Stars & Dreams

20) Alpha Pegasi - Passionate & Indulgent

"Alec?"

Hearing Rumi's voice, both men swung around.

"Hey Rumi! You are an elusive creature. I had such a tough time locating you," Alec stated, his eyes regarding her costume with amusement. Rumi was still wearing the long heavy skirt whose tiny mirrors cast glittering reflections around them.

"How did you find us?" Yohan asked curiously.

Alec shrugged, replying in an offhand manner, "I have my sources..." Not shifting his gaze from Rumi, he strode towards her.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" Alec asked Rumi urgently.

Yohan dismounted from the bike and advanced towards Rumi and the stranger, "Hey dude, you can't just gate crash here and announce that you want to have a word with Rumi," he uttered, with an inflection of authority in his voice.

Alec inclined his head to one side and demanded, "And who the hell are you, dude?"

Rumi intervened quickly, "He is Yohan, our producer and director." She looked at Yohan and asked, "Can we use the house for the discussion? It won't be long."

Yohan gave his consent with reluctance. He was irked by the stranger's arrival, although he had heard of Alec Koshal. The man was a brilliant documentary maker and his short films have won numerous awards. What did a man like him want with Rumi? Yohan pondered.

Rumi led the way to the house. With a curt nod at Yohan, Alec followed her. Just before entering the house, Alec turned back to Yohan and said, "You need not wait. I will drop Rumi back at the hotel."

Like hell you will!

Mulishly, Yohan decided to wait for them. He wasn't going to let some stranger drop Rumi, even if he was a celebrated film maker; to travel back on the deserted road to the hotel. After all, he was responsible for the safety of the crew....

He settled back on the motorbike as his memory picked out an old incident. It must have been a couple of years ago. He had been shooting for a film in a hill station. By the time, they had finished the day's work, it had become very foggy and they could not see anything across the road. Nina had a small role in the film. They had just started dating each other then. The heroine of the film had already left for the day. Only Nina, he and few of the crew members waited for the mist to clear. As they waited, a good Samaritan who was driving a van stopped at the sight of them and offered to drop them back at the hotel. He had made the offer after his eyes fell on Nina. Other members of the crew were hesitant to take up his offer. Yohan had felt no such qualms. Moreover, there was space only for two people in the van. Nina tugged his hand and pleaded, "Let us go in the van Yohan, before the fog covers the entire town."

The other crew members also agreed and they appealed to Yohan and Nina to go in the van. However, Yohan was unwilling to leave others. He had asked another crew member and Nina to go in the van. He had stayed back and accompanied rest of them by foot to their destination. 

He returned to the present and wondered if in the same circumstance, would he have allowed Rumi to take up the offer of the stranger. It seemed unlikely. Maybe it was the vulnerability that he detected in Rumi which made him protective of her. Whatever it was, he didn't want to delve too deeply into his reasons for waiting for her.

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

"I had to go back home as my mother was not keeping well. Hence, the delay. The contract was drawn only a couple of days ago," Alec explained to Rumi when they were alone.

"Yes, your assistant told me that you had left India. But you could have waited till I reached Mumbai. What is the hurry to get it signed now?" Rumi asked. She was a bit chaffed at Alec for his abrupt manner with Yohan.