The Oxe effect

A few weeks earlier...

'I saw a really pretty girl today.'

'She was dark... like Nandita Das. Nandita Das is sexy isnt she ?'

I just nod.

'Her name's Maya. I kept looking in her direction. But she didnt turn and look at me'.

'Shit man, I think I should cut my hair'

Its been quite a while since Karthik left our team. (Refer to my previous post.) We've got over it. All the more because he has a couple of job offers in hand right now, and is debating which one to pick up.

Everything's back to normal. Pratik has gone back to being an animal, throwing his head and growling every now and then, and the rare sensitivity he showed during that period is hardly remembered.

And with the return of the daily routine, back comes the daily discussions about women and girlfriends.

I've never had a girlfriend. Pratik had one earlier but now maybe because of the company he's keeping (read Oka), he's without any relationship as well.
Manish has been way too focussed in life to have anything to do with girls.
With Amit.... girls ? whats that ?

Not that my 'success' with girls kills the die-hard flirt in me.
But it sure is funny that when I flirt with girls, they assume without a second thought that I'm kidding. I mean, surely I'm worth a second's serious thought !

You must read this chat conversation I had with Jess.

Oka: Hey why dont you change your snap on orkut ? I will tell you which one to upload.
(Orkut is a friend-networking website)

Jess: Which one ?

Oka: There was one you sent me, which was really good.

Jess: Which one ?

Oka: The one where the mail's subject was 'Fall in the ditch'.
(Well, when I saw the thumbnail of her snap on orkut, I told her that I am falling in love with her, and asked her to send me the original snap. She sent it with that subject.)

Jess: :))

Jess: You are really very cuuuuuuute.

Oka: ????

Jess: ????

Oka: What ????

Jess: yeah what ???
(She really can be exasperating sometimes.... Actually no. Knowing that she'd read this, she's exasperating all the time.)
(But really, sometimes I wonder if its a computer on the other end of the line, sending me back all these replies and laughing at me in its mechanical robotic voice)

Oka: Mad girl.

Jess: Arey !!

Jess: Ok..forget that. What are you doing ?

Oka: Working. Too much work today.

Jess: Am I disturbing you ?

Oka: Actually you are. But since you are shameless and anyways wouldnt go offline, and since I'm ever a gentleman, I would say no. You arent disturbing me.

Oka: Hey.. wait a minute. I gotta take a leak. I've been holding it for a really long time.

Jess: :D. Go.

Oka: By the way, holding it = holding the sensation. No pervert thoughts okay ?

Jess: I didnt even think of it. You are really sick. :))

Oka: That I am.

Jess: Shameless too.

Oka: That I am.

Oka: You done with abusing me ?

Jess: Yes. for now. But there's more to come. :))

Oka: You are always laughing at me :(

Jess: =)) =))

Jess: You are really really cuuuuute.
(Wow man.)

Jess: Cute doggie !!


Doggie ???? Wait a minute.... Doggie ???? I mean, Timmy back home - my pet dog, would really get angry if I tell him how strange I found this.
But still... doggie ???
I can almost visualise her petting my head, and throwing a frizbee in the air, with me running after it, taking a huge leap and making the catch perfectly with my teeth, which I then get it back to her with my tail wagging all the while.
Doggie indeed !!

Well, its not like I havent had weird experiences earlier with other women, but still fate never ceases to amuse me.

Before I turned into a flirt, before I met Jess, there was a girl whom I really was in love with. So much, that I had charted out my whole life with her in mind. My mind's quite fertile when it's excited. And she caused such excitement in my life that I had painted a vision of my life with her in brilliant colours.

A few months back she messaged me on the Yahoo messenger that she had something really important to say. She asked me to give her my phone number or call her at a number.
I called her up.

'Oka. I'm getting married !!! I'm so excited !!!'

A second's pause.
In that second, I had a distinct vision of the whole divine assembly of gods watching from the heavens above, rolling on the floor and holding their sides with laughter.
Man ! Cant believe that gods have a sense of humour as well. I thought the maximum they could do was smile while giving away boons to devotees, or frown with anger when they're destroying demons.


As I slouch on the couch on a Sunday morning in front of the television , I think that this is something every guy goes through in his life. Success in relationships is always elusive for the average guy. I mean, I really havent heard of anyone setting his sights on a girl and then in a matter of weeks going around with her.

Or have I ?

The door bell rings. Amit goes for it.
Its Kaushik. And there's someone else with him.
She has lovely eyes and sharp attractive features. Her black top outlines her sexy figure.

She's hot.

Kaushik quickly introduces us to her. He cracks a quick joke about each one of us, enough to get her laughing. I can barely keep my jaw in place.

She goes into his room. As Kaushik is about to follow her into his room, I call him.

'Hey Kaushik'

'Yeah'

'Who's she ?'

One corner of his mouth goes up in a sly smile as he runs his hand through his long wavy hair.

'Maya'.