Workman: Chapter Four - Part Seven

7 

This was the guy that Sangeeta was supposed to marry... Rasheed.

And in that first dozen seconds while he was just standing there looking faintly indignant and the two of us were; to be honest; looking guilty and caught in the act, I sized him up, head to toe, and a series of fairly surprising thoughts occurred to me.

1)      I didn’t like him;

2)      I reckoned I could take him in a fight;

3)      I had quite the swell of jealousy;

4)      There was no way I was going to let him get his mitts on Sangeeta.

Sangeeta’s hand pulled out from under my shirt guiltily fast. She masked the movement to some extent but there was an element of naughty school children caught by a teacher to it that I didn’t like and that made me feel a spike on anger toward this intruder.

“Rasheed,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. What are...” Glance at me. “... you doing?”

She turned in her seat to face him. “I’m just talking; to a friend. I told you I was coming here to do that.”

He shifted. “You didn’t say it was a man.” The look he chucked me was like molten metal.

I wanted to speak up but I didn’t want Sangeeta to feel I was interfering and I had a bad feeling I’d sound like a lion defending his mate if I did. I decided to keep my mouth firmly shut.

“Look Rasheed,” she said. “I’m sorry to have left you on your own but you didn’t let me know you were... visiting... and I had plans already. I can spend some time with you tomorrow night.”

“I’m not sure I feel comfortable knowing you are out with another man,” said Rasheed. “I know you don’t like the idea of arranged marriages but your father has made it very clear that—”

“Hey!”

Rasheed stopped in mid-sentence. He looked at me, startled. Sangeeta turned to me as well. I paused, then I gave him a very warm king-of-the-beasts smile. “Maybe it’s none of my business,” I said. I paused again. “... but I get the impression that this young woman has been... quite explicit on her wish to have an evening out... with me.”

Rasheed took on the mien of an overfull teapot. When he started to speak I raised my hand and he stumbled over what he’d been about to say.

“I have no problem with you Rasheed,” I said, “Really. But I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that Sangeeta is uncomfortable with the idea of an arranged marriage. That’s fairly clear, right?”

Rasheed looked to Sangeeta then back to me. “I suppose.”

“So if you’re really hoping to marry her, do you really think turning up unannounced and muscling your way into her flat is the best way to do it?”

Rasheed’s discomfort settled in deeper.

I gave him another warm smile, not dissimilar to what a pride’s alpha male might give to some whippersnapper with designs on the sexiest lioness. “Let me make a suggestion,” I said. “If you’re really interested in Sangeeta then respect her space and her privacy. The best thing you can do? Get back on the train to London. But if you’re determined to stick around, pack up your things and book yourself into a hotel.” I glanced at Sangeeta then dropped him a shrug. “That’s just a friendly opinion; one man to another.”

Rasheed faltered, looking between us again, then blanking me, he said, “Sangeeta... I think we should go somewhere and talk. Why don’t you come away now and we’ll do that?”

She looked down and away and then slowly back up at him. “No Rasheed,” she replied. She put her hand round mine on the table. “You heard what Geoff said; and I think he’s right. That was good advice.”

There was an extended crackling silence, then with one last molten glare at me, Rasheed turned his back on us and walked away.

I watched him go, feeling kind of stunned, not sure where any of that had come from or if it was the right thing. What the hell business of mine was it to stick my nose into this? I had no idea what the cultural etiquette was and I’d waded in like a... like a man!

I turned to Sangeeta. Her face was lowered, her brows knit. “Sorry,” I said. “I don’t know why I said all that. I shouldn’t have done your talking for you. I guess... I guess I’m an old-fashioned guy and... I don’t like to see a lady being hassled.”

“Thank you.”

“What?”

She lifted her face, turning it toward me; smiling; and her eyes were moist. “I’ve had my father battering away at me for so long; different men I didn’t choose throwing themselves into my path, trying to be modern and western but still just following all the traditional crap... and...” She gripped my hand tightly. “It just feels nice... to have someone I like for a change who stands up for me.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I sputtered for a second, then I opened my mouth to respond and before I could say anything she put her lips to mine, taking my shoulder in her fingers and pulling herself tightly against me.

My eyes fell closed and I tipped into the smouldering well of the passion, its intensity swallowing me in sublime and balmy darkness.

I put my hands to her face, holding her close and she enwrapped my in her arms. We kissed and we kissed and we kissed and we kissed.

And when we broke contact finally, the kiss went on sizzling on my lips and in my chest and in the light of Sangeeta’s beautiful eyes. For an extended moment we both hovered in that perfect uncomplicated instant, then in a thundering rush I realised what I’d done – again! – and I pulled away. I got to my feet.

Sangeeta reached after me. “What is it? What’s wrong? I thought—”

I had to get out of there, but I couldn’t do this to her again. How could I? Especially after what she’d told me in the beauty parlour that morning. Instead of breaking off completely I just stood there in an extended moment as awful as when Rasheed had been here.

This was wrong. It was completely wrong. I wasn’t this man she saw. I couldn’t keep any promises my actions were making. I was leading her on terribly.

“Geoff?”

“I...” I looked toward the exit. “I have to...”

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to the... men’s room. I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait...”

I didn’t wait. I turned my back on her too and I hurried away as fast as I could into the darkness.