United by the Exes

"I had a really fruitful conversation with you today, Mr. Mehta. I will have a discussion with the MD and let you know about the further plans of the merger.", saying so, Amyra professionally smiled at Mr. Mehta, an expression which she had mastered after years in the corporate world and started to leave. Amyra worked as the Marketing head in Neon Enterprises, a reputed startup which had now gained a massive popularity in Delhi. She was already exasperated and extremely exhausted following the meeting with Mr. Mehta and was in a terrible need of a vacation. As always, she had overworked herself. She wondered about the time when she was free, cheerful, bubbly, full of life. 

She was walking in the lobby of the restaurant towards the exit thinking about what had gone wrong after her ex-boyfriend Tanmay dumped her. A mere thought of him was enough to bring a bitter taste in her mouth. Shaking her head, as though reminding herself to let go off his thoughts, she walked towards the reception area. Just then, she heard someone calling out her name.

"Heyy Amy!! Long time no see!"

There stood in front of her in his full glory, her pathetic excuse of an ex-boyfriend, Tanmay Khanna. He was standing as though he was genuinely, pleasantly surprised seeing Amyra. Earlier, that nickname, Amy, which used to give her butterflies now made her cringe. Besides Tanmay, was standing a young woman, she noted.

"Think of the devil and there he stands. Jerk.", Amyra muttered to herself and plastering a saccharine smile on her face, went towards them.

"Hi Tanmay. How are you?", replied Amyra, in an unenthusiastic tone. 

"Oh Amy, I am as wonderful as I can ever be. Just got married you see." shrieked Tanmay with overwhelming enthusiasm in his voice.

'As if he has won the Nobel Prize. What did I ever see in this man?', Amyra thought to herself, now vexed by his fake face.

"Oh really. That's wonderful. Congratulations.", Amyra replied in a tone which clearly conveyed fake enthusiasm. She passed an equally fake smile to the lady standing beside Tanmay, who she noted, seemed as sham as him. 

"Thanks dear. By the way, she is my prettiest wife, Nisha Khanna. Don't we look good together.", Tanmay introduced his wife, in a manner as though, he wanted to mock Amyra.

'Of course, you would look good together. Plastic with plastic, definitely does complement.', Amyra thought to herself.

"Yes, certainly. Nice to meet you Nisha.", Amyra said.

"The pleasure is mine Amyra", replied Nisha in a snide tone. "Had Tanmay not dumped you, I would not have gotten this gem for myself. You know, how perfect we are for each other. Oh, I am sorry, you must already be repenting over your misfortune of not marrying my wonderful husband.", she continued.

Amyra was appalled at the shallowness of her words and gestures, and yet, she was grinning inwardly for being able to escape from the clutches of Tanmay. However, presently, the mocking gazes of Tanmay and his wife and their senseless gestures were making her really uncomfortable. 

Gautam had been listening to the conversation between the three in front of him. His nasty ex-girlfriend and her husband were laughing at the expense of the woman in front of them, he noted. How he wished to go there and admonish Nisha for her insensible behaviour and extend comfort to that woman. 

'Nisha you would never change.' he thought.

Gautam Kamat was a well-known writer and rather popular among the youngsters. He has written two best-selling suspense thrillers which had gained him massive popularity and wealth. Today, he had an interacting session with his fans in this hotel after an hour. 

Just as he saw Nisha and her equally pathetic husband making the woman, who happened to be the ex-girlfriend of his ex-girlfriend's husband (what a weird connection though), he thought of an idea.

"So, Amy, are you still single?" Tanmay mocked at her. "I mean, I know, you cannot possibly have anyone better than me, yet, still lamenting?", he continued. Nisha alongside him let out a small, snideful snicker.

Just as Amyra was about to snap at him, now, infuriated with him and his wife, a hand enclasped her shoulder in a firm hold. 

"Hey sweetheart, what are you doing here. Weren't we supposed to meet for our date tonight?", she heard a deep baritone. Angling her neck, she saw a tall man, his arm on her back, palm grazing the shoulder, yet, holding it in a firm grasp. She was startled and was about to give this intervening man a piece of her mind, for his unfound behaviour, when she heard a dramatic gasp. 

"Ohh Gautam, is that you?", Nisha exclaimed.

"Ohh, heyy Nisha, I did not realize you are here. By the way, what are you doing here with my girlfriend?", he glanced towards a baffled Amyra first and then towards Nisha in a questioning and rather intimidating manner. 

"Just play along Amyra.", he whispered in his 'girlfriend's' ear, whose name he had learned a few seconds prior. 

"Tanmay, this is Gautam, my ex-boyfriend, the writer, I told you about.", Nisha introduced Gautam to Tanmay, pronouncing the word writer in a demeaning tone. 

Amyra's ears perked up at that. 

'Oh, so that's the matter. Well, let's have some fun now. Let them taste their own medicine.', she thought to herself.

Just when Tanmay was about to greet Gautam, Amyra said, "Hey baby, I was waiting for you. Just done with the meeting. And of course, how can I ever forget our date?", Amyra replied dramatically looking towards Gautam. 

Gautam smiled towards her when he realized she had decided to play along. That smile was replaced by a smirk when he glanced towards Nisha and her annoying husband. 

"So, is he the Tanmay you told me about.", he said looking towards Tanmay, who was now surprised learning that Amyra had spoken about him with her new boyfriend. 

"The Tanmay who thinks that penguins live in every cold region.", listening to this, Tanmay's ears turned red with embarrassment and he averted his gaze.

'How does he know this.', Amyra thought, flabbergasted at Gautam 's words. 'I will ask him later. Let it be.'

She immediately recovered and glanced towards Gautam with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Yes, Gautam, he's the same Tanmay, my ex-boyfriend. Gautam, is she the same Nisha?", she asked, abruptly cutting her own statement, confused with what to speak about her. 

Nisha frowned at her words and tried to wonder what insult is to come her way, following her husband. To avoid any such insults or remarks, she decided to divert the conversation.

"You see Tanmay, your ex and my ex are together now.", she looked towards her husband. 

"Yes Nisha, after all, we have dumped these two, they would certainly flock together.", replied Tanmay with an annoyingly smug expression on his face.

Gautam clenched his jaw, now, exasperated and infuriated with the audacity of the couple in front of him. He was about to yell at Tanmay, when he heard the lady besides him starting to say something.

"Tanmay, I have been nothing but patient with you and your wife here. So has been Gautam.", Amyra's voice was now, a tone higher. This had caught the attention of a few passers-by and those lingering around in the restaurant.

"But that nowhere does mean that you would keep on spewing nonsense about us. Honestly, we are now at that stage, where your words do not affect us in the slightest, for, we know, what pathetic excuses of human beings you are.", she continued glancing between Nisha and Tanmay, who had now turned ashen-faced owing to Amyra's words and the looks of the people surrounding them. 

"You are still the same Tanmay, the same demeaning and immature guy,", she was now cut off by Gautam.

"And, you Nisha, the same snarky, inconsiderate woman.", he said, glaring at Nisha. "And, see the games of fate, you two landed up together."

"Now, instead of poking your noses into other's life and mocking at them, better start making your new life better. At least, try and learn to be good human beings.", Gautam spat angrily. 

"So, kindly leave me and my girlfriend alone, before we need to make you do this ourselves."

Sensing the threat in Gautam 's words, the couple scurried away fearfully. The crowd which had gathered around them too dispersed away.

Gautam 's arm was still draped around Amyra's shoulder, when she cleared her throat looking between his arm and his eyes. Gautam recognized his position and yanked away his arm. A pink tinge coated Amyra's cheeks and Gautam nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"So."

"So."

They both exclaimed together and chuckled recognizing this.

"Gautam Kamat.", introducing himself, he extended his arm towards Amyra.

"Amyra Mathur.", saying so, she clasped his hand in a nervous, yet, excited handshake.

"She was my ex-Nisha. She was beautiful, still she is, and I was young, enthralled by her beauty, I suppose. But, it took me some time to recognize the evil demeanour behind that beautiful face. She used to come up with some new tricks each day to demean and look down upon my profession, my interests and used to nag me to take up the high paying jobs after my graduation.", he said, lost in the chain of his thoughts. Amyra listened intently. Shaking his head, he turned his gaze towards her and continued, "but, you know what, I am actually thankful she 'dumped' me", he said, stressing on the word dumped. "For, had it been not for that, I would have taken up some stupid job for her and ended up ruining my life.", he smilingly said.

Amyra nodded, as though acknowledging what he said. 

"I second that. Same was the case with Tanmay. He was the first guy who asked me out and to be honest, I was kind of charmed with his chivalrous gestures, which now feel really stupid and pompous", saying so she chuckled. Gautam laughed along.

"But I am glad he 'dumped' me," she air-quoted the word dumped, "for, now, I can go out to an art gallery, a museum, a poetry club whenever I feel without having to worry about his liking. Dumb fellow!", she scrunched her nose remembering him.

Gautam chuckled at that.

Amyra's eyebrows scrunched at something she remembered and she asked Gautam, "Hey, how did you know about Tanmay's lack of awareness of the penguins?"

"Oh that! I did not know about that. Hell, it's my first time meeting that jerk. But he is Nisha's husband, so I figured out, they must have at least this in common."

Amyra let out a hearty laughter at that, Gautam joined her.

"That's true. You are smart man.", she praised Gautam.

"I mean, I was barely able to contain my laughter looking at Tanmay's face.", she continued chuckling.

On the other hand, Gautam was mesmerized by the woman in front of him and her pure laughter. He stared at her intently, a smile grazing his own face.

Amyra noticed this. A deep shade of red coated her cheeks now, and she shyly averted her gaze, clearing her throat. Gautam's trance was broken. He decided to divert their conversation to hide his embarrassment at having been caught red-handed staring at Amyra.

"So, you said, you like poetry clubs and museums. Guess what, I am a writer and today I am having an interaction with my fans here."

Before he could continue, she said, "Dude, of course I know. You are the brilliant author of 'Shadows' and 'Nightmares'. Damn, you are a fabulous writer, I have read both of these novels and I absolutely enjoyed them.", she gushed about the novels.

Gautam grinned hearing his praise. 

"Who is your favourite author?", she suddenly asked him.

"Sidney Sheldon.", came his prompt reply.

"Yeah, should have figured that out from your love for suspense-thrillers.", Amyra said in an obvious tone. Gautam glared at her playfully, but, eventually let out a small laughter.

"What about you ma'am?", he asked in a polished tone, earning a giggle from Amyra.

"I absolutely love Jane Austen novels. Ahh Pride and Prejudice! Ohh Emma!! Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Mr. Tilney.", Amyra said dramatically clasping her hands.

"But, Sidney Sheldon is fantastic. I mean, who could have ever predicted the happenings in 'Nothing lasts forever.'", she continued.

Gautam interjected in between and this led to the two of them having a conversation on Sidney Sheldon for the next 30 minutes.

The manager of the restaurant stopped by them and said, "Gautam sir, your interaction with fans."

It broke their trance.

"Oh, I am sorry Gautam for holding you up. And, thanks again for standing with me then.", Amyra said, with a grateful smile on her face.

"It was nothing Amyra. In fact, thanks to them, I met such a pretty woman today."

Amyra blushed at those words. Despite of them being cliche, they felt sincere coming from him, and that fluttered her heart.

"So, I will take your leave.", she said in a low voice, recognizing that it would probably be the last time, she would meet this amazing man. In a really short span, she felt a connection with Gautam which she had never ever felt with Tanmay. On the other side, Gautam too felt an odd satisfaction having conversed with Amyra and did not wish to let her go.

Just as she turned to leave, he exclaimed a bit too loud,

"Wait! Amyra!"

She turned around immediately.

"Would you mind joining me tomorrow in Jehangir Art Gallery? One of my friends, who is a brilliant artist has an exhibition there tomorrow. So, would you join me?", he asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice and yet, a firmness as though, he wanted to tell her to come with him.

Amyra smiled at that, a bit too cheerfully and said, "Are you asking me out, Mr. Kamat?"

"Well, I am Ms. Mathur. You see, I am intrigued by this really wonderful lady who shares my interests and would like to know about her more. So, will you?", Gautam smirked having already known Amyra's answer.

Amyra giggled at that and nodded excitedly. They exchanged their numbers. 

"By the way, Amyra, do you know what to tell when people will ask us tomorrow, how we met?", he asked in a teasing manner.

"We will say Gautam, that, we have been, 'United by our exes'", Amyra exclaimed, her eyes twinkling.

"True indeed. By the way, I like this, 'United by the exes'.", Gautam said waving at Amyra, who was now a few steps ahead of him.

"See ya Gautam. Until later.", replied Amyra, waving back.

"Until later.", muttered Gautam, staring at her retreating figure, which kept on getting farther and farther till the point she left the restaurant, a soft smile grazing his face now, and a glimmer of a beautiful future twinkling in his eyes.