NEVER LOSE YOU AGAIN

CHAPTER 5

'okay, one, two...' he said 'three! open!'

i opened my eyes. BASTIAN- the name read. oh my god, is it THE BASTIAN? where almost all the celebrities hang out? Where the total cost of one meal is equal to half the salary of a middle class person ?

'varun, this is bastian.' i say, still shocked.

'yeah i know.' he said.

'varun,' i repeat 'this is THE BASTIAN.'

'yeah i know.' he repeats.

'varun have you lost it? you have just got promoted,' i say 'ambani has not adopted you!'

'aaru,' he held my hands 'i always wanted to come here with you. and, for one day, for you, this shouldn't be much bothering when it comes to expenses.' he said

'but varun-'

'-please, just for once. look, i know the food will be costly, but let's go na! it will be fun. we haven't been here.' he says

i am still not convinced. the restaurant is really expensive. any middle class person like us, could only afford to breathe the air inside. and he is talking about dinner. i was getting nervous. we are standing exactly at the spot where i have seen celebrities posing after coming out of their meal. it all seems to be a little dreamy.

'okay. fine. but i am not gonna let you pay alone. we will share equally.' i declare.

'no way! it is my treat on my promotion!' he says

'then leave it. i ain't entering in!' i say.

'Aarushi, please!!' He said.
I didn't move any inch further.

'ohh god! this girl and her stubbornness!' he sighs 'okay fineeee!' he says

'let's go.' i say, as i enter with him. i was really nervous.

we received a warm welcome from the welcome staff. The atmosphere itself carried the vibe that you get when you have plenty of money. Varun pushed the door and we entered in. All i could see was posh rich people, sitting sophisticatedly either on the bar counter, or the dine in. The girls, with absolutely pencil thin figures, crossed their legs, one over the other, adjusting their costly dresses with their every move, drinking their champagne in little little sips gave a quick glance to us and continued with their conversations. There was just one common thing between all of them - fakeness

I was feeling nervous and excited at the same time. just a thought crosses my brain that what if varun and i were celebrities, like, actors, really popular actors, and there would be a lot of paparazzies at the entrance, asking for one more picture. perhaps, we would have to travel in seperate vehicles for protecting our privacy till marriage (yeah, that's the culture in bollywood) and pretend to remain silent and down to earth at the same time when they ask questions about each other. we would pose separately, intentionally not synchronizing our entry and arrival times and then getting inside peacefully to enjoy our normal diet-free food for one day. i realize i have thought too much and i come back to the reality that varun is just a normal working person at this company and i am still an unemployed post graduate.

we get ourselves in the seats. varun flips through the menu and studies it intendly. the waiter comes and waits beside us. i look at him. damn, his noting pad seems costlier than the notebooks i used during my MBBS days.

'good evening, sir and maam, what could i get for you?' he asks

'love,' he asks 'what do you want to order?' varun asks.

his sudden mention to me as "love" makes me believe that it's not just me who is absorbing the sophisticated vibes of the space. i find it a little funny to see him behave so formally but, okay.