The elevator door slided open as a loud blaring music hit Vidhi's senses deafening her for a moment. A purplish lighting with green lasers dazzled the place with a fog of sensuous delirium.
Vidhi held Anirudh's hands firmly as they both entered inside the main party area.
It was a long rectangular lounge, leading to a large circular dance floor, with a lavish bar counter surrounding the circumference of the floor in a semi circle.
"This place is lit!" Vidhi remarked, her eyes bedazzled with the sparkling aura of the place.
"Yes. Stay close!"
Anirudh replied, clasping her hand firmly.
Vidhi's eyes roamed around at the figures sitting infront, all seemed to be engaged with intoxication... some with alcohol and some with life!
They walked past the bouncers and entered the rectangular area.
To her surprise, Vidhi noticed eyes turning towards them as they walked towards the bar counter.
"Why are they looking at us?" Vidhi asked nervously.
"Because, they've never seen someone so pretty like you!" Anirudh smirked as he ordered a bourbon for himself.
"This is like what, your sixth drink for the night! Aren't you high?" Vidhi rolled her eyes at him.
"No... That's the thing. I never get drunk."
Anirudh had ordered a mocktail punch for her as Vidhi stood at the bar counter, eyeing the crowd that danced near her.
This was like a dream and Vidhi let out a sigh.
"Do you want to dance?" Anirudh asked her politely, as his eyes pierced her heart once again.
"I don't dance well... But, I'd love to!"
"I'll teach you Miss Sengupta. I know you are an amazing dancer!"
Anirudh moved infront of her, so proud and yet elegant in his mannerism, his arm outstretched offering her his hand.
The music changed to a soft number and she saw that mischievous smirky smile on his lips once again.
Putting down her drink, Vidhi took his hand, and he led her onto the shimmering dance floor. He guided one of her arms around him and slided an arm of his own around her waist. He then took hold of her other hand, and swirled her round expertly.
"You have to come a little closer." Anirudh bent his head forward and hushed into her ears.
Looking up at him, starlight danced in her eyes, as he saw the happiness there.
Vidhi took a deep breath and inched nearer towards him.
Holding her closer, he swirled her round again, then gently dipped her backwards, gazing directly in her eyes as he did. Their moves were like a poetry.
Vidhi couldn't help but gasp at his expect movements.
He was the perfect dance partner!
Her leg brushed his, as he drew her even closer to him, and their bodies touched. She felt his heartbeat pounding against her breasts.
Tears of ecstasy whelmed up in her eyes as she sensed an overwhelming happiness growing inside her that she hadn't known all her life.
The rest of the world melted away, it is just him, her and the music, and she pecked a soft kiss on the bare visible skin below his neck.
It was Anirudh's moment to gasp.
"I want this time to last forever." He whispered.
But the music ended all too soon, and Anirudh and Vidhita still had held each other in an embrace. Slowly as their arms dropped down, they smiled at each other lovingly. He took her hand and led her out into a high table close to the bar counter, and helped her sit on the high stool.
They looked at each other, smiled, and then all of a sudden they were in each others arms, as Anirudh lifted the strands of hair from her shoulder and sent them back. She had been feeling mesmerizingly enchanted since she had danced with him, and at that moment she too, wanted the moment to last forever!
Her heart raced and her breasts heaved as her inner flame of desire burnt in a low, steamed heat, and Anirudh held her hands and spoke to her softly,
"I might not make any sense right now, but you believe if I say I always wanted you to be the way you used to be!"
Vidhi narrowed her eyes and smiled at his words.
"What I meant is, I always used to wonder how you would be... And, now that you're here, I'm happy that this is YOU."
"So... You mean to say that I matched your textbook definition of 'Bondita'?"
Her smile broadened as she noticed the dancing reflection of lights in his sparking eyes.
"Would you excuse me. I'll get us around round of drinks."
Vidhi gasped at the sight of Anirudh walking towards the bar counter, she was overwhelmed by this self admittance of inborn longing. It seems so surreal, only usually read about in romance novels, and she had read quite a few of them!
Anirudh was standing at the bar counter, and all eyes were on him. Vidhi saw how calm and composed his demeanor was, even when people approached and greeted him. Suddenly, her eyes caught the sight of that woman... The same woman from the dinner hall... Monica Sharma.
She came near Anirudh and held his shoulder, turning him towards her. Vidhi could see only his back now, as his broad shoulders had sheathed the view of the woman completely from her sight. But, then she noticed her hands, as they glided around Anirudh's waist. Her long red nails looked venomous. Vidhi felt a vape of warm air evading from her ears and a sharp pang of anguish enveloped her being. What infuriated her even more was the fact that Anirudh did nothing to remove those hands from his body!
'How could he!' Vidhi thought, but then an unknown apprehension took over her. She had hardly known this man, Barrister Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, and may be this was what he was like, this was how he had always been!
She felt an overbearing emotion building up in her eyes as she saw Anirudh taking the woman to the other side of the dance floor, away from the reach of her eyes.
Vidhi took a sharp breath.
This was her moment of truth and she felt a sudden urge to go after them.
She took the glass from the table and started to walk towards the other side, following Anirudh's trail.
The place was much larger than what she had expected. There was another rectangular area that was attached to the other side of the circular dance floor.
'It's like a ceiling fan with two blades.' Vidhi thought as her eyes searched the passage to get a sight of Anirudh.
This side of the party was rather dimly lit, with beats of techno music uplighting the tempo of the party mood. There were men and women who had hugged each other, some had buried their faces to another's neck, kissing or probably sucking the love nectar out of them.
'This is hot!' Vidhi thought, as she gaped at the sight of people making out with each other, lost in their own world.
'So this is what he had meant by an adult party!'
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder.
Vidhi turned around instantly, as her eyes meet with another unknown pair of dark black eyes, shining the the green laser of the party.
"Bondita?" The man's eyes had widened.
"Um... No. Sorry... " Vidhi murmured.
"Oh... My bad... I.. I thought you to be someone else!" The man smiled apologetically.
"So, may I know whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting?"
Vidhi frowned amusingly at this quaint way of introduction.
"Vidhi... Vidhita Sengupta."
"Oh wow! It's Vidhita Sengupta then... Unbelievable!" The man muttered as his eyes reflected a strange awe and surprise.
"So, Vidhita Sengupta, you are absolutely gorgeous! And,... You are here with? Let me guess... Anirudh Roy Chowdhury?"
The man asked her again.
Vidhi smiled politely.
"Yes. You're right. And, right now, I'll looking for him actually."
The man nodded his head gently and pointed towards a direction amidst a group of people who were making out.
"There... There he is!"
Vidhi followed his pointed direction and saw Anirudh standing against a wall, Monica Sharma was standing infront of him like a wooden doll... Stiff and immobile. Anirudh had held her shoulders with both his hands and had leaned towards her a little, as if talking to her intimately.
Vidhi felt a sharp pang of anger course down her body as her grip tightened on the glass automatically.
"So... Vidhita... How long have you known him?" The man asked, bringing Vidhi's attention back to their conversation.
"A week." She replied nonchalantly.
"Hm... That's actually quite early to know someone properly." The man chuckled, infuriating her further.
"Hey... But the way... We're having the same drink!" The man raised his glass towards her showing the similarity of the drink that she had held in her hand.
"Yaa.. my mine is non alcoholic."
"Yaa... I figured... So, you are not yet eighteen I gather." The man asked casually taking a sip from his glass.
Vidhi understood the implementation of their conversation immediately.
"No no... I'm eighteen... I... Just turned eighteen, I mean!" She quickly muttered the words trying to hide the truth.
The man didn't speak. Instead he looked at her with an intensified gaze as if to fathom some unsolvable puzzle.
"So, Miss Vidhita... How long is it that you have? Before you turn?"
He asked her.
"Turn? Turn as in?" Vidhi asked again.
The man narrowed his eyes at the question.
"Nevermind!"
"By the way, I'm CJ... And, now that you're here, I guess Vidhita, we'll keep crossing paths with each other."
Vidhi smiled politely.
"Here, let me get you a another drink." The man picked up a similar looking punch from a tray that a bartender was carrying across the floor.
He handed it over to Vidhi and gestured her to drink.
"Thank you." Vidhi said politely. "By the way... Why did you call me Bondita when you met me?"
The man's face darkened instantly.
"You really don't know?" He asked her instead. "I know that you're not eighteen yet... But...! Anyway Vidhita your man is here and I think I should leave."
He leaned forward towards her and whispered in her ears.
"I own this hotel in partnership with Anirudh. Once you remember who you are, call the hotel and ask for me... The number would be in the hotel's website."
The man suddenly raised his hand and traced a line in Vidhi's right cheek with his fingers before leaving.
"What do you mean by when I remember?"
Vidhi couldn't complete her words. The man had left already, fading away amidst the crowd.
"Miss Sengupta! What are you doing?"
Vidhi heard Anirudh's sharp voice ringing in her ears from behind.
She turned around to look at him.
Anirudh was rubbing his right jaw with his hand as if you relief himself from some kind of ache.
"Did that man touch you on your right cheek?" Anirudh asked suddenly.
Vidhi smiled at his question.
"Hey... Barrister... So... you are done? So fast?" Vidhi fluttered her eyelashes at him as she took another sip from the glass.
"I asked you not to talk to strangers... What was he telling you?" Anirudh's voice was laced with seriousness which she found unnecessary and funny.
"He was telling me that I'm pretty and I shouldn't be left alone like this while my partner is busy making out with other other girl!" Vidhi finished the content of the glass. She looked around an gestured the same bartender to come close towards her. She replaced her empty glass and picked up another refill.
"Hey... You know what... This drink is actually awesome!" She laughed and rolled her eyes at Anirudh.
"I wasn't making out with anyone... You have to trust me!" Anirudh came closer and held Vidhi's arms.
"It's fine Anirudh Roy Chowdhury! You have rescued me from the streets... And, you are not answerable to me." She smiled at him and her fluttered her eyeslashes again.
"Hey you know what, that man also called me Bondita... At times, I don't even know who I am...!" Vidhi paused to sip from the glass.
"Then again, I felt that may be... May be you love me... But, then the moment I blinked my eyes, I saw you in someone else's arms!"
"What are you drinking?" Anirudh asked sharply, trying to take the glass away from her.
"Noo... Don't... I like this drink!"
"Miss Sengupta, please know that whatever you saw was not correct. I wasn't making out with anyone. And, I can't explain what I feel for you... Atleast not now, not while you are inebriated."
Vidhi inched closer to him and lifted her feet to reach upto his face.
"I'm not inebriation Barrister Babu... Look into my eyes and tell me... Am I?"
Anirudh took a sharp breath and held her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"I shouldn't have left you alone... I'm sorry!"
Vidhi looked up at him and dived into the deep pools of love light in his eyes, as she held her hands out to him, but he shook his head and, upon standing he leaned and sweeped her off the feet, lifting her up. It was so sudden, the Vidhi couldn't balance herself, and had put her arms round his strong neck instinctively.
"Date's over... Let's go home!"