Chapter
13
Today’s
Idiom – Make blood run cold
Meaning- When your blood runs cold, you are
experiencing a feeling of horror, dread, fear or a strong foreboding.
“Hey,
grab those seats and I’ll get us pitchers of beer”, shouted Santhosh over the
loud music.
We
were in Trance, an up-market nightclub, with smoky bars and a large dance floor
right in the middle of the pub. Karthik and I moved towards the seating area on
the upper floor and waited for Santhosh to arrive with the drinks. I couldn’t
wipe the grin off my face. My day with Lalitha had gone extremely well.
After
a hearty south-Indian breakfast in Vidyarthi Bhavan, a traditional Tiffin house
in South Bangalore, we reached Lalbagh. But a sudden downpour had forced us to
take cover under the large trees of the gardens. I don’t know if it was the romantic
weather or the fact that Lalitha looked so beautiful that made me hold her hand
and draw her close towards me. Fortunately for me, Lalbagh was not so crowded
in the morning and there were no guards patrolling the garden, looking for
couples getting cozy behind the bushes.
I
felt Lalitha stiffening with anxiety and I remembered that she had been brought
up in an orthodox family. I smiled nervously and let go of her hand. But a few
minutes later when Lalitha took my hand and kissed it, I knew that I had won
her heart.
“Hey
lovebird, what are you dreaming about”, Santhosh asked as he brought three
large pitchers of beer to our table.
“I
had the most amazing day with Lalitha”, I replied in short.
“Sudhir,
I was talking about you to my mother yesterday on the phone and she was really
surprised that you agreed to marry Lalitha. I think it’s very noble of you.”
Karthik hailed from Udipi too and his parents still lived in their ancestral
property in Udipi. He stared at me as if I deserved a Nobel Prize.
“What
are you talking about?”
“Don’t
you know about Lalitha? I thought your mother knew.”
I
was about to ask Karthik to explain, when my attention was drawn towards a
tall, slender girl dancing on the floor. From where I was seated I had a
partial view of the dance floor and this girl had her back towards me but yet,
there was something familiar about her.
Her
dance, while being slow, was seductive and graceful and most men were ogling at
her from far. She was wearing a short, frilly skirt and a tight top that hugged
her curves and accentuated her lean body.
When
she turned around, the realization that I’d been deceived by my innocent fiancĂ©e,
Lalitha, made my blood run cold.
“Lalitha,
Lalitha”, I shouted and at the same time her eyes met mine and there was a
fleeting flicker of recognition before she started moving towards the exit.
You can read the previous chapters here-
Vidyarthi Bhavan...! I love the crisp dosas dripping with ghee and by-two coffee there!!
ReplyDeleteback to the story...wha...? so that's Lalitha's secret?
My god, a murder and now this, how are the pieces going to fall together?
ReplyDeleteOh what??? :O
ReplyDeleteOh!! Everything is fishy now! Eagerly waiting for the next part :)
ReplyDeleteMy Soul to Steal
oh wow another twist!! waiting for more!!
ReplyDeleteOh wow .... you certainly have us lined up.... surprised - and curios what happens next
ReplyDeleteOh My! That's a big shocker!!! :O
ReplyDeleteOh God! What a twist! Intriguing. :)
ReplyDeleteShocked and Speechless. What time does the next post go live? Can't wait!
ReplyDelete*Shantala @ ShanayaTales*
What????? #jawdrop
ReplyDeleteThe story is really moving now.... :)
Brilliant twist!!! Heading over to know what happens next :)
ReplyDeleteUFF! You are raising the suspense doubly so! Murder and now this?? :D
ReplyDelete