy: (smiling) Ouch.


The people standing around them laugh.


Roy: Ah. Well, I…


Before he can get a sentence out, Giza walks past him, brushing his shoulder, yells out ‘Yo! Crasher!’ and joins another conversation on the far end of this gigantic living room of sorts.


Roy: (looking at her friends) Was that conversation over?


Another 30 minutes later.


Roy is speaking to a girl, who isn’t Giza.


Girl: Haha. So you’ve had 10 drinks already?


Roy: Pretty much.


Girl: Drunk much?


Roy: Oh yes.


Just then, Giza pops up and stands right in front of them.


Giza: Hi again.


Roy: Ah. You keep disappearing on me. Are we going to have a regular-sized conversation this time?


Girl: You really got him drunk, didn’t you?


Roy: You two know each other?


Giza: Of course I know Zainab. You’re the crasher.


Roy: Well I seem to have paid the fine by now.


Giza: Really? I heard 10 drinks. By my account you need another 3.


Giza magically, and unsurprising to Roy by now, brings up three test tube shots. They were attached to test tuber holder on her belt. The magic remains intact for him though.


Zainab: Haha! Yes, get him girl.


Roy: No way.


Giza: I’m sorry, do you wish to quit? Door’s right there.


Roy: I… just… give me a second.


The girls smile at each other.


Zainab: We’ll wait.


Roy takes one shot. Then the second, then the third. He seems surprised.


Roy: That actually wasn’t bad.


Giza: Probably because it’s just flavored water.


The girls laugh.


Roy: What?!


Giza: Hey, i said one drink for every 30 minutes you missed, I never said it should be alcohol. I’m not insensitive to people’s health and choices.


Roy: I… you could have mentioned that before.


Giza: I know, but it’s just so much more fun to test people.


Roy takes his time, but laughs eventually. After a few moments...


Roy: So how do you two know each other? (to Giza) I’ve never seen you around campus.


Giza: Oh, I don’t go to college here. I’m studying in Spain right now.


Zainab: Yeah, she just came over to visit me. We went to high school together here in Chelsea. And when I told her my term was ending, she offered to throw us a party here.


Roy: Wow. So you threw a party for complete strangers?


Giza: You say that like it’s a bad thing.


Roy: Wait, so let me get this right, you throw a party at your mansion - I'm assuming it's yours and we're not trespassing - for like 200 people you don't know, and then you create your own password just to mess with them, which I'm now assuming you didn't really tell anyone about... am I correct so far?


Giza: Hey, a girl can have a Gandalf-like "YOUUUU SHALLLL NOT PASSSSS" moment when she can create such a situation. 


Roy: Ah. A dancing Gandalf.


All three laugh, Roy more so than the girls. He stops when he realizes that.


Zainab senses she’s not a part of this conversation anymore, excuses herself, and walks away.


Roy: Really? So how did I do on your "test"?


Giza: You didn’t disappoint. You passed.


Roy: Good. That’s the bar I aim for.


Giza: Must have been one easy childhood.


Roy: The alcohol-induced me wants to answer to that with a contradictory childhood tale. I’m going to try to resist that urge.


Giza doesn’t respond, she just looks at him, a bit too long. It makes him nervous. Suddenly, she takes his right hand. That changes his feelings.


Roy: Whatttt... are you doing?


Giza doesn’t answer, and starts looking at his palm.


Roy: (failing at flirting) So you read palms? (immediately realizes it as he says that sentence)


Giza: (unfazed by the question) Why do you ask?


Roy: No reason. (pauses, tries to sound sober) So what do you see?


Giza: There’s an innocence in you.


Roy: (amused) So you do read palms.


Giza: What if I was just fucking with you? How would you know the difference?


Roy: Fair point. (pauses) You don’t sound impressed with that observation.


Giza: I’m neutral about it. Because of this…


She focuses, and now holds his hand with both of hers.


Roy: (genuinely intrigued) What is it?


Giza: Do you really wanna know?


Roy: Against my better judgment, yes, but that guy stopped being in charge 5 drinks ago.


Giza: Hmm... let me decide then.


Roy: Good call.


Giza: (pauses) Your innocence is partly fueled by ignorance.


Roy isn’t smiling anymore.


Giza lets go of Roy’s hand. Both of them don’t speak for what feels like a minute.


At the end of that so-felt minute, Giza gives Roy a micro-smile, and turns to walk away.


Roy: (to himself) Mashallah.


Giza: (without looking back) Shukran.


Two minutes later.


Roy is looking for Giza through the house, and before he can find her, Zainab finds him.


Zainab: Yo. Ro. Where’s the fire?


Roy: I… where'd she go? have you seen her? 


Zainab: Who?


Roy: Her. The girl. Your friend. The one who’s house this is.


Zainab: Ah. Not you too.


Roy: What… not me too?


Zainab: She has that effect on boys. Some girls too. I think it’s the whole mysterious genealogy thing. People just can’t understand what she is so they think that they are attracted…


Zainab realizes that Roy isn’t listening.


Zainab: Hello?


Roy: Oh. Sorry, what were you saying?


Zainab: Nothing that matters anymore, you fool. And have you seen the time? Shouldn’t you get back to your place and start packing?


Roy: I… yeah. I should.


Zainab: …but?


Roy sees Giza, through the second floor window, standing in the backyard downstairs.


Roy: But we shouldn’t leave without thanking the host.


Before Zainab can say anything, he’s already take triple steps down the stairs.


Zainab: (yells) Well you have to leave in 5 minutes!


One minute later. In the backyard. Giza just finished talking to someone, and that someone is walking away. No one else is in the backyard. But instead of heading back inside to her guests, she stays outside, and faces the night sky, with her back to the house. Roy sees her, and stands a few feet behind her for just a moment.


Roy: I have to go.


Giza: (without turning around to face him) Do you now.


Roy stands next to her, and faces the same night sky.


Roy: That wa... is the plan.


Giza doesn’t say anything.


Roy: I just wanted to come over... and say goodbye… before leaving. (his volume went down with every word)


Giza turns to face him. She gives him a big smile, but it isn’t completely real, and Roy senses that.


Giza: Goodbye, then.


They stare at each other for a good 10 seconds. Roy starts to turn, but stops himself.


Roy: I… I know you don’t live here… and I’m off traveling for a couple weeks, but… is there any way I could give you a call sometime, maybe we could see each other the next time you’re in town?


Giza looks at Roy, smiles, but doesn’t answer.


Giza: Why did you say "Mashallah" earlier?


Roy: (embarrassed) Ah. So you did hear that, and understand it. How exactly? Because you don't really look...


Giza: Indian?


Roy: Unlike anyone I've ever seen.


Roy realizes what he just said.


Roy: I meant that in a good way.


Giza: Why would I take that in a bad way? (pauses, turns back to the night sky as he continues to look at her) My dad's a Brit but half Italian and half Spanish. My mom's parents were Indian but she lived her whole life in Spain until she got married. I grew up watching her favorite bollywood movies, which eventually became some of my favorite movies too. She and I both watched it as outsiders looking at a world where people looked like her, but no one looked like me. (pauses) It was a bit too much when I was a kid... we moved around a lot, and wherever we went, I seemed to look different every year, especially my eye color... it just couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to look like. It was like I was still being "figured out". I rarely made friends long enough to have them stop staring, and the not-friendly kids would be too confused to even bully me consistently. I guess they weren't sure about what to make fun of... but the last decade has been alright. (turns back to face Roy, realizes he's still staring at her, and brings back that eye contact) Not belonging anywhere kind of gives you the freedom of not having to. I can blend in when I want to, and disappear when I need to. And my face and body seem to have settled in on this... (gestures to her body) So yeah, I kind of like the whole outsider, alien persona. Lets me get away with doing pretty much anything...


She punches Roy gently on his shoulder.


Roy: Ow.


Giza then does a very subtle ballerina bow.


Roy: Wow.


Roy again misses the cue from his brain to not say such things out loud whilst staring at Giza.


Giza: And again, shukran.


She says that with a - Roy's words - 'mischievous but earnest smile'. 


Roy: How do you know it was a compliment?


Giza: The 'wow', or the 'Mashallah'?


Roy: Uh... both?


Giza: Why do you ask?


This time, she wants an answer.


Roy: I just… I was just… I mean… it was…


Giza: Be honest.


Giza stares into his eyes, and he can’t help but stare back. He senses that this is real. This is a test. 


Roy: (nervous) Okay, Gandalf. (pauses, sounds sober-ish) What you said, and how you said it, no one’s ever said that to me. And if anyone had, I would have been pretty upset, and maybe even angry. But you… you said it without any judgment. It’s like you just saw something that you didn’t like but were still concerned about it. And I… you… just… blew me away. And hence the… mashallah. (pauses) And the wow. 


Giza: (can't hide her smile) I knew that.


Roy: And you still made me blurt all that out?


Giza: I just… let you be honest. And also created a mostly-safe environment where you didn't have to feel like there was some metaphysical clock counting down till you lost my attention.


Roy: (surprised) Ah. Well, thank you? I… (still surprised) what were we talking about?


Giza: You were trying to ask me if you could give me a call someday so we could maybe see each other again... someday.


Roy: Ah. Yes. So… (nervous-ish again) can I… have you... your... phone… number?


Giza: I don’t have one.


Roy: Oh. Yeah. Okay. Sure. I… understand. Thanks for… the party. I hope… I mean I guess I’ll see you around. Or not. Uh. Bye. (fake smile)


Roy hurriedly turns towards the house and starts to walk towards the patio door.


Giza: So you’re going to let that stop you?


He turns back to face Giza.


Roy: (extremely surprised, like, the most surprised he's been tonight) I’m sorry?


Giza walks towards him, and stands right in front of him, with less than two feet of distance between them. Diagonally. 


Giza: (amused, but serious) Don’t be.


Roy: I just… I’m not sure what you mean. (freaking out a bit) Is this some sort of prank? What was in that alcohol? Am I... (checks his body, then his surroundings) am I still awake? 


Giza: (with a soothing, calming voice) Shhh. (speaking clearly, as if talking to a child who's attention she wants) I don’t have a phone. Never had one. So I can’t give you a number to call me on, someday… maybe.


Roy: (coming back to reality, realizing he's living this moment) Oh. Really?


Giza: Really really.


Roy: (still mostly confused) Well, that’s… unexpected.


Giza: Yeah, well, what are you going to do about that?


Roy looks at Giza, and then at the people inside the house, where he spots Zainab, looking at him with a question mark of an expression, pointing to her watch. Zainab also makes the hand gesture of a plane flying away.


Roy: (much, much less confused now, figuring it out as he says it) I see. So you don’t have the one device that can give me a way to find you after tonight. Which means that if I stop looking at you tonight, I’ll lose you forever.


Giza: Well, using ‘forever’ like that is a bit hyperbolic... but I’ll ignore it. Finish that thought.


Roy looks at Giza again, and then back towards Zainab in the house. He gives Zainab a shrug, with a smile. Zainab understands, laughs, and walks to another part of the house.


Roy turns back towards Giza.


Roy: (earning a new kind of confidence, surprised at himself during the process) I guess what I’m trying to say is that… (looks into her eyes) wow... I mean... maybe I shouldn't let you out of my sight.


Roy almost makes it sound like a question he doesn't want to know the answer to.


Giza: Hmm. Interesting. I’m starting to see a hint of that third personality trait I saw in the lines on the hand.


Roy: (calmer) Oh really? What’s that?


Giza: We’ll leave that for some other day.


Roy: Fair enough.


They both stare at each other for a couple more moments. Neither of them is in a hurry. They have blurred out the people, the world around them.


Giza: So what do we do now?


Roy: (confident, fully, happily) I don’t know… maybe knowing your name would be a good start.


Giza laughs. Roy smiles.


Giza: Giza.


She puts out her hand.


Roy: Nice to meet you, Giza. I’m Roy.


Roy takes her hand in his, and kisses it gently, cheekily. 


Giza: (laughing) Alright, Roy. What’s next?


Roy doesn't let go of her hand.


Roy: Hmm. Tell me, Giza, do you like wine?


...


To be continued in... 


When Roy Met Giza: Amsterdam


Updated on July 13, 2017 - click on the link above to read part 2!



Author’s Note

Roy and Giza are characters I created in 'The Night After The Wedding' (published April 2016). What you just read is part of a prequel-ish series. This one is technically part one chronologically, but it shouldn't matter which order you read them in. The first one in the series is 'London' (published May 2017). The second one is 'Amsterdam' (published July 2017). The third one is 'Bruges' (published October 2017). And the last one will be 'Dresden' (published December 2017).



19 Launchers recommend this story
launchora_img
launchora_imgMango Fish
6 years ago
I love these stories. this series in particular. do keep writing. :)
launchora_imgLakshya Datta
6 years ago
Thank you!
launchora_imgdebo .
6 years ago
really well- written, enjoyed the heck out of it, good one
launchora_imgSugandha Sehgal
6 years ago
Hey, I really like the way of ur writing. I am writing episodic series but sometime I get confused that whether reader's are going to connect with it or not. Likewise you posted I am working on series "the night at the bar" like Giza my character is quite similar. Can you please suggest me how to keep episodic series more interesting? Thnks :)
launchora_imgLakshya Datta
6 years ago
Thank you! The thing about keeping readers connected or hooked to your story - series or not - is that it really depends on how interested you are in your own story. Your curiosity as the storyteller is what drives the reader to keep reading. So first, write the story and characters that you want, not what you think readers want to read. Then, have faith in your stories :) I'll read your series today, will let you know what I think!
launchora_imgSugandha Sehgal
6 years ago
Thanks a lot for helping :)
More stories by Lakshya
Pahadiyaan Jaise Saphed Haathee

A hindi adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" (1927)

63
One More Night With Meera

I’m back to writing… with a twist. Presenting an old story in a new way, 5 years in the making.

174
The Day of the Wedding

The text exchange between a bride and the groom on the day of their wedding.

2810

Stay connected to your stories

When Roy Met Giza: London

7111 Launches

Part of the Modern Romance collection

Updated on December 17, 2017

Recommended By

(19)

    WHAT'S THIS STORY ABOUT?

    Characters left :

    Category

    • Life
      Love
      Poetry
      Happenings
      Mystery
      MyPlotTwist
      Culture
      Art
      Politics
      Letters To Juliet
      Society
      Universe
      Self-Help
      Modern Romance
      Fantasy
      Humor
      Something Else
      Adventure
      Commentary
      Confessions
      Crime
      Dark Fantasy
      Dear Diary
      Dear Mom
      Dreams
      Episodic/Serial
      Fan Fiction
      Flash Fiction
      Ideas
      Musings
      Parenting
      Play
      Screenplay
      Self-biography
      Songwriting
      Spirituality
      Travelogue
      Young Adult
      Science Fiction
      Children's Story
      Sci-Fantasy
      Poetry Wars
      Sponsored
      Horror
    Cancel

    You can edit published STORIES

    Language

    Delete Opinion

    Delete Reply

    Report Content


    Are you sure you want to report this content?



    Report Content


    This content has been reported as inappropriate. Our team will look into it ASAP. Thank You!



    By signing up you agree to Launchora's Terms & Policies.

    By signing up you agree to Launchora's Terms & Policies.