Chapter 2: Chapter 2. With you

On the way, the beauty of the beach mesmerized hotel Jiya.

“”Jiya, don’t worry, your room at the hotel has a complete view of the beach”, Robin said to her with laughter, as he knew the beach was always Jiya’s weakness.

“So how long have you been staying here?” Jiya asked him.

“It’s almost two weeks now.”

His phone was vibrating but Robin was not concerned about it. Jiya understood it but did not question Robin.

Soon they reached the hotel. While entering the lobby, Jiya saw a person similar to Juan entering the elevator. However, she was not able to confirm. Each time  her heart started to race thinking of Juan. She did take two steps forward but the elevator soon closed. She stood there numb.

Then Robin came with her room card and handed it to her. Jiya takes it and read ‘Room no: 1101’. Robin then walked with her to the elevator .As they entered the elevator, Robin’s mobile rang again. He ignores it, but he receives a message. After reading the message, he is taken back. He stopped as he entered the elevator.

“Jiya, I need to pick this call. Your room is on the eleventh floor, can you...?” Robin asked Jiya. On seeing him tensed at the call, she nodded.

“”Will meet you at dinner. Work is calling. Sorry Jiya”

“Fine ... OK Robin,  work comes first. Go now”, she pushes him out of the elevator. Robin walks off in a hurry. Jiya understood he was hiding something important from her. She knew her brother was never a worrying person, but he now seemed stressed. What could it be? Why is he…? She wondered.

The elevator opened on the seventh floor .Jiya saw Juan at a distance standing in front of her. However, Juan did not notice her as he was busy on call and there were a few people entering the elevator. As she rushed to take a glance, he was not seen anywhere. Soon she got back to the elevator with a heavy heart. On reaching her floor, her legs didn’t move forward to her room as her mind told her it was Juan, for sure not her imagination. She then, with disappointment, enters her room.

On the other hand, Juan didn't see Jiya but he had a feeling that she was somewhere very near to him. His gut feelings were true, though he did not know she was in the same hotel as he checked in. After the conference, he asked Mrs. Lee to cancel all the schedule for that day, as he was tired.

“All right sir... Your room is on the eleventh floor. Here is the card ,sir” Mrs. Lee hands over the card to him. It read ‘Room no: 1102’.

“My usual room…nothing special” Juan says, and walks into the elevator and gives Mrs. Lee a smile as it closes. In the elevator, Juan felt it was not a normal day for him, but why?He was completely drained out. More than that, thinking of Jiya makes him very disturbed and impatient.

 On reaching the floor, there was an unusual feeling for him. His heart beats fast. He felt as if he could have a heart attack, as he was about to enter his room, he stopped and looked aside. Just then, Jiya came out of her room.

“Juan”

“Jiya”

Both of them were in shock of happiness. They felt it was just an illusion or rather a dream come true. Both stood looking at each other for a few seconds. Juan thanked god, as it was not a dream, but his prayers were answered so quickly. Jiya’s heart screamed at the top of its voice, though it was hard for Jiya to control. They too then took a deep breath and burst into laughter.

“This is really a dream come true. Actually still, I cannot believe my senses you are here in front of me. May I”, saying, he held her hand and shook it to feel this was all real. Jiya was still not able to believe this until he took hold of her hand.

“Looks like the universe has plans for us.” She sighs.

“Yes, thank you universe. ”

Juan was still holding her hand as he said. Jiya then slowly pulled back her hand from him. Both of them were blushing.

“So from now on you stay next to me.”

“What?”  Jiya anxiously asked Juan.

“”I mean now we are staying in rooms adjacently . In short, we are now neighbors.”

“Oh! That is good. So did your meeting go well?”

“Well, I was, but drained today, but after seeing you I feel my charge boosted up” Juan teases her.

“Well, you must be tired. Take a rest. We can meet up later if it’s OK” and tried to give him some space, but Juan was in no mood to accept it.

“Would you like to come in for a coffee”, I invited her to his room.

Jiya, though hesitating at first, later agrees as she feels comfortable and happy when Juan is with her.

Both entered Juan’s room.

“Hope you make yourself comfortable please”, Juan, in a polite manner, told Jiya.

Jiya made her comfortable on the couch. Juan sat opposite to her. Both of them did not know what to talk about. Juan was sweating even when the air conditioner was on.

“Would you like to hear music,” he asks.

“”No, it's OK “ said Jiya, walking towards the balcony.

“It will be sunset soon and it’s very beautiful to watch from here. I never miss it whenever I am here, actually if I am free”, said Juan. He walks with her to the balcony.

“Why don’t you freshen up? I can wait for you here. You look tired.”

“Well, Jiya, if you are going to wait for me here, then OK, just give me a couple of minutes to freshen up.”

Saying that, he rushes to his room. While Jiya stood on the balcony, looking at the sunset, the beauty of the beach.

Juan was in the room and was in a hurry to freshen up. After showering, he stood in front of the dressing mirror. To his surprise, he saw Jiya in the mirror, not him. He was getting crazy now. He rubs his eyes again and looks again in the mirror. It was he himself now.

“What is happening to me? Why am I doing it like this? Am I blushing why? Why?” Juan’s mind questioned him. Soon he was dressed and walked out of the room. He saw Jiya still on the balcony, looking at the beautiful sunset. He saw her wiping tears at times. He knew something was still very painful in her life. Can he be that cure for her pain?

Juan then makes coffee and walks to her.

“Here is coffee for the lady so busy at sunset.”

“It’s beautiful always watching the sunset makes me feel at ease. Like all pain will go down the sea just like the sun set.”

Juan just nodded, sipping his coffee. Both of them enjoyed coffee watching sunset. At times, Juan cracked jokes to ease up Jiya’s mood, which actually worked. She felt happy and content.

“Tonight would you like to go out for dinner with me”. Juan took the initiative to ask her out.

Jiya smiled. She did neither refuse nor say yes to him. She just stood there looking at the beach. There were so many small food stalls and vendors, beautifully lightened up on the street nearby. The street was illuminated. It was truly a beautiful sight from there.

“ If you could take me there, I would like to come with you for dinner”, said Jiya, pointing out her finger in the direction of street food from the balcony. Juan looks and then nods his head yes.

“We’ll definitely,” Juan agreed.

“Thank you ... OK, I will meet you in front of the elevator within ten minutes ...Is it OK with you Juan?” Jiya asks joyfully.

“ OK Jiya, meet you in ten minutes from now, then.”

Jiya rushed back to her room. On reaching her room, she dressed  up as fast as she could but genuinely it was hard for her to select a dress, though there were only five or six pairs of them.

In the meantime, Juan called Mrs. Lee and asked her not to disturb him in any way from now on and also for the next two or three days. Mrs. Lee was surprised at his words. She wondered. Actually, she was happy to hear this from him. As he never had any time free for himself for the last few years, he always loved to keep himself busy with work. Now what is wrong with her boss?

 Juan waits for her in front of her room rather than near the elevator. He never had such childish behavior. He himself felt that he was not normal now. He enjoyed waiting for her at her doorstep.

 Inside the room, Jiya dressed up thrice but she was  not convinced by her appearance. Finally, she then settled on her fourth dress. Later, she found out that she was 10 minutes late. Juan could hear her racing footsteps towards the door, so he purposefully pretended to come out of his room at the same time, as Jiya opened up her door.

“ I'm sorry I know I am late”, she apologized to him.

“No, it's OK, it's natural. I know girls take time to dress up for a date. It’s OK, it's common.”

“A Date?” Jiya was astonished by his words .

Juan just smiled and held out his hand to her. At first Jiya hesitated but she then held his hand.

“I am holding your hand just for not losing my way, OK” she told him with a giggling smile.

“Oh, I didn’t know you would get lost in the hotel lobby”, he said. He laughed and made fun of her.

Even though he said those words, he tightened the hold of her hand in his.

“I will not lose you again.” He slowly whispered in her ears .

Once they were out of the hotel, the streets seemed too busy. There were lots of food carts, small restaurants, flower shops, live sea food stalls, sweet carts, fancy and traditional item shops, local cosmetics and beauty products etc. It was very lively.

More than natives, there were lots of tourists, mostly couples. FOR LOVE, GENDER IS NOT A BARRIER. Everyone seen around was happy and content. Juan and Jiya walked hand in hand. Juan was telling her about Thai foods and about the open mentality of Thai people.  

Passing by the flower shop, Juan and Jiya walked into the shop. The lady in the shop asks Juan in Thai which flower he needs for his girlfriend. Juan smiles and points out white lilies. Jiya did not notice as she was busy checking out a variety of roses in the rose section. Juan saw Jiya was very happily smiling, looking at different roses and even taking photos of them.

“Juan, could you take a picture of me “,she gave out her mobile to him.

 However, he did not accept it. He took out his camera and clicked her photo. She was stunned but gave beautiful poses like a flower model. As they were checking out the photos on his camera, the woman from the flower shop brought a very beautiful bouquet and gave it to him. Juan thanked her by bowing and then looked at Jiya, who was totally unaware of his surprise. He slowly walked to her.

“For you my beautiful lady”, he gave her the bouquet.

“”Oh, my god, so beautiful “she holds it close to her and smells it. Juan, with a smile, watched her.

“ The white lily is my favorite…thank you Juan, these flowers are awesome. I really loved this” and hugged him to show courtesy.

Just then, the woman from the flower shop said something in Thai. Jiya didn’t understand, she looked at Juan for translation.

“She said our pair is blessed from heaven and wished us togetherness forever”

“Oh! Juan tells the lady we are not couples.” As Jiya was trying to argue, he held her hand and walked out of the shop. She discards that topic and walks with him.

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Each time Juan held her hand she felt her heart racing slowly, but the feeling of comfort and his warmth she did understand.

“So, Jiya, what would you like to have authentic Thai or a mix of Thai, Chinese etc?”

“Well, let’s have some sea food, chicken and veggies in Thai style.”

“ OK… my lady, there you go.”

Both went up to the live fish grills counter. There were fresh shrimps, clams, oysters, mussels, lobster, squid, crabs, snails, carps, mackerel, barramundi, and lots more fishes.

It was not an easy choice for Jiya to make, so she asked Juan to make an order.

“Two Pla muek yang please” Juan ordered.

“Pla muek yang?” Jiya wondered.

When Juan showed her what he had brought, she understood what it meant.

“Pla muek yang – char grilled  spicy squid ,coated with lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, lots of chilies, coriander roots and with a bit of sugar to balance the flavor”

Jiya was impressed with his briefing on Pla muek yang or char grilled spicy squid but hesitated to show it to Juan.

“ If you want, you can call it 'Satay'”

“Satay?” Confused Jiya asked.

“Well, satay is something you can grab to eat or say take away, like your Indian starters like samosa or kebabs.”

 Jiya was again impressed with his knowledge of food.

“Jiya have a bit. Why are you stunned?”

“Stunned, no, I am impressed .Yummy, it's so juicy and spicy so good. It was finger licking, yummy to start with”, saying she enjoyed every bit of it. Juan was happy seeing her enjoy the eating. As they walked further, they tasted another two or three street snacks like Nang kai thot, Thot man kung and Tod man pla.

“Jiya, don’t you want to have dinner with me? I mean you are snacking too much”

Jiya laughs and munches her Nang kai thot.

“Actually, I am a big foodie. I love to eat and taste various foods.”

“Thank god you’re not getting fat…how do you maintain your body with lots of eating habits?” Juan was curious.

“Well, drink plenty of water, then regular exercise, yoga if not, then long lonely walks in the morning, at times mostly in the evening.”

“Can I join you in your long lonely walk so that it's no more lonely” on Juan's mind. Juan kept on looking at her; he enjoyed Jiya’s chatting and walked along her side in silence.

They entered a street restaurant which was quite full but managed to get a table. The waiter came to take the order. Juan recommends Jiya to make orders for them.

“We would like to have Massaman curry, som tam,and green curry served with rice please.”

“Sure Ma’am” the beautiful waiter smiled.

“Also one beer”, Juan ordered.

“And for the lady?” the waiter asks.

“O-liang will do. Thank you”

The waiter confirms their orders and leaves.

“O-ling… Thai Iced coffee... so you are a coffee lover, I believe.”

“Yes, I love coffee, Juan. Long back I wanted to become a Barrister…”Jiya paused her words. Juan understood she was drawn back to some painful past.

“Jiya, relax... come on, even now you can be, Barrister” he,, motives Jiya.

She just nods.

“Juan, I need to use the restroom. Excuse me," she said as she walked off. Juan watched her walking in the restroom. In addition, he waits for her outside. As she went out, she saw Juan waiting for her. She smiles at him and joins him at the table.

 Hot and fresh food was served.  Both of them enjoyed the meal. After a while, Jiya saw Robin standing outside the restaurant. Looking troubled, as if he is waiting for someone.

“Oh, that’s my brother Robin” Jiya pointed out to Juan.

“Your photographer cousin”, Juan adds.

As she was about to call him, she suddenly noticed a man who approached him holding his hand and they were arguing, but out of nowhere she saw Robin  kissing that man .

“It’s OK Jiya. Sit. Clam down”, Juan convinces her to be seated.

Jiya knew her brother was hiding something but this was a shock to her.

“Jiya, are you alright?”

“ I'm OK, it’s just unexpected, that’s all. Juan, shall we return to the hotel?”

Juan nods and clears the bill. On the way back, Jiya spoke nothing. Juan was upset seeing Jiya like this. He tried to talk but pulled himself back so as to give her some space. On reaching the hotel, Juan stops Jiya holding her hand tight.

“Jiya, would you like to grab a drink?”

“Not now, not today. I am drained out, sorry Juan.”

“ OK, but can I walk you to your room?”

Jiya nods yes. He was still holding her hand until they reached her doorstep. Jiya takes out her card and unlocks the door. Juan was still holding her hand tight. She looks at him, asking him to free her. Juan rests his hand on hers.

“So thank you Juan for giving me a wonderful night. I'm sorry. I know I spoiled the end.” Jiya apologizes.

“ It's OK Jiya, no issues but I must thank you for being my date tonight.” He flirts.  

“JUAN”

“Take it easy.. Good night Jiya”, telling her, he unlocked his room.

“Good night Juan”

 As she entered her room, suddenly the hotel phone rang.

 “Hello Jiya”

“Juan”

“Yes? are you back to normal?”

“Hmm”

“Should I come over?”

“No, Juan, it's OK.”

There was a bit of silence in between them.

“Juan, thanks to you for being with me. You must rest now. I will talk in the morning. Meet you for breakfast. OK”

“Sure. Then good night. Sleep tight”

“You too”

“Jiya.. You must dream of me tonight. Bye” he disconnected the call.

“Juan” she shouts.

Juan’s call brought her back to a normal state of mind. Lying on the bed, she kept on thinking of Juan.

“Why am I thinking of him ... Oh god not now. I'm really mixed up. Need some time to breathe,” she kept saying to herself. While twisting and turning on the bed, she saw a gift box and a note left with her name on the side table. She wondered who left it.

“SORRY JIYA, I WONT BE ABLE TO TAKE YOU TOO DINNER. CATCH UP IN MORNING. GOOD NIGHT SISTER

----- ROBIN”

She reads it and takes a deep breath. Then she opens the gift box. It was a sim card and chocolates. She smiles at his welcome gift.

“Robin, I really can't understand my brother, what’s going in your life ? Who is the he that you kissed? When will you open to me?”

Jiya's concern for her brother brought tears.

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