It was around three years ago when he first set eyes on her. Or should he say she found him?
It was a breezy summer evening in August 2019 when Kairav Goenka sat idly by the bar, awaiting his business partner's arrival. His grandfather, Manish Goenka, sent him to Montreal to seal a business deal. In the day and age of zoom calls and rapid technology, Kairav couldn't understand why this meeting had to happen in person, let alone at a bar. The music was blaring so loud he could bearly hear himself think.
Ishq shava.. mushq shava..
khushamdeed-e-Marhaba..
He'd often lift his head and see if his guests arrived, only to be disappointed by sleazy older men snaking their hands around waitresses, indifferent to the ladies' discomfort and flinching. He'd dive back into his phone, anxiously texting to check how distant they were.
'This is not my scene,' Kairav concluded as he sat alone, like the recluse he was. He wondered what the people around him were thinking. The rational part knew people had better things to do than notice him, but he feared how easy it would be to mock him. Years later, it was just her opinion that he pondered over and hers that mattered.
"Do you want a drink?" He was playing Candy Crush when she called him. In the sweaty and loud ambience of the bar, her fruity voice shined like the sun on a cloudy day. It was sweet, like her eyes that brought him out of his phone.
Mila mila mila mila ankh milaa
Laga laga laga laga aag lagaa
Zara zara zara zara paas to aa
khushamedeed-e-Marhaba
"I-uh-no," Kairav was startled by her sudden appearance, dropping his phone on the marble counter. He felt like an idiot. But when he heard her chuckle, his embarrassment thawed.
"Don't worry, humare paas non-alcoholic options bhi hai, tumhe puri raat paani nahi peena parega," she gestured to his empty water glass.
"I don't think your enormous menu makes much difference since I don't know what to order."
"How about a Tenneyson. It has a refreshing ginger flavour that'll jolt your spirits right up. Or so I heard," she winked.
"Sure." She could've served him poison, and he wouldn't have blinked an eye. She was that enchanting. Kairav juggled his attention from his phone to her. She paired a white halter top with a black leather mini skirt that hugged her waist perfectly. He presumed standard staff attire since the staff spotted similar black and white apparel, but it was uniquely hers as the cham-cham of her payal sang through her heeled platform boots.
"One Tenneyson for?"
"Kairav," he added after a beat. He'd admit he was slow at these matters; he didn't realize she was flirting until her doe eyes popped at him, waiting for his name.
"Kairav," she repeated back with a smile. "Tum ese ladke toh lagte nahi jo ladkiyon ko tadte hain, toh phir mujhe baar kyun dekh rahe the?"
Kairav choked on his sip. "What?"
She passed him a napkin to clear his face. "Main mind nahi kar rahi thi, just a little surprised," she added once he composed himself.
"I wasn't checking you out if that's what you were thinking." She raised her brow, urging him to continue. "Just didn't expect a person like you to be working at a place like this."
"What? Have you never seen a female bartender before? I would've thought a twenty-first-century man like you wouldn't hold such boxed ideas about working women." She leaned back on the counter with her arms crossed, challenging him.
"I've seen female bartenders. Look around you. You're not the only one working tonight."
She rolled her eyes. "Toh phir? Mujhe main esa kya hai jo tumhari naazren bar bar mujhe aa jati hai."
"Tumhari kitab. You're the only bartender, nay-person, in this club tonight with a poetry book by their side. The frayed edges and the bent cover seem like it's not your first run at it."
Not to sound boastful, but she knew she was an attractive woman. Often, she banked on it for free drinks or coffee. Never had she been complimented on her intellect, though. She carried a book everywhere she went, but men focused on her pink highlights or long legs, not her essence.
Shauk hai shock se lagne ka
Saans mein saans uljhaa to zara
At first, her silence was unnerving, but then he saw her lips tip up in a smile, encouraging him. "Rupi Kaur's The Sun and Her Flowers, I think that's what the cover says. My sister tells me she's an emerging feminist icon, celebrated for her perspective on modern feminism and honouring her cultural heritage. Obviously, you have other things to do than serving self-obsessed men, so why are you here?"
"I'm covering for a friend. She had to run off somewhere, but her boss wouldn't let her until someone else took her spot, so I volunteered," she said earnestly. A softness replaced the amusement and twinkle in her eye.
"That's very kind of you. Waise tum-"
"Kairav," a man hollered from behind. It was Reyansh, his colleague, along with their investors. "We're here," Reyansh signalled to a private booth near the back of the bar.
"Coming," Kairav yelled back.
"I have to go, but can I get your name?" He turned back to find the bartender gone. He spanned the room, trying to find another look at her.
"Hi, um, the girl at the bar just now, do you know where she went? Short black hair with pink highlights, slightly curled?" He asked another server walking by.
"Her shift just ended, so she probably left. But can I assist you, Sir?"
"No, that's alright if you'll excuse me."
The meeting was tedious. As Kairav predicted, the bar was not conducive to the discussion, but at least the roaring music didn't bother him anymore. Truth be told, his mind was barely present. It wandered back to the bartender's thoughts, wondering where she was right now. Was she reading her book on a park bench somewhere? Or maybe on a stroll?
His mind kept returning to one thought - would he ever learn her name or see her again?
Ishq shava.. Mushq shava..
khushaamdeed e marhaba..
I don't know if I have two more parts in mind or just one. Regardless I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please let me know in the comments below!
Edited by Baarish_Sim - 3 years ago
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