Desde sempre e para sempre Chapter 15

Desde sempre e para sempre

Chapter 15

Jaya: “Naina!! Let’s go! Ma is waiting for me to get the milk!”

Naina: “One last ball, I promise! It’s been a while since I played Cricket!”

Lataji screamed from the window above: “NAINA MALHOTRA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING PLAYING CRICKET IN A DRESS!?”

She disappeared from the window.

Jaya: “Now you are going to have it! She was with a rolling pin the last time I saw her and I am sure she is coming downstairs to whack you with it…”

Naina: “Chotu! Show me what you got!”

Jaya: “I knew I should have asked someone else to help me!”

The little boy ran to deliver the ball as Naina was waiting for him to strike.

Leo was standing in front of what looked like a Community Hall.

What the hell?

Did Aaji live in a Community Hall? It didn't look run-down…he tried to read what was written on the board but it was written in Hindi. While he could speak it, he could not read it…he searched the wall for information written in English…Unable to find any he looked to his side. It seemed to be a residential area.

He started walking around to look for people. There was no one around! Not even a stray dog on the road!

Finally, he came across some evidence of habitation. He heard a loud racket around the corner. Leo started walking towards it…

Leo: “What, people don’t play football on the streets…These quiet streets…this will never happen in Rio! Naah, Leo! This is India. The only sport they care about is…Well, why aren't the people on the streets playing Cric…”

Suddenly something hard hit him on the top of his head and everything went black as he dropped on the ground.

“Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!”

Everyone rushed towards the little boy who had been fielding by the second entrance to the complex. He was pointing at something at the street outside.

Naina: “Pingu, are you okay? Did the ball hit you??”

Jaya turned Naina’s face in the direction Pingu was pointing at.

Jaya: “The ball hit him!”

The kids and the two girls rushed to the man who was on the ground outside. He was a tall man and well-built.

Naina reached forward and with the help of Jaya turned him over. Both of them gasped as soon as they saw him. He was a very attractive man! A very attractive and unconscious man!

He had a very sexy stubble which did wonders for his face but his eyes were covered with huge brown sunglasses.

They looked at each other and back at him. The children huddled around them…

“Is he alive?”

“What’s happening? Why doesn't he open his eyes?!”

“He looks foreign…”

Jaya: “THAT is NOT an Indian!”

Naina: “THAT is still unconscious!”

Naina tried to shake his shoulders: “SIR! SIR! Can you hear me?! Sir! SIR!?”

Jaya reached for his wrist to check his pulse: “My God! He smells so good!”

Naina: “JAYA!”

Jaya laughed.

Naina: “You find this funny?”

Jaya: “Only you would knock a gorgeous man out…”

Naina: “Jaya!”

Jaya leaned in closer and whispered in her ear: “I haven’t even seen half his face but look at that body! Let’s kidnap him. We can share him!”

Naina: “Oh my God! Can’t you see he is knocked out!?”

Jaya: “Relax! His pulse is fine! I am a doctor, remember? Precisely why I can make out that he has a gorgeous body even without seeing it…”

Naina: “YOU are a urologist!”

Jaya: “What body part did you think I was talking about?”

But both the girls and the kids sprang away when they heard Lataji shout.

Lataji: “WHAT IN THE NAME OF…WHAT is this? WHO is this?!”

Jaya: “Ma…it was my fault!”

Lataji: “NAINA! What did you do?!”

Naina: “I…I hit a sixer and…”

Lataji: “Well, don’t just LOOK! Take his sunglasses off first!”

 

Jaya’s mother was a doctor too. Jaya quickly informed her mother that she had checked his pulse and he seemed fine.

Naina reached forward to take his sunglasses off and screamed when he suddenly grabbed her hand and stopped her.

Leo looked at her and it seemed like time had stopped. Gosh, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair, long dark hair with luscious curls, blew in the wind gracefully like she was a heroine of some Bollywood movie and, to top it all; she was wearing the Brazilian colors! Green and Yellow! Was that a sign?

He looked into her eyes and couldn't help but drown in them! Two drops of the finest Whiskey, the color just like the one he had snitched from Gael earlier.

Just then an elderly lady came in his range of vision pulling Naina’s hand out of his hold. Just for how long had he held her hand?

Lataji: “Son, are you okay? Don’t be afraid…You don’t look like you are from around here…”

Jaya: “He doesn't look like he is from this country! Ask him if he speaks English!”

Lataji: “Do you speak English? Here, why don’t you take your sunglasses off…” She reached forward…

Leo: “NO!”

Leo pushed himself away from her. Sanity had finally knocked on his door. While he was sure these women didn't know much about football, he wasn't sure about the kids…Also, he had grabbed the newspaper on his way out and his face was plastered all over the front page declaring Brazil’s victory and praising his performance. The newspaper was on the ground right next to him! He had not bothered to disguise himself as much only because no one would expect him to be in India of all places the very next day. He had walked out with just his sunglasses to help conceal his identity. Without his sunglasses, he knew his eyes, his green eyes, would give everything away…

Lataji: “Okay! Relax! How are you feeling? Is your head hurting? Can you see properly?”

She held a few fingers before him: “How many?”

Leo: “What…what happened?”

Leo tried to conceal his Brazilian accent…

Jaya: “Are you Italian?”

Damn. Well, that was better than…He was sure he couldn't pull off an Indian accent!

Lataji: “Stop asking him stupid questions Jaya!”

He looked at Jaya. She was a beautiful woman too! Gosh, did Aphrodite change her address and forgot to mention it to him?

Leo: “What…”

Naina: “We were playing and I didn't realize…I guess I hit it a bit too…it was a ball…”

And finally she spoke. He was not disappointed. Her voice was so warm and smooth that it could melt butter into smooth swirls of gold…

Leo: “A ball?”

Naina: “A Cricket ball.”

Leo: “A Cricket ball?!”

Naina: “I am really really really sorry…”

Leo burst out laughing. Naina stopped apologizing when she heard him laugh. It reminded her of…his laughter…it was just like HIS!

Lataji: “Son, I need you to calm down! There is no need to be hysterical. You are fine! You are a strong boy and…now, please…do you feel light headed? How many fingers do you see?”

Leo stood up. The kids and the ladies looked up as they realized just how tall he was.

He was fine. He knew it. He had been through worse…he tried to move and that’s when his leg, the one that had been injured during the match, gave out. He was about to fall down again when Naina came forward and held him. He bent down and folded the cuff of his jeans to check his leg. Naina crouched down next to him to help him but before she could do anything, he cuffed his pants.

Naina: “Hey…slow down there…Come with us…Lataji, over here, is a doctor. She knows what she is doing…”

Lataji: “Jaya help her. Come inside. My clinic is right there…”

Leo was still in pain and didn't complain as the two women helped him walk to a small clinic. She made him rest on the bed.

She brought a light torch to his eyes. He shook his head and pushed her hand away. He couldn't take his sunglasses off.

Leo: “I am fine. It’s my leg. I injured it yesterday.”

When she didn't believe him,

Leo: “You were holding up 4 fingers the first time and three fingers the second time…There are 8 kids, two knockouts and two doctors in this room…I take that back. THREE knockouts and a doctor…”

Lataji rolled her eyes: “Like we were running out of rogues!”

Jaya: “You were right earlier. How did you know I am a doctor too?”

Leo looked at her: “Beauty AND brains! I apologize, Ma'am. I did not know you are a doctor…”

Jaya: “Then…”

Naina: “You are a doctor.”

Leo smiled: “That was easy! Since you aren't one and I confessed I didn't know your friend was one…”

Naina smirked and walked towards him meeting his challenge.

Naina: “I will do you one better. I can tell you what your field of expertise is…”

She leaned in and traced her finger on his jawline very slowly…In return, he scratched his stomach putting his hand under his shirt and showing a hint of his toned body. He smiled at her, a perfect smile with perfect white teeth, showing her that her tactics didn't faze him at all. She wished she could see his eyes but behind the dark sunglasses, she couldn't read him. She would just have to go in blind; only on the basis of his body language…

Lataji: “Naina! That is enough…”

She winked at him: “I bet its Medical Cosmetology.”

When she saw his jaw drop, she laughed and grabbing her friend’s hand turned around to leave the clinic. But before she left, he stopped her.

Leo: “Actually it’s Medical Aesthetics.”

Naina: “Really? Medical Cosmetology or Medical Aesthetics, what’s the difference?”

She had had the last word. The two ladies laughed as they left the clinic followed by the children.

Lataji: “WELL! I trust you know what is wrong with your leg then! Now, off you go!”

Leo smiled at her and he knew even the elderly lady couldn't resist it. He took her hand in his and kissed it: “Thank you, Ma’am. You have saved my life. I will be forever grateful…”

Lataji pulled her hand out of his hold even though he had caught her blushing: “A rogue! That’s what you are!”

She turned around and saw one of the little boys standing by the door.

Lataji: “Chotu, show this gentleman the way out, please.”

Leo followed the little boy out. When they reached the entrance he looked back. He would never forget her face and her eyes…Naina, that was her name. He would never forget her.

Chotu: “Here, you dropped this earlier.”

Leo looked at the boy. He was handing him his newspaper. But before he could grab it,

Chotu: “You look very familiar. You really look very familiar…”

His hand was on Leo’s face on the front page of the paper…Leo immediately snatched the paper from the boy.

Leo: “I doubt that. It’s my first time here.”

He turned around and started walking away as fast as his limp would allow.

On their way back from the grocery story,

Jaya: “Naina! I still don’t understand how you figured it out!”

Naina: “What, that he is a doctor? It was simple logic…I know I am not one…”

Jaya: “NO! That he is a plastic surgeon.”

Naina: “It was a lucky guess.”

Jaya: “Bull!”

Naina laughed: “His body was perfect.”

Jaya: “That means nothing. Many doctors, young doctors especially, like to maintain their bodies.”

Naina: “Vanity. That’s what I read. He knows his body is perfect and he likes to show it off.”

Jaya: “That means he is conceited! A neurosurgeon could be conceited!”

Naina: “When he collapsed and bent down to check his leg; I saw some of his bruise. It was really bad, Jaya. I don’t know how is walking. I also noticed that he had covered it with make-up. Why hide it when it is already hidden? Only a plastic surgeon could sympathize with vanity. Trying to fix things that don’t need to be fixed and trying to hide things that don’t need to be hidden…but you are right. He could have been a dentist, for all I know! He had perfect white teeth.”

Jaya: “Wow. THAT really was a lucky guess then…”

Jaya went upstairs to give her mother the milk. Naina walked away alone and lost in speculation.

Naina: “What in the world is the Brazilian National Hero doing in Mumbai?!”

That had been no lucky guess. She had known he was Leonardo, the ace Brazilian footballer, the moment he had stood up. It could have been his identical twin brother, the famous Hollywood villain,  Davi.  The only thing that distinguished one from the other was their eyes. One had forest green eyes and the other electric blue. With his dark sunglasses on, she couldn't make out…However, when she had learned that he was a doctor...she knew only one of them was one; only one of them was a famous plastic surgeon...

Either way she had had enough of Brazilians trying to force entry into her life!