The first date....(part 2)

Arun's father now slowly began to piece together his son's maniacal drive for cleaning his bike with the balcony door. He turned back expecting his son to be shamelessly ogling at the girl but by then Arun went into the house to escape his father's attention. Cleaning the water tank was not the foremost thing on his mind right now, his grey cells were now working overtime to recollect marriage broker Paramasivam's number. The first thing that he was going to do on getting back from the tea stall was to call Paramasivam and the next thing on his agenda was to clean the darned water tank.

Arun resurfaced out of his house as soon as he saw his dad turn the corner of the street to the tea stall. If not for his mom, all his hardwork over the last weekend would have gone waste. Arun had to admit that his mom making horrible tea had its own advantages. Arun's father was used to having really good tea at the college canteen for the last 30 years. His first post retirement day started off on a very bitter note with a cup of his wife's steaming concoction and she even came up with a fancy name for it- "Tea". Ever since that day Arun's father didn't mind walking to the tea stall in the adjacent street for his morning cuppa.

Arun resumed his weekend chore of ocassionally cleaning the bike while stealing glances at Priya who looked absolutely ravishing in a spotlessly white chudidhar. Arun was now wondering how he was going to make his first move. Would it be wise for him to call out her name and wave a hi? What if Ambujam aunty decides to waltz in while he was chatting with her? Just as Arun was working out the different permutations and combination of how the scene might unfold, Priya opened the gate with a letter in hand and was walking towards him. Arun was now shamelessly ogling at her. Priya flashed her trademark Julia Roberts smile and Arun somehow managed to mutter a hi.

Priya: "Hi(with the smile still intact), The postman dropped this in our house, but Ambujam maami told me that this person...uhhh (looking at the label on the envelope) Mr.Krishnamurthy lives in your house."

Arun: "Oh yeah, thats my dad. Thanks for dropping it by."

Priya: "No problem. Interestingly, the from address has Karan Johar written on it."

As Arun didn't know a word of Hindi, the name Amitabh Bachhan didn't mean much to him and so quite understandably Karan Johar just drew a blank look from his face.

Priya: "You don't know Karan Johar, the director, the guy who made Kuch Kuchh hota hai?"

Arun: "Oh...Oh that Karan..yeah ofcourse I know him. That's like my all time favourite movie."

Priya: "Yours too (the smile was getting wider and wider)"

By now Arun wouldn't even mind saying that Karan Johar was his third cousin if it could make her smile.

Priya: " It couldn't be the same Karan could it? "

Now this was tricky and Arun didn't want to complicate things by lying again. He now had to google Karan Johar to find out who the guy was and rent the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai DVD (with English Subtitles). The last Hindi movie he saw was Kamasuthra and that too because they didn't release the tamil dubbed version on DVD. And, the movie before that was probably Aasthaa.

Arun: " Uh...no I dont think so. Do you know the Tamilnadu Under 15 softball team captain is also Arun Krishnamurthy? We Indians have a small pool of names to choose from I guess."

Shit, now why did he have to screw things up by talking about the softball team captain and that too under 15. He somehow had to regain lost ground. All he needed was an opportunity.

Priya (a little perplexed): "Oh is the kid that famous?"

Arun: "Uh not really. Its just that..uh.uh...." (Arun couldn't think of anything to say and Priya constantly looking at her watch was not helping him one bit)

Priya: "I better get going, I have been trying to get tickets to Kal Ho Na Ho for the whole of last week, let me try my luck today. Probably I should just buy it in black."

Ah, Arun could see a glimmer of hope here.

Arun: " Oh what a coincidence, I happen to have two tickets for the matinee at the Satyam complex and my friend bailed out on me in the last minute. You could come if you want to."

Arun, just took a chance with Satyam. Mostly all the Hindi movies run there. Arun was desperately hoping she would say yes. But if she did he would have to shell out atleast 300 bucks to get decent tickets in black.

Priya (this smile was so wide that could even make the National Highways blush) : "Oh I would love to. Thank you so much. I will be in Satyam at 2:30pm. Is that okay?"

Arun was thanking the heavens once he heard that but he was not quite finished yet.

Arun: " I could give you a ride to Satyam, we are after all neighbours."

Ashok (Ambujam Aunty's son) would have burnt him alive if he'd heard that. Arun made Ashok cough up 35 bucks for petrol last week when they went to Mahabalipuram. He still remembered himself saying "Machaan, petrol is petrol is petrol. I don't even give my mom free rides" to Ashok.

Priya: " Oh that would be super. So I will come to your place at 2:20."

Arun could see his dad with the paper in hand at the corner of the street. He had to get into the house as soon as possible.

Arun: "Uh...my house...no..no"

Priya: "Ok then you can come to my house."

His dad was anyday better than Ambujam aunty. He could imagine Ambujam aunty giving a brief character sketch to Priya once she comes back from the theatre or even worse before they start for the movie.

Arun: "How about meeting at the Kwality ice cream store behind your house at 2:20. I have some work in Harrington road so I could just pick you up on the way."

Priya: "Kwality 2:20 sounds good. Thanks once again"

Arun cannot afford to wasteone more minute. He knew his dads eye sight has been failing offlate but 75 feet is still a big risk.

Arun: " No problem. We are after all neighbours."

Priya:"See you."

Just as Priya went into her house his father was 25 feet away from him still face stuck to the paper. Phew that was close.

Arun's dad folded the paper neatly and put it on Arun's bike.

Dad (looking at the letter in Arun's hand):"Hmm...did the postman again drop off the letter at the opposite house."

Arun (nervously): "Yes Pa. I think he is new and still not used to the house numbers."

Dad: "Hmm yeah. So did she just give this one letter?"

Arun (sweating): "Who pa? Ambujam aunty...."

Dad: "And since when has Ambujam aunty started wearing White chudidhars?"

Mr. Krishnamurthy was just letting him know that he might be old but he still hasn't lost his touch. Arun had to admire his dad, there were not many 60 year olds who are still sharper than their 25 year old sons. Damn, 75 feet and still good.

Arun(defeated look): "Yes pa, just the one letter."

Arun's father took the letter from Arun.

Dad: "Good. So Arun, have you finished cleaning your bike?"

Arun: "Yes pa."

Dad: "Ok can you give me your mobile phone I need to make a call to Paramasivam and after that we can start working on the water tank."

(to be continued)