S1E23: Shom and Raima on the Beach

Recap S1E22 Shom and Raima Get Compassionate : Raima continues with her narration of her visit to Daman with Khush ten years earlier.

Khush had taken her to Jampore beach where he had recalled the time he had spent on his ancestral property there as a youth. Later, after a leisurely dinner, he had shown her around the fort and the busier parts of the town.

Neither the beautiful sunset at the beach, nor the tourist attractions of Daman could, however, take Raima’s mind off Shom. A sudden longing for him had assailed her. She had wondered whether she could ever live without him.

Year 2018:

Shom and Raima rose early and set off for Jampore beach in shorts and sneakers. The beach was deserted and the Pajero sped on the sand, cutting through the waves with utmost ease. Raima was thrilled with the experience.

Jampore was no longer the virgin territory Raima had seen with Khush almost ten years earlier. A lot of construction had taken place and it was popular with tourists from Gujarat. They got away as tourists began to pour in.

After a quick coffee they headed for Harry’s factory. On the way Shom wanted to know more about Saif Ali, his lookalike and a terrorist.

Raima raised her eyebrows saying, “You want to know what happened more than ten years ago, don’t you already know?” 

“Yes,” said Shom, “only bits and pieces, as I did not care to know earlier. It took ten years to know you and to complete the jigsaw puzzle that you are.”

Raima reacted, “Looks like you’re going through a midlife crises alright.” She looked at him with concern before preparing herself for the narration.

—–

Year 2009:

It took Saif a lot of effort to call up Raima. But he was relieved with her response. She had agreed to meet him. He was nervous since this was the first time in thirty years he had taken such an initiative. He had never asked a woman out before.

He did go out in groups and had even danced with Raima and others in nightclubs. He once got so engrossed with Raima in a soul-searching conversation that he didn’t realise it until the wee hours of the morning. Yet he could not bring himself to make any intimate moves despite being in the company of a striking intellectual who was immensely captivating. He was otherwise known to be smart and quick-witted, and often gave the impression of being unapproachable and snooty.

However, this was not the real him. He was in fact, a sensitive person, who didn’t want to be rejected by a woman. This made him hesitant about making the first move.

Sometimes he got angry with himself. Was he a man? A man was supposed to take the initiative and not wait for the lady to make the first move. But he was not prepared to hurt his ego at any cost. He was upset with himself, but after much contemplation, he had finally made this call.

He reached early for the rendezvous – they had decided to meet at the Taj Land’s End. He waited impatiently at the lobby bar, looking at his watch every minute or two. What if she was late? Or maybe she just wouldn’t show up! His tension grew with every passing moment.

Even the elegant lady crooning a Latin number could not distract him. He was thinking of Raima, her slim and gorgeous silhouette. Suddenly the crooner broke into Besame Mucho – it was the same track he had danced to with Raima the other day.

Sitting there, he reminisced about the time he had swayed with every part of his body with Raima’s. In those shiny black stilettos of hers, she had almost came up to his height, her cheeks caressing his. He had gently kissed her smiling eyes, the sparks had flown and the emotions couldn’t be controlled.

Slowly brushing past her blushing cheeks, he had kissed her on the lips. While the music ceased, they had remained frozen in an impassioned moment and the centre of attraction. As others had applauded, Saif and Raima had blushed, looking away from each other, but stealing a glance every now and then.

Saif suddenly realised that people in the lobby bar were also applauding, this time at the crooner, and so was someone next to him. He looked up from his seat and to his amazement Raima was standing beside him, clapping away with the rest. She then looked at him and flashed her million-dollar smile.

“Oh Raima! When did you arrive?” Saif asked.

She laughed. “Just a few minutes ago. You were so involved in the music that you didn’t even notice me.” 

He felt awkward and quickly helped her take her seat. That evening they had dinner together and strolled around Jogger’s Park, hand in hand, like old-time lovers. They were in no mood to join their friends for their usual Friday night clubbing and had put their mobile phones on silent mode. Then they went on a long drive.

Over the days, their relationship grew intimate. It may have been soon, but Saif was in love with Raima. He could not bear to be without her for even a moment.

Alas, what seemed like a great relationship, was not to last. There was a part of Saif Hussein that Raima was unaware of. As the months went by, there was a sense of foreboding in Raima’s heart. What had Saif gotten into? An inner voice told her that he was not for her.

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