On Saturday, July the 22nd, Jaimi is waiting for Darshan and the band in the lounge at Mumbai airport. She is sitting by the glass wall that looks over the runway. Darshan and the band reach the lounge.

Lalit: Teri Ms. World, secretary kaha hain?

Darshan: Usko meine nikal diya!

Lalit: Kyu?

Hardik: Same case.

Arbaaz: Tujhe aisi ladkiya kaha se mil jaati hain? Hume toh nahi milti.

Darshan: Nahi milti woh accha hain!

Sagar: Toh hum ab tere bharose jaaenge?

Darshan: Nahi!

Wilson: Thank god warna kabhi kahi nahi pahochte!

Hardik: Isne ek bahot accha decision leke ek bahot acchi secretary ko hire kiya hain. Darshan, woh kaha hain?

Darshan looks around. His eyes fall on Jaimi. She is wearing a simple black t-shirt, jeans, and vans. Her hair is tied in a high ponytail with a few strands falling around her face. She is wearing glasses and of course, a mask.

Darshan: Woh rahi.

Darshan moves towards her and she looks up from her iPad. She greets everyone and the flight is called right after. She grabs her bag and follows the men into the plane. Darshan is sitting with Hardik and Arbaaz. Jaimi takes her seat by the window two rows ahead of them.

After a few minutes, a man around her age comes and takes a seat beside her. Darshan glances at her and sees her shifting in her seat uncomfortably. Her back is against the window as the male leans a little close to her. Darshan gets up from his seat and moves towards hers. Hardik is looking at him with a confused stare.

Darshan taps the male on his shoulder. He turns to him with an annoyed expression. Jaimi sighs in relief.

Darshan: Kya hum seats exchange kar sakhte hain?

Male: Kyu?

Darshan: Kyu ki mein apni wife ke paas baithna chahta hoon!

The male looks back at Jaimi who is looking at Darshan with wide eyes. The band is looking at him with eyes wide as saucers.

Male: Mujhe nahi lagta ki tumhari wife tumhe pehchaan ti hain.

Darshan: Sweetheart?

Jaimi nods her head nonchalantly.

Darshan: If you don't mind, gentleman?

The male gets up and takes his luggage from the overhead storage. He moves to another compartment following the air hostess who guides him to another seat. Darshan settles beside Jaimi who seems calm compared to a few minutes ago.

Jaimi: Thank you!

Darshan nods his head with a smile. Jaimi looks out of the window and closes her eyes. She throws her head back in the seat. A few minutes later, she turns on her phone and enters her password. Darshan pretends to close his eyes and throws his head back. He partially opens one of his eyes and stares at the screen of her phone. She quickly types a message in some language. Her thumb is hovering over the send button. She sighs and erases the message. She turns off her phone and throws her head back.

The plane takes off a few minutes later. Darshan looks at Jaimi who has fallen asleep with her mask and glasses on. He chuckles seeing her. He discreetly takes a selfie with her sleeping figure. He turns to see that the band and they are the only ones in this compartment. The band is looking at him with a dubious look.

Darshan: Kya hua?

Arbaaz: Aap ki shaadi kab hue?

Wilson: Sweetheart?

Darshan: Aise mat dekho! Woh ladka usko uncomfortable kar raha tha iss liye.

Lalit: Accha?

Darshan: Haan.

The band starts teasing him. Their pitch raises.

Darshan: Awaaz nichi rahko warna isne sun liya toh mera jeena mushkil kar degi. Isko secretary banane ke liye bahot papad bele hain.

Sagar: Shaadi se pehle hi to-be-wife se darr gaya?

Darshan: Aise kuch nahi hone wala.

Lalit: Kyu?

Hardik: Jaimi isse nafrat karti hain!

Arbaaz: Inqaar mein bhi pyaar chupa hota hain.

Darshan: Kuch bhi! Mein so raha hoon.

Darshan pretends to sleep as laughter booms in the background. He slightly opens his eye and glances at Jaimi through his peripheral vision. She looks calm, but there is this usual tension that can be seen on her face.

They arrive at Kolkata airport by 7. They step out of the airport and are greeted by a group of girls running towards them. The band splits in half and jogs to the cars provided by the organizer. Jaimi is left with Darshan dumbfounded by what to do. The girls surround the two.

They are shouting in unison, "Darshan, ek photo please" and "ek autograph." The screams lower down as the police pass by them. Their eyes fall on Jaimi whose back is against Darshan's front. He is holding her shoulders from behind, steadying her. Her brows are furrowed as the females around her look at her with a calculative gaze.

One of the girls from the crowd speaks up.

Girl: Darshan, yeh tumhari girlfriend hain?

Jaimi/Darshan: Nahi!

Jaimi: Assistant. Aap log inke saath jo karna chahate hain kar sakhte hain par mujhe abhi yaha se jaane dijiye.

Jaimi grabs her bag and squeezes herself through the crowd. She sits in one of the two cars. Darshan is looking at her retreating figure with his mouth wide open.

He joins her in the car after a few minutes. He turns to face her. Hardik is in the front passenger seat with Wilson, Arbaaz, and Lalit in the row behind Jaimi and Darshan.

Darshan: Woh kya tha?

Jaimi: Kya?

Darshan: Ladkiyo ke saath! Aap ko jo karna hain kar sakhte ho par mujhe jaane do.

He mimics her when he says the last sentence. Jaimi looks up from her iPad and sighs to keep her calm.

Jaimi: Aap ko kyu lagta hain ki mein un sab se pitne ke mood mein thi?

Darshan: Excuse me?

Jaimi: Waha jaise woh ladkiya mujhe dekh rahi thi usse wohi lag raha tha ki meri jaan le legi. And, mujhe tumhari yeh image ke liye marne ka koi shoq nahi hain!

Darshan: Mujhe kuch ho jaata toh?

Jaimi: Meri job description mein assistant likha tha bodyguard nahi. Tumhe dekh ke lagta toh hain ki workout karte ho so I'm sure ki kuch ladkiyo ke beech se nikalne mein tumhe koi problem nahi hoti.

Darshan: Mein ladkiyo pe apna power use nahi karta.

Jaimi: Aa... really? That's not what I remember of last time.

Hardik instantly presses his lips together and looks at Darshan through the rear-view mirror.

Darshan: Mere charms aur good looks se hi ladkiya patt jaati hain.

Jaimi: Haan kyu ki aaj kal ladkiyo ka taste bahot kharab ho gaya hain. Pata nahi kya kya pasand kar leti hain!

She speaks the sentence lowly, but they all hear it due to the pin-drop silence in the car.

Darshan: Excuse me? Phirse bolo toh kya kaha.

Jaimi: I'm sure you heard me the first time!

Jaimi displays her fake smile for him before looking back at the iPad in her hand. She starts reading a novel completely blocking out the males in the car. Darshan looks at her with a scowl on his face before plugging in his AirPods and looking out the window.

They reach the hotel beating the evening traffic of the city. Jaimi collects everyone's ids and completes the check-in formalities. She returns everyone's id with their room key.

They all retire to their bedroom. Jaimi has her dinner in her room while the boys go down to the dining area to have theirs.

Lalit: Darshan, teri yeh secretary bahot maze ki hain!

Darshan rolls his eyes.

Wilson: Do minute mein iski bolti band karwadi!

Sagar: Yeh toh wife material hi hogi kyuki wife hi do minute mein chup karva sakhti hain!

Darshan: Kuch bhi mat bolo. Hum dono ke beech mein aisa kuch kabhi, let me repeat, kuch bhi  kabhi nahi hone wala!

Arbaaz: Woh hain kaha Darshan?

Darshan: Mujhe kya pata? Woh meri secretary hain. Mein uska nahi!

Hardik: Shaant hoja! Itna gussa kis baat ka? Apni hone wali Bhabhi ke baare mein hi puch raha haina!

Arbaaz and Hardik high-five each other across the table with the others break into laughter. Darshan is sitting there with his arms crossed.

Darshan: Yehi karna hain toh mein room mein hi apna dinner kar lunga.

Lalit: Nahi sab chup ho jao ab. Ab Bhabhi ki baat koi nahi karega!

They all cover their mouth with their palm pretending to suppress their booming laughter. Darshan gets irritated with the constant teasing.

Darshan: Yaar kya hain?

Darshan is about to get up, but Wilson pulls him back down. They have their dinner with occasional teasing here and there.

Jaimi, on the other hand, tosses around in her bed till midnight trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. Her mind is clouded with billions of questions and possibilities.

**********