Sparks Fly

CH 1:Pilot

I could possibly never forget that day. The sun was too warm for a winter noon but still flowers had blossomed. The gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of jasmine. Looking around for those flowers, I instead saw you and you saw me. The world around us seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us in that moment. You ran away as you got caught stealing glances at me and this remains a secret shared between our hearts. The 12th of November it was.

 

It's D-15. They are the only ones in the building that are constantly fighting and given the fact we live just below them, they are quite the nuisance for us.

My mother, Janki Devi, is the secretary of the building. So it's her phone that is ringing continuously, with residents demanding to handle this conflict. Usually mother doesn't interfere in such personal matters because 'each to its own' but today is the day to do something.

Putting on her slippers she moves towards the lift and punches the 4th floor with me in tow. I have my camera ready as the lift door opens and we step out and head for their door. I hit a record and mother rings the bell. The door is opened by a boy not much older than me who shoves me aside to walk out of the house. His black hair is a mess, he has a blue chequered shirt on and a 'don't mess with me attitude' with an angled eyebrow cut. He didn't even acknowledge us but mother isn't bothered by that. She moves into the house while I stare at his moving back and yell, "prick." He doesn't react and is out of my sight in a second.

After a warning, all is forgotten. Done and dusted. Days go by and I don't see prick in the lift or around the building. School projects take up all my time. Mother is also now friends with D-15 and is on the phone with her quite a lot.

D-15 are the Sharma's. Manu Sharma is quite the lawyer and was also published in a newspaper once for putting a guilty politician's son behind bars. His mornings start with jogging around the park and end with smoking on the balcony at night. I know this because the smoke reaches my balcony as well. Whereas his wife, Kathy Sharma is a British Indian. She was born to British parents who chose to settle in India. Both of them are college sweethearts and my mothers tells me all this to keep my smart mouth from rattling off as they would join us for dinner today.

"I'm not changing into a dress, I'm more comfortable in my shorts," I tell my mother straight.

"Gia for once in your life will you listen to me? There are going to be men in the house today," she says.

"Janki ma'am, they are adult men. They have probably seen more than a pair of legs." That being said I shut my door and reluctantly changed into the dress.

—---------------

Mother and I sit on one side while Kathy and her son sit in front of us. While the almighty Mr. Sharma chooses to sit at the top of the dining table. The men don't seem very talkative. As soon as the food was served they busied themselves with it while the mothers here couldn't stop talking.

"Gia here is the sports captain for her school. She is an amazing badminton player. Her coach says next year we should train her professionally but she's adamant on getting a college degree," my mothers tells Kathy

"College sounds wonderful. I for one had a blast. Now it's Neil's time to shine there. He's studying Mechanical engineering," Kathy says proudly.

This seems to get to Mr. Sharma who says, "Yes, Mechanical engineering. Not Chemical but Mechanical. Kids these days have gotten way too comfortable. That's what happens when you provide them with a life so privileged."

"Maybe some of us are just capable of that. Not everyone can become a corrupt lawyer like you, that too a successful one."

Hearing that Mr. Sharma's spoon freezes mid-air and he stares HARD at Neil. He addresses Neil sternly and says "You might want to excuse yourself and head home. Your mom and I will meet you there in fifteen minutes."

"Gladly."

Neil leaves his half empty plate and walks out the door. Silence falls upon everyone with food mostly forgotten. Kathy also begins to rise with a bunch of keys in her hand. Looks like Neil is locked out of his house. I volunteer to take the keys up to their house and encourage her to finish her food. Why do I do this? Probably to get out of that room.

Walking out of the lift to Neil's house I'm kind of surprised to see the door wide open and enter without any thought. My intention was to drop the keys on the living room table and run. But instead of doing so I followed the source of the cigarette smoke that had entered the room.

Standing in the balcony is Neil smoking to his heart's desire. He's gotten rid of his jacket in this cold weather and stands with such ease, it almost makes me jealous of him.

"It's rude to stare," he says

"You wish," I say. He doesn't look up at me while I continue to stand at the threshold.

"You can leave."

"I was about to." I still continue to stand there.

"Well you're still standing in my house when I clearly didn't invite you in."

"You were just at my house, let's call it even." He turns to look at me and puffs the smoke my way and addresses me in a serious tone.

"You really need to leave, prick."

The emphasis on prick was enough to tell me. But I still push my luck and walk onto the balcony.

"So you did hear me the other day."

"I did. Just like I want you to hear me now. We're even now."

He's weirdly obsessed with getting even. I leave him alone and take the stairs to go home.