‘Aleesha…Aleesha… Your dad just called up to say that the first list of colleges

is out,’ Aleesha’s mom screamed from the kitchen.

Aleesha was addicted to her BlackBerry Messenger and was busy chatting with her

friends in her bedroom.

‘Aleesha… Keep your phone aside. Your BBM is not going to help you secure

admission anywhere. You need a degree in BMM, not BBM. Stop that right away and

check the list on the website,’she continued screaming.

Realizing her mom was not going stop till she succeeds in stopping her, she kept her

phone aside. She looked irritated at having been asked to stop chatting since she was

expecting a confirmation message from one of her friends for a late night house party.

She turned on the monitor and logged on to the website. Simultaneously, she also opened

a separate tab for Facebook.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Aleesha was the only child of her parents. They

were Thakurs, and her parents saw to it that she was thoroughly pampered. She was

extremely beautiful, so much so that no one could ever get tired of looking at her. She

was as picturesque as a sunset on the ocean shore. Her eyes twinkled and glittered, her

lips were luscious and glossy, and they had the power to mesmerize anyone. Her smile

was enough to lighten up the whole of Kolkata. She was like a hot summer’s day which

could make one sweat. She was not a fashion freak, but knew how to carry herself

gracefully. The dimples on her cheeks could give any Miss World tough competition. Not

only did she possess looks to die for, she also had equally sharp brains which made her

an instant hit wherever she went. She was one of the toppers of her college and had

aimed to do her graduation from the dream city—Mumbai.

It was decision day for her. She entered her application number and closed her eyes

for a minute, praying for the best.

Nielsen College, Mumbai

Aleesha shouted in happiness so loudly that her mother came running from the

kitchen.

‘Yay mom, I made it,’shouted Aleesha jumping on her bed.

Her mom gave her a tight hug and went to share the news with her father over the

phone. After a long discussion with her parents, it was decided that Aleesha would soon

fly to Mumbai and take up admission in Nielsen College. Aleesha’s dream was finally

coming true and they decided to call for a short family get-together as a success and

farewell party for Aleesha.Relatives and friends gathered at their house the following evening for mocktails

and dinner. Aleesha wanted the party to get over soon because she had to join her friends

for another party. Aleesha’s dad was busy chatting with his friend Mr Kapoor about

accommodation options for his daughter when Mr Kapoor suggested Aleesha could stay

with his own daughter who was working in Mumbai.

‘Don’t worry. They say good people and opportunities meet when they are supposed

to. As you know, my daughter Tamanna is also working in Mumbai. It just so happens

that even Tamanna is looking for someone to share the apartment with. So Aleesha can

stay with her, if you agree. I assure you, it will be a safe and secure home for Aleesha,’

Mr Kapoor suggested.

Without giving it a second thought, Aleesha’s parents agreed to let their daughter stay

with Tamanna. They believed that staying with Tamanna would be the best possible

option for Aleesha since they had known the Kapoors for almost a decade. Aleesha

herself had wanted to stay alone so she could enjoy her freedom and the city nightlife.

She had no option but to concede to her parent’s wishes. Also, she was in a hurry to

leave for the late night house party. An argument there and then would have been a waste

of time, which she wanted to avoid.

After all the after dinner formalities were over, Aleesha took their permission to go

out with her friends and left with the promise that she will be back for yet another boring

family bonding over drinks. She had been waiting for the late night party all evening. It

was going to be the last time she was going to meet her best buddies before setting off

for Mumbai. After the party, she bid a final goodbye to them, and soon it was time to

head for Mumbai.

‘Dad, I have just landed in Mumbai. Tamanna is waiting at the arrivals gate. I will

call you back once I am settled,’ Aleesha spoke on the phone while bringing down her

luggage from the conveyor belt.

After collecting her luggage, she headed eagerly towards the arrivals gate. She was

searching for Tamanna when suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulders.

‘Tamanna Kapoor.’

‘Hey. I’ve been looking for you. What’s up?’ Aleesha asked with a broad smile on

her face.

‘Let’s leave. The car is waiting. I have to get back to office,’ Tamanna said in a rush,

choosing to ignore Aleesha’s pleasantries. Her cold behaviour made Aleesha feel

awkward, but she recollected what her dad had told her, ‘Tamanna is an independent girl

and doesn’t like too much interference in her personal life, though she is very active

socially.’

They walked towards the car together. Within a few minutes, the car was cruising on

Mumbai’s roads.Aleesha was trying to soak in the city. She poked her head out of the car and let the

breeze run through her hair. She closed her eyes as she felt the air on her face. The car

halted abruptly at a red light and broke her spell. Tamanna instructed the driver to put on

the AC. Aleesha glanced sideways at Tamanna to find her busily working on her laptop.

She told Aleesha that she had come to pick her up during office hours and being one of

the managers in the office, she had to be on her toes, at least during office hours.

Aleesha wanted to stop the car near the seaside and watch the sunset, but she knew

Tamanna was getting late. They finally reached Tamanna’s Churchgate apartment. It had

two bedrooms, which made Aleesha sigh in relief since that meant she didn’t have to

share her bedroom with Tamanna.

‘Aleesha, you can settle down. I have to leave for office. I will return around 8 pm in

the evening. If you want something to eat, then there are some snacks in the fridge, or you

can even place an order at the nearby snacks corner. Their menu card is kept on the

dining table. Chal bye, I am leaving. Take care.’

Aleesha listened to all the instructions and nodded in agreement.

Lying on the bed, she could not believe that she was finally in Mumbai. She had a

quick nap and then called up her parents. After unpacking, she couldn’t resist her urge to

update a status on Facebook and connect with her friends back home whom she was

missing already. She also updated her BBM status.

She dropped a message in the group chat.

I am extremely happy and super excited to be in the city of dreams. But feels like I

have left a part of me in Kolkata. I miss baba, maa, and all you guys. Before this day, I

never thought that a few hours of separation could hurt so much. Miss you all. Suddenly I

find myself thinking about my childhood and the time when I was learning to ride a

bicycle. I fell and bruised myself several times but never gave up. You all used to tease

me a lot and would make me cry until I stopped. Now I remember all the fun we had

during Durga Puja. You all stood by me for so many years which made me strong from

within. Here, there is no one yet but yes, if I get my prince charming here, I will surely

let you know. Bye everyone. Miss me and if possible, go and see baba and maa. Love

you all. Muaahhhhhh

It had been a week since her arrival, but with each passing day, Aleesha kept

feeling more and more homesick. She still had couple of days before her college to start

and all the admission formalities to be completed. It was Saturday evening and she had

convinced Tamanna, who was still not very friendly, to take her for an outing.

Surprisingly, Tamanna had agreed, which made Aleesha super excited as she was going

to witness Mumbai’s nightlife for the first time. She looked in the mirror and thought of

what to wear to the outing. She decided to wear a knee–length black one–piece dress

with wooden bangles and minimal make up—a little lipgloss and black eyeliner.

On their way, Aleesha asked Tamanna, ‘Tamanna di, you must be used to nightlife of

Mumbai by now, right?’ Aleesha was trying to be not so personal in her questions for she

knew by now that Tamanna was a bit reserved.

‘Call me Tammy. And yes, I’ve been in Mumbai for a long time now. But from the

last couple of years, if you exclude a few discos and food joints, everything shuts down

before 2 am,’ Tamanna smiled.

It was perhaps the first time Tamanna had let her guard down in front of Aleesha. Her

informality made Aleesha smile. She had made it clear to Aleesha from the first day

itself that she was the reserved sorts and didn’t like anyone interfering in her personal

life too much. So the reply from Tamanna came as a pleasant surprise to Aleesha.

Both of them had a ball during the outing, and spent some good time together at

Malabar Hills. They then went to ‘The Pizzeria’ at Nariman Point for dinner. After

dinner, Aleesha insisted they go for drinks at a nearby discotheque. Tamanna thought

about it and decided to take Aleesha to the happening ‘Thrive’ disc in Colaba.

It was Saturday night and the disc was as crowded as the Virar local train. It was full

of college students who came in to party late at night, already piss drunk. Those who say

there is a certain age limit for drinking will find their perceptions tested once they enter

this place. Thrive has an absolutely wannabe-ish crowd consisting mostly of students

trying to get a roof to hide from their parents. A first-time visitor to the place will

question if girls ever wear jeans or salwar kameez since all one could see was girls in

mini-skirts and hot pants.

When Aleesha and Tamanna entered the disc, the scene was no different. It was a

typical Thrive weekend night. Smoke filled the air and the teenagers were grooving

madly to the latest songs being played by the DJ. Tamanna ordered a drink for Aleesha

and herself. Time flew, and soon both of them were three shots down.

Tamanna got a call from office and she excused herself and went outside, as it was

impossible to answer the call with such loud music playing in the background. Aleesha

was busy dancing and enjoying her drink when an unknown guy came up on the dance

floor and started grooving right next to her. She didn’t really mind his proximity to her

since she was enjoying herself too much to bother and was also under the influence of

alcohol.

‘Hi. My name is…’ shouted the boy, trying his best to tell her his name over the loud

music.

But Aleesha couldn’t hear a word of what he was saying. Plus, the song being played

was her favourite Honey Singh number.

‘Is this your first time here? I’m quite a regular here and I’ve never seen you before.’

‘Dude, this style of flirting and starting a conversation is so ancient. Don’t try it on

me,’ Aleesha retorted.

‘So you like modern, “Yo-type” guys? Then let me ask you directly—which drink

should I get you Miss… May I know your name please? I am…’ He was about to say his

name when Aleesha interrupted him.

For a moment, they both stared each other and didn’t spoke a word. He kept thinking

What Aleesha would say. He didn’t want to miss the chance of introducing himself to,

who he thought, was the most gorgeous girl present in the disc. Her black sequinned

dress was shining in the dim disco lights and her skin glowing like a star. Her eyes had

that sparkle which was enough to seduce anyone. He already was. He couldn’t even utter

his own name after Aleesha interrupted him. He just kept staring at her. His name was…

‘Now that’s what’s called a perfect strike!’ Akash exclaimed jumping in the air

as he took the lead in the game.

He needed to strike one more pin to win. Akash was a bowling expert in nine-pins.

He had won many times before this and was confident that it would be no different that

day.

Akash approached the lane taking a 15-pound bowling ball in his right hand.

Focussed entirely at the pins in front of him, he released the ball carefully. As the ball

touched the pins, he held his breath.

*Bang* All nine pins went down in one go!

He had won the game, which meant he had won two entry passes to a disc, and that

too on a Saturday night.

‘It’s time to check out some hot girls tonight at the disc. It’s going to be one happening

night, Aditya. Woohoo!’ Akash’s excitement was at its peak.

I was equally pepped up and pounced on him in excitement.

Akash was a Mumbaikar who lived for and with his family. He was working with the

RS group, a company located near Oshiwara in Jogeshwari. He had a charming

personality and his dimples would make the girls go crazy. His good sense of humour

and style always made him a favourite among his friends. Girls especially liked him for

he was a very good cook. He was very caring and possessive about his closed ones and

extremely polite in nature. Everyone wondered how a guy like him was single.

However, the truth was that after his break up six years ago, he had simply decided to

concentrate on his career. I was probably his only best friend and he shared everything

with me, including the girls whom he fantasized. Akash was a party freak and was all

geared up for that night after winning passes to Thrive.

‘Aditya, let’s go for a movie. We can go to the disc after 11 pm,’ Akash suggested and

I agreed.

I got into the driving seat of my car and headed towards Infinity Mall.

We were going to catch the 7.30 pm show of the movie Pyaar Ka Punchnaama.

Akash took the last row tickets and I followed him inside the theatre. The hall had

many vacant seats. Akash eyed the couple sitting in the corner row. The movie began and

the opening scene itself was so funny that we were rolling in our seats with laughter.

‘Akash, this guy Liquid is so much like you. The way he is cursing his manager is just

how you do it,’ I teased Akash and laughed loudly.

‘Fuck you, asshole. I don’t curse so much. That too right after drinking tea,’ said

Akash trying to defend himself.

As soon as we settled down in our seats, Akash noticed a young girl sitting cross-

legged in the front row. He said, ‘I wish I get a girl like her in real life. She is so hot.’

I punched him hard on his shoulders and said, ‘Shut up, you asshole.’

‘I was kidding yaar. Chuck it. Look at that couple in the corner there. It’s hardly been

twenty minutes since the movie started and they can’t get their hands off each other,’

Akash said laughing.

‘Lagta hai poora paisa wasool karenge,’ we screamed which made the couple more

conscious. Realizing they were being watched, they broke their intimate stance and

adjusted their clothes.

Everyone started making ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’sounds. Poor couple! It looked like they had

had enough of their Pyaar ka Punchnaama.

After the movie ended, we decided to eat maska bhurji paav at Khurshid, a famous

eatery in Vile Parle. We were regulars at that place during weekends. It was not exactly

a restaurant, but more like a roadside stall which was open from late nights until early

morning. We reached the place and as expected, it was buzzing with activity. The tables

were set out in the open and there was a sizeable crowd in line to place an order. We

decided to eat sitting on the bonnet of the car itself.

‘Salim bhai, do bhurji paav,’ ordered Akash and rested himself on the bonnet of the

car.

It was then that I saw a girl with very loud make-up standing at some distance away

from the road.

‘Look at her. These call girls spoil this place…’ I said.

‘Exactly. And don’t call her a call girl. The high society call girls don’t like to be

called ‘call girls’. They are Escorts.’ Akash was completely against the concept of

trading your body for money, though he knew very well that most call girls had a sad

story that pushed them into the flesh trade.

Within a flash, a Mercedes C-class halted in front of her. The man in the back seat

rolled down the window. After a little chat, she sat in the car and left. Eventually, I had

to suffer and listen to Akash’s long speech on ethics, decency, and morality.

‘I agree that all item girls in Bollywood are responsible for girls being treated as sex

objects, but aren’t these escorts equally responsible for it too? They portray themselves

as a sex symbol or a sex toy. You can pay and play with them. And they can roam freely

on the roads trying to catch your attention. Because of this, even a well-educated girl,

when roaming in shorts or skirts, is looked upon with scorn by our society. But girls

need to draw a line somewhere and can’t be so irresponsible. With freedom comes

responsibility. Why is gold kept in lockers? Why do we have wrappers on candies?

That’s because every precious thing should be treasured. But why should I waste my

time talking about this? As if things will change anytime soon. Forget it!’

Finally, we headed to Thrive, Colaba. It was a typical Thrive weekend night. Since

Akash had won free passes, we didn’t have to pay a single penny. The cover charges

were covered in the pass.

‘One flame shot please,’ he ordered at the bar counter. The bartender served it with

his usual smile. I told the waiter to get me the same drink as Akash.

He lit a cigarette and started tapping his feet to the music. The crowd was going

crazy dancing to the rock music being played by the DJ. Akash was losing control ofhimself due to the effect of alcohol. But he still ordered a pint of beer.

‘Drink it on the rocks. Finish it in a go,’ I teased Akash.

Akash took this challenge seriously and finished the entire pint in hardly a minute. He

somehow tried to balance himself by holding on to my hands.

‘Don’t challenge me. I can complete any task.’ Akash gave a wicked smile.

‘As if you are a Roadie. If so, do you see that girl in the little black dress? I suppose

she is alone and drunk too. Go ask her name and talk to her for five minutes,’ I again

challenged Akash. This time, it was serious.

Akash couldn’t see her clearly due to the vast distance between them but he could tell

she was extremely beautiful and capable of hitting him hard if he misbehaved with her.

‘Are you crazy? Just look at her. She is one of the prettiest girls I have ever laid eyes

on and am sure everyone in this disc is also checking her out. Man! Just look at her. Isn’t

she perfect? I can’t do this. I can’t go up to her and talk. I want my body in one piece

when I leave this place. If something happens, neither you nor she will save me.

Moreover, I don’t have any more paid holidays left,’ Akash went on and on until I

interrupted him.

‘Loser!’ I said trying to end the long conversation in just one word.

Akash couldn’t take it sitting down now. He took the challenge seriously and started

walking towards the girl.

Though his nervousness escalated with each passing second, he approached her

nevertheless. She was looking even more sexy up-close. He started dancing beside her.

She was too busy dancing to bother about his close proximity to her. Looking at it as the

right opportunity, he tried to break the ice. He was now grooving along with her. She

didn’t oppose, maybe because she was just as drunk as him.

‘Hi. My name is Akash,’ he said in a low tone. She missed hearing it due to the loud

music being played.

He started flirting with her by asking her for a drink.

For a moment, they both stared each other and didn’t speak a word. He kept thinking

what the girl would say. He didn’t want to miss a chance to introduce himself to the most

gorgeous girl in the disc. Her black dress was shining in the dim disco lights and her

skin was glowing.

‘Only if you pay for my drink…which means I get to save on my pocket money. But

don’t try it on me, mister,’she said and they both started laughing.

‘I’m Akash,’ he said bringing his hand forward for a formal introduction.

‘Aleesha Thakur.’

Akash was mesmerized by her voice and the way she talked. He was lost in her eyes,

which seduced him to an extent that if he had been one more pint down, he would have

kissed her right there. Somehow, he controlled himself. Her touch was enough to floor

him. I was watching the entire act from a corner, which by now had transformed from an

act into an attempt to know her better.

‘You don’t seem to be a Mumbaikar. Where are you from?’ Akash enquired.

‘I am from Kolkata. I am here for my graduation. I just took admission in Mumbai fora BMM course,’she added further.

‘So you are staying here alone?’ He wanted to know more about her. All the while, he

kept staring at her. He had clicked and framed an HD quality picture of her in his mind.

‘No. I am staying here with my family friend Tamanna. Tamanna Kapoor. She is

working in Galaxy house in Mumbai as a manager,’ Aleesha said finishing off her drink.

In just a few minutes, they exchanged their BBM pins. She had completely taken over

Akash’s mind by then. Akash didn’t want to leave the place but had to. Though he had

won the challenge, he had lost something to Aleesha. He couldn’t figure out the reason

behind the anxiety he had at that time. Was it love at first sight? Akash kept smiling and I

didn’t miss a chance to tease him. Before moving out of the disc, Akash turned back and

his eyes searched for Aleesha but the place was too crowded to spot her. We soon left

the place. What a night it had turned out to be.

After returning home, still half-drunk, he messaged Aleesha on BBM. Before she

could reply, he fell on the bed with a thud and was soon fast asleep.

‘Tammy, do u remember Thakur uncle? His daughter has taken admission in

Nielsen College. He was worried about her stay and his concern reminded me of the

time when you took up a job in Mumbai. I have told him that she can stay with you. I

shall text you her flight details soon,’said Mr Kapoor, Tamanna’s dad.

‘What? Oh dad, I would have looked for someone here. You know I don’t like others

intruding my privacy. I mean I wanted a room partner but not a family friend. I wanted

someone who would live her life and let me live mine. Now I hope she is not a

gossipmonger. I absolutely hate such people. You should have at least asked me once

before letting her stay with me.’

‘It’s okay, Tammy. She won’t disturb you. She is a sweet girl. Don’t worry too much.

I understand your work pressure and all that, but you don’t have to be so stressed for

such small issues. Chill, my doll.’

Tamanna finally gave in to her father’s wishes as she had neither a choice nor the

energy to argue any further. Tamanna was of an independent nature and didn’t like to

compromise as far as her personal life was concerned. She was an introvert and

extremely stubborn. She had a short frame with a dusky complexion but her features

were very well-defined. She didn’t talk much and her reserved nature would often let

her be misconstrued as snobbish. It was only her closed ones who understood her

feelings perfectly. Her sharp features would get highlighted further when she wore

spectacles and it would make her look more intellectual. She usually wore pencil skirts

and tops with stilettos and a tightly-tied high ponytail which made her look very strict,

almost like a school teacher. She was a manager at Galaxy House, an HR firm, and had

been working there since the past one year. She lived alone in an apartment in

Churchgate.

Somehow, she convinced herself to let Aleesha into her apartment for her parent’s

sake but decided to make some things clear in the first meeting itself, so they each knew

where the line had to be drawn. She looked at the clock. It was 8.30 am. She was getting

late for office and her cab was waiting below her apartment. She took her bag and

rushed out.

As she reached the work floor, she looked at her teammates. Everyone greeted her

and exchanged smiles.

‘Deep, come to my desk in fifteen minutes,’she said in a strict tone.

Deep was an engineer in Galaxy House and worked under Tamanna’s team. He had

recently joined the company and was on probation. So every time he would get called by

Tamanna, it would make him anxious. Deep had the added responsibility of looking after

his mother and younger sister since he had lost his dad at a very young age. Since his

mom too had retired from her job recently, he was the only breadwinner in his family

and could not afford to lose his job. Though he had a fulfilling social life with friendsand enjoyed weekends with them, he had added responsibility on his shoulders and this

job meant a lot to him. He had his priorities set and was very clear about it from the

start.

He went to the washroom to freshen up and then went to Tamanna who was busy

signing some papers on her desk.

‘Yes ma’am. Any problem?’

‘Deep, it’s been two weeks since I asked you for the reports and you still have not

submitted them! Why the delay?’ she said without breaking eye contact with Deep,

embarrassing him.

‘Just give me a couple of hours and it will be done. I was about to submit it today but

got held up with some other work,’ he defended himself.

‘Okay, cool,’said Tamanna still staring at him.

He smiled embarrassingly and managed to leave. He could sense there was

something fishy about Tamanna since the day he had met her. But he kept his assumptions

to himself and never discussed it with anyone.

Tamanna turned off her monitor and rested back on her chair. Something was cooking

in her mind and it was not the menu for dinner. It was something close to her heart. Due

to increasing pressure from higher authorities in office, she had forgotten all about her

personal life and had become a workaholic over the years. All this while, she never

realized she had drifted apart from her friends and family. She could feel how hollow

her life had become. Moreover, her nature of keeping things to herself and not sharing

them with others made her feel even more alone. A couple of months ago when she

started training Deep and interacting with him, she realized she had developed feelings

for him but never told him about it due to her reticent nature. Neither did she discuss it

with her colleagues. Her feelings grew stronger with each passing day and she felt like

she was suffocating. Suddenly she had developed an urge to touch him and feel him. This

urge transformed her from a hard working girl into a desirable animalistic wild lover

whenever she was lost in his thoughts.

Relaxing in her chair, thinking about the last conversation with him, she was picturing

his body, his tanned skin so close to her that she could actually feel the heat coming from

him. His lips wet and moist pressed against hers, his left hand on her waist and the right

hand brushing her hair aside so that he could kiss her hard. Every time she thought about

his touch, it sent a shiver down her spine. It would turn her on, thinking of him ripping

her clothes apart. She concentrated hard on how his touch would feel on her body. She

crossed her legs as she imagined Deep’s masculine hands removing her top and sliding it

up over her head. She even removed one button of her top. Her breathing got heavier and

she was about to trace her lips with her index finger when suddenly she got a call on her

desk number, which brought her back to the real world.

She came back to her senses and looked around to see if anyone was observing her.

Everyone was busy with the day’s activities. She breathed a sigh of relief. She got a call

from the receptionist’s desk telling her that her cab to the airport was ready. She had

obtained permission for it a day before. She buttoned her top, went to the washroom tosplash water on her face hard enough to pull her back into the real world. It was getting

difficult for her to conceal her feelings. She checked her cell phone for the message from

her dad giving her Aleesha’s flight details.

She reached the airport and checked the flight status on the big display screen at the

entrance gate.

Indigo Kolkata to Mumbai Arrived

She was waiting near the arrival gate and observing everyone carefully. She saw a

girl looking around eagerly. Tamanna went up to her and kept her hand on her shoulder.

‘Tamanna Kapoor.’

‘Hey. I’ve been looking for you. What’s up?’ Aleesha asked smiling.

Tamanna ignored Aleesha’s greeting and directed her to the waiting car. Within a few

minutes, they were on their way to her apartment in Churchgate. After reaching the

apartment, Tamanna gave her all the necessary instructions and left for work.

Once she returned to office, she found the reports on her table. Deep had submitted it

before time. She smiled again, maybe because of the thoughts she had few hours back or

because she had escaped a humiliating situation.

A couple of days had passed since Aleesha had shifted to her apartment. She had

somehow convinced Tamanna to take her for an outing. It was Saturday evening. Both of

them had a ball, spending good time together. Aleesha insisted they go for drinks at a

nearby disc. Tamanna gave in to Aleesha’s wishes and decided to take her to ‘Thrive’ in

Colaba.

Once in, Tamanna ordered a drink for Aleesha and herself. Time flew, and soon both

of them were three shots down. Tamanna got a call from office and she went outside, as

it was impossible to answer the call in such loud music.

After finishing the call, she came inside to see Aleesha smiling.

‘What happened? Why are you smiling by yourself?’ Tamanna enquired casually.

‘There was a cute guy who approached me while you were gone. He was not bad, but

it’s too early to say anything,’ Aleesha winked at Tamanna and ordered another drink.

‘So where is he now?’ Tamanna asked out of curiosity.

‘I think he’s left. I can’t spot him either. Leave it. The night is still young. Let’s enjoy.

Cheers!’ Aleesha said raising a toast.

Both of them looked at each other for a moment and gulped down their drinks in one

go. They were so washed out by the time they reached home that neither of them

bothered changing into their night clothes. They just slumped down on their beds and

dozed off to sleep.