I MEERA I

I wake up to Karthik knocking on my door, "Meera, wake up. It's time for breakfast", he says.

I roll on the bed searching for my mobile, when I don't find it, I wake up. I scan the room for my mobile before finding it charging in the desk. I check the time, it's 7.30am.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face in the bathroom, I head back to the bedroom to comb my hair. I close the bedroom door on my way out. As soon as I turn around the hall way, I stop in my tracks.

Leaning against the kitchen counter with a bowl in hand and a lopsided smile on his face is none other than Vikram, the bane of my existence.

He's dressed in a formal white shirt and grey dress pants and a crooked tie. His feet adorned with socks are crossed at his ankles. His hair is tied back in his usual bun.

He checks his watch before looking at me and saying, "Good morning, Meera. Did you sleep well?"

His eyes rave over me, from top to bottom. When his eyes stay on my legs for a moment I realise I'm wearing my sleep shorts. He quickly averts his eyes when I clear my throat.

I narrow my eyes at him when his gaze meets mine. He gives me an innocent shrug in response. I roll my eyes before heading to the kitchen, walking past him.

"Good morning, Meera. The cereal is on the top right shelf. Milk is in the fridge. Shraddha and I can't cook, so that's it for breakfast. I'm sorry", Karthik says as he walks towards the kitchen counter.

He's dressed in a blue shirt and black dress pants. His tie is also black to match the pants.

"Cereal is more than fine", I tell him as I grab a bowl from the shelf. After eating shitty hostel food for three years, I can't complain.

I grab the box of cereal from the top right shelf before opening the fridge. I bend over to search for the carton of milk when I hear a throat clearing. I look back at Karthik to see him glaring at Vikram who has an innocent look on his face. I quickly grab the milk before pouring some of it into the bowl. Next I add the cereal to the bowl.

"Did you just add cereal to the milk?", Vikram asks.

I turn towards him after grabbing a spoon, "um... Yes?"

"You don't add cereal to milk, you add milk to the cereal. That's how it should be done", he says in a way that makes me think I committed some grave sin.

"What's your problem? A lot of people do it my way", I tell him as I scoop some cereal into my mouth.

"Yeah. A lot of serial killers and psychos do it your way", he says sarcastically.

"No, you sound like a psycho", I tell him.

Before he can say anything, Shraddha comes into the kitchen dressed in a kurta and pants.

"Good morning", she says as she enters the kitchen before making a bowl of cereal for herself.

"Good morning", I say around a mouthful of cereal.

"We'll leave for work in fifteen minutes. Will you be okay staying here all by yourself?", She asks.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry. I may head out to get to know the place for a little bit. I also need to get copies of some documents", I tell her.

Tomorrow, I have to join the university. So I need to make sure I have all the documents and other necessary items. I was also planning to go grocery shopping, just a few things to make a proper lunch. I might end up buying instant ramen instead.

"I'll leave some money for lunch. You can order take out", Shraddha says.

"Thanks", I tell her. I'm not stupid to refuse money from my sister though I'll just use it to buy groceries.

Shraddha moves to the living room with her cereal and Karthik follows her after giving Vikram a look. Vikram keeps his finished bowl on the counter before turning to face me. He folds his arms against his chest.

I glance at him sideways before shoving a spoon full of cereal into my mouth.

"What?", I ask him when he keeps staring at me.

"Nothing", he says and continues staring.

"What? And don't say nothing", I tell him.

"I was just thinking about something", he says. As if that's any better.

I roll my eyes at him.

"So Meera, you'll be here for what, three years?", he asks.

"Two", I say.

"Mm... guess we'll see each other quite a lot, huh?", he says and I know what he's thinking.

'I couldn't stop thinking about you these past three months,' he had said.

'Me neither', I wanted to say but I didn't.

Before I can say anything, he's moving closer to me.

"What are you-", I start before I see him dropping his empty bowl on the sink next to me. I shut my mouth.

He looks down at me with a satisfied smile and it takes all my strength to not wipe that away. He places his hand next to my hip on the counter before leaning in again, this time to grab a napkin. He casually wipes his mouth as if I'm not holding my breath, afraid to let it go.

"Finish your breakfast, Meera", he says as if talking to a child before moving way from me. He throws the napkin into the dust bin before striding out of the kitchen.

"Guys, I'm leaving. I have to be at the office early today", he says before slinging his bag across his shoulder. He grabs his keys and a jacket and gloves from the living room couch before putting his dress shoes on.

He gives me one last glance before closing the door on his way out. I quickly look down at my bowl before finishing it in a few moments. I wash my bowl before washing Vikram's bowl. The asshole didn't even bother to wash his bowl.

Shraddha walks to the kitchen with her empty bowl. She washes it before placing it upside down on the counter.

"We'll be home before six", she says as she grabs her bag from the couch. Karthik quickly grabs his bag from their bedroom before sitting on the couch to put his shoes on.

"We forgot to get you a spare key to the apartment. You can use mine for today. Karthi will get you a spare on his way home", Shraddha says as she hands me her key to the apartment.

I nod, taking the key from her.

"If you need anything, anything at all, call us", Karthik says, "if you can't get either of us, you can call Vikram. He'll be with me at the office. I've sent his number to you in whatsapp".

I nod.

As soon as they leave, I close the door before locking it. I place the key on the kitchen counter before throwing myself into the couch. I close my eyes for a moment, taking it all in.

I'm here at Bangalore to get my Masters in history and English literature at one of my top universities. And by some twisted fate, I'm only a floor away from Vikram, the one who's been haunting my dreams for the past three months. And it seems like he has no intention of leaving me alone. 

And the worst part of it all is that, a part of me is glad to be so close to him and that part doesn't want him to leave me alone at all. That just makes it all the more scary.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to start a new chapter of my life here. I had searched for some part-time internship positions for students with their bachelor's degree in various companies.

I haven't got a response to my emails yet. But I'm hoping I'll get one, fingers crossed.

After laying in the couch for almost half an hour staring into nothing, I head towards my room. I take out a plain white top and black palazzos. I take a long bath and after blow-drying my hair, I put away my clothes and other items in the wardrobe.

I apply some lipstick and mascara and a little compact powder.

I take my purse and place it inside the sling bag before throwing it over my shoulder. I grab the keys from the kitchen counter before getting out of the apartment, locking the door on my way out.

I take the stairs because I couldn't wait for the lift to reach this floor. I open google maps to look for the nearest subway station. It shows a station a kilometre from the apartment. I decide to walk the short distance.

I buy a ticket to Jaya Prakash Nagar station. It takes a few minutes to get there. I almost fall face first on the platform. But it seems today was not the day I say goodbye to the world.

I depend on google maps to find a supermarket nearby and haul a taxi to the store since it's too hot. I applied sunscreen but I don't want to get a headache walking when the sun is too hot.

I buy a few packets of instant ramen, some lettuce, cheese, flour, mushrooms and other vegetables. Karthik's fridge was already stocked with fruits, eggs, milk, sausages, different types of sauces and other instant foods but they were out of bread, so I buy two loaves of bread too.

I take a cab back to the apartment, thank God I remembered the address. I was too lazy to walk to the subway station.

As soon as I reach the apartment, I wash my face before entering the kitchen to make a quick sandwich. I also make a small bowl of instant ramen noodles.

After having lunch, it's almost two. So I decide to take a nap, setting a timer for 2 hours. I forgot to take my documents to take copies on my little adventure, so I need to get it done before six.

I open Spotify before playing classical music to fall asleep to. Within a few minutes, the soothing tones of the violin and piano lull me to sleep.

* * *

I wake up to repeated knocks on the apartment door. It takes me a moment to understand what's happening. I was sleeping on the living room couch. When the knocking continues, I get up before walking towards the door.

Just as I'm about to open the door, I stop. Karthi and Shraddha will most definitely arrive together and they have a key. So they wouldn't knock. But before I can look through the peephole, Vikram's familiar voice speaks from the other side of the door, "Meera, it's me. Open the door."

As soon as I open the door, I'm met with the glorious sight of Vikram in a biker jacket, and his helmet in one hand. His hair is wind blown and sexy. His eyes hold concern as he looks me up and down. The look is gone from his face when his eyes finally land on mine.

"You didn't answer Karthi's calls. He was worried, so he asked me to check up on you", he says. I must have worried Karthik. My first day here, and I managed to make him worried enough to send his friend to check up on me.

"I fell asleep. I went out for a bit so I was tired", I tell him sheepish.

"I figured. You've got bed hair", he says and I quickly try to pat down my hair only to realise I had braided it before taking a nap. I glare at him when he smirks.

"Too damn gullible. Anyways, Karthi and Shraddha will be back late. They had to go to the Sub Registrar's office to submit Shraddha's application to get her last name changed", he says.

"Oh! It's six O' clock already?", I ask him as I look at the clock on the wall. Sure enough, it shows 6:15.

"I have to get a copy of my original documents for college. The photostat shop nearby will be open, right?", I ask him. Since it's a residential area, I reckon they might close the shops early.

"Nope. Mahesh bhai closes his shop at 5", he says as his eyes take on an amused glint. I hate that look in his eyes, it must mean he is cooking up some evil master plan in that crooked brain of his.

"I'll just go the main road. Surely, the shops must be open there", I tell him.

"Sure, I'll take you", he declares as he moves past me into the apartment.

"No you will not. I'll be fine on my own", I tell him as I close the door before turning back to face him. He sits in the couch and starts taking off his leather jacket. I wish he kept it on, it was hot.

"It's getting dark, Meera. I'll take you", he says.

"Are you seriously telling me what to do, right now? Because I'm a women, you think that I'm not allowed to go out after dark?", I ask him. If he thinks he can order me around like that, he has another thing coming.

"No Meera, I'm not telling you what to do", he says slowly enunciating each word. It just pisses me off.

"Well, it sure sounds like that to me", I tell him.

"Let me finish, will you!", he gives me a pointed look when I open my mouth to say something. I keep quiet. "It's getting dark and you can't trust auto rickshaw drivers at night. Especially since you're a woman. Women are not safe after dark in this country, it's a fact. So I'm not trying to dictate you or anything. And you don't know where you're going either. You're new here. So I'll take you", he says.

Well, when he puts it like that, it sounds reasonable. He must know where all the shops are. I'll have to find the shops in google maps or ask someone if I were to go alone. And I'm pretty sure, they won't understand my version of kannada or hindi. It shames me to say this, but despite being in delhi for three years, my hindi is not at all good.

"Alright. I'll just go freshen up", I tell him.

"Sure", he says as he takes his phone out from his pocket,"I'll wait here."

I quickly wash my face and comb my hair before applying mascara and light lip tint. I sling my backpack with the documents, over my shoulder before walking to the living room. As soon as Vikram sees me, he stands up.

"Ready?", he asks as he grabs his helmet and jacket.

"Yeah", I say as I pick up my phone from the coffee table.

As soon as I lock the apartment door, we head towards the elevator. Once we're inside, Vikram presses the button to the fifth floor.

"What are you doing?", I ask him, confused.

"We have to grab an extra helmet for you. We don't want to get caught by the traffic police, now do we?", He asks as he leans against the wall, legs crossed.

Why does he look so hot leaning against the wall like that?

I need to get my head checked, lately I've been admiring him a lot. It has to stop. The doors open as soon as we reach his floor.

He leads me to the apartment no. 503. He opens the door before stepping aside to wave me in. His apartment is almost the exact same as Karthik and Shraddha's, except for the fact that he has a single couch.  On the other side, there are two bean bags, just what you'd expect in a bachelor pad.

"I'll be back in 5", he says as he drops his jacket and helmet on his coffee table.

"You need five minutes to grab an extra helmet?", I ask him.

"No, I need five minutes to get ready", he says with an eyeroll.

"Why didn't you get ready while I was freshening up?", I ask him.

"I forgot", he says.

When he sees the deadpan look on my face, he smiles, "oh, come on, Meera! I've been wearing this shirt and pants since this morning. It'll only take me a minute. I'll take a shower in less than two minutes", he says.

"Whatever, just hurry", I tell him.

He starts undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"Take your clothes off after you're inside you're room", I tell him.

"You're the one who told me to hurry", he says as he undo the last button. He takes his shirt off as he enters his bedroom. I get a quick view of his back and broad shoulders, but I quickly avert my eyes.

After a few moments, I enter his kitchen to get a glass of water. I notice that unlike Shraddha's kitchen, his kitchen is stocked with cooking utensils and vessels and stuff. So, he cooks.

Damn it !

I want to see his flaws, not things that make him more appealing.

I place the glass upside down on the counter after drinking the water before moving back to the living room. I leaf through the magazines in his coffee table. He has both fast-track and National geographic magazines.

I know what I'm doing. I'm snooping. I'm trying to figure him out. I'm looking for the details. And so far I can see that, for a guy, he is rather tidy. Atleast he keeps his apartment clean.

Soon he's back, dressed in a baby blue shirt and black shorts. His wet locks fall around his shoulders.

"Do you want something to drink?", He asks as he folds his sleeves.

"I had some water", I tell him.

"Let's go then", he says before taking a helmet from behind one of his bean bags. He hands it to me before grabbing his own. As soon as he locks his apartment door, we head towards the lift.

Soon we arrive in the basement parking. "Come on,"he says as he leads me towards where his bike is parked. He straddles the bike next to a jeep. I think it's the one Karthik and Shraddha picked me up on the station.

I strap the helmet on and climb on the seat behind him before grabbing on to the handle on the side. He looks back at me and once he makes sure I'm done, he turns back around to turn on ignition.

Soon we're peeling out of the basement. I grab his shirt when we jump over a speed breaker at the entrance of the apartment complex.

As the evening wind lashes at my face, the first thought that comes to my mind is that I should've tied my hair. I'm sure it's all knotted by now. But then the cool breeze somehow makes up for it.

Vinash, me and Remya used to go on bike rides in the evening during summer. It was before any of us got our licences. The three of us would pile on his dad's old motorbike and break atleast five traffic rules in doing so. No helmets, no license, no parental supervision. We really were idiots. It's a miracle how we never got caught by traffic police.

As we are about to enter the main road, Vikram slows down. He slightly leans back, "Do you mind if it takes some time to get the copies?", he asks above the roar of the motor bike.

"No", I tell him.

He nods before taking a sharp left once we enter the main road into an old street. The sides of the road are lined with old buildings built one next to the other, leaving no space in between. Shops selling scarves and other clothing items made of silk and muslin, spices, perfumes, dry fruits and nuts, religious statues etc are set up in front of the buildings.

I've only seen these types of settings in old movies. Even in delhi, they were more desi style. Here, it's kind of like an arab street.

I imagined all the shopkeepers coming out to say hi to Vikram and him slapping their hands with one hand while the other rode the bike. But this isn't some hindi movie. So nothing of that sort happened.

He parks the bike next to tea shop. I get down and try to take off my helmet. But my hair is all tangled up so it's harder than I thought.

"Come here", he says and I reluctantly move closer. He gently untangles my hair before taking the helmet off.

"Now you really do have bed hair", he says, laughing before patting down my hair. He runs his hand down my hair slowly before quickly retrieving it.

Somehow the action feels more intimate than any kiss we've shared.

"Come on", he says before taking of his own helmet and placing both our helmets on the handle bars. He walks to the small studio next to the tea shop. The smell of sweet tea and hot pakoras fill the air.

We walk inside the small studio to see an old man sitting on a chair, listening to the radio. He looks up as soon as we enter the shop.

"We need to get some copies", he says in perfect kannada. Atleast that's what I think he says. I only catch the word copy.

The old shopkeeper says something back and Vikram tells me to give him the documents. I hand him the documents from my bag. He says something before ushering me outside.

"It'll take atleast 10 mins. He uses the old photostat machine", he says when I look at him in question.

"Come on, Salim bhai next door serves the best dum tea in the area. They say it's better than the ones they serve in Hyderabad", he says.

"I don't like tea", I tell him.

"Oh, but you'll like this one", he says.

He leads us to one of the small tables laid