Free Seven Shades of Grey by Vivek Mehra Page A

three kids between them. She gave me a quizzical look, one that I could not understand, the drummers relentless.
    Dolly and I were soon inside the air-conditioned main area. A carnival was on - well actually just the din from the virtual reality games, screaming kids, yelling parents, sober spectators, amused attendants and anxious visitors, drummers in tow. The cold draft from the air-conditioning hit me and hit me hard. The new T-shirt was already showing signs of following its predecessor, soaking up rain seeping through my pores. The rain, the cold air, the drummers and searching eyes made me tremble, a pestilent chill running to the bones. My eyes got accustomed to the dim lights and the journey began in uncharted waters, the quest to see a chat friend in the flesh.
    I moved towards the area frequented by small children and there were two women there. The drummers pounded could it be them, could it be them … I started walking towards them when I saw two of the un-fairer sex join them. Naah! Two men were impossible accompaniments; the sister-in-law was divorced.
    The kids! Where were the kids?
    None seemed to hover around these four . These were not the one, not Bindu nor her entourage. The drummers still drummed on as my sane partner deserted me, off on her own, charting her own course without any further assistance from me.
    And then it happened.
    The room started to blur, images of virtual machines merged with people playing them, yelling parents merged with amused attendants, gawking visitors with the walls, the drummers reached for their grand finale leaving me breathless.
    I was comfortable – in fact, bold – when it came to chatting with strangers on my computer, secure in the cool confines of my familiar office. But in real life I was scared, more than any rat had been at the prospect of being eaten by a hungry cat, more than staring eyeball to eyeball at a Cobra, hood up and ready to strike. In short, I was just plain chicken or chicken shit if you may.
    I hunted for a familiar face—no, not the one of the attendant who knew me and smiled at me: Dolly’s face, the one I find comfort in. She was at the far corner of the hall and I caught her eye. She gestured that she had not located Bindu. I returned the gesture saying I was going out, mind whirling, breath coming in short gasps and headed towards the little cafeteria located outside the main air- conditioned hall.
    My sweat - soaked T-shirt clung heavily to my bulky frame propped up by trembling knees and weakened legs, the balmy Bombay air not helping. I ordered a cup of coffee, my elixir of life after beer, and reached for my pack of cigarettes. While my coffee brewed behind the service counter I saw Dolly exit the door and walk over to me.
    ‘What happened?’ she inquired.
    ‘Let’s have a cup of coffee and leave, Dolly. I just don’t know how to find her.’
    ‘Calm down. Sip your coffee and let’s think this one through.’
    ‘You want a cup?’
    ‘Not now because I have to think first.’
    ‘Think about what?’ the sound escaped my lips, the drummers silently and relentlessly drumming Run Vikram... run Vikram… run for your life…
    There was no answer as she picked up my coffee and headed for a seat.
    ‘You sit here and tell me something,’ she said.
    ‘Tell you what?’ Tell her to run with you Vikram, run with you… the drummers said.
    ‘Out of the various women that you saw, were there any that you felt might be Bindu?’
    ‘How am I supposed to “feel” somebody that I have never met?’ RUN VIKRAM RUN…
    ‘Just close your eyes and tell me which woman in there you think might be her? I trust your judgment and I know you will be right or at least very close . ’ Run Vikram run… turned to huh? What was that?
    I stared at her, drummers inside me, chaos around me, insanity taking the shape of my wife, too flabbergasted to speak. My frantic state had been acute and I had merely glanced at the women in there. How in heaven’s