Love and cigarettes
image source:  wordpress.com

 

Statutory Warning: Cigarette Smoking is injurious to health.

It was 9:45 of night, when a car was moving speedily on vacant road. There were only 2 people inside with loud and annoying argument.

“it always happens yaar, why you can’t be ready on time?” it was Chirag who was on steering.

“And I can’t understand, why you are always on horse?” Reena  replied in same tone.

“its not horse, it’s a car”

“Ya your f***** car”

“hey, watch out, not a single word against my car.”Chirag pointed figure on her.

“I can’t believe it, you only cares for your car, not your girlfriend”

“Now you are over reacting babe”

“I am over reacting? Remember that day I was eating fries and a single fry dropped inside the car, you almost died that day”

“I just said, why can’t you eat like human being”

“and what was that remark? Have you ever seen yourself, for how long I am asking you to shave, are you listening to me?”

“ok fine, if you have that much problems with me why are you still with me.?”

She kept quite for few seconds, and finally said.

“Actually you are right, how can I date an idiot like you for this long”

“hey I am not an idiot, ok?”

“yes you are not an idiot, you are an as*******”

“fine, lets break up then”

“I was about to say that, I am breaking up with you, stop the car”

“ok go to hell” he pressed the breaks with full power and the tires screamed. She didn’t even wait to stop it properly and opened the door to get off without even realizing a bike was just beside the car.

The car door smashed with the bike and the bike fell along with the biker.

“oops, I am so sorry.” She ran to help the rider.

“what the …….” The rider removed the helmet and was about to say some bad words, but when he saw her , he stopped right away.

“see what you did” Chirag shouted from inside.

“no I am alright.” The rider said while standing his bike.

“ no I am saying about the car door”

“why don’t you just f*** off from here, and send me the bill?  I will pay” Reena pointed her hands towards the road.

“offcourse you will pay, you are not my girlfriend anymore, so that I have to bear your expenses.”

“you mo******” she picked one stone from road and Chirag immediately  ran his car.

She threw the stone and hold her head with hands when she suddenly realized something.

She turned around to the rider who was watching all this with popped out eyes.

“I am so sorry, are you alright?”

“yeah I am alright, don’t worry.”

“it just…..”

“I can understand, no need to say anything.” He said with a smile.

“Cool” she also replied with fake smile.

he was about to start then stopped for a while and asked,

“Can I drop you somewhere?”

“No, I will book a cab” and she took out her phone.

“F**** no network.” She waved her phone in air searching for signal.

Then he offered his phone.

She looked here and there and finally took it as she was left with no other option. She booked the cab and returned the phone,

“thanks”

“you are welcome, look I will wait here till cab comes as this area is not safe”

“I can take care of myself thank you.”

He smiled and said, “I am not staying for you.”

She gave a questioning look.

He understood and added, “ I want to save people by getting hurt from the stones which you can throw.”

She took a second to understand the joke and finally laughed.

He accompanied her in her laugh.

Then she took out a cigarette and kept between her lips, and started to struggle for lighter in her purse, he lightened his lighter for her.

She looked at him and lightened her cigarette.

They kept quite for few minutes.

“I am RJ” he said.

“you are a radio jockey?”

“No actually its my name, Rana Jhaweri.”

“Rana What?”

“forget it, just call me RJ.”

She blew some smoke and said, “I am Reena”

Finally the cab came and she got in.

“ok bye.” She said with a pleasant smile.

He replied and waved his hand.

**********

 

It was a hot afternoon when he entered the café. It was so relieving inside in AC.

He was about to sit when he suddenly saw someone across the hall. Within a few seconds she also looked this way, she paused for few seconds, trying to remind something then suddenly smiled and waved.

He directly went to her, where she was sitting with a handsome boy.

She stood up and gave a hand shake,

“Hi RJ, right?”

“yes”

“Hey Akhil, remember I told you about that day, when I broke up with that jerk.” She turned to the boy sitting with her.

“with whom? Bobby?” he tried to remember.

“No yaar”

“then Rocky” he added.

“no”

“then Mandeep?”

“AAAAAAAh” she pissed off

“No that bloody car lover Chirag.

“oh yes who had thrown you out of his car in the middle of nowhere, how can I forget, and a handsome biker hunk helped to get a cab. Yes yes I remember.”

She gave an embarrassing look.

“Actually he is the one who helped me.” She said looking away.

RJ who was actually popping his eyes again, finally realized it’s his turn to speak.

“I am Rana Jhaweri” he gave his hand to Akhil.

“Rana What?”

“forget it just call me RJ”

Akhil shook hand with him and said, “she was right, you are actually handsome yaar.”

He told while holding his hand.

“Thank you” he forcefully took out his hand from Akhil’s grip, which he was not leaving.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Reena asked.

“No actually, just came for some refreshment.”

“would you like to join us then?” Reena asked with a smile.

“yeah, off course” as if he was waiting for it, he immediately pulled the chair.

Suddenly Akhil’s cell started ringing, he picked the call and went away from them.

“Sorry, my friend is little mad, I didn’t mean it whatever he said about that night.”

“its ok, but are you sure you didn’t mean it, I mean am I not that good looking as you given him the description of mine.” He taken a sip from glass and asked.

“No no actually…..” she was not ready for this sudden attack.

“chill, I was just kidding” and he smiled.

“Cool, I guess Akhil really likes you, the way he was looking at you…”

“Is he….?”

“Yes he is gay”

“I understood at the beginning only, but sorry for him as I am straight.”

Both laughed, just by then Akhil was back.

“Sorry guys, but I need to go, some urgent work came.” He said and started looking for something in his pockets.

“here” Reena tossed the keys to him.

“oh thanks” he catched the keys and asked, “but how will you go home Reena?”

“I will book a cab, don’t worry. You please carry on.”

“ok then bye, and nice to meet you buddy.” He shook hand with RJ and left.

Reena took out her phone to book cab when RJ stopped her,

“wait, I guess I am eligible to drop you home now” she gave a puzzled look.

“eligible??”

“yeah, I mean we had coffee and now we can call ourselves friends right.? I guess this much eligibility is enough to drop a lady home”

“ok” she smiled, “you are really good in convincing people, I mean nobody can say ‘NO’ to you.”

He pulled his shirt callers with pride.

“So shall we leave now” he asked.

“ya off course.” He asked for bill when RJ took out his valet.

“No, please its on me” she stopped him.

“but I was just taking out my bike’s keys.” He told in a innocent voice.

“oops, Ok” she paid and they stood up to leave.

RJ opened the gate for her and said, “we have to walk a while, since my bike is in garage for some servicing in right next street.”

“its ok, not a problem” she gave a pleasant smile.

“So Reena, what you do?”

“nothing much, I am just a blog writer.”

“Wow writer, good.”

“and what about you?”

“I am model and actor actually, I use to do small commercials or advertisements.”

“hmmm, model. Glamour world. Which add you did recently, I would like to see it.”

he took out the cigarette packet and pulled a cigarette from it and kept in his mouth and said,

“the anti smoking camp add.” And lightened it.

“it seems you inspired lots from the add.” She told sarcastically.

And both of them laughed.

He raised the pack towards her and she also took one.

****************

“say na” Akhil was teasing her, “what is cooking between both of you.”

“nothing yaar” we are just friends. Reena was on steerings just turned to reply him.

“oho, just friends!!, but your eyes says something else darling”

They stopped on a signal. She gave him a questioning look.

“I am your best friend and I know you more than yourself.”

“Ok mister psychologist, I like him but its not that deep, ok”

“because he never asked you for date in last 2 months.”

She raised her eyebrows, “maybe”

“come on yaar, you guys are good friends by now, you use to chat all the times on FB, what’s app and calls. I mean what could be the reason he haven’t asked you out yet?”

“I don’t know buddy” she raised her hand along with her voice, “maybe he is not interested in me in that way, maybe he just wants to be as friend.”

“or maybe….” he pointed towards something on road, “there is something else.”

She looked at the direction where he pointed and everything got stopped for her.

Signal became green and vehicles behind them started honking.

*************

To be continued………………