Part 28 Scoop of Life--- Plans

Golf Links
Jan 22nd continued.......

Totally not expecting to see him there she stuttered, he actually did not expect to either but was delighted to see her....
Mridula: Do you two know each other? (shocked)
Radz: Oh! No, aunty not really, actually, he has been stalking me or Ive been stalking him for a while now. Delhi se UP phir Dilli (grins)
Dadi: To baat UP tak pahunch gayi? (laughs)
Mridula: You must sit
Her heart thumps noisily for some reason, she can feel her face heat up too, like she was guilty of something.
Radz: Waise main kaafi late ho chuki hoon, I can stay for 10 minutes, phir Khan Mkt band ho jaayega. Khan Mkt nahi but the Doc Services shop. I am not sure if the boxes will fit my car now that I think abt it"
Raghav is slowly meandering towards her couch, as he approaches he notices she curls her toes like she were avoiding fire....
She had more guy friends than female all through her life. She had never been quite this aware of any, her mind was doing the mental math.
She didnt even see this guy very frequently, he hardly said a word to her but there was definitely something odd!
"What ever it is I must get out of her ASAP" she decided
Mridula and Dadi take a  seat opposite her while the man that unsettles her settles himself on a chair perpendicular to hers..........
She is gulping the icy cold liquid down as Dadi and Mridula seem to be speaking about the person they just visited, the man is curious but not quite about his family's visit.
Dadi is watching the couple thru the corner of her eye.....
She notices the girl is being very quiet.
Dadi: Tum kis se milne gai?
Radz: My co worker's Mom had knee surgery. I havent been able to see her for a week now. I made two promises and reneged on both. I was sure she must think I didnt want to go........... (suddenly she is very chatty, as Dadi notices)
Mridula is giving instructions to the help. The help has brought a book with him, she is showing some measurements with his right hand....
Radz notices the exchange through her monolog "Do you love to cook? That book looks scary aunty. I can boil water and throw some pasta in, soon enough if the water doesnt dry up" (giggles)
Dadi: she is the famous cook book author Mridula Kapoor!! She has written half a dozen books and is working on her 7th (proud)
Mridula: Mom is too kind
Radz: Oh Wow! I will just reinvent the way to cook pasta without boiling it in water (giggles) Congrats aunty...

She notices the man look at her  laughter..........

She suddenly gets up "I better go!"
Radz: (pulling a card out of her cavernous mirror work jhola) Here is card, if I can interest you guys (grins)
"No I am not selling anything, tho I wish I were. Life would seem so much more fulfilling. Most of the time I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but there are no results (penning down something at the back of  what looks like a glossy invite)
Both women walk up to her the man, is still seated, observing her bent head, she is aware.
Like his looking at her is akin to shining a light for her to write on the card, if he didnt look, she couldnt write?
Her tummy churns uncomfortably......... as the giant grandfather clock strikes 5!!
Radz: Like I said in the car, I work for an NGO. We are having the biggest South East Asia seminar on Water all of the week of Feb 2nd at India Habitat Center (hands Dadi the card) .
Its 8.5 by 11, and glossy with a water droplet on the cover, more like a brochure... with all the agenda.
"We have an exhibition, tools, resources, and presentations and mua is actually going to speak on the 3 rd day at 2 in the afternoon" "Maine apna item circle kar diya hai"
Mridula: thats wonderful!! (smiles)
Radz: Thanks (bites her lower lip shyly, spontaneously, looks at the man seated across, he is staring at her lower lip, she releases it from teh confines of her teeth)
Dadi asks her a couple of questions, she asks if she can call her "Badi Aunty"
Dadi responds with a "Call me Dadi"
Radz: Cool! Thanks Dadi....
Mridula: serious) "I am going to try and visit beta!
Radz: THANKS! (overjoyed) I have to go collect project hand books, scorecards etc from the store, to ab main jaati hoon. Dadi aap bhi aayiye. I can walk you through the process of decontamination. That is actually as thrilling as it sounds (giggles)
Mridula: Raghav, do you want to walk her to her car beta?
He waits for her to look at him, before getting up.
Radz: I am OK really. I have GPS on my phone (giggles)
Dadi: You have a sense of humor kid!
Radz: Not always....... especially not the last few weeks (sombre)
She doesnt wait for him, but he catches up with her, the women turn their attention to the help.
The guards get up at the sight of the tall man.
She unlocks her car and throws her bag in the now empty back seat.
Pauses, not knowing what to say "Thanks..."
Raghav: See you at the seminar?
Radz(startled) Will you come?
He looks at as if asking "Dont you want me to?"