From Howrah to Brooklyn

Chapter 3

Once the festival was over, Neil's parents left for the UK. Everyone got busy again in their mundane activities. Shekhar and Tapur with their work, Alia with her school and Neil was busy with his jamming sessions.

Neil had a big gig coming up for the Christmas time and he and all his friends would practice for hours together.

It was Christmas Eve, Alia too had gone to see Neil big gig with her school friends.

In order to wish Neil best of luck, Alia went back stage and saw him fine tuning his guitar and he looked a bit nervous.

'Neil, don't worry. Your concert is going to be a big success.' Alia encouraged him.

'I am not worried Alia. I am just tuning the guitar.' Neil tried to hide away his nervousness.

'Oh really Neil, you can fool your other snooty friends, but not me. I know when you are nervous you get those weird three tension lines on your forehead and you keep on fiddling with the thing next to you and in this case it's your guitar. It's okay to be nervous and more than okay to accept it.'

'Aloo you know me too well. What would have I done without you.' Neil came and hugged her friend.

Once they pulled away from their hug, Neil saw his friend Jay coming over to him but he was not alone.

Walking right behind Jay was Raina Bose, one of Kolkata's high society page three socialite. She looked like as if she has just walked straight from a photoshoot of some high end fashion magazine. She was dusky beauty with big eyes, plumped red lips with the perfect pout, long dark hair, walking rather very sensuously in her 6 inch stilettos.

Neil saw her and could not take his eyes off from her, Alia also saw his reaction. He was dumbstruck by Raina's panache and was drooling all over her.

'Neil, meet Raina .. Raina Bose.' Jay introduced the two of them.

Neil and Raina shook each other's hands, when Raina spoke, 'Men with guitar charm me.'

'There is lot more in me than just a guitar', Neil winked at her.

Raina giggled and it was the start of the flirtatious chat.

Alia felt irritated at this "wannabe" attitude of Neil and she left the back stage and walked towards the audience section.

Alia and her friends had the best seats for the concert, all courtesy to Neil. Suddenly she finds Raina taking the empty seat next to her and it just ruined her mood further. The concert began and Neil started playing. There came a segment in the concert where Neil interacted with the audience especially with Raina this time. He invited her on the stage and they danced together as the concert finale.

For some reason, Alia felt bad. She had been attending Neil's concert for all these months but never she received such a special attention from him.

Usually, after concert Neil and Alia would walk home together but this didn't happen this time.

After waiting for fifteen minutes for Neil, Alia went backstage to find out where he was. She kept on looking for him but couldn't find him.

'Hey Alia, I think Neil just left now with Raina Bose. Should I drop you home? I have my car.' Aneek, one of Neil's band mate told her.

'Thanks, Aneek. If it's not much of a trouble for you I would really appreciate it.' Alia said.

'Not at all. Your home is on the way and it's pretty late now. Come let's go', Aneek and Alia head towards his car.

It was past midnight and Alia hadn't returned home. Tapur was very worried for her and she was walking in her courtyard. Suddenly a car pulled outside Alia's house and she got down from it.

Alia thanked Aneek for dropping her home and then she walked into the house.

'Aloo.. Whom did you come home with? Where is Neil?' Tapur asked.

'Ma.. That's Aneek, Neil's band mate.'

'Where is Neil?' Tapur asked again.

'Ma.. I don't know where he is.'

'What do you mean you don't know. You should have taken care of him. The boy is new in town what if he gets into some trouble. How can you be so careless Aloo?' Tapur was very worried for Neil.

'Maa.. Stop it. I am careless? It's Neil's fault that he left without informing me. It's his life. I won't be going around babying him anymore. He is grown up enough.' Alia got a bit irritated by her mother's repeated questions.

'Aloo.. Where are your manners? Don't you dare talk to your mother in this tone. Now say sorry and go to sleep', Tapur was a bit firm.

'I am sorry Ma.' Alia felt a bit guilty.

She came to her room and changed. Usually, she would read a bit before falling asleep  so she grabbed a book in her hand and started to read while tucking herself in her bed. But Alia's mind was racing at hundred miles per hour.

'Why did I speak so rudely with Ma? Why Neil going out with that Raina girl affected me so much? I think I have gotten too habitual of Neil's presence in my life. It's bad.. it's very bad. Why should his presence affect my mood so much? I need to change this. He is just here for a year I cannot become dependent on him.'

It was the next morning, Alia was up already as she had to do some morning studies. Suddenly she heard a knock on her window and it was Neil. Alia was shocked to see that he had returned home at this hour in the morning. Alia opened the window.

'Aloo, I am so sorry I couldn't walk home with you yesterday. Whom did you come home with?'

'It's okay Neil. I saw you got busy with Raina. Aneek dropped me home.' Alia replied.

'Ah... Raina ... you know I just left her home like half and hour ago and I feel like I haven't seen her in ages. Wow.. am I going mad? But who won't get mad after seeing such a beautiful girl. Oh my God, I can just look into her eyes the whole day. She is so beautiful. Just perfect. I think I am in love with her.' Neil started praising Raina.

When Neil said that he is falling for Raina, Alia couldn't help but give an impression of bewilderment. It's been less than twenty four hours, since Neil met Raina and he has already fallen in love with her.

'Don't give me that look Alia. I know it's not normal but what can you expect. It's Raina I am talking about, probably the most gorgeous girl on this planet.' Neil said.

Alia wasn't enjoying all of this but she had no other choice but to listen to Neil who kept on continuing.

'Okay I have bored you enough now. I should probably get ready I am meeting Raina for breakfast at Flurry's. See you later Aloo.' Neil said goodbye to her.

Alia was flustered. The mention of Raina's name just did something to her mood. She felt like that she was replaced. Alia decided that she would distance herself from Neil and would concentrate only on her work.

Days passed and Neil and Raina were going strong. They had progressed from holding hands in public to kissing in public. Their PDA's would make Alia sick but she just engrossed herself in her books and avoided Neil and his newly found girlfriend altogether.

Though it wasn't always easy when you live in the same house. Sometimes it would happen that Alia's parents would send her to call Neil for meals and whenever she would go, she would either find Neil on call with Raina or Raina would be present in his living room wearing Neil's t-shirt and Neil would be singing for her. It got pretty awkward for her. Hence, she decided that maintaining a distance is probably the safest option.