Having regrouped, Roshnaq, the girls and the Hooda boys headed for the hotel.
Adi handed the mislaid missives to Sanju to pass it on to her father. He was still in no mood to be interrogated by the father-of-the-reluctant-bride-to-be. Roshnaq and Zoya trailed behind everyone.
At one spot there burst out a flurry of electronic beeps and a collective sharp intake of breath. The girls fished out their cellphones in a flash and walked backwards and forwards, raising and lowering their mobiles, turning this way and that, trying to catch the elusive network signal that had buzzed them with notifications and then disappeared.
There was a hoot and then total silence as Adi doubled over and shook with laughter. He was laughing so bad that he was on mute; no sound, forget any ability to talk. He stomped around them and high-fived Arjun; turned, still laughing bad and still holding out his palms.
Involuntarily Zoya's palms aligned with Aditya's. But they didn't stop at a high-five. Their fingers easily happily (hungrily) interlocked. Face to face eyes-locked, the happy moment connected them and they smiled at each other. Aditya forgot why he was laughing. Zoya had no idea why she was happy. They were in a happy bubble of their own.
But the happy state barely lasted seconds. Then there were the awkward moments when their smiles slipped away (Zoya's first); Adi's fingers held on loosely; unwilling to unlock and release Zoya's; Zoya's barely pulling away; their eyes reluctant to look away.
Zoya looked away first; pulled back first. Adi's fingers unlocked but held on greedily, lightly interlaced her fingers even as she drew them back; keeping contact till the very end; till his fingers were only holding air.
Roshnaq could only see Aditya's flushed face but could guess Zoya was no less affected though she could only see her slumped shoulders from behind her.
Noor was the first to recover and tried to cover up the pain and longing that Aditya struggled to brush aside while Appi struggled to stop the hot flush spreading on her face.
Noor pushed Aditya repeatedly slamming his shoulder; luckily his right shoulder but Zoya still cringed.
Noor: Whats so funny Mr. Hooda?
Roshnaq: NOOR!
Clu joined in.
Clu: Yaa! Whatzz so funny Mr. Hooda?
Aditya recovered quickly.
Adi: (looking pointedly at Clu while talking to Noor) It was very funny to see recently liberated netizens desperately willing to be slaves again to the internet master overlord. (challenging them) Your internet sobriety didn't last one second in face of temptation!
Clu tried to throw punches at Adi who ran backwards ducking and dodging her fists and kicks but teasing her all the way; calling out SN site names and suffixing them with *Please check your network settings* messages.
____*Sorry. No Internet*
____*Oops. No Internet*
_____*Hmm. Something is wrong*
Adi made it sound hillarious.
Adi backed straight into Harsh who had missed nothing while waiting for the group on the path bordering the parking lot. He was on his way to the bar when he had spotted them. Harsh back-hugged Adi from falling over and held out a palm asking Clu to stop.
Harsh steadied Adi.
Adi: (trying to distract everyone) Where is Ma?
Harsh: I left her at the spa more than half-hour ago but what...
Noor: Spa!
Harsh pointed behind him. Noor read aloud the directions on a signboard pole behind.
The Royal Golf Resort
The Club House
9-Iron Club (For members only)
Tee Box, The Restaurant
Hazards, The Bar Lounge
These signs pointed back to the building they had passed, close to the main entrance.
The Royal Golf Resort
The Hotel
Stay Putt, Rooms with a view
Casual Water, Bar Lounge
Greens, Health Food Restaurant
Links, Global Cuisines Restaurant
Out-of-bounds, Games Arcade
Bounce Back, Health Spa
Swimming Pool
The Royal Golf Resort
The Golf Course
What chance did Sanju's Adda have with this 5 star Hotel with all these amenities? No. Sanju had said it had more than 5 stars.
The hotel seemed to just go on and on in length though only 3 floors high.
Harsh: Noor. Be careful. There is some black magic in that parking lot behind you. In the morning it had possessed both my sons. I was standing exactly at this same spot and I saw my firstborn impersonating the rotating version of Statue of Liberty. Only the lady in the statue does not stare at her raised torch. My boy was. Also since Adi didn't have a torch, he held up his mobile. And my younger son was jerking his mobile like he was trying to get the last drop of ink to the tip of the pen.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Arjun: (protested) Dad! There was a weird green insect on my phone.
Harsh: Next time try flicking it away beta.
Arjun turned green at the thought of flicking away that tiny green creep who had held on to his cellphone. It had looked dangerously like a poisonous praying-mantis though Bhai thought it was a harmless grasshopper but Bhai had spared it only one glance before he continued rotating. He still dreaded thinking what would have happened if he had held his phone to his ear. And Noor who was herself paranoid about worms and insects was grinning instead of sympathizing.
Adi didn't say anything or meet anyone's eye. He seemed to be busy scratching some itch at the back of his head.
Noor beamed at her dear Hooda Uncle. Trust him to put his boys in their place. She enjoyed watching Aditya and Arjun squirm...
But Harsh hadn't finished.
Harsh: Anjana popped her pills and was out like a light last night. Looks like Kapur's also. So I have no witnesses. But one moment I was asleep and next nightmare... elephants on a rampage about to trample me... I wake up... I was sure it was an earthquake...
Now it was everyone's turn to squirm...
The boys had been subjected to this comic lecture once in the morning; they were no way ready for a second hearing...
Sanju: (thinking it was a serious complaint) Sorry Uncle! We will...
(shout) Zoya!
All geniality evaporated. Everyone turned masking their resentment.
Arshad was walking briskly towards them with long strides on his long legs.
Arshad: (to everyone) Good Morning.
There was a murmur of hostile Mornings from everyone.
Arshad: (only to Zoya) Zoya! Guess what. There is a pottery workshop and exhibition here today. I remember Noor saying you love pottery. Come. Come. (then holding out his palm towards a paved path) After you Zoya.
Clu: (held out her palm like Arshad) After you Zzanju Noor. Flu and I are ezzpertzz. Let uzz make zzomething for you guyzz. Chalo! Chalo! Letzz zzzoin zzhem.
If looks could kill then the smile Clu threw Arshad could have blasted a mini-crater on the spot he was standing.
Harsh: Adi, Arjun! Please show me the spot where you said the network was good. I could not find it again.
Roshnaq: (smiled) I will go check if Waseem missed me.
The group parted ways.
YOU ARE READING
Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered
Hayran Kurgu{ This story is incomplete and on hold indefinitely. } My fan fiction starts 2-3 days after Zoya gets engaged to Arshad at the hospital. My series is called Second Chance. I plan to write it in 4 Volumes 1. Squandered 2. Vindicated 3. Redeemed 4. Ch...
