As Chandra hugged her in admiration, she sank into his embrace in gratitude later to withdraw herself feeling fulfilled.
What with Nithya's tentative responses, Vasu's hopes began to soar to the skies. But, as all was silent on her front for a week, troubled by the deadlock, he phoned her up at her residence to break the ice. By then, having fine-tuned her strategy to entrap him, Nithya awaited his call.
“What happened to my application!” he enquired.
“It's under consideration,” Nithya said coquettishly.
“I'm dying to hear, my dear.”
“Won't you deserve that?” she said flirting deliberately. “After all, you'd brought it upon yourself. Listen, given my routine, it's hard for me to slip out to see you and should I be found in your company how am I to explain our togetherness. That's my problem.”
“Where there's a will there's a way,” he said sounding happy. “Don't you think it's more so with lovers?”
“Do you think I wouldn't have thought about it,” she said feigning concern, “and that too after reading your letter? The only way out I see for us is through family friendship. Won't that provide us the smoke screen to carry on?”
“It's very clever of you,” he said elated. “Nothing but death can separate us now.”
“I hope now at least,” she said assuming an innocent tone, “you mean what you say.”
“Let bygones be bygones dear,” he said with a feeling of having sealed the deal, “let's make a fresh beginning.”
“To be honest with you,” she said cementing his hope, “on seeing you again, first it was once bitten twice shy. But then, it was no shying away from you; you've a way with me I suppose.”
“Why deny our due?,” he said having been carried away. “Don't we have a natural weakness for each other?”
“How I'll know that when we make it?” she said coyly. “But for now, bring Prema coming Sunday for dinner; meanwhile, I'll manage my husband.”
“Seven is fine.”
“Bye,” she said as she hung up.
When Vasu broached the topic with Prema, she was skeptical about the whole affair.
“I'm sure,” she said, looking at him suspiciously, “you would've forced yourself upon her. How do explain this turnaround after all that disinterestedness!”
“As usual,” he laughed away her apprehension, “you read too much and suspiciously at that. You may know Princely Pearls is a major account and as things stand, she's its princess. Which banker would let it go without a try?”
“How is it so?”