The Guy with the Handkerchief

IV. The Drop

22:00 Hrs, Chetla

After the cab started moving towards the destination, Arindam called his parents and explained a fake situation that he had an early morning class the next day and a late class that day, so he had decided to stay at a friend's PG room just for the night. His mom scolded him for not informing that from beforehand. Arindam was okay with that scolding, as he knew that whatever was going to happen can have even more dangerous consequences.

All these questions were constantly driving him crazy. What would he answer if her parents saw her like this with him? What would they ask him? What would he answer?

In the meantime, Arindam turned around to check if she was All right. This is when he saw her beauty. A girl in her early 20s almost of the same age as him, tall, slim and dark. The moonlight was falling on her face and it was glowing. Arindam for a few moments got mesmerised at her beauty. It was as if he was dreaming. Everything around him became silent. Everything else felt unworthy of looking at. Her head was on the back seat and then due to the car taking a turn it glided on to his shoulder. He was in a dilemma whether he should take his arm around her neck when...

"Sir, that would be Rs.229, we are at the drop location.", Arindam heard the driver interrupting his imaginations.

"Yeah, sure there you go. Keep the change. Thank you." Arindam came down and gently pulled the girl down. He checked his phone, it showed, "YOUR BILL IS RS. 229. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING US MISS. SHREYA PAUL."

Shreya Paul, so that's her name, Arindam thought and smiled.

He found the keys of the house in the purse, opened the door and entered. Searching through the switches in the sheer darkness he tripled over something and finally the room got lit. Arindam carried her to the room which was a small 2 room flat. A small room with very less furniture was kept really untidy, with lots of boxes lying around. Clear indication of recently moving in. He made her lie down on the bed next to the window and sat down on the floor drenched of tiredness. It was nearly 23:00 hrs. Arindam's hunger had died of this filmy drama. He searched for a notepad where he could explain everything in writing and leave as soon as possible. He found none. He finally found a newspaper and fell asleep, out of all the exhaustion, while writing it. No one knew what was waiting for him the next day.