Stag night at Night Heaven Club

It was Friday night. Mark Adam, the party animal dragged Arvind and Nicholas to go clubbing at Night Heaven Club. Nicholas in turn forced Yougal Lucas to go out with them. Yougal Lucas rarely went to club. He did not enjoy the noisy, high voltage atmosphere inside a club. He neither danced nor drank much. At first he turned down the invitation. These days whenever he was not working, his mind stayed clouded.

It had happened since he met Nia Sonowal, that mysterious woman who was Rhianna's friend. That woman brought back the memories he tried to keep locked in the deepest part of his mind. His soul turned restless every time he remembered her eyes. They held in them the mystery of the universe which he could not fathom and he could neither resist the urge to untangle and decipher the web of unsolved mystery in them.

In her eyes he witnessed myriad of emotions for what seemed to be split of a second. But Yougal Lucas was hypnotized, fascinated, though he was equally flabbergasted by them. She reminded him of the woman he had tried to forget. Because every time he remembered that woman from the past he was filled with irresistible longing to punish himself. His guilt turned into nightmares.

'Is it because of the animosity in her eyes that she reminded me of Nirvana?' He did not know. Yougal Lucas only knew that he wanted to get close to that woman named Nia Sonowal, to know why she hated him, to turn the ice in her gaze into fire of love for him. Sometimes even in the middle of work he found himself planning ways to meet her, such as suddenly running into her as it happened in movies.

When Nicholas insisted, Yougal Lucas at last yielded. With the thought that perhaps the company of his friends and the noisy crowd in the club might take his mind out of the never ending tunnels of confused thoughts, he followed the others. Arvind Saxena and Mark Adam were regular in Night Heaven, one of the most elite club in the city. The four of them went straight to the VIP booth on the upper floor that was already booked.

Mark Adam, the expert in alcoholic shots rambled on some strange and funny names. He talked of Slippery nipple, White Gummy Bear, Blow Job and Screaming Orgasm. Yougal Lucas furrowed his brows. He regretted his decision. 'Where's the calming of the mind here? Looks like it's going to get fucked up more.' Nicholas almost shouted,

"Stop it, Mark. No one gonna order it. Stop flaunting your great knowledge. We'll order some wine."

"Oh, come on cousin. They are just some shots. We're all grown up to get embarrassed by some shot names." When he saw Nicholas glaring at him, he quickly added, "Let's take a shot of either Mind Eraser or Silver Bullet."

"Okay, order one Mind Eraser for me." Yougal Lucas at last looked interested. 'Why not,' he thought, 'if it helps to erase her thoughts from the mind, at least for a night.'

So they settled for the Mind Eraser and some wine. Arvind joked about the strange erotic names as they downed the shots.

"Dudes, one need not take those shots as one will get high just by hearing the names. Whoever coined those names deserve awards."

They all laughed at the joke while Yougal Lucas' lips just twisted a little in the semblance of a smile. After drinking two glasses of wine Mark Adam and Arvind went to the dance floor. Yougal was still sipping his first glass. Nicholas looked at him curiously. He noticed that his friend was more aloof than he usually was in a club. Moreover, though he did not drink much, tonight he was even more averse to drinking.

"You seem to be low lately. Something bothering you?" Nicholas was concerned but he did not like to be intrusive.

"No, everything is okay." Yougal denied the existence of any problem and took another little sip from his glass.

Mark came back from the dance floor and plopped down on the sofa. Arvind followed him. He had a weird smile on his face. Mark scowled on seeing the smile which brought a great gaffaw from Arvind. Both Nicholas and Yougal looked at them with raised brows, interest pasted on even Yougal Lucas' usually expressionless face.

"What happened to him? What's up?" Nicholas asked Arvind, while his curious glance was rested on his cousin's face which looked annoyed.

"Some beauty tried to hit on him. He avoided her but she was one of those tacky ones." Arvind who had a hard time coping with his laughter, replied.

"But you enjoy such advances." Nicholas appeared a bit surprised.

"No more, I say, no more. And I never took girls home from clubs." Mark said the last line proudly.

"No more? Why?" Nicholas asked. All three of them gazed at Mark, their jaws almost dropped at his 'No more' declaration.

"Stop gazing at me as if I'm some alien from the space. I'm a one woman man. I'm tamed, domesticated, ready to take the vows." he announced rather proudly.

"What?" Nicholas and Arvind chorused in union while Yougal had a strange look on his eyes.

"Yes, Nia has done this to me. I'm ready to be committed." Mark took a big gulp from his glass. He was excited, to be revealing the feelings he had been feeling for Nia.

Arvind congratulated him. Nicholas and Yougal said nothing. As they drank they observed the crowd below through the glass wall of the booth. Suddenly Yougal's eyes rested on a face his heart and eyes had been always searching everywhere he went without him being consciously aware of it. His heart skipped a few beats. She was wearing a skinny black jeans and a black shirt, tucked in her jeans. A red baseball cap adorned her head.

But why was she here? He wondered. She was not alone nor with any girlfriends. A tall man in blue jeans and a black shirt was with her. They both had shades on their eyes. There were two female bodyguards clearing the way for them and two others following them. Both the woman and the man were coming to the upper floor. Nicholas followed Yougal's eyes and saw Nia.

"Nia here? Rhianna said, she hated coming to clubs." Nicholas exclaimed hesitantly.

"Nia, my Nia, where's she?" Mark was excited.

"Your Nia is with a man." Arvind poured cold water on his excitement.

Yougal Lucas was uneasy, to see her with another man. Earlier he was angered by Mark's silly declaration about her. Now he felt he could not take it anymore. He came to the club to get her out of his mind for the night but all he got was a fucked up mind, more muddled than before. Who was that man with her? What's her relation with him? A hundred questions plagued him.

"He's the owner of this club." Someone among them asked, perhaps Nicholas and Arvind replied.

A waiter came in. Mark, trying hard to sound cool asked him who the woman was with their boss, if she was a regular to the club. Yougal Lucas tried to appear unconcerned but his ears ready not to miss any words.

"That's Nia ma'am. She rarely comes, only when there's a meeting." The waiter replied.

Meeting? What meeting? They all wondered. Yougal Lucas felt he was pricked by a thousand needles.