She fumbled inside the bag and took the phone out. The screen was displaying the name, Zubeen.
"Hi! What's up?" She asked, answering the call. The main office of their female security and bodyguard service, 'Subansiri Female Guard Service' was at a corner, on the ground floor of Zubeen's night club. So he did not always come to the office at the training center, only when he had to discuss matters with Nia.
"My dear Nia, does it mean that I can't call you if there's no work related stuff to talk of?" He laughed at her as he realized she always related his calls to works. Actually he rarely called to have a friendly chit chat with her. And she too never called him unless it was work.
Nia knew he did not call to ask her about the weather or to ask how she was. Both of them knew it too that she was capable of taking care of herself. She joined in the laughter and waited for him to say why he called.
"You sound tired." He was concerned. He cared for her.
"No, I'm okay. Say now." She understood he hesitated.
"Can you come over to the club? Shall I send someone to fetch you? Luhit and others have come too." Zubeen knew her work was more tiresome than his.
"No need to send anyone. It'll only take more time. Mahua and her friend are with me. I'll take them along. See you in a while." She hung up. Only then Nia noticed five missed calls from Rhianna. 'Oh no, she'll kill me. Rhi had called when we were in the living room and the phone was here in the bedroom.' Nia decided to call her back afterwards. If she called Rhianna now she would be late to the club.
It was already quarter past nine. Rhianna was not someone who would get off the phone easily. She wondered what could be the 'so urgent matter' that Rhianna called to share while she was with her fiance. Nia did not think much about that and went to the kitchen to tell the two girls that movie night was cancelled and they were going to Zubeen's club.
The girls screamed and jumped in excitement hugging each other. Who would not like clubbing at their age? They were girls full of life. Nia smiled seeing their excited faces. They were ready in thirty minutes. At nine forty-five they were on the road, driving to Zubeen's Night Heaven Club.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Arvind Saxena, his girlfriend Eeshani Dutta, Mark Adam were sitting in one of the VIP booth in the Night Heaven club, sipping wine. They were watching the people on the dance floor below. The glass door of their booth opened, in came Marshal Keishing followed by Yougal Lucas, with his face resembling the overcast summer sky.
Arvind, Eeshani and Mark looked at the man with curiosity. Yougal Lucas Sinha was famous for his impassive face and stony stare. But they rarely witnessed such dark expression on his face before. To the surprise of his friends Yougal Lucas ordered for the strongest shot when the waiter came to take the orders. Marshal asked the waiter to bring shots of Silver Bullet.
"What's up dude?" Arvind asked Yougal Lucas.
In reply Yougal Lucas shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Arvind did not press him but wondered if his sullen mood had anything to do with Nia. Arvind hesitated to mention Nia in presence of Mark Adam. Mark did not yet know that Yougal Lucas had confessed about his feelings to Nia. Except Mark Adam every friend in their circle knew the public confession of Yougal Lucas in the Bamboo Groove art cafe.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rhianna hesitated before replying to Nicholas. She cursed Nia in her mind for not picking up her call. Her phone rang, saving her from the awkward moment. It was Eeshani Dutta, calling her on phone.
"Hey Eeshani! What's up girl? Where are you?"
"I'm at the Night Heaven club with Arvind and Mark. Yougal Lucas and Marshal are coming too. Where are you and Nicholas? Come here to the club. It'll be more fun."
Rhianna felt relief at Eeshsni's suggestion. The latter's phone call was a boon in her current predicament. She looked at Nicholas and asked, "Shall we go to the nightclub? Others are there too."
"Mmmm...okay."
To Rhianna, Nicholas seemed suddenly more interested in his food. She thought she had seen disappointment in his eyes for a split second. She did not want to go to his home tonight. What if he pushed things that way? Whenever they were somewhere in private Nicholas would glue his lips to hers. Things might heat up if he was eager for it.
She needed to discuss with her friend. But Nia was not available. Rhianna needed to prepare herself beforehand. She gazed at Nicholas stealthily, his eyes lowered to his dinner plate. She hurried to finish the food on her plate.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When Rhianna and Nicholas joined their friends in the private booth at the nightclub, it became a little crowded with two women and five men. Though there were empty seat for the newly arrived couple, Eeshani got up from her seat to sit on Arvind's lap. Nicholas looked at Rhianna but she avoided his gaze.
Yougal Lucas looked at the couples. He imagined himself with Nia on his lap. But she would never agree to public display of affection. 'Yougal Lucas Sinha, wake up from your fantasy land. That woman doesn't even care about your affection in private. And here you're worrying about PDA.' He smiled inwardly in self mockery.
Yougal Lucas poured wine into his empty glass from the bottle. Nicholas watched him as he filled the glass almost to the brim. He appeared a little tipsy. Nicholas frowned. He never saw his friend drinking so much, so that he would become tipsy. Something must be wrong. He wondered whether it was business or Nia that made him drink the way he rarely did.
"Hey I think I saw Nia just now." Marshal Keising said suddenly pointing to somewhere near the dance floor.
"Where? I don't see her." Rhinna complained as she tried her best to locate the girl among the crowd below.
"I saw her talking with two girls who were dancing there. There was a man with her. I didn't see his face."
"A man? Are you sure you saw a man with her?" Rhianna and Eeshashi asked together as if they were practising chorus.
Nicholas glared at Marshal Keising as if he had uttered blasphemy. Suddenly silence invaded the five men in the booth.