Adla Badli

Chapter 2: Their Meeting

Nitya reached the hotel for check-in, and the receptionist asked for the advance. She made the payment with her card, he hands her the room key and she heads towards the room. She entered the room and kept the bags in the corner. She sat down on the bed holding her head in between her palm. Her life had completely shattered in the past few months, she got broken when she caught her husband with her boss red-handed. She divorced him and then that man took revenge by firing her from his job. She took a deep breath and calmed down "Nitya relax.. Sab thik hoga"

She took out her laptop and began to look for job vacancies. The city is fast pacing and it takes months for someone to settle. She had worked so hard to reach at the post of the manager and her bloody husband snatched everything from her in just months. She now had to start everything from the beginning.

She moved downstairs to have something to each. She went to the restaurant and ordered the food for herself. She texted her a few friends who could help her find a place to live but everyone seems to be giving her excuses. The waiter served her the food and she smiles at him "Thank you.."

She heard a sound, she turned "Sir please sirf hotel guests hi allowed hai"

"I know lekin aap time dekhiye iss time koi aur restautant open hai nahi.. Main upar se extra pay kar dunga" he requested the manager

"Sorry Sir ye hamare hotel ki policy hai. Sirf guests ya unke guest hi allowed hai" the manager explained.

"Kaisa rule hai ye?" he said all annoyed.

She recognised him to be the same person at the ice parlour. She looked at the time and it was 11 pm, hardly any other restaurant could be open at this hour. A smile appears on her face, previously he had helped her and she thought she should return the favour to him. She called the manager and said "yeh mere saath hai"

The manager smiled and his tone changed "Sir please come in"

The man stared at him and walked inside the restaurant. He approached near to her table "Thank you" he said in a soft tone

"Please baithiye" Nitya insists him.

He pulls the chair and settles down opposite her. The waiter handed him the menu and he ordered something for himself.

They looked at each other awkwardly. Finally, Nitya breaks her silence with "thank you.. Shyam ko aapne mujhe wo ice-cream treat di thi"

He smiled broader "akelepan ka ehsaas main ache se janta hun isliye bas ek choti si koshish thi aapke chehre pe muskan laane ki" he said and Nitya was touched hearing him.

His food arrived and both of them had the meal together. "Aap yahan ghumne aayi hai?" He questioned.

"Ji nahi.. Subah tak mere paas well-paid job thi, ek ghar tha rehne ko aur ab dono hi nahi hai" she sighed deeply and smiled sarcastically at her fate.

"Mere ek dost ke yahan pe vacany hai aap chahe toh main recommend kar sakta hun" he suggested

"Thank you but main khud hi dekhna chahungi I don't like favours" Nitya said

He was impressed with her "I appreciate your self-respect lekin ye Mumbai hai madam.. Zyada din aap iss hotel mein rah nahi paayengi" he said meaningfully.

Nitya looked on at him, he paid the bill and left from there. She thought for a moment about his words, she wanted to trust him but life had been so ungrateful to her she found it hard to trust a man whom she had hardly known. She rushed out of the hotel and looked around the street but couldn't find him anywhere.

She went back to her room and lay down on the bed. She tried to sleep but it was away from her eyes. Her phone beeps, she picked it up from the side and reads the text.