Aboli

Part 50

"Why do you hate sleep, Randhir?" Sanyukta sounded groggy as she answered her phone. It was half past six in the morning and just like her the lazy December sun was unwilling to rise and shine. The air was chilly enough for her to want to snuggle inside her blanket. For the moment it felt like the coziest thing to do when she realised that her mother was already up and in the shower.

"Shame on you, Mowgli! You were supposed to go swimming with me and you are still in bed!" He scolded her. It made her wonder how he could be so disciplined in his routine, she could easily sleep on for another hour or two!

"Randhir, the water in the pool must be ice cold. And how can I go swimming during a period? As if you didn't know that!" She hated bringing it up. She had grown up around boys and it took a long time to come to terms with her femininity. She often wished she was a boy. In fact her crush on Randhir had been her first gender-driven response.

"Hello, tampons have been around for decades! As if you didn't know that!" He grinned as he imitated her. A few months ago he only knew her as a behaviourally-challenged kid but now she had become his pet project. Her transformation had been dramatic and the Henry Higgins in him was proud of his own teenage Eliza Doolittle.

"Please, I don't use tampons and I am not comfortable with the idea! Can we switch topics please?" Discussing feminine hygiene issues with him just made her think of how her hormone surge often drove her to fantasize about him. She knew how important it was to have him as a friend and she did not want to compromise their equation because of her unchaste thoughts.

"Sure, as long as you don't squirm out of the regime. We can walk on the beach instead. I'll pick you up in twenty! Make sure to wear a jacket. You need to keep warm, it gets windy on the beach." He hung up without letting her react like he usually did.

"Yes Mommy dearest, I'll grab my jacket!" She whispered into the phone even when she knew he had disconnected. She smiled to herself. His protective vibe made her feel nurtured. He was the best thing to have happened to her so far. She stretched like a cat as she got out of bed.

"Ma, is it fine if I join Randhir for a walk on the beach? " She hollered so Anju could hear her through the bathroom door. She knew Anju would not need persuasion. After his gesture the previous evening her mother was completely under the spell of Randhir Singh Shekhawat. Sanyukta didn't know how much it had meant to Anju to realise that the man whom she had avoided for nearly two decades still cared enough to bring a little happiness into her life. There was a noticeable upswing in her mood since last evening. 

"Our beaches in Goa are cleaner, the sand is perfect and the views are spectacular." Sanyukta declared as she tried to keep pace with Randhir. The brisk walk had warmed her body to help her face the nip in the air better. She wasn't sure what to make of the sprawling urban metropolis of Mumbai. She felt more comfortable in Goa but here she had Randhir next to her, and nothing else mattered.

"It is the same Arabian sea in a different location. I know Mumbai does not compare and hey, Goa is my home too. Stop complaining and live in the moment! You should learn to adapt, who knows where you may be in a few years!" Just after he had spoken an attractive woman of indeterminate age, who looked like she knew Randhir, stopped before them. Randhir smiled at her and Sanyukta senses reacted to the intrusion immediately.

"Hi Randhir, didn't expect to see you here! Hello young lady, I'm Sampa, don't think we've met before!" The woman greeted Sanyukta confidently and she responded as cordially as she could.

"Sanyukta's our neighbour in Goa. She's here on a weekend break to spend time with her mother. She's heading back tonight. Tell me Sampa, how have you been? Looking good as you always do!" Even Randhir sounded like he knew her well. Sanyukta was curious to know more, especially because she saw the woman reading his expression carefully, perhaps to check if he was telling the truth about Sanyukta.