Chapter Four

The best part of Riyaan's life right now is having a place to take a shower. Thanks to Dev for that. But Riyaan is hopeful that by the end of April, he will find a place, except he is not sure if he will get it for as cheap as his last place.

The worst part is that it now takes longer for him to reach work.

A car is honking behind him on the street. The window glass lowers as the car stops by him.

'What are you doing here?' Ivan asks.

'Wow, how did you know it was me?'

He wears a blue shirt today, without the suit jacket, and a pair of sunglasses, looking like an Italian model in advertisements. Riyaan tries to imagine his eyes and expression behind the sunglasses.

'Hidden talent.'

'Right.' He nods in slow-motion. 'I'm going to work.'

'Can I give you a ride?'

Riyaan considers for a short moment.

'Sure.'

Riyaan goes around to the other side, but this time he is confident that he knows how to buckle the seat belt. When he does fix the belt, Ivan is turned in his direction, raising his brows over the rims of his sunglasses. Yeah, he will never let him leave it down.

'What were you doing there though, your place is ahead, if I remember right.'

'Ah... I'm kind of in-between places, and crashing with a friend right now.'

'Did you leave the previous one before finding another one?'

'Yeah, but I didn't do it by choice,'

'Troubles?'

'Troubles,' Riyaan agrees.

'Your friend sounds generous.'

'Yeah but not for too long. He has a girlfriend and they live together.'

'Why don't you ask your girlfriend to take you in for a couple of days?'

'What girlfriend?'

'I don't know, don't guys of your age date nowadays?'

'This one doesn't ..'

'Fair enough. How old are you anyway?'

'Twenty-three, what about you?'

'You are younger than I thought.'

'Why, what number did you assume?'

Riyaan feels a little aware for a vague reason. Is Ivan disappointed? If he is, how does it matter to him? But focusing on the part where Ivan thought of his age or thought of him, in general, is enough to make him feel light-hearted.

'At least twenty-five.'

'Just two years younger. Will be twenty-four in a few months. But then again, what about you?' Riyaan asks.

'I am thirty-one.'

'That's great.'

'No girlfriends, or wife, kids?'

'No. No partners, no kids, or pets,'

Really, what was Kris on about then?

'You look like someone that is intensely taken though.' He drops the bait because he cannot not.

'You have a lot of assumptions about me.' Ivan looks at him, his voice filled with amusement. It's also a little unfair for Riyaan because Ivan can see him, but Riyaan cannot see him behind his sunglasses. 'I have had partners before, and there's still someone, I'd say, but it's complicated.'

'Can I ask how it is complicated?'

'We were in an open relationship — I think he was more by choice than I was. I was mostly exploring open relationships for the first time. For him. And then I was looking for exclusivity. He was not ready but wasn't repelled by the idea either. He asked for more time, and I gave him more time, but he hasn't said how long and I haven't asked. Guess, I'm still giving him time.'

'Still in contact?'

'Yes. We keep in contact. Calls, and sometimes emails because I keep busy with work, and so does he.'

People see the world in their own unique ways. They see people in unique ways, and love them in unique ways but how can someone not love and belong to Ivan and Ivan alone? It is almost painful that Ivan will never even see him, or think of him that way, even for a minute. It would have helped if Ivan was just helpful with giving him lifts, but why must he want to share a conversation with him, and show him different nuances? Why cannot he just play the damn music in the car?

'What about you? Had someone before?'

'No, never. But I'm interested. One day I want to have a home and a family.'

'Oh, all planned out huh?'

'More like a dream.' A dream that he has been longing for all his life — every movie that he watched featuring a family is a film that he used to watch with great attention. He knows life is not like movies, but he also knows stories and films are inspired by real lives and real people. And stories inspire real people. It cannot be too different.

'Oh, to be young and full of dreams!'

'I am not that young.'

When he reaches his workplace, he signals Ivan to stop.

'Thank you. Bye.'

'Bye, see you in the evening?'

'Uh, no. I am gonna be busy with a new place so I am not going there,' he says, almost disappointed because imagine how good it would have felt to see Ivan again in the evening and convince him to stop giving that ex, who doesn't deserve Ivan, any more time.

'Good luck, then.' Ivan raises the window glass.

'Dude, who was that,' Plasi, his colleague, speaks from behind, waiting for Riyaan to come up to the steps.

'Just someone I met over at my friend's house,' he replies as they both watch the black car drive away.

'Nice car.'

'Nice guy too.'

Plasi whistles, slow and soft. 'Someone's got a crush!'

'A little. How was the weekend,' Riyaan asks as they walk together to their office space.

'I went to some wedding, that's all. You?'

'I was looking for a new place, but now I am just staying with a friend. But maybe today after work I will move to the new place,'

'Hey, let me know if you need help with a new place next time. My cousin, he's good at this stuff, and he can find cheaper places for you.'

'That's great, thanks for mentioning.'

***

'So, guys, we have a new client,' Nikita comes into the office with an over-excited smile. Riyaan will never understand why she does that. Does she think her smile is contagious enough to make people perk up on a Monday? Plasi groans beside him.

'High ticket, less guidelines, easy to satisfy, and we start today. We will still work on our other track but for two hours per day. Is that clear?'

High tickets, fewer guidelines, and easy-to-satisfy clients sound like a dream, and it is actually a dream but not when you are working under Nikita. She has her own guidelines and standards to satisfy.

The room hummed their affirmation in lazy tones.

'Okay, I understand, it's a Monday and everyone is still enjoying their Sundays. But the interest must show in work if not in affirmations. I'll send those files to you all, and mark your preferred tasks over at the Spreadsheets,' Nikita says before leaving the space.

His phone signals a text as he starts his work.

Dev: can't find any room for you. you crash with me for some days.

Riyaan groans in frustration.

Another text.

Kris: Ivan wants me to tell you you left your water bottle in the car

Oh, that's why he feels like he is missing something. Now he has to buy a water bottle because his office cannot be trusted to offer clean drinking water. He hasn't even seen many of his workmates drinking from that filter. Everyone brings their own.

Riyaan to Kris: thanks

The phone rings immediately. Kris calling

'Yes?'

'uh, Ivan wants to say something to you..'

'Okay..'

'Hi, do you.. uh, want me to bring the water bottle to your work?'

'No, no. It's okay. Don't have to-'

'New guidelines, guys. The client has sent new guidelines. Let's read them together once I'm done with the meeting. Stop what you're doing and continue with your old tracks.' From the other side of the large room, Nikita speaks rather urgently, as if stopping someone from walking towards a tripwire.

'Your manager, I am guessing...?' Ivan says from the other side.

Riyaan laughs. 'Yeah, that's her every day.'

'You gotta go I guess.'

'Yes actually. Bye.'

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