‘Right
or Left foot to put first,’ Ashmi tried to figure out. ’ ‘Come on girl, now you
should get hang of these. They have been here for quite a while,’ she
reprimanded herself, as onlookers at Ambience Mall looked at her, as if she has
just landed from Mars. While she was still debating on which foot to put first
on the escalator, Mathias held her hand tightly and made her jump on the
elevator. She had mustered courage even after their first date fiasco to meet
him.
As
the stairs of elevator started to go up, Mathias protectively wrapped his arm
around her shoulder, so that she felt safe.
Ashmi allowed herself to inhale the delectable scent of his cologne
mixed with Bodyshop body wash. She thought of the umpteen times she had gone to
this mall with Akhil. Akhil and kids would jump on the escalator while she
would be left alone to struggle with her fear of stepping on it. Many a time
she would close her eyes and deep breathe, before she would step her foot on
it. But, the fear would return all the time whenever, she had a chance to jump
on the escalator. Finally, after months
or years of morbid struggle, she gave up and would take the elevator, because
it was too hard to bear the jibes from kids or Akhil.
As
per the plan, they had to watch a movie at PVR and Ashmi had the printout of
ticket with her, which was bought online.
‘You
wait, I will get the tickets,’ Mathias offered.
‘Sure!’ she insisted.
‘I
can do that, I am in the habit of doing it all the time, whenever we watch
movies,’ she said with a lopsided smile.
‘You
are on a date, baby, enjoy. The pleasure is entirely mine,’ Mathias said with a
tilt of his neck.
Ashmi
felt special. It had been quite a while, she felt like this.
‘What
would you like to have? Popcorn, tortillas, coffee, tea, or Pepsi?’ he asked.
She felt spoilt.
‘Shall
we not just watch the movie? Anyway, they are going to take the order inside
and they will serve welcome drink too?’ she spoke from experience.
‘You’ve
been here before,’ he was curious.
‘Yes,
I have, now let’s go inside,’ she suggested.
Mathias
and she walked together. His six foot frame towered over her. Her feet encased
in gladiators that added nothing to her height, make her look petite as usual.
Mathias guided her towards the corner seat. Ashmi looked at him with a
quizzical expression.
He
grinned, his usual boyish grin.
‘You
can lie down on these seats,’ he exclaimed. ‘I have never been to PVR Gold
before,’ he said.
‘You
and I have come together to celebrate your birthday and you deserve the best on
a birthday which is only for me, hence it is all the more special’ Ashmi said
with an expression infused with honesty.
Mathias
liked this about her. She was honest and would appreciate or criticize right on
the face, though she gift wrapped criticism as ‘feedback’. He smiled once again
reflecting on it.
‘What
happened?’ she enquired.
‘Nothing, baby, just relax,’ he soothed her.
You act so kiddish, he thought and smiled once again. ‘Hey..share the joke,’
she reprimanded.
‘Later, focus on the movie at the moment,’ he
reminded her once again.
The
credits of the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
rolled as they got snug inside the blanket. It was chilling inside. The
attendant got apple juice in tall glasses. Instinctively, inside the blanket
his hands groped for her and held it tightly.
He began to suck on one of her fingers between sipping apple juice.
Tremors ran through her. She shoved him gently with her elbow to stop it. He
looked at her sternly and whispered, ‘Enjoy the moment baby. She
surrendered.
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