Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 16 ] New Girl; For a Change ■

'It makes "Dhud Dhud Dhud" sound when it starts! Suna nahi kya?'

'I will also buy same bike when I grow up!'

'If you become police officer, they will only give you a bike!'

The tallest of the boys runs his fingers over the "POLICE" written in bold red letters on the Yezdi bike. It shines in the morning sunlight. It is one of the regular mornings in Gokula Chawl. A group of kids, all boys between six to eleven years of age, are admiring Murali's motorbike parked in the courtyard, their eyes are glinting in awe.

'Don't touch it,' another boy, probably the oldest, warns. 'He will put you to jail.'

'Shhhh-shhh, Inspector Dada is coming, he's coming!' one of them exclaims and they line up beside the Yezdi.

Murali strides down the staircase and walks into the courtyard, looking fresh in his uniform.

'What do you all want?' he sits on the bike, placing his cap on the petrol tank.

The kids start nudging each other. 'You ask,'

'No, you ask,'

'You said he won't put us in jail no, you askkk!'

Murali's eyes drift across the courtyard and sees Rukmini walking out of her house. There's the girl I'm supposed to stay away from, he thinks amusedly. But why should I? She's beautiful and I haven't been with such a traditional girl before. I should try it out once, just for a change.

A few middle-aged women drop their chores and talk to Rukmini, or rather, talk to each other about her. Murali can hear fleeting bits of it amidst the other noises, which include things like:

'She had studied more only, no? Till SSLC ... Why did they reject her?'

'Dowry ... so many grams of gold only they wanted ... no adjustment it seems.'

'It was a good family ... could have given something and adjusted ... who knows when such a match will come again?'

'Doubt only ... feel sorry for her.'

'It's okay Rukmini, don't feel bad.'

Rukmini hangs her head low and walks away from their incessant taunts. The pallu of her white and red printed nylon saree, instead of falling free over her left shoulder, is lifted and wrapped over her right shoulder. Her wavy black hair is loosely plaited.

She is always so serious, Murali muses. I should make her smile first. That's the first step.

'Hello, darling,' he smiles as she passes by his bike. 

Rukmini jumps a little and looks at him for a millisecond. He raises his eyebrows with a cocky grin. Rukmini stares at the ground, swallowing.

'Kya baat hain darling? It's so difficult to meet you! After almost two weeks I'm getting to see you.'

Rukmini clutches the strap of her old handbag tight. Then, she remembers something. She puts her hand into it and holds out a neatly folded white handkerchief. Murali had forgotten all about it.

'It's okay, you can keep it' he says. 'Going to office?'

She nods.

'Where do you work?'

'Bhushan & Co.!' The kids announce at once.

'Come, I'll drop you'

Rukmini is surprised and scared at the sudden offer. She shakes her head, gaze firmly fixed at her feet.