Well, here third parallel story starts, with this chapter I introduce to Ina Singh- character/girl that inspired me to write this book. Yeah! She's exist for real. Hope you enjoy reading friends!
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Chapter 6
Multi furnished infrastructure, cluster of showroom sparkling like Swarovski crystals and well- manicured gardens seemed to daze Ina and Nikita as they added charm to the glitz of City Mall 36.
The mall well known for its luxury brand culture was living up to its credibility of being the largest and crowded in the region. Reflection danced across the large window panes in the front of ‘reserved-for-rich’ shops. It was easy to imagine that one day the structure could be mistaken for an ancient sacred monolith as the large, brightly colored models stared down at them like ‘fashion gods’. The sole motive of mall was to attract girls who in turn attracted boys who accompanied their friends and eventually contributed to the malls profit.
Ina was being furiously dragged by Nikita darting from one shop to another in the seemingly spaceship inspired showroom. A placard declaring ‘Flat 60% off’ and ‘New collections’ grabbed the eyeballs of the beauteous belles as they hopped in the VAMA fashion store only to be welcomed by fake-smiling lady.
There was a slim, well-dressed woman on the other side of counter. She seemed to really nice, but then again, looks can be deceiving. “Hello, welcome to Vama ma’am! What do you want?” urged the lady with a hidden expression of disgust.
Ina and Nikita glanced selectively at the wardrobes and also the dangling pricey price-tags. Ina wished she could buy all the stuff until her credit card died of scratches. Dismissing thoughts of any purchase, their pleading penniless pockets prompted them for a new prank. They gave each other a mutual understanding look with an evil grin; conjuring up a new trick.
“Show me that black jeans,” Ina smiled warmly at the counter lady pointing to a rather undersized jeans size.
“Ma’am that won’t fir,” said the counter lady, eyeing Ina from head to toe.
“That’s kind of rude,” Nikita blasted back.
The shopkeeper wrinkled her nose, but remained polite. Her hair was neatly tied back in a perfect bun at the back of head.
“Don’t you have an alternative size for it?” Ina requested despite being aware of the custom-made fit size.
“Sorry ma’am, it is not available,” she said bluntly.
“Then why did you bother to open a showroom?” Nikita cursed as she looked on the amount of makeup on the lady’s face. It was enough to supply both Ina and Nikita’s yearly quota.
“Sorry ma’am, we will try to procure the required size soon,” replied the counter lady following the ‘Customer is God’ policy.
“What sorry?” Nikita ridiculed “you didn’t have a smaller size the last time I was here? You just know how to attach price-tags instead of providing customer service.”
The shopkeeper listened patiently bearing all the filth uttered by her.
“What the hell are you doing in mall? Go open your shop in some filthy market.” Nikita scoffed again.
Ina grabbed Nikita’s arm in order to calm her down.
“I’m so sorry for my friend. She just ran out of her mental hospital.” Ina said as she dragged Nikita out of the showroom. The baffled shopkeeper was still cold being guilty charged of inefficiency as she saw the girls moving out of sight.
What followed was a hysterical laugh for ten minutes as Ina hi-fived with Nikita.
“Your guilt-trip-gag always works, Ina” retorted Nikita still suppressing her laughter.
“When you have nothing to lose, you really become carefree,” said Ina known for her refined way of talking. She was a perfect combination of beauty and brilliance. She flaunted her graceful gait beautifully carrying off super skinny jeans, pointed boots and colorful tee with fluorescent pink highlights. The design was inspired from the music of 90’s with its graphic symbols, radical song lyrics and bold slogans reflecting her dynamic thoughts.
The bottom floor of the mall was filled with multi colored banners hanging from skylights adding to the flamboyance of the edifice. A man surveyed Ina with lecherous glint in his eyes as she stood waiting for the elevator. Ina cursed the man in mind while Nikita was busy bursting a bubblegum.
Suddenly, the door of the elevator flashed open only to be welcomed by an anonymous masculine voice. “Hi! Inaa!!” said the guy. Ina instantly turned to the source of her name.
“Hi!! Foo…n…tty!” said Ina, dumbstruck to find the familiar face and the fiasco that resulted from Fonty Gerawal.
FLASHBACK:
Ina and Fonty were struck together in National Institute of Technology, Raipur, though introduced to each other instant rapport radiated between them and Ina liked Fonty’s innocence and dumbness. Fonty fell for Ina on first look while she strictly maintained the ‘Only-friends’ tag. They had a cool hangout and one such occasion Fonty accompanied Ina to internet café, which according to her was best place to surf. Fonty went with her just for the sake of spending time with. As Ina continued browsing, Fonty was busy appreciating the caramel colored flawless beauty.
Suddenly some movements across the segregated plywood cubicle attracted his attention. Because of his Eiffel tower height he could vaguely see head a boy and girl indulging in illicit and lewd sexual activity. The raunchy scene raised his testosterone levels but when he clearly managed to see the face of the girl; he found to his dismay that she resembled his cousin Aditi. He instantly poked Ina for help and she confirmed that Aditi indeed was ruining her reputation.
Fonty was shocked with anger to behave rationally, he never imagined her cousin doing stuff like that as she was always a nerd.
Ina advised Fonty to immediately disrupt the girl’s activities and inform her parents. Fonty did accordingly but ill-fate boomeranged on him worsening his troubles. As Fonty caught her red-handed and she was grounded by her parents, when the brazened-face Aditi resurfaced she counter-reacted and in order to take revenge, slandered Fonty’s name by publicizing him as ‘gay’. She spread rumors that Fonty was gat and had many guy friends. Since then Fonty was never taken seriously among girls in the college. It made him more nervous and intimidated miserably. Though he was charming, his nervous and “gay” tag blighted his relation with the other gender. In midst of these, Ina cornered herself from the affair and ignored Fonty under the pretext of “future-project research” and rarely saw Fonty.
Ina had the guilt feeling of dumping his friend in times of need and this made her avoid Fonty even more (thanks to her bizarre way of thinking).
Ina returned from stare of trance as her memory was refreshed beholding the all-brawn-no brain boy. Fonty was virile and muscular and he wore clothes to accentuate his athleticism. He was clad in a low waist jeans which was precariously perched on his butts and could fall any moment exposing his bottom cleavage. Adding to it, his black Nike t-shirt, Nike shoes and Nike cap made him the perfect brand ambassador of the company.
“Who’s he?” enquired Nikita surveying his attractive physique or perhaps the apparent similarity of her name with the brand aroused her curiosity.
“You wanted some accessories right? Why don’t you check out the story?” Ina said, “ I’ll catch up in a bit.”
Nikita shrugged, “Want to be alone with your guy-friend? I can dig that.”
“He’s just a friend,” Ina said half-annoyed.
“Sure, whatever.” Nikita said she danced off. She wandered around the shops, window-shopping the latest fashion. She didn’t make it far when her gazed flicked at a vendor’s hand made gold jewellery.
Fonty sauntered up to Ina.
‘How are you, Ina?” said Fonty eager to shake her hands with his mighty mitts. He noticed the shockingly beautiful Ina, as her deep drown eyes allured him. Her dark jeans, contrasting with her pale skin made her look like a punk-princess. She was gorgeous and knock-your-socks-off sexy.
“I am fine,” she mustered with false enthusiasm.
“You were invisible for many days; It feels like a decade since I saw you,” continued Fonty “You know I got short listed for soccer nationals,” he said in one-breath.
Fonty could never rise beyond his looks and his only claim to fame was soccer.
“Great going buddy! Hope for the best,”
“Thanks, I was waiting for you comment on my Facebook status.”
“I’m hardly active on Facebook,”
“Are you mad,” Fonty asked in genuine surprise. “Facebook is so much fun. There are lots of girls.”
“Stupid! What do I care about girls?” Ina said “Everyday it’s the same stupid question; Hello can be friends, what you do blah blah blah… Repeating the stuff already mentioned in the profile is repulsive. No body ever rises beyond these questions. It’s just not who I am.”
“Okay! No big deal. Are you shopping alone?” asked Fonty unaffected by Ina’s justification.
“Nope, my friend Nikita’s here,” she said pointing to Nikita who had just put a gold ring on her finger, stretching her hand towards a handsome vendor who looked uninterested.
“Nikita? Do I know her?” his eyes at once focused on Nikita wearing black Linkin Park tree, black and white checked mini-skirt with stilettos adding to her glam.
“Nope you didn't,” Ina leaned back against the railing, both hands braced on it.
Fonty continuously staring at Nikita hungrily as of Victoria's Secret model walking on ramp.
Nikita always charmed the opposite sex with her creamy complexion, bug brown eyes and appealing smile. Nikita had a sort of face that people like her on sight. Ina understood that Nikita could be Fonty’s flavor of the month.
“Why don’t you take a picture? It would last longer.” said Ina interrupting Fonty’s visual delight.
It’s universal truth that it harps girls the most when boys spare their attention towards someone else instead of them. They just can’t take it. Similar was the case with Ina.
“Oh! I am so sorry! I was carried away with the beauty of your friend,” said Fonty “Wish you could introduce me to her!” he re-iterated.
“No way! I know what’s on your mind! Stop it!”
“It’s nothing like that… I just want to talk to her,” Fonty replied instantly. “Is she single?”
Nikita finally glanced back at the two of them and an animated lusty smile spread across Fonty’s face. Dressed perfectly he looked like a grown healthy Farex baby: about six feet tall, thick brown hair, nice square jaw and a cleft in his chin. The only thing that Nikita hated was the way his dark brown eyes were traveling down her legs with masculine appreciation.
“Fonty” Ina said in annoyance “Quite staring at her! You look stupid.”
“Don’t you want your friend to get a good girlfriend?” Fonty frowned, “I’m sure she’s perfect for me.”
“Hello! Fonty listen carefully...” She continued pointing her index finger on his face. “none of my friend are made for you. Not a one! Do you understand?”
“Ina, I really want a girlfriend. Please get me one!” Fonty asked as if asking recommendation for a good restaurant or a doctor.
“I can’t bear being this lonely. Don’t you feel pity for me?” he whined.
Ina pretended to understand; getting upset looked at the floor and replied in stark conversation.
“No!! For god sake-stop it!” said Ina angrily.
“If you wanted you could have set a girl for me. You understand relationships. You’re words are magical, nothing is impossible for you.” He leaded. Everyone in the college knew that Ina was so intelligent that she could speak 5 languages.
“Urgh!” Ina grunted.
“You aren't my friend,” he pouted. “I knew it! It was mistake to think you were.”
“Fonty! For god sakes- stop it!”
“I’m not good looking,” he frowned deeply. “That’s why I don’t have girlfriend.”
“Who told you crap?? I sometimes wonder how smart you are, but any girl would die for handsome dude like you,” she added. “Believe me!”
“May be that’s why I don’t have girlfriend.”
“Girls aren’t everything in life, Fonty”
“There’s nothing in life without girls,” Fonty sighed. “Life’s dull and boring, no excitement. Just the same everyday.”
“Fonty! Have patience!”
Ina glanced over to see Nikita disappear into a shop. She was probably frustrated that Ina was taking so long. She was relieved that Nikita was out of his sight.
“Patience? I’ve been waiting for almost twenty years. You say I should be more patient.” He was about to cry. “Its all due to friends like you.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Fonty’s emotional blackmail was worse than his ardent applications for a girlfriend. Ina was caught in a whirlpool of emotional dialogue. Truly, people whose mind can’t be dominated through mind games can be won through heart game and vice versa. At the same time Ina’s inner conscience for having dumped Fonty in times of need urged her to help him with her magic bullet.
“Okay! But I have a condition for that.” Ina surrendered.
“Did you just say okay?” Fonty asked surprised, “Don’t worry! I’d jump off a cliff for a girlfriend. I’ll agree whatever you say. But are you sure I’ll get a girlfriend?”
“There’s a ninety percent chance you’ll get a girlfriend,” Ina said “But, remember the condition.”
“Ninety percent?” A big smile crossed his face. “I’ll accept every condition. Give me a girlfriend.”
“Okay, then meet me next time. I will let you know the whole story behind dating girls. But don’t you’ve accepted my conditions.”
“Yes! My guru Ina,” Fonty saluted. Turning around like a solider going in a war, he left the place.
That’s the plight of present generation love seems to be a gamble lacking emotions and using negotiations. Suddenly Nikita appeared from nowhere on the scene and started pulling Ina towards the culinary section. Ina snapped the conversation after exchanging formalities and went through darker chambers of the mall while Fonty stood like a statue gazing at the beauties fade in oblivion.
Gender:
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