Beauty with Brains

Tusshar was unaffected by the usual morning traffic that choked the roads. He hummed his favourite song & effortlessly peddled his bicycle on the footpath. The cool morning breeze ruffled his neatly brushed hair & he smiled at the pleasant weather. No sooner did he reach the office parking space than his mobile phone buzzed. He ignored the alert, continued to hum & walked up to the elevator. During a long wait for an elevator, the phone buzzed continuously, which forced him to check for updates. He scrolled through a few escalation emails, sighed & shook his head. He put the phone back & rolled up both sleeves of a blue & red checked shirt up to his elbows. Eventually, the elevator arrived & he boarded it with other colleagues. He checked his reflection on the panel & tried to set his hair right. As he watched the numbers on the elevator, he made notes in his mind for the escalation meeting.

No sooner did he off-board the elevator than he entered the conference room to meet clients & leadership. After an agonising couple of hours, he subsequently left the war room & walked to his desk. As soon as he reached the desk, Kanika exclaimed, "Hey, long time, no see?" Tusshar grinned & displayed well-aligned teeth through a neatly trimmed stubble. He replied, "Yeah, it's hard to juggle work during the hectic project phase, personal life & cook too. So, I prefer to work from home." Kanika enquired, "You know to cook? That's nice." Kanika complained, "Is there no end to these daily escalations?" He assured her with a smile that they would put an end to it soon.

Kanika enquired about a technical issue. He happily walked up to her desk & helped her out. While he explained the resolution, Sheetal joined the discussion. On issue resolution, Sheetal questioned, "If you don't come to the office, whom will we look at?" Tushar was stunned by the candid question & did not know how to react. Kanika intervened & complimented him, "Nice shirt. You got a haircut recently?" Tusshar couldn't recollect the last time he got a haircut & ran his right hand through his hair. After a few moments, he responded, "Yeah, last week. Thanks!" While Kanika & Sheetal grinned at him, he smiled awkwardly & settled in his seat.

Tusshar's arrival had lifted Kanika & Sheetal's spirits. His presence was a mood refresher amidst the chaos of daily escalations. Kanika stated, "Tusshar has such a niche skillset." Sheetal replied, "Yeah, he is technically too strong & smart. He helps out everyone, even if it's a silly doubt. When we try to convince the leadership or client, they shoot us down. When he says the same thing, they readily agree." Kanika thumped her right palm to her forehead. She revealed, "I'm not talking about his technical skills; that the whole floor knows. Today he mentioned, he knows to cook!" Sheetal replied, "Oh, is it? I did not hear that part; I was on another call." Kanika continued, "He is so handsome; look at that checked shirt enhancing his countenance!" Sheetal added, "Yeah & he has such a cool tattoo." With certainty, Kanika declared, "His girlfriend is one hell of a lucky girl!" Sheetal enquired, "How do you know about his girlfriend?" Kanika smirked & replied, "What is the possibility & probability of such a guy being single in the current market?" Sheetal sighed & nodded. Kanika continued, "He is technically awesome, handsome, can cook, so patient, good at heart & so level headed. He is a complete package. Damn... I cannot find the right word to describe him." Sheetal uttered, "Beauty with Brains."

Kanika snapped, "Spot on." No sooner did she say that than Atharva passed by. The tall & handsome fellow smiled & nodded at both women; they returned the smile & their eyes followed him. Kanika remarked, "Atharva is such a gentleman. Do you remember? When we had been to a colleague's destination wedding & I had sprained my ankle. Every time I got off the bus, he stood at the door with this hand outstretched to help me. When he wasn't around, Anupam was there." Sheetal added, "Furthermore when one of the girls had to leave early, they dropped her at the airport. How sweet of them?" Kanika sighed, "Chivalry is a dying trait. Such genuine guys around; did we commit too early?" Sheetal thought for a moment & replied, "Perhaps!"

Sharath had overheard the entire conversation & exclaimed, "Unbelievable!" Both women turned at him with a puzzled look. He continued, "Committed women speaking like this?" Sheetal remarked, "Beauty is beauty; what's wrong in admiring it?" Sharath continued, "These guys are younger than you both." Kanika added, "From the times of Radhe Shayam till celebrities of today, when has age been a barrier?" He fought back, "Whatever excuse you may come up with, it is not right." Kanika burst into laughter & Sheetal responded, "We are only admiring them. We do not intend to leave our respective partners & go for them. Just chill."

Sharath & Sheetal continued to argue. Kanika watched from the corner of her eye; another escalation mail had dropped in. She interrupted the conversation & questioned him, "Do you remember? Last week we spoke about an actress who adopted several kids from other countries." Sharath asked with knotted eyebrows, "Yeah, what has she got to do with this topic?" Kanika continued, "Well, you are a committed man. Did you stop looking at her just because she married & had twins?" He instantly replied, "No way! Why would I do that?" Kanika smirked & uttered, "So?" Sharath faltered, "No...! So...? Oh...!"

Take Away: Nice men exist in novels, movies & a women's imagination. Accidently if & when she encounters him, either he is off the market or she committed & vice versa.