Part 32 --Scoop of Life--Greetings

Saturday February 7th 2011
Golf Links
9:14 AM


He lay in his bed, notebook computer resting on his thigh. He was chatting with a friend while checking his email simultaneously
He smiled seeing a question from his buddy. "Not true!" he responded.
His fingers danced over the keys like he was playing piano..........
He wore a offwhite faded tee and grey sweats......
The house was very quiet, his Dad and Uncle were in Maharashtra,
Mom may have been up late typing up her 7th book, and so must be sleeping in
Dadaji and Dadi must have left for their morning walk to Lodhi Garden
If the help realized he was up he would get tea in moments. He wanted to buzz the kitchen making the announcement. He rarely went to the kitchen or helped himself to anything
His Mom usually knocked twice on his door and let herself in when responded with a "Hmmm"
His Dad and him had a rocky indifferent relationship,it didnt bother him much.


He transferred his attention to the screen after starting at his door for a few moments.
His friend was very chatty for some reason, "Whats the big deal? Everyone around me is chatty. They all have so much to say" his lips twitched.......
They could have picked up the phone and dialled each other's number?
Nah! This was better...... Raghav could listen, he preferred it that way....
"I am meeting her at 8"
He grinned at his screen.
"My folks dont care for Nayana" he typed.....
He read for a while afterwards


"Works for some NGO, that brings clean water to people"
He sat up and stretched his back, feeling his jaw, it scraped..... rough.... raspy...
Fingered his soul patch.....
"A few trips here and there, to UP"
He was excited, enthused and upbeat about the venture. He didnt show it much, coz he suspected his Dad might not buy into the feeling much. His Dad was the complete antithesis of his, driven ambitious aggressive, materialistic and acquisitive.
Him and Chachu loved the business and did everything they could to succeed.
Raghav wondered how that gene might have gone missing in him.
"Its dilapidated and run down, there is now power or water at this time" he typed
"I believe it employed over 400 at some point"
His friend typed away, Raghav read, slowly getting himself out of bed. The Water seminar brochure and the material he had gotten lay on his night stand.
He looked at his phone it announced 7 texts....
Something urged him to check he knew he had not given her his number, "I wish I had though"
As if guilty for thinking that thought he shifted his attention to the laptop screen
"I will have to write you a spiral bound thesis to answer those man!"
He grinned...
"Bring her home to my bed" and inserted the wink icon....
"They half expect Nayana to be in tow ........ when I go to CP everyday" inserted the tongue in cheek icon.
"Gotta go" he typed
Followed by "Sure" "You got it!"
Finally inserted the smiley face and shut the chat down.......
Walked over to the huge curvy baclcony and watched the street. Golf Links was a quiet enclave in the center of bustling Delhi, no hawkers not much foot traffic or cars....... he wondered how Aurangazeb Rd was going to be....... but he was sure the home would be atleast a km or two away from the road....... nestled between lush green peepal and banyan trees........
The house has a pool Mom said...........
He could swim all he wanted


He went back to his night stand reviewed the other texts some were from the site supervisor, a couple from Usman Ali and a couple from the UP State Govt Babus
He put his phone down and picked up her card and read it "Radhika Tripathi" Program Manager-Clean Water Initiative" it said.........
There was a water mark that depicted water in a lake or river in the background........
He picked up his phone and dialled her "Business cell phone" number
It rang and rang and rang...........
He walke dto the balcony again
On the 6 th ring, she answered  sleepy, groggy, unsteady........... her voice came off as husky, instead of the usual chirpy clear "Who is this?" she asked, unsure...
"Radhika, its Raghav" he said quietly