Ruby Tuesday

The trainer was drawing figures on the whiteboard while I was lost in the screen of my monitor. It's been an hour since I received that email selling me Viagra, into my spam folder and there has been no activity in my mailbox since then. Somehow, refreshing the page seemed more interesting than paying heed to the trainer. After a few futile attempts, the inbox showed one against it.

A chain mail with a picture of Ganeshji, waiting to be forwarded to ten friends within ten minutes, else it will bring me bad luck. Since when has Ganeshji started tracking my emails, I thought, cursing Rahul for forwarding it to me. There was a strange pleasure that I felt, scrolling up and down, without any reasons, any logic. I noticed an email address by the name of Heena Sachdev in the heap of names of all those good children of god who will go to heaven now. My boredom made me compose a mail addressed to the email address I just happened to pick out of hundreds of other possible addresses.

"Hi! How are you" was followed by a couple of mails exchanged and on one fine day, hesitatingly, I asked for her mobile number, which she obliged me with. Her voice was as hundreds of chimes being kissed and caressed by wind, full of youth and life. I fell in love with that voice. Our conversations graduated from minutes to hours and this is when I came to know that she is in same city I am in, Bangalore. There was no track of time when I was in her company, though over the phone only and then we decided to take it one step ahead. And thankfully, it was gradual this time.

Something near MG Road seemed a sensible option since our places were at the opposite ends of the diameter with MG Road at the center. Ruby Tuesday, she said, on Church Street, nice place with good food and soothing ambiance, let's meet up for a dinner this weekend. I checked my appointments record, even though it's been a week since I shifted to this city and didn't know anyone in town, even though the only companion I had for my weekends was my newspaper. And hence, Saturday was on.

My gaze was locked at the bunch of orchids placed esthetically in the middle of the table. Are you a non-vegetarian, she enquired, and this is when I noticed her details for the first time. Luscious long locks, a pair of tender lips, ample bosom but the cherry was those hazel eyes with a tinge of kohl at the rims. Her pink top was complementing her fair skin tone. As we sat there chatting, the band was playing soft melodies from the 80s.

I finally succumbed to the aroma from the bar which had been inviting me for quite some time now. "If you don't mind, can I order a drink for myself", I asked shamelessly. Yes, please, she replied, this is what I like about drinking that it doesn't bother the one who is accompanying the one who is cherishing it. I hate smoking and I hate smokers. “Waiter, get me one large Jack Daniels with ice, no cold drink, no soda. Adulteration mars the taste of the real thing”, I chuckled.

"You won't find an auto-rickshaw here at this time, it's already thirty past one, I have a bike, let's go to Central”, I offered. But the auto-rickshaw prices were exorbitant because of the time factor involved. Can I stay at your place for the night, I'll leave tomorrow morning. Its just one night, I hope you can adjust. “I have a small room with a single bed and I stay alone, if its ok with you, I don't mind”, I replied.

While driving back to my room, I bought one more quarter after taking her permission. “I am not feeling sleepy, turn on some music if you like”, she said. Gulping down pegs after pegs, the conversation that followed was the most interesting time I had spent in Bangalore so far. Was it liquor or was it her company, I wasn't sure, but things started to heat up and the next moment, we were in each others' arms. We made love like there is no tomorrow. Should I term it as love or should I refrain it to sex was the question. But that didn't matter at that time.

It's been a month now since we first met. Every weekend was the same, a dinner at Ruby Tuesday followed by mad, passionate sex sessions. This time, she wanted to taste the whiskey which, to my surprise, she liked. Two quarters this time, she said and I nodded. It must have been something around three, after multiple shots of alcohol and sex, the sweat dripping down our skin, when I told her that I've started liking her.

What the fuck are you talking about, she shouted, jumping out of bed. And the whole effect of whiskey went kaput. “I have sentiments for you, I have started liking you”, I uttered. How can you even think about it, who are you. Do you know, my father is a retired colonel from the army. My mother owns a newspaper in Hyderabad, do you know how large her social circle is. And what family do you come from, your father is a grocer, a petty grocer. "But what is this if you don't love me, what are we doing here”, I barked.

Its all lust baby, you want sex, so do I. The only difference between us is that you are a guy and I am a girl. I can't stick to one person for more than a couple of weeks, I need to move on. It's just a fling, a game, a game in which you are rewarded with fun and sex, no strings attached. Now you've ruined my mood, get me some whiskey. “It's all over for us now, I don't want to see your face anymore”, I said. You are my guest, so stay here tonight. Tomorrow I'll drop you to wherever you'll say.

Drop me to Ruby Tuesday ….