Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 43 ] Raspberry Lipstick Kiss ■

'Did you have lunch?' Murali asks over the phone in Amarnath's cabin. 'I don't think I can come early today. Don't wait for me. Okay ... bye. I love you.'

He puts the receiver down and looks at Amarnath gazing interestedly at him.

'Are you wondering why I speak with her over the phone when she can't talk back?' he smiles.

'No, no ... ' Amarnath falters.

'It's okay. Anyone will feel the same,' Murali leans back in his chair. 'But she needs to hear my voice, right? She goes all the way to the public booth to make the call. And for me, she doesn't need to speak. I can understand everything by the way she breathes.'

Amarnath smiles. They get back to the reports they've been reading.

'Murali,' Amarnath asks casually after a while. 'What gifts do girls like in general?'

Murali halts reading a report and lifts his head in dramatic slow motion. What is this, he thinks, staring at Amarnath across the table. What is this, wrong question from wrong person!

'In which direction did the sun rise today?' 

Amarnath looks up, frowning. 

'No,' Murali defends. 'Someone who generally asks for rowdy sheeter biodatas is asking such questions, shock toh hoga na?'

Amarnath frowns, swearing unintelligible and sinks back to his file. Murali is ready to pursue the topic further when there's a knock at the door.

'Come in,' Amarnath says.

The constable walks in and salutes. 

'Saab, a driver came and gave this' He holds out a lunch bag with slightly shaking hands. 'H-He said it's from your ... from your ... '

Amarnath clucks his tongue. 'Who?'

'Sir, I don't know how to say it.'

'Is there any other option apart from your mouth?' Murali enquires mildly.

The constable mumbles and looks at Amarnath. 'He said it's from y-your w-wife, Saab.'

Amarnath sits up straight.

'Wife?' he repeats.

'Wife?' Murali echoes.

'Tere lai hai,' Amarnath waves his hand at Murali.

'Nahi Saab, he said it's for you,' the constable mumbles. 'From someone called Gauri.'

Murali's eyebrows shoot up and stay there for a long time. Amarnath straightens.

'Keep it here,' he says. The constable does and hurries out. Murali gets up and walks around Amarnath's chair, assessing him up and down.

Amarnath sighs. 'Kya hain?'

'I'm waiting for your next performance!' Murali rolls his hand. 

'I don-'

'Don't say you don't know anything, behenchod, I'll kill you right here!' Murali puts his hands to his throat, strangling him.