The night was fairly ordinary. Nothing was unusual. A young girl was sitting in the lobby of Mumbai’s classiest hotel, waiting for her father. Her name was Tia Patel. Mr. Patel had been working for hours now, and his teenage daughter had not had much to do except to watch adults do their work, and walk by her, as she group texted her way to epic boredom.
She was only 18 and it was natural for an 18 year old to get bored in this corporate surrounding of his father’s office. Tia was an obedient child, so she waited. She looked at her watch and sighed “Great it is 7pm. My night is ruined.” What the hell am I supposed to do?
Ten minutes later, God was kind enough to send an answer to her query. A young boy entered the office and sat at the bench next to her. Tia immediately became conscious and sat straighter. She did not think it was some kind of a game to talk to her as it was the only available one. In fact, he did not even notice her.
He just looked through me.
He took out his sky blue head phones and started to listen to music. She glanced through the corner of her chocolate brown eyes to look at him.
He must be 20 or 21. I should talk to him. No. He did not even look at me.
After pondering for a few minutes, she fondled her black silky hair in disappointment. She concluded that she was wasting her time with this blue eyed cute boy. It was a shame coz he was so adorable with his specs and his boyish aura but he lacked the people skills.
Only if he was a bit out going and talked to me
She started to text chat with her friend and in the middle of replying a text, she heard the song that the boy listening to. It seems surreal coz this was her favourite song too, and it was that kind of song which when you listen, you forget everything and just fly away to your imaginary world.
She suddenly said “I love the song.”
He turned towards her and tried to put down his headphones, but he fumbled with them and said “What?”. She smiled, almost laughed and said “I loved this song…Khuda Jaane. It is from….”
“Bachna Ae Haseeno” He completed the sentence.
He is so nervous
Warm, surprise and delighted- the boy was going through a cocktail of emotions. He said “I am sorry. I am Dip. I did not hear you.”.
“I am Tia.”
They shook hands and started to chat, they smiled, giggled and chatted about their weird taste about Astrology and Zodiac signs.
I never met someone who likes zodiac signs. This is so uncanny.
They had a chemistry that even they did not understand. Tia could not believe her luck while Dip thought she was an angel. Finally, their conversation reached the point where the boy has to ask for girl’s number or ask her out.
Come on! Don’t be shy. Ask my number
He then awkwardly said “Would it be appropriate if I ask you for your number?”
and nervously bit his lips expecting a negative answer
Tia chuckled and that made him blush which turned his cheeks apple red.
She said “No..Not at all” She gave her the number.
“Now my phone is my most precious possession.” Dip said pointing at his Nokia 3315 mobile.
He has certain sense of humor
“So..I’ll call you” Dip said.
“I’d love that.”
But they would never do that. They would not be given a single chance. All the things that they would have had shared together turned to ashes. Tia would never see her father again and neither would meet again with Dip coz by 9.34 pm, reality would be shattered.
IT WAS 26TH NOVEMBER,2008 WHEN TAJ WAS ATTACKED
