2 Minute’s Kiss

“It’s pretty late in the night guys, I need to be home soon or I’ll be grounded” I screamed at the two foolhardy boys who were lazily crisscrossing their way behind me.

“Come on Meena, you’re a grown up now, stop being a wimp” Arnav, the taller, more handsome of the two mocked at me.

“She is just being her mean self, man” Nakul retorts. He is more on the stout side, but his cute charm and the sarcastic humor made him irresistible. Both of them were bestowed with average good looks, while I will not be ashamed in claiming the title of being best looking among the three with almost perfect figure and a pretty girlish face and charm that most men couldn’t resist. The men were dressed in casuals while I was wore a halter neck, blue, asymmetrical, cocktail chiffon dress.

Stepping outside the pub, I tug at Arnav’s hand directing him to the elevator, to take us out of the 4 star hotel. Its rooftop had a brewery, where we three had just spent two hours drinking different flavored beers accompanied with a good deal of cigarettes.

The elevator doors opened to the lobby of the hotel, and while I hurried my way inside, the two men stood outside the elevator having a heated debate over which football team, Manchester united or Arsenal was better.
I stomped my way back to them deciding to pull the two like kids.

“Stop it, you silly morons. I have no time to witness your drunken brawls.”

They give me a derogatory look and continued quarreling. Call me old fashioned, but I wanted them to accompany me till I find a rickshaw. Nights are not safe for women in Delhi and I did not want to be in the news as a rape victim. So I started tugging at their hands and they begin moving towards the exit at snail’s pace.

“Hi” a girl came up to us all of a sudden and greeted us.

One look at her was enough to push my pride down to rock bottom. She was beautiful, with voluptuous figure, thick black flowing hair, flawless cream skin and a brilliant smile. The red knee length pencil skirt and the black corset accentuated her curves revealing a hint of her cleavage, while the 2 inch heeled black shoes made her very well poised. She looked over 2 inches taller than me even with my kitten heels on. Her manner obviously made her look pretty drunk. She swayed left and right and in a drunk yet sensual way. How does she manage to look like that when drunk? All I could manage in such situations are the embarrassing acts of a manner-less buffoon and a drink-spilling, puking klutz.

I managed a conscious smile and when I turned around to face my friends I found them gaping at her with their mouths wide and grinning from ear to ear. Arrrgh… Could I just melt away into oblivion?

“Are you free?” she asked all of us in general and brought me back from my muse.

“Well…” before I can tell her we are busy and heading our way back home, Arnav butts-in, “Yeah, we were just done drinking our usual set of rounds at the pub and were deciding what to do next.”

“You seem like you could use company” Nakul pitches in with his usual cheesy self.

 Also read: QUEST FOR TRUE LOVE

She introduces herself as “Hannah” by offering me a handshake. I greet her and introduce “I am Meena and these are Arnav and Nakul”, pointing at each of them. She acknowledges the two with a wobbly nod.

“I and my friends are here in Delhi and staying at the hotel for three days and tonight my friends have decided to go to a party. But I do not like parties much, so I decided to stay back. I am alone at my room and a bit lonely so I was wondering if I could get some company tonight.”

“Of course! Arnav has to take away dinner for his family as they have plans of having it together. But I’m free. I’ll make sure you do not feel lonely tonight.” Nakul offered.

Blah! I could gag at his prurience.

“Nakul, did you not tell us that you have to pick your brother up from uncle’s place? You must be getting late. Don’t worry I’ll keep her company.” Arnav retorted.

“Well, he just called saying he wants to stay back at uncle’s place. Aren’t you getting late to pack your dinner and go home?”

The two start arguing amongst themselves much to my embarrassment, while Hannah turns towards me with a sly smile. I just roll my eyes in exasperation.

With her half parted red lips she leans down to whisper in my ear and I’m blown by the oceanic fragrance that emanates from her. Was that her breath or was it her? Either ways, I’m not to be blamed if I confess that I was partly seduced  when she whispered “Let’s forsake them, it’s you that I want” and grazed her long manicured finger nail in a straight line along the nape of my neck till the end of my deep backed dress, which sends shivers down my spine.

I don’t know if it was excitement or the jitters, but I manage to wriggle away from her reach with an “Excuse me; let me check what the boys are up to.”

I walked two paces toward the boys who were facing each other and busy squabbling. I put my hands on either of their shoulders stopping them from their dispute. “Guys, she is a lesbian!” I inform them in a restrained voice, audible only to the three of us. They seem bewildered, I make use of their confused silence and tell them that she is interested in me and wants me to go along with her.

As the boys stood gasping with clear disappointment, I sneak a peek at Hannah. She looked punch-drunk and swayed lightly, paying no attention to us. Glad that she isn’t looking at us, I continue talking to Arnav and Nakul. “I cannot go with her. I need an escape route. Think of a reason quick.”

“Tell her you are not interested in her.” Arnav suggests.

“I can’t do that. She will be hurt and it may damage her self-respect and force her to suppress her emotions in future, and you know how concerned I am about the LGBT community”

“Then why don’t you go enjoy with her.” Nakul snaps at me.

“Relax Nakul!” Arnav comes to my rescue after sensing my obvious irritation and panic. “Tell her that though she is hot, you cannot stay with her because your boyfriend is waiting for you at home and you are in a hurry to leave.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks Arnav” I genuinely thank him and hurry back to Hannah.

“Hannah! I’m sorry I’ll not be able to accompany you. I’m committed, and my boyfriend is waiting for me at home. I was just here with my two cousins.” It was an unabashed lie from me to which her face falls distinctly.

“Am I not attractive?” She asked with visible disappointment.

Also read: WHAT HAVE THE RAINS DONE?

“What? Noooo…. You are clearly a very attractive woman.” How could I not be honest about this? Didn’t she just seduce me a couple minutes back?

“Then why are you denying spending time with me? I just don’t want to be alone today. One year back my dog died on this very day” and she started sobbing. I felt terrible and responsible for hurting her.

I put my hands around her waist and make her wrap her arms around my shoulders. I saw the guy at reception drop down his gaze right after I caught him staring at us. Apart from that, my two friends were obviously looking at us with what looked like a mixture of disdain and concern. I signaled them a ‘be right back’ and hurried with Hannah toward the elevator to drop her to her room.

She muttered “room 405” when I asked her about it. So I supported her till she reached her room where she stood fiddling to find her keys and then again fidgeting to open the door.

I helped her on to the sofa which was the first thing I spotted in the living room. The room looked extravagant and lavish. I wondered how a girl who looked just around 25 could afford it. I disparaged my thought and asked her to take care before I turned around to leave. She suddenly caught hold of my hand with solidity unusual for a drunken person and pulled me toward her.

I slumped down clumsily, but broke my fall with my hands before I could land on her completely. She slid her right hand under my dress and started caressing my thighs while she had her left hand framing my lower half of my face and neck. I felt her breath hot on my lips as she pleaded me to stay. Was it the alcohol in my system or the electrifying moment; whatever it was, it enticed me to stay and I eased a little. She might have noticed this and moved her left hand slowly down my neck while kissing me tenderly and passionately biting my lower lip and sucking my tongue and I reciprocated it with same passion. After a 2 minute’s kiss, I broke away from her grasp feeling flustered.

“I’m late. I have to get back home” I say in my defense, still breathless (the after effects of a passionate kiss).

“Shall I come with you to drop you?” She insisted earnestly.

“No. You’re drunk. You take care of yourself” I say and immediately open the door and shut it behind me.

I stand there leaning my back against the door, trying to collect myself up. That was the best kiss of my life. I had kissed a few men in my life but nothing could compare what I felt when I kissed Hannah.

So why then did I run away? Was I a coward?

I mustered up the strength and walked toward the elevator in a state of trance and got into it, pressed G for ground floor and reached the entrance of the hotel.

I found my friends missing from the place where I had left them. I looked around for some time and decided that they had left. Trudging outside I stood in a dark corner avoiding any unnecessary attention and waiting for rickshaw.

I notice two people come out of the entrance of the hotel and I’m hoping they are my friends. But I see Hannah come out with a tall handsome looking man who looked like a model.

“Can you believe she totally bought my story?” She exclaims with laughter.

“You should stop playing such practical jokes on people for your merriment. What if she had gotten carried away?”

“Ha! Then unfortunately you would have had to go to the party without me.” She smirked and winked.

“You must be joking!”

“Yeah… I was. Or was I?”

“Okay. Now let’s hurry to the after party. We have to meet the agent and discuss about our next modeling assignment.”

They moved away to the parking and I was left dumbfound at what I had overheard.

So I had to take the brunt of a silly prank played by some bimbo wannabe model when she was bored.

What was I feeling? Offended, embarrassed, ashamed, scared, furious or happy?

Before I could find out, I woke up from my dream by a sharp ring of the damned phone. It was Nakul, waking me up from my evening nap as we had plans to go drinking tonight. I clearly understood what I was feeling now.

CONFUSED!!!!