We have embarked on the story of Rohini and Vikram, and a super talkative grumpy parakeet – Keezo. To read the previous part of the story, click here.
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Vikram called his assistant and she brought some refreshments, coffee, cookies, and some condiments. He asked for all papers to be brought in as well, another young man came and sat next to Rohini explaining to her everything written in the documents. How the licensing procedure works and asked her for identification proof etc. The entire time Vikram was either on the phone or working on his computer, but he kept on looking at her in between his work and calls.
It took almost 2 hours to get all the documents sorted and they provided her with a token number for the wildlife officer’s visit at her home. This is one of the mandatory procedures which can’t be missed. The officer on duty will visit her home, check the bird’s health and surroundings, and ask a few questions and it will be done.
“They will provide you with a small ring to be tied around the bird’s leg, Madam. You can change it later if you wish, but I must emphasize please let the office tie that ring to the bird’s leg without any objection. The ring will have a license number which is the key point of this entire process” explained the man.
“Sure, but my bird isn’t trained and he will never allow any stranger to touch him,” instantly remembering Vikram rubbing Keezo’s neck when they met the first day. As if her thoughts summoned Vikram’s attention, he smirked from his work desk.
“Don’t worry, these guys are trained and know how to do their task, just don’t give them anything else if they ask you, like extra payment or stuff,” he informed her diligently.
“Umm… don’t’ worry about that, I will be with her when they come for inspection,” Vikram declared from his work desk. “That will be all, thanks Sameer, I will take over now.”
With that Vikram closed his laptop and moved towards the sofa where Rohini was sitting. His walk was slow and confident, she could not stop from thinking of his formidable form in the courtroom, just like a predator ready to pounce on his prey. Yet he is so patient and understanding when it comes to his inner circle.
His colleague handed over the documents to Vikram before leaving. She was thinking about what he meant when he said, ‘I will be with her then they come,’ does he think I can’t manage a simple inspection? She was mulling over her thoughts when Vikram said, “Don’t overthink, I will have to bring Krisha for another session with you, it’s just that I will plan it according to the inspection date.”
He looked at his watch, and asked “Good time to grab a quick lunch?”
“Err… I should leave now; I have already taken too much of your time” she answered in a soft voice.
Vikram brushed her reply away with a wave of his hand, “Nonsense, we are grabbing a quick lunch across the street, come they make nice sandwiches.” It was not a request, and he started moving towards the door.
With a sigh, she got up from the sofa and followed Vikram out.
They entered a small café by the corner of the opposite road, to her surprise, she had been visiting this place for the past 10 years but never saw this sheltered tiny café. The place had a nice sitting arrangement in the arcade covered by bamboo brackets filled with overgrown pothos vines, giving it perfect coverage from the street view. It has a nice vibe to it; a few tables were occupied with people enjoying food and conversations.
Who would have thought a cozy place like this in a business center surrounded by offices and traffic chaos? Somehow this place is giving a vibe of the lost era, of peacefulness. She liked the calm instantly; the entire area was filled with plants balancing the hustle outside with subtle green rustic interiors inside.
“I take it you liked the place,” he quipped looking at her with interest.
Rohini was caught off guard, “yes, this place is nice” she stated as a matter of fact.
“They make amazing sandwiches and provide all the gossip of the town,” Vikram replied with a smirk.
“Huh?”
Vikram asked her to wait and walked inside the café office, he came back moments later with an old lady in tow, “Meet Mrs. Vaz, the proud owner of this wild jungle amidst our crazy busy city” he gestured towards the old lady.
“Hello, I am Rohini, it is nice to meet you, Mrs. Vaz. You have a beautiful place here.”
“Oh! Thank you, dearie, and call me Carla, this buffoon kept the tradition of calling me by my married name even after I am single for almost a decade,” she huffed.
Vikram laughed at that statement; “you will always be Mrs. Vaz. I don’t want Mr. Vaz’s ghost hovering over me in the middle of the night, if I call you ‘Carla’, oh! Sweet Carla,” he teased her with a wink.
Mrs. Vaz swatted at his arm on that and left them with ‘enjoy your food and chit-chats fellas’. “She was my English teacher back in the school, after retirement she joined her husband’s bakery. This place keeps her alive and sane, and mind you, she knows everything about everyone, if you ask her who is the president of aliens on Mars, she might know that too.” He provided with a wide grin.
She really liked the way he was around people, fun-loving and jovial. It takes everything in her to break a conversation even if her life is dependent on that. She is a through-and-through introvert. Kaushal never had a problem with that, because either he was away from home or had accepted her the way she was. Raunak was the only one who consumes her entire quota of talking each day, except when she was in the session with her students.
She enjoys Vikram’s company, there is no doubt that it is just coming to his level of communication that makes her unconformable.
“You like your silence, isn’t it? You know, I really like this thing about you, you are always listening, and understanding and you are always there. When everyone is rushing in a frenzy, you are holding up like a pillar of strength. I really like that in you, Rohini.”
She was stunned by his words, she knows that she is a quiet person but no one has ever called her a ‘pillar of strength amidst chaos,’ his words have blown her reluctance away.
“Thank you for your kind words, I don’t know what made you say that, I am just a quiet and a very closed person, an introvert if you say so.”
“You are a quiet person, but an introvert, maybe not. I have seen you in your element while talking to kids and their parents. You are like a river flowing with information – talking, asking, conveying, and much more. I think, you are more of a ‘I need my calm more than any drama’ kind of person.”
“Point taken”
“I am honored, Madam,” he answered with a smile.
They ordered cold coffee and some sandwiches; the food was amazing and cold coffee could challenge any multinational coffee giant for their money. She ordered another sandwich to pack for her dinner tonight.
“If you don’t mind, may I say something?” Vikram asked from his seat while sipping his coffee.
To be continued…
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1 Comment
I am hooked on this. Waiting for the next part.