The Game Is Now On

There is a brief silence at the counter as the two take time in sipping their drinks. Finally the guy decides to break the silence, "By the way, I am Nikhil. I am a photographer. I know what you are thinking; I am just a weirdo trying to have a random conversation with you. Well, I will be honest. I saw you walk in through that door and thought I would try and have a conversation with you. Please don't misunderstand me." The girl examines him from head to toe and says, "Well, I like the fact that you decided to be direct. I like a direct communication and less drama. BTW, the name is Shefali." The two shake hands and spend some time together at the pub, discussing life and their tastes.

It is a typical Friday night in Bangalore; people are flocking to pubs after a busy week at work. Some are drinking to their fill, while others are busy planning their next week as they slowly sip on their drinks. A young woman, in her late 20s, walks into a pub and takes an empty seat near the counter. She is casually dressed in a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Her accessories include a handbag that contains a laptop ( indicating that she is just returning from the office), a smart watch on her left hand and a bracelet with the letter R on her right hand. The bartender approaches her near the counter and asks, "What can I get you, ma'am?" She smiles at the waiter and says, "I would like a martini if you don't mind. I have had a very hard day at work."

The waiter nods and starts making the drink. She takes out her phone to check for messages from friends and family members. Right then she gets distracted by a male voice. "Busy week, huh?", she looks to her right to see a 20-something young man leaning at the counter. "Yes, it is usually like that for us. Now, if you would please excuse me." She responds before putting her phone back in her bag. Her demeanour gives the vibe that she isn't interested. The bartender smiles and serves her the drink and turns towards the guy. "What can I get for you, sir?," he asks politely. The guy replies, "I would like a scotch, please. I had a tiring week and I really need to chill for some time." The bartender says nothing; he pours the Scotch, adds a small amount of water and presents it to the guy.

There is a brief silence at the counter as the two take time in sipping their drinks. Finally the guy decides to break the silence, "By the way, I am Nikhil. I am a photographer. I know what you are thinking; I am just a weirdo trying to have a random conversation with you. Well, I will be honest. I saw you walk in through that door and thought I would try and have a conversation with you. Please don't misunderstand me."

The girl examines him from head to toe and says, "Well, I like the fact that you decided to be direct. I like a direct communication and less drama. BTW, the name is Shefali."

The two shake hands and spend some time together at the pub, discussing life and their tastes. After some time, Shefali takes a look at her watch and realises that it is getting late; Nikhil notices it and offers, "Hey, why don't I drop you at your place? That is if you do not mind." Shefali smiles and agrees, they both get into Nikhil's car and he instructs the driver to take the vehicle to Shefali's address. The driver starts the car and the duo continue with their conversation.

The car arrives at Shefali's address and she asks Nikhil to add his number to her contacts. After doing so, he opens the door and holds it for her. Before leaving, she gives him a long and warm hug. After that, she proceeds to walk towards the gate of her house. He gets back inside the car and asks the driver to drive him home.

Shefali stands until the car is out of range, and then she walks past the house and into a narrow lane. The lane has just a few small houses.

Meanwhile, Nikhil who is still inside the car is talking to 'the driver', "Rishabh bro, you did a good job. She thought you were my driver. She bought it, dude." Rishabh laughs and responds, "Oh come on Rony, do not be so modest. You were the star of the show. Have you seen that house? She must be very rich."

Rony responds, "Yeah man, I think so too."

"BTW, nice name selection Nikhil," quipped Rishabh and they both started laughing.

In the meantime, Rony takes out his phone and in a folder, he writes a note, "New target found. Status: Phase One Complete."

On the other hand, Shefali walks towards an old gate that has a signboard that reads "The Chatterjee's". And as she is about to open the gate, a female voice calls out, "Anwesha, maa, I was waiting for you. Uff! You modern youngsters have no sense of time."

She smiles and responds, "Sorry maa, I will be more careful next time."

Her mother replies, "That you say every Friday. Anyway, it is very late, go and sleep."

"Yes, maa," she responds before walking up towards her room. While doing so, she takes out her phone from her bag and writes a note, "New target found. Status: Phase One Complete."

The game is on.

By: Tanay Sengupta

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