Chapter - 07

‘May be he was just joking. I wish he doesn’t come’. She was yet to accept that she was actually looking forward to meeting him. Suddenly she felt her heart sinking.

‘He hasn’t even given me a time!’

She didn’t even have his number. Avni was now sure that he was just trying to flirt with her and impress her. Brushing those thoughts aside she buried herself in the book. As the clock inched to 4 pm and her classes finished, she said bye to her friends and went towards the campus gate.

She had told her dad that she was going to Sonia’a place for the evening. Now that she was sure Ranveer was not coming, she decided to take an auto or taxi and go home. Trying to cheer herself and divert her mind from Ranveer, she came out of the huge iron gates. The auto rickshaw stand was just few steps away. She started walking towards it.

“I think we had a date madam” a bike stopped right beside her. It was him. Avni felt her heart missing a beat. ‘God. You scared me’ She was still trying to find fault in him.

“So you are comfortable on the bike or should we take and Auto? I can’t afford taxi for sure” Ranveer’s eyes were again mocking her.

“Bike is ok. And since when are you waiting here? You didn’t even give me a time!”

“Umm let me see, I bunked 2 classes today. So I must have been waiting since 12. And don’t you think you should have given me a time? It was you who rushed off leaving me behind. And now come, sit. Your parents will get worried if you are too late. So we better go for that coffee now…”

Avni sat behind him. It was the first time that she was sitting on a bike. Her father had always provided cars for her. It felt strange, but so free. Avni was already enjoying this ‘once only’ date. As the bike picked speed, she could feel the wind in her hair. It felt cold, but she loved it.

“Where are we going?” Avni asked, trying to hold on to the bike. She was hesitating in holding on to Ranveer.

“There is a nice shop nearby where they serve good coffee. Not too many varieties, but whatever they have is good”

Ranveer could now feel Avni shifting, trying to maintain her balance.

“Haven’t you sat on a bike ever madam?”

“No. I haven’t. And stop calling me madam. I have a name and I think it’s quite nice” she snapped back.

“Ok ok. Don’t loose your temper. See I don’t want you to fall down. Just hold on to me and I will drive slowly.”

Avni gingerly put her hand on his waist, trying to hold onto his jacket somehow. It was getting colder now, her fingers felt just a bit numb. Ranveer had slowed down the bike and Avni felt much more comfortable now.

After 10 more minutes, they reached a small coffee shop. It was buzzing with students.

“Sit here. I will bring the coffee.”

Ranveer said and then went towards the counter. Suddenly he returned back and said

“Hey, you are not uncomfortable na?” He genuinely looked concerned.

Avni felt for the first time that he was feeling conscious about the difference in their standard of living.

“No. I am fine. I like this place” she tried to sound cheerful.

Ranveer returned in a minute and sat on the chair in front of her. The coffee arrived in no time. It was served in nice, clean but cheap cups.

“Let’s go and sit outside on the stairs. It’s very crowded here.”

Ranveer was actually aware of the fact that the guys in the shop had started to notice Avni now. She looked completely out of place with her expensive branded clothes.