Obstructed Heart [Editing]

Chapter 8

ANIKA

We sat in silence for a few minutes which felt like hours. Ketu appeared wretched and my heart ached seeing him like this.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me, how did you discern that he is gay? What did you see or hear?"

"Well I went to a bar with a client, a month ago. And there he was....," he cleared his throat and then paused.

"Then what?"

"First Promise me, you will take this seriously."

"Of course, I can assure you of that Ketu."

He continued, "He was dancing with the bar girls grabbing the pole and moving his ass spirally and...."

My noisy laughter interrupted him and I managed to say, ll in between my laughs, "Wow, I missed the comic scene. By the way, did you happen to take any pictures?"

He looked agitated which made my laughs die out and I patted his hand in empathy, though I had to cover my mouth from my other hand to veil my smiling face. Somehow, with difficulty I composed myself.

"Sorry for that, please go on."

"I was sitting on the stool next to the bar counter. He was approaching me with cautious steps. I saw him coming near to me but I never expected him to do such a stupid thing."

I waited holding my breath but all of a sudden, he fell silent.

"Ohh! Just tell me already. I am dying of curiosity."

"He- he kissed me on my lips," he revealed, avoiding my gaze, embarrassment taking over every inch of his body.

"What? He- he kissed you."

In that moment, I couldn't fathom how blatant my cackle must have been, since the next moment I sensed a pin-drop silence in the restaurant. Every eye peeped towards me through the hall with the inquisitiveness hundred times magnified than mine.

Ketu gestured everyone to resume their rendezvous and simultaneously eyed me too as if pleading to stop humiliating him, in public. Rather than alleviating my howling joviality, his surly visage blended with his incongruously imploring folded-hand gesture, intensified my gaiety manifold. And I convulsed with laughter.

Espying his pouted countenance and face reddened in uneasiness, I administered myself and attempted to sit with a sincere attitude.

"I am sorry Ketu. But I need to know, did he- um.... did he steal your virginity?"

I tried to sound as sincere as I could.

"No," was all he could muster up with his crimson face and I cracked up into laughter again.

"A-O-h, sorry again," I said wiping my tears which drained due to the extended guffawing, "And that's how you deduced that he is gay. I think, you should think again. It may be part of a bet or dare or something else."

"I told you to take it soberly, see what you made out of me in front of everyone."

He blushed more. It was more than entertaining and I was desperate to see more of his vulnerable, yet funny gestures. Though I surmised nothing more could have happened, yet I yearned to watch his reactions.

"He tried to seduce me in front of my client and I was turned into an amusing spectacle for everyone."

I took his hand, in both of my hands, and empathized with him in the most earnest tone, "It's okay dear. Take it as fun. But what I can't apprehend is how did he try to seduce you?"