"I spy you!" - 45

Oh God, is there any way to escape his attraction? Why do I become like wax and melt?

“Sir, the fruit bowl is not yours! Madam’s fruit bowl does not have papaya. Here’ is yours. And she has got chat masala powder added to her buttermilk and fruit bowl” explained the canteen boy apologetically.

“What? You don’t like papaya? Hey, do you know how good papaya to the body is? It kills germs in the stomach!” said Pushpahaasa.

She was mesmerized. His voice, his face, his body, his action ... oh, everything is so attractive! How come he is not ensnared by anyone till now?

Come to think of it! He is so good in everything. He must have been hooked by someone already!

But her mouth was saying, “I don’t like its smell. So I don’t eat. Do you have any objection?” she said defiantly.

He laughed loudly unmindful of nearby people staring at them.

“Smell? You eat after smelling the food? Have you not known that we should not smell our food?” he asked taking his bowl of fruits and buttermilk tumbler.

If she stays for another moment she would surely want to hug him tightly she thought and hurriedly mumbled a bye and tried to slip away.

“Ok, ok, you need to learn a lot. I will get a chance to teach you. So, watch out!” he said laughingly and left from there to sit alone in front of a table. He had a book in his hand. He started reading the book and ate a piece of fruit each with a tooth pick and sipped the buttermilk.

What did he mean? Chance to teach her? Has he planned some lessons for me? Is it part of the agenda? She wondered and walked and sat in front of Durjaya.

“Hey elder sister! What is so interesting at the other corner?” asked Durjaya who found that though physically present in front of him, Vasupradha was somewhere else mentally.

She shook her head and tried to concentrate on what Durjaya was saying.

But her mind wandered towards Pushpahaasa. Did he complete his mission too in the mountain city or is it same as her mission? Is it a pure coincidence that he is back in office the day she is back in office? Does that mean he was involved in the same case?

“Hey elder sister! I am asking you again. How was your trip? Did you have a good time? Was the job successful? You seemed to be troubled when you called?” Durjaya was on a questioning trip.

She smiled at him and said she is fine. Yes, work was good. Result... she is not sure whether she is successful or not.

Then she changed the subject. “Is he married?” she asked out of the blue, nodding her head towards Pushpahaasa who was sitting alone in front a table at some distance.

“Pushpahaasa?” asked Durjaya and said, “I don’t know. Do you want to know?” he asked. She did not say anything. But he must have read something in her eyes.

“Sir, are you married?” he asked Pushpahaasa who came near them to reach the dustbin which was at the other end of the wall.

“Of course yes, I am married” said Pushpahaasa quite seriously and walked away.

He had walked away with the disappointment of Vasupradha. She had a tight knot in her stomach!