Nayana.

The conversation ended when he quipped in a strange groggy voice “I think I’m in love with her”. My darling 'mobile battery' turned sadistic and knocked off abruptly exactly when I was listening to that juicy gossip.

It started when he hesitantly started narrating the “Story of his adventurous odyssey’ to the “chamma chalo”, a dim lit dance bar near the slums of andheri.

Last night, he had called.

He: Nayana!!

I: Naina?

He: Nayyana……..You ought to pronounce it with some amount of sensuality. Don’t you sense that name has a 'rhythm' to it?

I: Oh, Yeah, it of course does. Nayaaaaaaaanaaaaaaa??! But who is she?

He: My soul mate.

I: Your sole, what?

He: Yor are incorrigible.You are crazy?

He asks me this question; however he is well aware of the fact that “he” is one that is crazy!

“He” is the hero, the protagonist of this story, the “sweet fella’ from namma Bangalore, and of course my great friend. To begin with, let me “define” him.

Define, yes. It is not a tough ask to do so, the simple adorable chap that he is. Adorable, is THE word anyone would use to describe him. That apart he is a funny young man, simple yet aspiring to be complex, timid yet posing to be a Casanova, happy with the status quo yet acting like a rebel. I’m not pro calling any man “sweet’, that I think makes the man less manly but somehow i can’t think of anything else but “sweet” for him. And love calling him so.

So this hero of ours re-locates from the serene Blore to the kinky Mumbai, stars in his eyes dreaming he would have the much deserved fun of his life. He takes an oath to forget his orthodox upbringing, quit his innocent living and rock the tinsel town. Knowing the man that he is, I simply laughed at his “Just wait and watch” challenge.

After an arduous month spent in settling down with the job, hunting for an apartment, learning to stand straight in the local etc he finally had a cozy weekend to spend relaxing at his new home, cleaning the stuff and cuddling up to a woodhouse. He had planned to spend the day lazing around, planned not to plan a thing.

But his friends had a different idea; they wouldn’t really let him stay at home watching a lousy movie on the TV. He was compelled to make a trip to the bar (yes of course, compelled).Little did he know ,it was a dance bar.

And yes, that is where he met his Nayana.

And that it how it all started. And where did it end?


To be continued...