“Good Morning Honey, I’m in your city!” A text message like this is one of the few things that can make you spring out from your cosy blanket on a chilly winter morning. She was here. After almost 5 years I was going to meet an old friend! After a long day at work, a face-wash and a perfume bath I went to meet her for drinks. It was Friday night and the place was packed, except the two empty seats at the bar. She entered a couple of minutes after, her hair tied in a bun, lugging a big suitcase. We smiled, we hugged and we ordered our drinks.

We’d exchanged pictures before, so her now thinner body didn’t catch my attention. But then she untied her hair. The curls that unfolded made me skip a beat! I’d never before noticed her beautiful almond eyes with the bow shaped brows. The perfect sized nose with that little beauty spot on the side, like the kaala tika (black dot) to protect her from evil. And her lips… Ooo… The pinkness of her moist lips after she sips her drink… Sigh!

“.. and that’s why I could only meet you tonight.” she said. Damn. I’d missed the entire conversation. I had to stop staring and start listening. This was my friend. She was here to meet me; to talk. She is seeing someone. She is straight. Taking a big gulp of my drink I got right back to discussing her agenda for the trip to Bombay.

She continued to update me on her family and boyfriend while I worked hard to maintain the thin line of distinction between looking at someone and staring at someone. Then, as if she’d realised, she swivelled her chair to face the crowd and asked me to show her who I liked. I asked her to guess and she started scanning the room.

She: The fair girl on the right?
Me: Nah. I like dusky.
She: What about that girl in pink?
Me: Too straight.  I’d rather have a girl with curls.
She: Hmm.. The one wearing a jacket?
Me: She’s half a foot shorter than me. And her eyes aren’t half as pretty as yours.
She: (mischievous smile) But I’m taken darling!

It had been 2 hours and we were getting hungry. We got out of there and grabbed a quick bite at a Café and then I walked her over to the hotel. She gave me a hug and said goodbye. I smiled (half-heartedly) and left. Just as I was replaying the evening in my head, before sleeping, the cell beeped. It was a text message from her – Meet me for dessert tomorrow night?

The next day we met after dinner, as planned, at a sea-facing café. She picked the yummiest pastry, while I settled for a latte. I was wearing a pair of blue skinny denims with a loose black top. She wore a purple dress, low enough to cover her knees, and high enough to show her toned calves and those sexy black heels. Clearly, she’d re-touched her hair and make-up before meeting me. Just yesterday she didn’t think it necessary to pretty-up for me. Or was it just my mind wandering into fantasy-land again.

It was a full moon night with light breeze blowing and the tide gushing into the shore. Thanks to the emptiness of a late week night we could hear the waves hit against those big rocks. She asked me if I wanted to go for a walk before calling it a night. I agreed on the condition that she’d stay back at my place after, instead of going to her hotel, 10 kms away. She smiled, took my hand and led me to the promenade.

Hand in hand, we walked in silence. She was admiring the moon light falling on the sea. I was lost in the smell of her perfume and the feel of her curls caressing my cheeks. The way the waves moved slowly inside and grew crazier as the magnetic pull of the shore increased. The way her dress stuck to her body, as the wind blew past, revealing the curves; teasing me.

She lifted my hand to look at my watch and said she had to leave. I insisted she come over and spend the night at my place. I’d drop her to her hotel in the morning on my way to work. She gave me the look, “you’re not going to let me go, are you?!” I smiled and we went home.

I gave her a night gown and offered to get the guest room ready for her. “But you have a double bed here that’s all ready to sleep in, just get me a blanket,” she said and walked into the bathroom. I couldn’t stop smiling, as I went to get the blanket, and then it struck me. She’s seeing someone. She’s your friend. Stop. It. Now.

She had to check email and make her notes for the meeting the next day. I took this excuse to have a quick shower and clean my body (and mind). Wore my most boring pyjamas and got into bed. 5 minutes later she switched off her laptop and lay down beside me. She saw the dragonfly fairy lights on my ceiling and said, “You really are obsessed!” I pointed towards the dragonfly show pieces on the other side. She leaned over me to find the rest, asking me where I got each of them from. Slowly she had rested her head on my arm and got under my blanket.

The touch of her skin against mine, even if it was just her toes, sent a shiver through my body. Those almond shaped eyes piercing into me. Her lips moving only an inch away from mine. I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to get her head off my arm and get out of the bed. She asked me why I wanted to go. I said I just had to. She put her arm around my waist and said, “Its ok, we’ll be fine.”
As soon as I’d relaxed a little, she gave me a peck on the cheek and said goodnight. She then turned around, taking my hand with her, making me hug her from the back. I lay there, holding her, fighting every sensation in my body. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. I won’t. I… And then I could feel her body move with every breathe she took. And my body moved with hers. It was like a wave was passing through our bodies, making us move in-sync.

“Can I kiss you?” I whispered. She turned. Looked into my eyes and then at my lips. Shutting her eyes, she kissed my lips. Then she hugged me. And her tongue tasted my lips. She squeezed me tighter and her tongue forced its way into my mouth. With every second she kissed more passionately and my embrace loosened. My hands moved around her back, her waist and her thighs. And she held on tight, sucking my tongue and lips alternatively, till she couldn’t breathe!

We drove to her hotel in the morning, listening to the radio, singing along. Just before she got onto her flight back to her city that evening, I got another text message, “MUAH”.