Hina guessed that sex workers might also be bringing customers to these cabins. She was still thinking when Asrar bent and kissed her lips softly. He was scared that Hina might get angry at this. She felt the light touch of his lips on hers but because she wasn’t present there mentally, she did not understand what happened. She stayed silent. Her silence added to Asrar’s confidence. He held Hina’s hand and pulled her towards him. They stood opposite each other. They had never been so close before. Both wondered—what was the novelty in the attraction between a man and a woman? Where and why was this strength born which pulled two people towards each other with the same force? Both had never paid attention to this, but they were captive to the same feeling at that moment.

Their bodies moved towards each other. They put their arms around each other and kissed passionately for a long time. This was Hina’s first kiss while it was Asrar’s longest kiss, as well as the longest kiss that the darkness of that cabin had ever witnessed. This was because usually this cabin saw less visitors who were love-struck than those who were mostly interested in sex. It was a very special characteristic of Mumbai that there were affordable meeting places for all kinds of lovers. The cabins were the cheapest in temporary lodges where, even though the space was constricted, lovers as well as those driven by sex could fulfil their desires. It was just a coincidence that Hina and Asrar happened to be there. They were not even aware that such cabins existed in the city.

The gravitational pull of each other had reddened their tongues and the colour had rushed to their faces. As soon as Asrar removed his hands from Hina’s shoulder, she sat on the table again. She sat silently with her head hanging down. She felt embarrassed. In the middle of her boldness and kissing she was amazed at her involvement in the act. Many would say it is this astonishment that transforms one day into the astonishment of love. Her mind was like an empty room at that time and Asrar was the lone, illuminated lamp in it. Hina desired to see all the colours of her life within the circle of that lamp’s light. There was nothing meaningful for her outside that circle and she had control over everything that was within it. She had chosen this control for her own self. Asrar also stayed silent for a minute or two. He had guessed it right that Hina would be amazed at her own courage. He was happy. After a while he said, ‘Aye … are you blushing?’

Hina said absolutely nothing.

‘Aye … speak up,’ Asrar insisted.

She lifted her eyes up.

‘Solid lag rahi hai, meri jaan [Looking solid, my dear]!’