The Indomitable Heart - S1 E4
But, she has a boyfriend!
by Himayath Khan
5 min read
“Pradeep works at the race course as an assistant trainer,” Priyanka said.
“He’s a lovely guy!” she added, pausing to look away in the distance.
“You know, he sometimes comes to pick me up from work. He drops me home and heads to the race course for the morning’s track work. He’s a hard-working man and a doting boyfriend,” she said, her eyes growing wide and her eyebrows moving higher.
Priyanka continued speaking about her boyfriend and their life while Arhan smoked. He didn’t blink much like usual, especially when the cigarette was close to his face, as he still wasn’t used to the smoke disturbing his eyes. He especially liked to close his eyes when he dragged in the smoke, filling his lungs with it. However, this evening, Arhan continued to study Priyanka’s face through the tea break.
While the country was waking up to head out on their morning walks, Arhan, still fresh from his work shift, attempted to immortalise Priyanka’s face in an old hand-me-down diary that he used sparingly.
My first impressions of Priyanka, he wrote, underlining the heading.
Her eyes sparkled like the sun reflecting off a summer stream flowing under a tree, drooping over it.
He continued on the following line– I’ve seen samples of her nose in an Anatomy and Drawing book.
Her lips—
Arhan smiled, wondering as he continued to write— I don’t know if it was the lipstick or if the lips naturally pulsed, reflecting light when they moved, but they made her words shower softly. Deep red. Petals.
And her skin—I think I now understand what bronze skin is.
Priyanka. He paused, rolling his eyes, thinking.
Priyanka has a boyfriend, Pradeep. He added, stopping to rest in his chair. He lifted his head first, then his eyes followed, moving up to stare at the ceiling.
Like drawing the number eight only when it is sleeping on its side, like the infinity sign, he smiled, “Hmmm, yes!” he said animatedly, imitating Priyanka from earlier that night. He paused again.
“Nah... she made it sound better,” he said. “Tastier.”
“Mmmm,” he copied her again, smiling.
“What did I do wrong?” Arhan asked.
“Wrong?” she giggled. “Nothing, actually.”
“I wanted to see the person behind the voice, and now, I also want to know the story behind your pseudonym,” she said.
“Eh, er... what? Voice?”
“Have you never been complimented on your voice before?
He shook his head.
“Come on already!” she said, sitting up straight. “I don’t believe you.”
“No, seriously. In fact, I’ve been scolded often for speaking loudly,” said Arhan, his voice sounding low.
“Well, let me be the first to say that you have a soothing tone to how you sound. When I heard you speaking to the customer, I...” she paused.
“Er... I can’t think of the right words to describe what I felt, but I’ll be honest here,” she was fanning her hands, “I wanted to come meet you.”
“Eh, thank you,” Arhan replied. “Er, I don’t know how to react to this.”
“This is the call centre industry, Jake. I won’t be the last person you’ll hear this from.” She was giggling again. “Get used to it.”
“Eh, yes. Er, thanks. Again.” Arhan replied awkwardly.
“So, tell me about Jake Steele.” She leaned forward in her chair. “Why did you choose that name? With an ‘e’ in the end, that too!”
“Eh, ah, yes—Jake Steele. I don’t have an exciting story. I’m just a fan of this actor from a series called Remington Steele.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen that one,” she added.
“Have you seen any of the Bond movies recently?”
“Yes, I have.”
"Well, Pierce Brosnan. The actor who plays James Bond.”
“Em hmm.”
“He was also the lead in that series— Remington Steele.”
“Ooo, a fanboy story, this!”
“Yes, I think that’s it. I’m a nerd in more ways than this,” Arhan confessed.
“I think, though, that Remington Steele represents a pistol and the material it’s made from, but it’s nice to have a unique name. It helped the series succeed and, now, helps me stand out.”
“My god, Jake. You nerded on me there.”
“I think I did, didn’t I,” he laughed nervously.
“My! Would you look at the time?” she said, jumping up.
“Yes, break’s over!” he said, standing up.
“Hmm, it is nice meeting you, Priyanka. Will I talk to you again?” he asked as he began to head back into the building.
“Yes, I’m your QA. You’ll surely see me around, Jake,” she said, following him in.
The bedsheet he had hung over the curtains to make the room darker wasn’t helping him today. Between random smiles and imitating Priyanka’s voice— “You have a soothing tone,” he kept twisting and turning, almost like a cat trying to find the best position to curl into sleep. “Pradeep,” he said one last time before falling asleep.
“What da, Machaṅ?” Avaneesh asked him. “Where are you these days in office?”
“Working, Avi. Same as you.”
Avaneesh was nudging his elbow into Arhan’s side.
“Rumour has it that you are more in the canteen than at your desk,” he said slyly.
“No, bro. Nothing like that, okay!”
“Then what is it like, Machaṅ? And what is it?” Avaneesh quizzed him.
Avaneesh was the last to get picked up on his way to work and was now sharing the bench seat in the back of the Matador Van with Arhan. Avaneesh had him trapped for answers.
“Sol ra,” he said, peppering the conversation with words in his native tongue– Tamil, and continuing to pester Arhan.
“She’s a friend. That’s it.”
“Ooo, She-aa!” Avaneesh replied, teasing him. “Does this ‘she’ have a name?”
“Priyanka,” Arhan replied. “And she has a boyfriend.”
“So, what Machaṅ. Boyfriend only, no. Not husband-ra, Machaṅ!" Avaneesh replied.
“Avi, what are you saying?” Arhan was surprised. “She is seeing someone. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“O ho, as if no one eyes someone even after knowing they had somebody in their life!” Avaneesh declared.
“As a matter of fact, I’ve had a sour experience during my college years, Avi.” Arhan opened up. “And I’m not going to wish it on anyone.”
“Machaṅ, full experience you have da!”
“That story is for another van ride, Avi,” Arhan replied as the van reached the office gates.
“And, now. If you behave like the gentleman I think you are, I’ll introduce you to Priyanka.”
“I’ll be at my finest, buddy. Don’t you worry,” assured Avaneesh, following Arhan out of the van.
If you liked what you read, please consider buying me a coffee. :)
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