The Love Game, season 2: Episode 7

 

Wednesday, September

"Hey dude, just play Animals in 15 minutes okay?" Prantik requested the DJ at the club.

“Hey man, sure. Who's this dedicated to?” The DJ asked lost in mixing his sounds. 

“All the early 2000 party animals like my girl there, can you see her?” Prantik said pointing at Jahn. 

“The one in a black corset and blush ankle pants? She's hot man.” The DJ said mischievously, loving this guy’s vibe.

“Uhh okay she is your sister. Just play after this track okay?” Prantik said a little jealous. 

“What do I get?”

“Free Redbull promotions at this club next Wednesday night.” 

“It's a deal bro.”

Prantik, his colleagues and Jahn were at Viral the night club at Worli and he could see she was enjoying every bit of the nightlife at the club. Jahn was busy dancing with his work friends and sipping beer with a straw that only she could do. 

He joined the party and waited until she turned towards him and the DJ played her favorite dance track. 

“OMG! Prantik I love this song!” Jahnvi leaned in and shouted in excitement in his ear.

“Show me some moves woman!” He smiled happily and whispered back to her. 

They danced the night away and later stopped at Bade’s for some rolls and coke. 

He dropped her home and she glided her way to her building. 

Jahnvi had lost her baby fat again and she felt great physically. So happy she was being at the nightclub after ages! She felt safe in this crowd because her soul mate was with her.

One week later, Saturday, September

Keep your eyes closed until I tell you and don’t cheat. 

Okay, okay where are you taking me though? 

Half hour later into the drive they landed at Madras Cafe. 

She opened her eyes and said aloud, “That's exactly what I think is a perfect feast right now and smiled at him. 

Gorging on uttapam, one of her favorite Indian breakfasts, they talked about the state of Indian affairs, struggles of young adults in a corporate environment and how the Capitalists seem to control the economy at the moment. 

Three weeks later, October 

Resting his head on her shoulders, facing the sea, they were at Mandwa enjoying the silence of the after party with their group of friends from her college. It was a sort of a reunion and on a hunch, she'd invited him to join her. 

“You're way mature than I thought you'd ever be Prantik.” She said softly. “Love the way we handled being friends after acknowledging our relationship.” 

He was so satisfied with life right now that he was lost in a day dream resting his head on her narrow shoulders that he concluded thinking that he was happiest when he was with her. 

“Just this work travel is too hectic babe.”

“Take it with a pinch of salt. Your workplace and your position is great right now.” 

They experienced the most beautiful sunset together. 

 

After two weeks, October 

“Don't you just hate being productive early morning Jahn?” He laughed as they climbed further on the trek at Karjat and Jahn had taken a break after every fifteen minutes in one hour!

“Ya. And you had to drag me to see the mountains this early na!” She complained like a baby, shrugging her hands and legs, gesturing him to pick her up the rest of the trek. 

“Hahahaha spoiled brat! But I won't spoil you,” he said thinking how his dad spoiled yet not spoiled his mum after being in love with each other for 30 years in marriage. He stared at her lovingly for two minutes and said, “Fatty climb with me and don’t be a lazy bum. No more resting breaks!”

*Puppy faced walking behind him.* 

“What are we gonna eat for lunch Prantik?”

“Aah!  That indeed is the most important thing on a trekker’s mind sweetheart. I think we'll have to skip lunch.” He said pulling her leg making a serious face 

He clicked her candid expression of genuinely looking mortified by the idea of going without a meal. 

 

Thursday evening after work, Mid November 

“ Jahn I am too tired and mind fucked today. Let's just have a grand thali somewhere.”

She looked radiant as she climbed into the car seat beside him. 

“Lets go to Star thali at Churni Road.”

“Now have three glasses of chaas and cool down Prantik.” 

“Babe, I just want to make money till the end of the year and take a break from work.” 

“Yes, that will happen. She said relishing fresh Chappatis and sabzi.” 

“You come with me, we'll go away to Norway,” he said enjoying his food absentmindedly, completely forgetting that - that couldn't happen anymore. 

I mean, I'll take off for some time. 

Ya do that and get me lots of Rittersport okay? 

He realized she was his sounding board and she realized she was the kind of woman who would always be there for her man. 

They looked at each other for a long moment before she broke the spell and demanded some biscuit icecream from K Rustom. 

Jahnvi was healing beautifully in this new phase of her life. She felt renewed and felt her soul at peace. Her writing was going well and slowly the idea to write a book was taking shape in her mind. She now not only met Prantik regularly but met all her friends too. Life was getting back to normal again but with a fresh kind of sense of being.

Prantik was falling for Jahnvi all over again. He didn't care anymore that they had broken up. He felt at peace with her and she was a terrific friend. If anything, this break up had brought them closer to each other. Not once had she thrown, him being wrong at him and he loved her more for that and the quiet confidence and strength of character she exuded these days. 

First week of December 

“You two losers just get married ya. Annoying half the world being a nuisance ex couple,” Sim announced as she joined her friends in the car.  

The three of them laughed as Sim got into the backseat of the car and they drove off for the weekend to Sofitel at BKC to enjoy a lavish staycation of ordering in bed and feeling like millionaires in the city. 

Christmas, December 

They were at Juhi's Christmas party and they both entered through the mistletoe at the same time and their friends broke into hoots of them having to kiss, therefore. 

Prantik looked at Jahn and she looked at him then put her head down and he kissed her cheek shyly. 

They both got drunk and escaped the party at 3 am on their friend's building terrace. 

“Dude I am so drunk,” Jahnvi said happily.

“Ya same here,” Prantik said sounding like a college boy.

“We would be parents right now if you hadn’t escaped years ago.” Jahnvi said drunk, not caring about their situation at all.

“Ya and the comfort we find in each other today wouldn't have been blessed upon us. We have that now Jahn. We had to go through what we did,” Prantik said contemplatively.

She leaned on his shoulder and threw her heels away and said, “In any way, you're in my life then I am happy.” 

“Ditto,” he said agreeing with her with all his heart.  

They had completely forgotten that they had broken up. 

“Jahn I love you.”

She had fallen asleep in his arms.