‘That was impressive!’ I grinned at Yudi as he sat down on the empty recliner beside me. ‘I was this close to dunking that guy’s digicam into the pool!’

‘You were letting your temper run away with you again.’ Yudi flashed his dimple at me. He really had a nice smile, I thought as I looked into his eyes. It reached his eyes the way a genuine smile should. He had really nice eyes too, and they looked even better when he smiled, all warm and melting brown.

‘So have you always been this hot-headed?’ asked Yudi, continuing to smile.

‘Well I could ask you the same thing,’ I retorted cheekily. ‘Your reputation precedes you, you know.’

‘Touché,’ Yudi grinned. ‘I don’t deny the charge. But at least I make an effort to apologize—at least to some people.’

‘What are you doing here anyway?’ I asked, feeling a little embarrassed. What was it about this guy that unnerved me so much?

‘Well, you’d disappeared so I had to find you,’ Yudi said lazily, stretching out on the recliner. ‘You’re obviously playing truant and not paying attention to the all-important welcome activities going on around here. The current activity is a treasure hunt and you and I are partners in that all-important mission: the hunt for the great Welcome GF Fun & Games Grand Prize!’

‘You don’t say!’ I giggled in mock excitement. ‘What on earth is the Grand Prize anyway? Is it worth giving up this blissful spot in the sun?’

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ Yudi leaned back and closed his eyes. ‘Are we safely hidden from view here?’

‘Yup,’ I said happily, suddenly feeling proud of the little oasis I’d found. ‘Isn’t it pretty? We have a little bamboo thicket like this in our garden back home. My sister and I would spend hours there reading while my mom went nuts trying to find us inside the house.’

‘And where is “back home”?’ Yudi asked, raising himself up on one elbow and turning to look at me. ‘You’re from Dehradun, aren’t you?’

‘Yeah,’ I replied, feeling a little wary as I recalled the Dinky Chips script I’d heard Yudi narrating the first time we’d met. ‘Not your kind of place, I’m sure. You’ll probably think it’s like an overgrown village. And you? Have you lived in Mumbai all your life?’

‘Mumba-a-ai?’ Yudi smirked in what sounded uncannily like Gautam’s Yankee accent. ‘No, I’m from Almora. Another one of your overgrown villages.’

He grinned at me as I gaped at him, dumbfounded. ‘Really? Almora? You’re not from Mumbai?’

‘Almora,’ Yudi nodded his head sagely. ‘Where else do you think I would’ve got a name like Yudhishtir?’

‘Oh, so Yudi is short for Yudhishtir!’ I looked at Yudi in awe. ‘I had no idea! Hey, we actually have a lot in common! And I could have sworn you were like this hardcore Mumbai-ite, only too willing to turn up your nose at us small-town guys.’

‘Well, maybe you should stop having so many preconceived notions about people and try and get to know them for a change,’ Yudi replied, looking all serious again and suddenly getting to his feet. ‘Hi Puru!’ he said casually and I jerked my head around to see Purushottam Mittal, head of sales, walking towards us dressed in a bright purple shirt emblazoned with genial-looking yellow dragons and red shorts.