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Eye For Detail

They are the last two to leave the meeting. Rajesh holds the door open gallantly for Sheila. When she thanks him, he says "Its my pleasure" with such seriousness that she is taken aback. He watches her svelte form as she walks away. He always had the ability to view a woman aesthetically. Even back in the day when the hormones were furiously raging, and his best friend Kaustav rated women by their cup size, Rajesh was struck by their charm and grace more than their vital statistics.

When he first started seeing Anjana, Kaustav had said "You're can't be serious about her. What in fuck's name are you going to do with that dry stick in bed ?" The stick used to wear her hair in a severe looking bun and Fabindia kurtas two sizes too large. Rajesh noticed her well groomed feet with toenails painted a frosty shade of pink, the delicate Kholapuri sandals and the lavender smell of her talcum powder. The sound of her laughter had the freshness of rain on dry earth. She wore surma instead of eye liner unlike most other girls and unlike most guys he noticed the difference . To him, she was the stuff that dreams were made of. He had proposed to her at their favorite chai stall just outside the university campus. She had said "Of course " in acceptance. It was also the day he had first kissed her and was pleasantly surprised by the passion of her response.

Sheila had little in common with the Anjana of those days yet every time their eyes met, Rajesh had to catch himself from stumbling into a reverie. How odd that he should recall the feel of Anjana's tongue in his mouth and the smell of elaichi on her breath from twenty years ago when he could not remember the last time in the past year that they had kissed with any real passion.

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