A Little Piece Of Brick

WHACK

"Damn" - exclaimed Aditya, aloud, agitated and extremely annoyed with the present predicament. He got down from his Honda City, to have a look at the damage that had been done. The red metallic paint of the bonnet had been scrapped off, at least a one fourth part of it, as Aditya speculated. 

"And, there's this dent to add to the already ruined color", groaned Aditya. He was not known to have a good temper, if anything. His parents often wondered how this temper of his never interfered with his profession. Aditya was a doctor - a renowned pediatrician at that, with all cranky little kids surrounding him most of the times. But then, Aditya and Dr. Aditya were almost like two different people. Dr. Aditya had the reputation of being the most favourite of all the kids who visited him - after all, which little kid would not like a chocolate each time he or she would visit the doctor. 

Presently, Aditya was exasperated and was hoping to find some answers. He saw the culprit, a tiny chunk of brick, lying near the tyre. 

'You little devil', he thought, perplexed by the fact that such a small piece of brick should cause this extent of damage. 

"Oh goodness", he heard an almost dramatic, yet, sincere shriek, making him crawl out of his chain of thoughts. There stood in front of him in her full glory, his neighbour Ms. Joshi, just like how he knew her. She looked as if she had been desperately trying to catch her breath. 

'Makes sense, considering the fact that she might have come racing the stairs from the seventh floor. Stupid woman! Should have used the lift. Anyway, why is she looking guiltily at my car', Aditya had once again drowned in his stream of thoughts which had now assumed the form of some perceptions.

His chain of thoughts was broken by Sameera's now shaken voice, which usually was very firm and confident. That was absolutely essential considering her profession. She was the head of the Marketing Department in a reputed MNC. Her persona oozed similar confidence. And yet, here she stood guiltily, as she had already grasped the gravity of the situation. 

"I sincerely apologize Dr. Batra. There's some ongoing architectural work in my kitchen. I had instructed the workers to be careful, but, it seems that my advice had been overlooked upon. This should not have happened with your car, I mean this bonnet is scrapped off and oh goodness, not just with your car, anyone else's car as a matter of fact, or with anyone else. Oh dear, what if it had been a person", she continued to ramble, her eyes widening at the intensity of the last words that had passed her mouth. 

"I am sorry Dr. Batra", she continued, "I promise I will look into this, and please let me look into the damage that has been done, I will take your car to the garage where I regularly go, and this will be all sorted out. Yes, I also have an amicable acquaintence with the owner, so, I see no doubt in this car being returned to its previous glory."

All the while she had been rambling nervously and breathlessly, Aditya continued to watch her with an amused expression on his face. 

'What has gotten into this confident woman. She is exclaiming as though I have caught her in the midst of a crime', he wondered, the corners of his mouth twitching up to form the slightest smile. Aditya had never been the one to laugh heartily, frequently. 

'I need to stop her', he thought glancing over yet again at Sameera's blabbering self.

"Ms. Joshi, it is alright", he said softly, but, to no avail. Sameera kept on explaining what all the garage owner could do to restore the bonnet. Aditya had already fallen out of the comprehensible phase of her words. 

"Ms. Joshi, I said, it is alright", he said softly, yet, this time, in a higher tone and more firmly. This seemed to work, as, Sameera eventually stopped speaking and looked at him. 

She could sense the amusement lurking on his face, as a sense of embarrassment came knocking within her mind. She knew that she had embarrased herself in front of this stoic man. 

'I am always so calm and composed, but, why am I so nervous in front of Dr. Batra. Yes, considering the situation it makes sense, but, there's something about his persona that just makes me feel intimidated. Perhpas it his height', she started thinking, all the while she had been staring into Aditya's eyes and the wierd part of this stare was that, Aditya had been reciprocating it. 

Just then, as if a spell had been broken, Aditya averted his gaze and looked away. Sameera did the same. 

"Ms. Joshi, it is totally alright. Please do not exert yourself. I understand this was an accident. Also, do not worry, I will take my car to the garage this evening after I return from the clinic. It is no big deal, please, do not apologize", Aditya spoke with a decided firmness in his voice. Sameera shook her head at that. 

"I understand Dr. Batra. However, even if it was an accident, I do feel the moral obligation to sort out your car myself, else, it would seem to me as though you haven't forgiven me. I know, this would not make much sense to you, but, this is just the way I am, so, please, let me do this.", Sameera said earnestly.

At this point, more than her words, the manner in which Sameera spoke, the gentleness in her voice, her entire demeanour, with the faintest hint of any fakeness in it, rather, no hint of any fakeness in it, had already struck a cord somewhere deep inside Aditya. He had always found her a fine woman, as any of her neighbour would find. She was a decided woman, in his eyes, one who knew what she wanted, and with a firm explanation and understanding of her actions.

'I should know more about her. I need to', he thought to himself. 

Meanwhile, Sameera had already spoken what she felt. She wondered if Aditya had been zoned out looking at the blank expression on his face. She had always found him to be an agreeable man, a respectful one. They had always exchanged some subtle smiles whenever they crossed each other's paths. 

"Ms. Joshi, from all of your words, I consider that you want to be forgiven by me for this accident, even though both you and I know it was not your fault", Aditya tried to pose a question, which rather came out as more of a rhetoric. 

Sameera shrugged and nodded. 

"Then, you would need to do a thing for me. I want you to leave aside this car thingy", Aditya tried to say, just as he was interrupted by Sameera.

"Dr. Batra", she exclaimed, as though conveying to him to let her do this work.

Again came a bout of interruption, this time, from Aditya's side.

"Aditya"

"What?", Sameera looked at him with scrunched brows, clearly stating her confusion.

"Call me Aditya, not Dr. Batra", he said, a smile now grazing his face.

"Alright, but then, you need to call me Sameera.", she stated, ignoring the flutters within her looking at his smiling demeanour. 

"Sameera", said Aditya, happy to know her first name, more glad than was necessary, "now, listen to me, and no interruptions this time", he almost warned her playfully, a mischievous expression in his eyes. Sameera nodded subconsciouly trying to figure out the changed look in his eyes. 

"If you want me to forgive you", he said, emphasizing on the word forgive, " I need you to meet me at Cafe Uptown today evening, at 6 pm.", he stated as if it were the most easy thing in the world.

Sameera looked at him dumbfounded, trying to grasp what the man in front of her had just said. She had fallen into a trance of his words, trying to make sense of them, trying to comprehend them. Then it struck her, 'Is he asking me out on a date?' Her eyes widened at the realization. As if Aditya had understood what might have been going on in her head, he voiced out, "So, Sameera, can I expect to meet you there today", he asked with a confident smirk, as though he was sure of her acceptance, or at least he hoped for her to accept. 

"But, Dr. Batra, y-your car", Sameera stuttered for the first time ever. Aditya could see she was close to accpetance looking at her now flustered state. He took this as a cue to answer her unspoken doubts.

"So Sameera, I need to leave now, but, I need to see you at Cafe Uptown at 6 pm today. Also, my name is Aditya, not Dr. Batra", he said in a teasing tone. Sameera, playfully narrowed her eyes at her neighbour, who had now been settling in his car.

Aditya continued, " We could not have you calling me Dr. Batra on our first date, right?", he glanced over at a shocked Sameera, who had now a faint pink staining her cheeks. Aditya smiled gently looking over at her. She returned his smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. She nodded. 

He waved at her, just as the engine of his Honda City purred to life. She waved back, the smile not leaving their face. 

Just as his car left the gates, she looked over at the piece of brick lying near her foot. 

"Who would have thought, this little devil would secure me a date with Dr. Batra, no, Aditya," she smiled to herself. 

This was the start of something new and pleasant, she knew, her heart felt. She embraced the feeling looking forward to that evening.