Chapter 3: Over the Drinks

Arjun looked astonished, "that's strange! Don't tell me that you can't speak your mother tongue properly. Have you been brought up elsewhere, outside Maharashtra I mean?"

Saniya said, "Well, it's not that way exactly but I have been taught to speak more of Hindi and English by my parents. I can speak a little bit of Kannada which even my parents can't speak you know," she boasted.

"You haven't told me yet as to what stops you from celebrating Navaratri?" she changed the topic cleverly.

Arjun was determined not to talk on the matter, he said, "it is better not to discuss it now; this is just the first time that we are meeting, so it is too early for that, I think."

"Fine, what are your likes and dislikes?" Saniya was ever ready with new questions!

Arjun smiled, "I like hanging around with my close ones, to help out others and especially poor people who live on the streets. I also love making new friends, to expand my contacts; not exactly for business purpose but for another important reason which I will share with you later on when we have known each other for quite some time. Rest, I love chocolates and wafers, I really like to party all night and chill out with some drinks before going to bed. What about you?"

Saniya sounded very friendly now, "same as you, I too like going out with my dear ones, but 'only girls' specifically. You are the first lucky guy with whom I am spending my time; I feel there is a connection between you and me; I somehow feel quite comfortable with you. Then, just like you I also wish to help out the poor but for that I have to be earning first, to be able to use my income in doing the good. I also love chocolate and chips like you, but drinks I take only occasionally. I have never been to any pub before this in my life, and I don't know what exactly made me visit Tranz tonight after reaching Goa. The very minute I stepped in there, I felt as if I have been to the place earlier too, in the past."

"So have you ever been to Goa before also?" Arjun inquired.

Saniya replied, "No, this is my first visit to Goa, but this place still seems to be very familiar, especially that pub and, you. I feel like having acquaintance with even this Baga street and the Baga beach, even though I have never been to any of the beaches in my life. I am puzzled as to why I get the feeling as if I have lived these moments earlier too in my life, with someone."

"It's very strange! I too experienced a similar sort of familiarity with everything tonight when I am with you. This also reminds me of the reason why I am in Goa at this moment," Arjun was about to say something more, but stopped.

Saniya asked him, "What's that exact cause, you are trying to hide something from me I feel. Tell me why you are in Goa for every birthday of yours? You also haven't told me about your family till now."

Arjun said in a low voice, "I am an orphan, I have been all alone in my life for all these years, and that might be the reason which actually brings me here in search of love. I have got some sort of connect with Goa; I feel I can find the people who are important for me, here only, in Goa."

"I'm so sorry to hear that you are lonely. Who all are the people important to you, tell me..." she said softly.

"It is better that we change the topic and talk about something else, let's have a few more drinks" he replied.

Saniya wanted to go on chatting, she didn't want a break at all, so she said, "Fine about that, but I don't want to drink anymore. I wanted to ask you that, you are a rich man still how did you think of dating a mediocre girl like me?"

Arjun patted her gently on her shoulder, "come on dear, I don't choose friends according to their financial status. I have equal regards for everybody, and please treat me just like your friend, like the way you consider your close ones. Please don't draw any such discriminatory line in between in view of my status etc. I agree that money is important in life for survival reasons, but otherwise, I give more value to relationships."