I could see the lights. The clubs and the pubs. Could see people. People of all sorts. Queuing outside every club as we drove by.
"You seem rather puzzled sir." he looked at me from the rear view.
He wasn't even British. The accent gave it away. Why would one use the English accent if one wasn't good at it?
"I'm fine." He kept looking, making me more nervous. Why was I given a gun? I am still running my fingers across the barrel (I have no idea why).
A timid and harmless person like me plus a gun is equal to confusion, and fear and confusion again. I don't even like killing an insect, for a start. I had bought an insect spray today though. My cubical gets invaded by mosquitoes at the end of every winter. Plus the pilled up files on my table make a good hide out. Thanks to Mr. Singh, our branch manager. He never really liked me. I remember gaining senses hearing the thud of the files he'd put on my table every morning. I've heard people complaining about the delay in the paperwork. Thanks to people like me. We're bankers afterall.
One afternoon, "Can't you just give me some meds and put me to sleep?" THAT desparate I was. Of course I knew what he was going to say, "You just need a long natural sleep." That's one of the reasons why I didn't like my doctor. I stood staring at the street that night from my studio apartment on the 7th floor. It was what, 2? or 3 in the night? It was a safe street on which I lived and you could hardly spot any cars that late in the night. As I was just about to nod off, she happened to me. The knocks were as loud as bullet shots on my door. The peephole showed a woman. A beauty. She walked in as if it was her own place.
I was almost gonna call the cops when she started speaking. "I am a figment of your imagination." I dialed 100 and pressed the green button. "It's dead." How does she know?
"Was just fooling around. I am Anamika and i am just too drunk to explain anything as of now. Do you have any aspiri..." and she faints on my bed. She was wearing a black one piece. I don't know what I had to do. So I waited till she woke up the next morning.
"Where am i?" she looked at me with her hand comforting her temple. I knew that head ache. "You're safe," I said "luckily." She stood up all puzzled. "Here, have these." she gulped the aspirine real quick. She just walked towards the door, looked back at me and said "I don't believe in luck. Everything happens for a reason. Bye." She closed the door behind her while I was having my green tea at the kitchen counter.
I had just stepped out of my office building that evening. There she was in a red leather jacket and cowboy boots.
"Look, I'm really sorry for last night and this morning." that look on her face.
"You've been stalking me?"
"No, you're getting me all wrong. I asked your neighbours about your workplace."
I admit i had been living in the building for 4 years now but I bet no one even knew my last name, let alone my workplace. No one really cared.
"That's alright." walked upto the parking lot and was figuring out where I had parked my car.
"So you free tonight?" i heard her behind me.
"What are we upto?" I'm not a very party/clubbing/drinking person.
"Coffee, just some good coffee. You're place?"
"Sure!"
What the hell was I thinking? I invited an unknown girl over for coffee. That's so un-me! Maybe it was that charm she rubbed in my face. Those irresistible beautiful eyes.
"See you at 8 then?"
My mind: "No bad idea. The 'Sure!' just happened to slip out of my mouth. I didn't mean it!"
My reality: "Umm... okay."
"See you later, alligator!" I heard her cowboy boots making their way out of the parking lot.
I was busy aiming my car keys in every direction and pressing the unlock button when I realised I had taken the bus today. Bloody me.