‘Can I drop you somewhere?’ she asked.

‘No, I have got my . . . Yes . . . actually you could.’ Radhika narrowed her eyes at him and he hoped she hadn’t figured out his ruse to spend more time with her.

‘Look at that! People don’t even know how to park their cars. Ridiculous!’ she yelled, on seeing a car parked in front of her office building, blocking her scooter. ‘They have cars but no brains.’

Funnily enough, it was Madhav’s car but he played along.

‘The guy who parked this way must be so stupid. Couldn’t he see he was blocking my scooter?’

‘You are right. Such people should die,’ said Madhav, vehemently.

‘No, they should not die. They should be punished,’ Radhika said and gave him a roguish smile.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked as she handed him her helmet and sat on her haunches. Before he could say or do anything, he heard the sound of a tyre deflating.

‘Oh God! Stop it, Radhika! For God’s sake,’ he screamed, forgetting his act for a second.

She looked up. ‘Why are you screaming?’

‘I mean, it’s not fair!’ He gnashed his teeth, trying to hide his annoyance.

She let out the last bit of air and then they struggled to pull her scooter out. Madhav sat behind her.

She started her Vespa and he smiled at her in the side-view mirror. She got the feeling that he hadn’t smiled quite this much in a while and felt glad that he was happy around her.

‘Where do you want me to drop you?’

‘Wherever you want.’

‘Huh?’

‘I mean, you could drop me off at the University metro station,’ he said as they drove off. He wanted to hold her waist but gripped her shoulders instead, not wanting to be too forward. The cool breeze whipped their hair. Her fragrance intoxicated him and their proximity made him acutely aware of every passing second.

‘Why are there no speed breakers?’ he muttered under his breath.

‘What?’

‘Nothing!’

Radhika dropped him off at the station. ‘See you soon. And Madhav, I had a great time with you!’

‘Me too. Well, wish me luck!’ he said.

‘For what?’

‘I have an interview the day after tomorrow.’

‘A corporate job?’ He nodded. She made a face. ‘Ugh! I shouldn’t wish you luck so you can focus on your writing instead.’ She shook his hand and sped off.

He smiled and stood looking at her until she disappeared amidst the cars. It had been one of the best days he’d had but this blissful haze was rudely interrupted by yet another call from Meera.

‘Are you preparing for the interview? Hold on, I hear honking. Are you out?’ She peppered him with questions.

‘Meera! You are . . . My car is punctured. I’ll call you back.’

He hopped on to a rickshaw to return to the office and called a mechanic to fix his car. He wasn’t angry or annoyed. Rather, he was amused at Radhika’s childish antics and thought of her even more fondly. For the first time in a long while, he felt like himself, light and free.