The Lift

Written on Mar 10, 2003. Just sharing it at the instance of a dear friend.

=== THE LIFT ===

Rishi slowly pulled over to the curb. He rolled the glass down of his Maruti Zen and shouted over the pouring rain, "Can I drop you somewhere?" She said "Can you drop me in hell?". Rishi, though not quite pleased with the response, said "Hop in". She looked at him with those "Is this guy in his mind?" kind of look. But something made her walk over to the car window and look at him. A handsome man dressed in business casuals, sporting the kind of french beard that Amitabh goes around with these days, a cool demeanour and an enquiring eyes. She opened the door and sat in. Rishi rolled up the glass and looked at her and started driving again in straight direction.

Destination unknown and the tank half full. "Am sorry about the seats, I'm messing them up" she said. "Never mind, I was going to change them anyway next week" He said. She looked at him and then at the upholstry. It looked barely used. Is this guy some kind of affluent chap who goes with the style trends faster than the trends themselves change? Is he being more than just polite? Why does he sound so strange? Some questions that went by her mind as they kept driving on.

"I guess you live somewhere close to Defence Colony" he said.

Shaken, she said "How would you tell that?".

He chuckled and said "Well, to me you looked like you belong to the high class people around here for sure. I am driving in a general direction that goes to your place. You havent yet told me to change my direction. That makes me think that possibly my guess is right. What do you say?".

Silence.

Desperate to break the loud silence they were travelling in, he started humming a tune - a fairly popular tune doing the rounds of the discotheques at that point of time.

"So you are party hopper yourself, huh?"

"Hmmm.. not particularly, just kind of going around with my junta.. phreaking out. You know!"

"Ah, I see. You mind me smoking?"

"Yes, I do." A sly smile creeping over his face. "As a matter of fact, I am more concerned about my car's air conditioner than anybody else personal preferences".

"I guess I agree with you. I would do you a favor by not smoking. Some big deal!"

"Appreciate that." And he keeps humming along...

They stop at a traffic light. She had been looking at him for the last 2 minutes now. He suddenly feels that feeling that one gets when someone is staring down their neck. And he looks back.

And for the first time he notices her in the light of the bright lights at the traffic light. He couldnt help noticing that she was having those hazel eyes like those of Aishwarya Rai's. Her general attitude was that of "I'm cool and I dont care a damn about what the world thinks about me." He notices her permed hair, her tank tops with the inscription "What are you looking at?", a small purse in her hand - some kind of exotic variety, jeans - he would have bet on anything that they were the Levi's with flare boot bottoms. Modern. And a nice figure to go with the way she carried herself. Hmmm....he goes. Her wet hair sticking down slick down her side and back. His thoughts broken by something that she said.

"Lights are green and I suppose they taught you at the driving school to go ahead when this light glows."

"Oh Yeah. Am sorry."

He drives ahead. Suddenly he is remembers. "Oh! Where exactly do want me to drop you off?"

"Hmmm... You can drop me off on this road 2 lights ahead."

"Aww.. I would not come back looking for you or something like that. Let me know where you want to be dropped off."

"Serious. 2 lights ahead."

"Ok. As you wish."

Rain reduced to a drizzle and then stopped. Outside, it was getting foggier and visibility reduced. Rishi switched the defroster on as the insides of the car were getting hot and the window panels were all getting steamed up. She squirmed in her seat, maybe from the fatigue of partying hard. They approach another traffic light. Some cops are standing around the corner. One of them signalled Rishi to pull over to the curb. Rishi complied.

"From where are you coming?"

"I was out with my friends and am returning home."

"Are you drunk?"

Not willing to mess with the authorities, Rishi said "I had one mug of beer, but I am feeling pretty ok. I dont feel I am drunk."

"We will see to that. Please come out. Who is that with you?"

"She is a friend of mine. I am dropping her home."

A cynical smile on his face, the cop exclaimed "Dropping her home on a Saturday night, huh?"

Rishi, needless to mention, was angered at this remark. He gave one look at the cop. The cop must have got a clue from the stare.

Breathanalyzer test was done, and Rishi didnt have anything to worry about. He excused himself from the cops and got into the car.

"Why were they questioning you?"

"Ah! Nothing... they thought I was driving under influence. Sorry about the delay."

"It is ok. Does not really matter."

"Next light, I need to drop you."

"Hmmmm...Yep."

"Do you stay with your parents?"

"No. I am alone"

"I see. Here we come..." Rishi said as he slowly pulled over to the curb at the final traffic light.

"Thank you so much. It was nice meeting you."

"Sure. It was not much of a problem. You are welcome, Ranjini."

Nonplussed... "How did you get my name? I did not tell you."

"The car windows with all the vapor on it, was a nice writing board... isnt it?"

"Oh...ok. You saw my name scribbled on it... Smart...Neat!"

She got out of the car to leave "May be we can keep in touch, here's my card."

Ranjini Malhotra, Business Analyst, the card read. Rishi's mind raced to a telephonic conversation he had with his mother in Delhi 2-3 days back.

He collects himself pretty soon, switches off the car's engine and gets out. "Are you the daughter of Admiral Amarendra Malhotra?"

"Yeah. How...how...!! I dont think you are so smart to know my father's name looking at me. Do you know me?"

"World sure is small place. You never know whom you would meet and when." A naughty smile creeping on his face.

"You bet. But what is that got to do with my father and me here?"


Grinning ear to ear, not willing to believe what destiny's chance had brought upon him, Rishi said "Well, 3 days back my Mom called me to tell me about a possible alliance for my marriage. Well qualified, good family, modern society girl et cetera. She wanted a response from me. I did not know what to say, but told her, I would want to meet her first before I take any decision from my side. She told me that the girl is from this city. I told her that she can provide me the necessary contact information so that I could reach her. She did not have it on hand and said she would give it to me next time I called her. I was to call her tomorrow morning, but I dont think I will ask her the telephone number of that girl."

Perplexed, Ranjini said "I dont mean to interfere in your matters, but why wouldnt you ask?"

Rishi said "Because that isnt unnecessary. This card has it."

Realisation dawned upon her. Clueless as to how to react, she said "Ah ha! Hmmm...."

"So... do you want me to drop you at your home still?"

"Hmmm..I guess I could use some male chivalry. Hehehhe..."

Rishi opens the passenger door for her and allows her in. He gets into his seat and starts the car. "So where exactly?"

"Turn left, then third right, last building in that lane."

He drove her to her place, dropped her off at the gate. "Which apartment?"

"No. 15. See that balcony on the third floor to your right? That one."

"Ok."

"Bye, Good Night. Call me sometime tomorrow."

"Yeah I will. You better get to your apartment now. Take care."

"You too."

He saw her getting into her building and waited till the lights glowed from her apartment. He got back into his car and looked upwards at the third floor balcony on the right side. She was standing there, waving good bye. Rishi waved good bye and pushed off...

Travelling an entire stretch of the journey as strangers and parting as... what do you call them?. Some strange things do happen every now and then... thoughts aplenty in his mind. Brushing his hair in the new found excitement, he drove off from there, musing over the happenings.

Did destiny order him to give a lift to a possible life-partner? Was it pure co-incidence?

The "lift" had definitely "lift"ed his spirits up onto cloud number nine.

"Apne ko bhi lift kara dey..." Rishi sings as his drives back home.

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Comments welcome... :-)