Five-Thirty AM - XIX

Noel stepped out of the massive green painted doors of the sound stage where he’d been shooting. It was mid-morning, and he was ready to take a break. Dev, however, told him that a group of fans were waiting to meet with him. So now he made his way out of the door, grumbling to himself about Dev’s high-handed ways when it came to dealing with his, Noel’s time.

He plastered on a bright smile as he came around the corner and saw the group of girls, all in their late teens and early twenties at best. All of them had huge smiles on their faces, their delight at seeing their favorite actor shining on their bright faces.

He didn’t mind doing this, to be honest. These were the people who made or broke their careers. It was their love that kept the interest going, and he was grateful to them for that, and he felt owed them this.

They asked for his permission to take pictures, and he gladly posed with them, accepting the gifts they handed to him, cards, flowers and sundry gifts all of which would make their way to his dressing room or his home. He was signing autographs when he noticed the gates to the compound swing open and a car drive through. He couldn’t make out the driver, but he figured that anyone the guards let through would be someone that was expected by someone on the sets.

The driver sat in the car for a minute before opening the door. He looked over as a floppy hat come into view. A hat he recognized easily, because he’d bought it in Ruidoso!

Mitul!

She’d been in India over a week, and hadn’t called. He hadn’t spoken to Joyce either. Now out of the blue she was here? He couldn’t control the feeling of elation that burst in him as he looked at her. He wasn’t even aware that he wore his heart on his face. He smiled as he turned to look at her.

At that precise moment, one of the girls took a snap. It was a closeup. His eyes gazing into the distance, a smile on his face, lips slightly parted - a smile full of genuine pleasure, the green eyes alight with love. That picture would go viral on Twitter and Facebook and online forums, and female fans around the world would be going ‘Hai!’ and ‘Thud!’ and ‘I Heart Noel’ when they saw it.

But the woman for whom he’d smiled seemed not to notice him standing there.

Noel excused himself from the group, but it was at least a minute or two before he could finally leave. She had already gone inside. He followed her in, and looked around. She was nowhere to be found. Letting out a breath of frustration, he turned as the director called out to him.

She was sitting in Noel’s dressing room. The one room that afforded a modicum of privacy on the set. She had seen Noel standing there surrounded by a group of girls, seemingly basking in their adulation. That’s when she’d put on the hat before stepping out of the car. She’d missed the smile, the brim cutting off her view. She had looked around for Dev as he’d asked her to come here today, instead of the office. Noel was shooting for only a part of the time, but he was required on the sets, and they could fit the interview in between shots, he’d said.

A worker bee had met her inside, and led her to Noel’s dressing room, which was where she was when Dev finally walked in.

‘Hey, Mitul,’ he held out his arms to her and they hugged. ‘It’s been a long time!’

‘Yes, it has, Dev,’ she laughed up at him.

‘How have you been? and how does it feel to be back home?’ he asked.

‘I’ve been good, and it feels great to be back,’ she smiled.

‘Well, I’m sure India is glad to have you back, too,’ he grinned mischievously at her, the meaning behind his words clear.

It was at that moment that Noel entered, having finally found out where she was. The room suddenly turned awkward.

‘Hi,’ his voice like raw silk over her skin.

‘Hi,’ she said softly, awkwardly.

‘I’ll leave you two to get on with it,’ Dev said, and then bit his tongue at the double entendre as they both did a double-take. ‘I mean, I should really be getting along,’ he corrected and rushed out of the room, shutting the door behind him before he burst out laughing at his own slip. Talk about a Freudian slip! he thought, chuckling to himself.

Inside Noel, gestured towards the chair, ‘have a seat.’ He was glad of the makeup on his face that hid the heat he could feel rising into it. Mitul, he could see had turned darker too. Somehow, that made him feel a little better.

He sat down on another chair and then asked, ‘how come you’re here?’

‘Dev asked me to come. We were supposed to meet this afternoon, and then, he called and said your shoot would carry over, so why don’t I come here instead?’ she rushed into her explanation.

Noel nodded. His eyes were hooded as they searched her face. ‘How have you been?’

‘Good,’ she said, looking around the dressing room. ‘And you?’

‘Never been better,’ he said deeply, letting her understand what he meant.

‘This is a nice room!’ she responded, with a bright smile.

‘Yes. It is,’ he dismissed it. ‘Look, you can come and wait on the sets. I have to do a few more shots, and then I’m free. Can we do lunch?’

She swallowed and nodded.

‘Great,’ he said.

A knock came on the door. The Assistant Director was calling Noel in for the shot.

He stood up, holding out his hand for her to stand up too. She took it, and stood up. Swooping down, he planted a soft, lingering kiss on her cheek and watched with a smile as her eyes opened wide as she gazed at him. So she wasn’t unaffected as she wanted him to believe! Good! He dropped her hand, and turned away to the door.

‘Let’s go,’ he held the door open, not giving her a chance to think.

She walked out woodenly, silently following him to the set. Her mind was in a whirl. She’d thought that with all that had happened, Noel would keep his distance. It would be easier to walk away from him. But this kiss! She touched her cheek, which for some reason was hotter than the other one. It seemed like he hadn’t gotten the message!

Or was it that stupid, stupid phone call she’d made? What had she said? She couldn’t remember anything of it. Anything at all, other than his husky chuckle.

She had to make him understand. This ... this ... thing whatever it was between them, wasn’t going to go anywhere. The sooner she nipped it in the bud, the better for her. He could find someone else to spend all his time with. Someone from any of those girls that always were around him, or that actress that he was with - from his new serial! He could have his pick of women. He should just leave her alone! She didn’t need a pain like Noel in her life.

****

Noel had insisted on driving them to lunch in her car. Dev would drop his car off at his place later. He drove steadily, one hand on the wheel, the other on the gear.

Mitul sat baffled at the man next to her.

One minute he was coming on to her at the studio.

Then he’d left her sitting on the sets while he worked. He was focused, listening carefully to the director’s words, before facing the camera. From what she understood, he didn’t have much dialogues to say. All he had to provide was reaction to the cues he was given. He didn’t complain when one particular shot required quite a few takes, instead walking aside, head down, focusing on how he would do it, before facing the camera again.

She hadn’t joined him in the dressing room as he changed before they left for lunch.

And somewhere in between, Mitul realized, he had become the calm, collected colleague that she’d wanted him to be.

The only time when he’d let slip that persona was when they had reached her car.

Mitul being short, had had to raise the driver’s seat to the highest point to be able to see out of the windshield. She’d gotten into the passenger seat as he struggled to fit his frame behind the wheel.

Noticing how the steering wheel almost crushed his lap, he’d looked ruefully at her, and said, ‘what are you trying to do? Castrate me?’

She’d choked before she was able to reply, the heat coming off her ears, ‘have you seen how, how vertically challenged I am?’ She gestured to herself.

He had settled himself into the seat and said, ‘I know,’ very softly, ‘just how vertically challenged you are,’ allowing his eyes to take in the full length of her vertically challenged self.

She’d turned away, fighting to stem the heat rising in her cheeks. After that one exchange, however, he’d reverted to a polite, almost formal persona. His topics of conversation were impersonal, his voice and manners impeccably polite. In short, he did everything he could do make her feel comfortable.

All it did was make her feel confused!

To take her mind off her confusion, she had been looking out of the window, trying to figure out where she was. ‘Where are we?’ she asked. She didn’t recognize anything of the area they were passing by.

‘Almost there,’ he said.

She frowned. This did not look like a place where you’d find a restaurant. It was more like a residential area, tall apartment buildings, playgrounds, and parks were on either side of the quiet tree-lined street. She glanced at him, but he was paying attention to his driving. Soon, he pulled up inside the gates of what looked like an apartment complex and deftly parked the car.

He got out, and led the way into one of the high-rise buildings. Her heart was racing uncomfortably fast now, knowing that a restaurant was the last place they were going. She could almost guess where they were, but she wasn’t going to open her mouth and ask about it, as if somehow, that would make a difference to the answer.

They got off the elevators at the tenth floor - the topmost floor. With only four doors facing them, each was a corner apartment. He rang the doorbell at one and waited while someone opened the door from inside.

An elderly man stood back from the door, inviting them to walk in, smiling at her kindly. She relaxed a little bit, knowing that someone else was also in here.

Noel introduced her to Shomu and then said, ‘Welcome to my home, Mitul,’ very formally.

‘Thanks,’ she gulped.

‘Have a seat,’ he gestured to the comfortable couch. Before he could say anything else, the phone rang. ‘Excuse me,’ he picked up the cordless handset, and walked through one of the closed doors that opened off the main area, shutting it behind him.

She looked around her, taking in the sparse, but comfortable furniture, the bright splotches of color and the green plants. The photographs. The curtains were pulled back allowing the daylight to come in through the North facing windows. It was beautiful, comfortable, and had a lived-in feel.

Shomu came back with a tray on which sat two glasses of juice.

‘Lunch will be ready in ten minutes,’ he said. ‘If you want to use the bathroom, it’s through there,’ he pointed it out.

‘Thank you,’ she murmured, picking up the glass of juice. He smiled at her and went back to what she assumed was the kitchen.

After a little while, Noel came back out and sat on the lazy boy. ‘Sorry about that. That was my big brother,’ he explained. She nodded dumbly.

‘Shomu! Is lunch ready yet?’ he called.

‘Yes, Noel baba. Come to the dining table. I’m bringing it there,’ Shomu called back.

‘Shomu’s been with our family for years. Mom let him come with me to Mumbai when I shifted here,’ he led the way to the dining space, and held a chair for her to sit down.

The meal was simple, and that was her second surprise. Her first surprise was his behavior and of course, the kiss! She choked then, and he thumped her back while she gulped down water.

‘Mitul,’ he said, after one of the long pauses. ‘You’re so quiet. What happened?’

‘I didn’t expect you to bring me here,’ she was honest about it.

‘Well, you needed peace and quiet for our conversation. I can’t think of a more peaceful atmosphere than a home,’ he said. ‘Besides, it was closer and I always prefer a home-cooked meal to a restaurant one.’

It sounded plausible enough, she thought. Lunch over, the two of them settled down in the living room with mugs of coffee as she brought her recorder out.

Shomu was going out somewhere, and would be back later, he informed them. Noel nodded as he left, shutting the door behind them, leaving them to talk in peace.

*****

Shomu hurried to the nearest PCO. He dialed a number and waited till the phone was picked up at the other end, and heard, ‘Hello?’

‘It’s Shomu speaking ... Noel baba just brought a girl home with him ... yes, the one in the photo ... he called me from work today, said he was bringing someone home from lunch ... yes ... yes, of course ... no, no, she seems like a nice girl ... very beautiful, but short ... no ... no ... nothing like those other girls he goes out with ... yes, I know ... no ... Mitul ... Okay ... they just had lunch, and sat and talked ... no ... I couldn’t make out ... no, it didn’t seem like that, but Noel baba ... I don’t know, but he seemed happy to have her there ... I will, don’t worry ... yes ... I’m hanging up. Namastey, Ma-ji!’

He hung up and paid for the call, before leisurely making his way back to Noel’s.

*****

They’d talked for hours. Rather Noel had talked and she had listened. As always, he spoke more than he wanted to, but Mitul was a trained listener. She listened to a story of pain, and blood and gore. Much, much more than she had wanted to know. But this was ultimately what had made Noel what he was today.

Finally, he leaned back, weary with the painful memories.

She looked at him, closely. There were tired lines around his eyes. She wanted to reach out and wipe them away. Instead, she asked ‘coffee?’

He nodded. She picked up both their mugs and went to the kitchen. He heard her talking to Shomu. He watched her bringing back the coffee. The sheer intimacy of the moment sent a pang of longing through him. Somehow she accentuated what was missing in his life.

‘Do you still keep in touch with your mates or their families?’ she asked.

‘Some of them. Yes. I do,’ he nodded. Then smiled grimly, ‘they still can’t believe I’m doing what I’m doing today.’

She looked out of the window. The sun was already low in the sky. ‘I should get going,’ she said, gathering up her things.

‘Stay,’ he blurted out, the word leaving his mouth before he could stop himself.

She was startled, her eyes wide, meeting his. He hooded them before she could see the naked want in them. She shook her head.

‘I have to go. My uncle, aunt and Maina, my cousin, leave tomorrow. I have to be home for dinner,’ she said.

He nodded, gathering himself, not letting her see the disappointment in his heart. ‘Yes, of course,’ he surprised her, yet again. ‘I’ll walk you down.’

He waited until she’d put on her heels again, she’d taken them off at some point in the afternoon, he’d noticed. ‘So your uncle and his family were visiting?’ he asked conversationally.

Back to being formal again, she thought, feeling the distance grow between them.

‘Yes. They live in Pune. They’d just come down for a few days, they’ll be coming back for Piya-Jiya’s wedding,’ she replied.

He nodded. ‘And this is your dad’s brother?’

‘Yes, he’s my chachu,’ her affection for her uncle showing in her voice.

They’d reached the car park and he gave her directions to the nearest highway to get home.

Before she could drive away, he put a hand on her window. ‘Mitul, something I wanted to ask you. I had planned on asking Joyce, but I figured it’d be better if I asked you instead.’

She frowned, puzzled.

‘I don’t have your phone number. Can I have it?’ He hesitated, and then added, ‘that is, if you don’t mind giving it to me.’

‘Oh. Of course,’ she was flustered. She pulled out her phone and called his number. He put his hand in his pocket and took out phone, storing the number in memory.

‘Thanks,’ he said, stepping back from the door. ‘Good night.’

‘Good night,’ she said, before she put the car into gear and drove away.

He was just walking back in through the doors, when he heard a ‘Hey!’ behind him.

Dev. He’d come by to drop off Noel’s car. Noel turned around and waited while Dev caught up to him. The two of them went up together.

‘What were you doing down here?’ Dev asked.

‘Oh, Mitul had come by. We worked through the afternoon,’ Noel replied casually.

Dev raised a skeptical eyebrow. Noel looked at him blandly.

‘So how’d it go?’ Dev wanted the details.

‘How’d what go?’

‘You know, first meeting since the trip.’

Noel shrugged. ‘Nothing special.’

Dev frowned. ‘Nothing?’

‘Nope.’

‘And you brought her here ... why?’

‘We needed a place to talk, and the house seemed the easiest place to do it.’

‘Do what?’

‘Talk, you idiot. What are you talking about?’

‘Oh. Nothing.’

They’d walked into the apartment by then. Noel looked at him exasperatedly as they both sank onto the couch.

Shomu came and asked them if they needed something. They both asked for water. He went away to fetch it.

‘So, you didn’t talk about anything personal,’ Dev persisted.

‘The biography is personal, Dev,’ Noel drawled sarcastically.

‘You know I meant about you two,’ Dev wasn’t about to let it go.

Noel took a deep breath, waiting till Shomu had left the water and was safely back in the kitchen.

‘No. Shomu was here, most of the time. And she’s made it abundantly clear that she wants to maintain a professional relationship. So I’m not going to pursue her, if that’s what she wants. I’m not going to try to change her mind,’ Noel’s voice vibrated with his hurt and anger.

Dev was quiet, feeling his friend’s pain, letting him talk through it.

‘I asked her to stay for dinner. She had to go. Her uncle and his family are leaving for Pune tomorrow, so of course, she couldn’t stay.’

‘Her uncle?’

‘Yes. Chachu and his family.’

Dev nodded understandingly. ‘So now what?’

‘Now nothing. She’s made it very clear what she wants. I’ll just respect it and get on with my life,’ he bit out.

*****

Shomu heard this whole conversation.

Oh, this was not good. Noel baba liked this girl. He could see that. But, she didn’t like his Noel baba? How could she not like him? How was it even possible?!

All the girls liked him! And the one girl he liked, she didn’t like him?

Shomu decided he didn’t like Mitul one bit for not liking his Noel baba!

****