Neel, She called him.
Noori, He named her.
They decided to stick to names that didn't matter much to them or anyone else.
She was running from a horrible vision.
He was running from his existence.
She wished to fly.
He wished to be grounded.
Sh...
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For the second time in a second, Ajay Singh glanced back toward the man who sat there. His head laid back, eyes closed and arms crossed at his chest. For the world, the man with big sunglasses and a cap was a dork, not the always peculiarly dressed prince, not the jewelry designer the world was crazy about, and surely not the most handsome face according to The Bachelor Pad.
His 5'o clock shadow was crushed with an overgrown beard. His dark clothes were a major turn off and his black shades screamed at others to stay away. His eyes though hidden were observant and on alert. Aware of every glance his bodyguard took toward him. Inder was aware and vigilant, counting every minute for his escape.
From this city, country, and most importantly the eyes that were wary of his next move.
He observed as the line in the far-end coffee shop moved a little and Inder acted to slump a little more in his chair noticing the glance taken at him.
As soon as the man in front moved with his order, Arjun Singh placed another set of orders for the barista who was in the middle of a tired sigh.
The young man passed a quick nod of acknowledgment to this new customer and started preparing the cup as per the instructions given. It took him less than 45 seconds to produce two hot coffees in Styrofoam cups and collected the charges. He passed Arjun Singh a small grateful smile seeing the tip and moved on to the next one in the queue.
Arjun turned carefully holding the cups in a cardboard holder and looked in front to freeze in his steps. The seat on which the man sat before was now empty. Both he and his duffle bag which was once carelessly thrown on the tiled floor were nowhere in sight.
He frantically looked around, searching for his Hukum. His eyes turned into slits as he dumped the coffee in the first bin on his way and started searching. First the passing passengers and then the exits.
"Hukum" he gritted under his breath and touched his cell to connect with the man. He wished to thrash his head on a nearby wall as he realized he left their passports and boarding pass in Indraneel's custody.
Arjun Singh muttered angry profanities and stormed to the security area to block and check the entrances and exits. He had to catch his Hukum, if not he didn't know what the young man was capable of doing.
Last 10 days, Inder had spent in solitude in his Mumbai apartment away from his family, board, and world. Indulged in his art and colors. Somehow a phone call and the authority of the person other side had convinced Inder to step out and book tickets to Bali.
Arjun Singh was aware of Inder and Rajveer Malik's bond which flowed thicker than blood. The two had been inseparable from the University days, though on different continents but the duo were at the beck and call for each other and Rajveer's wife Mahira did nothing but strengthen their bond in the last 6 months of meeting.
