Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

90: Arjun on Defence

Arjun paced up and down the long dorm-room.

He had tired off surveying the lawns and taken to walking away his nervous energy.

To kill time, he decided to play Sherlock Holmes and tried to guess from the objects in view who had claimed which part of the room as their space.

Futons had been rolled and placed neatly along both the long sides of the room; they looked like large colorful bolster cushions.

The girls had placed their bags on either side of their futons; converting their luggage into side tables.

The long room with no furniture had a neat simple look like a dorm for monks.

Arjun had wondered which of the futon rolls may have been Noor's bed. Then noticing a familiar pair of chunky bangles and few finger-rings on top of a futon he concluded that it maybe Zoya's. She may have taken off her bangles and rings, after returning to her room and before getting busy with their coffees.

Then he noticed the more familiar earrings and bracelets in a transparent box placed on top of a familiar trolley bag along the opposite wall under the windows. Definitely Noor's.

Noor and her Appi's futons diagonally opposite each other. Well done Sherlock! 2 down. 3 to go.

He had then on an impulse wanted a closer look at her earrings. He missed her.

As Arjun reached Noor's bag, the windows reminded him of their adventure the previous night. He was curious about the wall they had climbed down. He opened the window and looked down and was amazed. How had they managed in the dark?

Clu and her lunatic antics! He shook his head. He had already suffered one dose of Clunatics today. He wondered how many more were in line.

-----

Noor had started itching all over.

When she heard someone was going to pick Arjun from Sanju's place she hitched a ride on his bike.

She met Abbu on her way out. He offered to drop her. He was also curious of their living arrangements and wanted a look.

But Noor declined. She did not wish to be the messenger delivering news of Arshad taking the plunge. She made her excuses and escaped. But she was afraid she had only piqued his suspicions.

The guy who dropped her found the property interesting and as he was early he went for a stroll saying he would be back for Arjun in 15-20 minutes. Noor suspected he was snooping around the place for Rishi.

Noor was itching to play detective and follow him but she was itching all over as well. She gave in to demands of the latter itch.

She rushed into her room eager to strip and shower and almost shrieked in terror.

She was expecting to find her Appi but instead there was a mad man in a bathrobe bent over scurrying all around the room catching imaginary chickens.

Hearing the door open Arjun whipped around and gaped at Noor. He held out his arms and showed her 500₹ notes. Then Noor noticed some more notes take short flights off the floor.

Noor first shut the 2 open windows to shut out the strong breeze and then helped Arjun pick the notes.

They bumped into each other and were more careful and concious of the other after the first bump.

However as they both lunged for the last note that threatened to flutter away by some mysterious current of air in the now closed room; Noor bumped into Arjun again, toppled backwards and almost hit her head.

Arjun caught her head just before it hit the floor and cushioned her fall; losing all his notes in the process and his balance. He slammed his other hand on the floor so as not to crush Noor under him; slipped out his other hand gently and pressing both his palms on the floor heaved himself up.

He offered her his hand not expecting her to take it. But surprisingly she did. He pulled her up but unintentionally yanked her with more force than needed and ended up pulling her on to him and had to balance her by putting his other hand on her lower back.

Arjun: (quickly) Sorry. You have lost weight.

Noor glared at him and pushed him away.
Arjun: (held out his hands at the injustice) Cum'on Noor! You know I don't pull such stunts when you...

Noor slammed the notes she had quickly collected into his open hand and closed his other hand on it.

He counted, relieved none were lost and handed them over to her and tried to explain...

What had really happened...
It was windy on this side of the house. Just as Arjun had stepped back, struggling with the windows, he had knocked his leg on Noor's bag and her earrings and bracelets box had tumbled to the floor. Worse, Zoya had used the box as paper-weight on SoddiG's wad of 500₹ notes. The wind picked up just then and blew the notes all around the room.

What Arjun told Noor...
Arjun: Soddiji, the taxi driver gave this... Your Appi... She must have kept it... uuh.... I was opening the win...

Noor: What are you doing in our room... (suddenly scandalized) in just a bathrobe?

Beads of sweat broke out on Arjun's brow. In all this frenzy he had completely forgotten about the bathrobe. He wanted to explain but fumbled. Where to start?

He had not been this nervous while presenting his first defence in his first court case.

For some weird reason a part of his brain kept presenting one argument after another which corroborated the inferences so drawn from facts collected at the scene of crime and made it clear that by circumstantial evidence Arjun was a pervert stalker and hence must be issued a restraining order.

So much for not working weekends!

Arjun: (gulped back his anxiety) I forgot my watch (he pointed towards the bathroom door, then remembered the evidence he had planted in his pocket and produced it in Noor's court) and so...

Noor: What was your watch doing in our bathroom?

Noor's cross examination was thorough. Several questions later...

Noor: Where is my Appi?

Arjun: (to be fair to Zoya he started with Arshad) She just gave Arshad his cup of cof...

Noor blew her fuse. She knew it! Appi just needed an excuse to mollycoddle that man. Not today! Not ever! Noor swung open the door and stormed out.

Outside the door she looked left and then right and then left again. She got muddled; had no clue which of the 2 rooms was Arshad's. There was a window from floor to ceiling at each end of the corridor and a door next to it. Both ends looked the same.

Was his room to the left when coming up the stairs or going down?

But being a woman she did not mind asking for directions; albeit indirectly.

She turned on Arjun who was patiently waiting for her to clear the doorway she was blocking.

Noor: Where is my Appi? (and she again looked left and right)

Arjun pointed. To Arjun's great alarm Noor screamed.

Noor: APPPPPPIIIII! (as she approached the door)

Arshad was just about to step out. He had just put a hand on the door knob. He was wondering if he could interest Zoya in a walk around the property.

Just then Noor's battle cry reached his ears.

Arshad drew back from the door in terror. The Angry Bird seemed to be in her element.

When Arshad heard Noor hammering on a door and scream for her Appi again, he remembered an article he had promised to review for his London colleagues. He turned the lock, put some music on his phone, used his earphones and zealously put his comments on the document.

Noor continued hammering on some door.

(@Aporusheya thank you for coining the word clunatic. It perfectly describes that girl. - yours truly MissWW)