KATHA

20 KATHA - DATE

Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko by Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi and R. D, Burman escaped the radio and filled Kalki's Mustang.

He sang along the lyrics and tapped long, slender, ring clad fingers on the steering wheel.

I felt the hum of his deep voice thrum across and warm my very bones. Goddess... He was such a good singer.

I was too taken by the sight of him that I didn't give a second thought to us having the same cars. In same colour. He'd picked me from Tea Story sharp by 5pm and now we were speeding towards the southern part of the city that housed various landmarks such as the Bombay High Court, the St. Thomas Cathedral, and other heritage buildings.

His car smelled like him. An arousing mix of expensive leather, faint cologne, spice and him. His unique scent that reached and tugged at my primal instincts, leaving a searing imprint. It felt surreal. Now I knew how it felt to sit on the passenger seat of Kalki Samrat's car. The man who played Bombay like a pair of dice in the palm of his hand. I stole a glance and didn't realise my gaze got stuck to the striking man beside me. From his thick jet black hair a little tousled to the tantalizing contours of his face that might've been the creator's greatest work yet with decades of work done on his lips alone. There was a faint scar running from his temple, covering his entire cheek and ending right at that sharp jawline. My gaze traced the outline of his neck, his Adam's apple like a delicate caress, then teased the edge of the crisp collar of his black shirt.

Yet, despite the allure of the moment, a lingering unease tugged at the corners of my mind. My fingers fidgeted nervously with the edge of my saree. My shadow was watching. And I knew what would crash down on me. A dark part of me reveled in the anticipation of what might await me in the dark of the night.

What pain, what pleasure.

I wasn't committing anything to Kalki. It was just a date. Neither did I commit anything to Rajas.

I sighed.

"Now if you keep staring at me like that, Blush, I'm afraid I'd send this car into a ditch."

"I wasn't staring !" I exclaimed too quick and turned to look outside of the window.

His chuckled filled the car, better than the music floating from the radio, "Such a pretty liar."

Such a pretty liar.

Such a pretty liar.

Such a pretty liar.

Rajas' voice started ringing in my ears.

I felt Kalki's gaze licking my skin.

"You're staring, Samrat. Focus on the road."

"Not my fault, Kathavali. You look so beautiful, I can't believe you're real. And what do you expect after teasing me with those eyes ?" I kept my eyes on the window, wouldn't want him to see my flushed cheeks. He already called me Blush for god's sake. My heart was thumping against my ribcage like a fist banging against a door.

I was dressed in a dark maroon chiffon saree paired with a black blouse. I decided to let my hair open and for jewellery I opted the oxidised silver jhumkas gifted by my stalker maybe just to get a rise out of him because I hadn't seen him in weeks and the looming shadows of him were meddling in my life. I couldn't stop myself from thinking what he'd do if I not only flirted but let another man touch me and take me on a date.

He would either kill me or kill the said man.

But was he capable and insane enough to kill Kalki Samrat ?

Only way to find out right ? Besides, I wasn't going to screw up my chance at a future, at a man who genuinely seemed to like me for a hot night every few weeks with a faceless man who could potentially be a psychotic serial killer fantasising about choking me to death while having his way with me.