London, December 2019

The bustling city street was cast in gold as the twins gazed at their identical reflections in the salon mirror. Giggling conspiratorially, one of them placed her hand on her hips. “Now we look exactly alike!”

“Not yet,” the other replied, shaking her head. “We still need matching clothes to look ‘exactly’ alike.”

“Right!” the first one nodded and hooked arms with her twin, ready to march out but was instantly pulled back.

“Hold on, Babes! We gotta pay first!” The second one replied and gestured towards the reception.

“Oops,” the first one quipped. “Yes, of course!”

The hair stylist, satisfied with her work on their tresses, watched them as they walked past. When the duo had entered and asked for identical hairstyles, she had been slightly puzzled. Twins usually sought distinct looks, but this pair was adamant about having the same. Nevertheless, she worked her magic, trimmed their hair in a layered hairstyle, and then coloured their dark waves to blond.

After making the payments, the sisters marched out and the first twin handed a helmet, to the other.

With a dissatisfied look, the second twin mumbled, “Why didn’t you get the car? Who rides a bike in this weather?”

Her sister stuck out her tongue, “Just wanted to try what it feels like riding a bike in the cold. Not like it is snowing today!” With these words, she hopped onto her Ducati and gestured at her sister to take the back seat.

“Argh! I don’t like this!” the other cribbed, totally dissatisfied as she took a seat and then pulled her jacket closer.

The twins headed towards the nearest shopping mall and some thirty minutes later, they emerged from a high-end boutique wearing identical clothes – a black sequin top paired with black skinny pants, matching boots, and warm leather jackets.

As they walked through the mall and into the parking lot, they garnered curious gazes from many onlookers, some blinking a couple of times and some wiping their eyes to ensure they were seeing right, after all, two glamorous women looking identical in everything were marching past them!

Just as the first twin gave the ignition, she exclaimed aloud, “No. 275, here we come!”

“Yes!” remarked the other and hopped behind.

They had only ridden for some ten minutes when they stopped to take a call. While the one talking had a dead serious look, the other one was nonchalantly leaning on the bike and waiting for the call to end. Looking at her sister’s expressions, she knew something was up and their plans for the evening had gone down the drain.

When the call was over, the second twin asked her sister, “So, where should I drop you?”

The other one replied with an absent-minded look, “Something’s gone wrong… I gotta head to work.”

“I can see that on your face,” replied her twin. With disappointment in her eyes, she asked, “So, shall I drop you to the office or will you drop me to the club?”

“The office please…” the other twin sighed.

“Keys please…” The second stretched out her hand and the first one passed her the bike keys. “Hop on!” she remarked and started the engine.

An hour later, one of the twins held her plan and visited the club, No. 275 but wasn’t very happy coming alone. The night’s plan for fun had now fizzled out and she felt irritated by her sister’s boss for foiling their escapade.

Just as she entered, many of the staff waved at her and the bartender even served her their regular drink. The twins were regular at the club and quite familiar with the staff. Though no one could distinguish who was who, they knew that one was Jiya Khatri and the other twin was Siya Khatri, often referred to as JC, J for Jiya and C for Siya.

As the night deepened, the crowd grew in number and the music turned louder. A couple of drinks later, her soiled mood was back in the game and she jumped onto the dance floor. Though she still missed her sister, the music was too good to be missed. So, she danced and danced as if there was no tomorrow! Unbeknownst to her, a long-forgotten acquaintance of hers walked into the club.

Dhruv took a seat at the bar counter and ordered a cocktail. The loud applause from the dance floor made him glance in the direction. In the centre was a woman clad in a black sequin top and matching pants. Like all the present onlookers he was captivated by her moves as she danced like nothing else mattered.

Mesmerised, Dhruv’s eyes focused on her. However, in the ever-moving neon lights, he could not make out her features.

Numerous men tried to match her pace, but she was too good to be partnered. They could do nothing but dance away to save themselves from embarrassment.

His gaze was fixed on her, and he didn’t know when he walked to the dance floor. Before he knew it, he had caught the woman’s wrist and swirled her around. She looked at him with a surprised smile, while her steps faltered.

Dhruv?!

He let go of her wrist the very next second and raised a brow with a challenging look – would she dare to match him?

Coming back to herself, she smirked in reply and followed. Even though her heart was anxious to ask whether it really was him or someone else, she accepted his dare.

As the rhythmic beats resounded on the dance floor, Dhruv took the lead. JC followed his pace, complementing his steps and adding her own touch of style to her spins. They were perfect, in complete harmony even though this was the first time they’d danced together.

She met his gaze, and the feelings buried deep inside, that she never knew existed, surfaced without her knowledge and surrounded her in its folds, drowning her senses with everything about him.

It must be him! Cried her mind, with childlike excitement as if she had been freed of some unknown bindings. However, another thought replaced it with nervous anxiety—what if it was not him?

But the longer she danced, all thoughts slipped away from her mind. He made her groove to his steps, and she laughed heartily, happy that she got to partner with such an amazing dancer and also that she could match him with such ease. While she was drowning in the sheer joy of dancing, Dhruv was minutely taking in her features.

Sharp nose, bright eyes, and blond hair. From her looks, he could not distinguish where she was from yet her glistening eyes sparked a sense of comfort as if he knew her from somewhere. But from where he could not recollect.

She looks Indian, yet not so… he mumbled in his mind as he glanced sideways at the woman barely inches away from him, following his lead.

The crowd’s cheering grew louder as he and the woman danced, matching each other in momentum and grace. His eyes sparkled, and his lips curved into a faint smile.

Just as the music ended, the woman answered her phone. The magic was broken and her aura changed. The smile in her eyes dimmed, and she hummed her replies. Then, with an apologetic and regretful look, she glanced at Dhruv, disconnected the call and walked away without a word.

The crowd booed, obviously reluctant to see her go.

But she shrugged and added, “Gotta go, guys!” At the bar counter, she gulped a glass of water, picked up her jacket, and walked out.

Dhruv stood still in a trance, his gaze fixed on her as she stepped out of the pub. Suddenly he sprinted towards the exit, realising that he hadn’t even asked her name!

As he stepped outside, he noticed two burly men following her towards the parking lot. He heard one of the guys say to her, “Come on, don’t be such a damper! We just want one drink!”

“No can do, guys,” she replied without stopping.

The moment she reached a bike, the men came to her side, and one of them caught her arm. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered something. From the grin on his face, Dhruv knew it was something nasty.

Looking at the scene, it was clear they wanted to hook up with her, and she was definitely unwilling. Dhruv sprinted forward to her rescue – his chivalrous soul all fired up!

The very next second, his chivalrous soul was utterly taken aback! The woman turned out to be much more macho than the two men bullying her! She twisted the arm of the guy holding her arm and performed the perfect shoulder throw, launching him on various bikes parked behind her. The other guy tried to land a punch on her when she blocked it with her left forearm and then attacked him with a helmet, which had miraculously appeared in her right hand. Then, in style, she put on the helmet and caught the second fellow’s wrist. The distinct sound of something snapping followed by a shriek echoed in the parking lot and, it was clear she had broken his wrist and probably his fingers too.

The other fella, who had got off the toppled bikes was totally surprised as well. He gawked at her for a second before clenching his jaws and coming at her with his fists. Before the fist could reach her jaws, she leaned sideways, avoided the punch, and kicked at the space between his legs with full force.

“Ouch!” escaped from Dhruv’s lips, thinking of the injury her high-heeled boots might have caused to the assailant.

The one with the broken arm stood up with a fierce look.

“You want more?” she turned towards him and asked, raising her brows.

The assailant backed away while Dhruv stared at her in a daze. First, he was in awe of her dancing skills, and now of her fighting skills.

Before he could straighten out his thoughts and approach her, she got on her bike and zoomed away!

Dhruv stood there staring with a dazed look at the smoke left by her Ducati, having completely forgotten to ask her name. His ordinarily expressionless face turned gloomy as soon as he realised this and fingered his hair in frustration. Just then, a nickname came to mind. The ends of his lips twitched into a faint smile as he mumbled, “Bonnie….”

***

Bonnie wasn’t pleased. Just when things were getting interesting, she received a call from her sister. She wished to confirm whether he was the one she thought him to be but the chance was now gone.

While Bonnie was having a good time, her twin was suffering on the work front. The unexpected work had been daunting. Though she accomplished her task in the end, there had been numerous setbacks in achieving it.

With a resigned sigh, she waited for Bonnie and watched the cars pass by. “I hope she’s not drunk…” she worried belatedly and tried calling her sister.

But with the wind on her face, Bonnie was unaware of the cell phone ringing in her pocket. She had lifted the helmet visor to feel the winter wind and wake up from her delirium. Within minutes, she reached her sister’s office.

Her twin gave her a disapproving look and said, “Scoot back. I’ll ride. You are a mess!”

“I’m not! Didn’t I ride here, all fine?” Bonnie shifted to the pillion seat and added, “And if you’d seen me dance at the club, you wouldn’t have been scolding me! Everyone was applauding me and I even met-”

“Oh shut it!” her sister cut in impatiently as she started the engine. “All you do when you’re drunk is dance!”

“You’re the same, Babes!” Bonnie wrapped her arms around her sister’s abdomen, and leaned on her back, feeling blissful. Tonight was nice. She thought feeling utterly satisfied. She got to dance to her heart’s content and she also met a long-lost friend from aeons ago… if it really was him…

He was presumed to be dead in an accident, so could it be a look-alike?

Her mind replayed the moments from not so long ago and then suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had an epiphany. That chiselled jawline… She could never forget it. It had to be him! The one and only – Dhruv Singh!

Did Janvi know that Dhruv was alive? After all, wasn’t she, his brother’s doctor? She sighed and dismissed the thought. Had Janvi known, she would have told me, for sure. Aloud she asked her sister, “Did you speak to Janvi?”

“Hmm,” she replied but she didn’t hear anything more over the sound of the wind.

A few minutes later, they returned home and changed out of their matching outfits. After they freshened up and joined each other in the living room, the first twin said, “I’m heading back to India. Come with me.”

“Why?” the other asked with a frown for this was the first time she had heard any of it.

“Coz, I quit today?”

“What?!”

“She swore at me! I just couldn’t take the nagging anymore…”

Her twin stared expressionlessly for many seconds and then sighed. This sister of hers was just too spontaneous… “I can’t come now; I have to submit my thesis in a couple of months.” After a second’s pause she added, “But seriously, you worked so hard to get that job. Why did you just quit? You should have pulled yourself despite the swearing and nagging!”

“I know! But that woman is a bitch! I can tolerate anything but not an insult at being an Indian! It’s a fucking deal breaker!”

“That is!” Agreed the other, nodding her head. “Then shall we head to No. 275 tomorrow? To celebrate your unemployment?”

“That sounds about right!” The sisters giggled and chatted some more before calling it a night. As she returned to her place, the image of the older boy still occupied her thoughts and somewhere, the hope of seeing him again lingered on.

London, March 2020

“Please no, please no, please God no…!” Siya mumbled as her hands quivered while waiting for the results of the home pregnancy test kits.

“It’s got to be negative! It has to be negative!” she rambled, her heart pounding crazily.

At the appearance of one line on each of the two tests, she released the breath she had held, “Hah!” and sank onto the toilet seat, her body trembling with relief.

“That was close!” Covering her face with both palms, she drew in a deep breath and let her palpitating heart calm down. “Thank God!” she sighed, her body and mind drained from the anxiety that had agitated her till moments ago.

Some minutes later, a distant ringing pulled her back from her state of peace. “Argh! Who’s calling…?” she grumbled at the interruption. While slowly pushing herself up, the pregnancy kits slipped from her lap to the floor.

Siya froze. Her eyes fell on one of the test kits lying face up on the floor. Two red lines stared unabashedly at her, stark against the white plastic. The other kit lay upside down, not far away from the first. Gingerly she scooped the overturned one and flipped it over. The second test kit’s result confirmed the first one’s authenticity. Her breath caught in her throat as the reality of those double lines hit her like a tidal wave.

Pregnant.

The word echoed in her mind, sending shockwaves through her entire being. Unaware of the passing minutes, she sat there, lost in a whirlwind of emotions. The ringing of her phone faded into the background, overshadowed by the magnitude of the news.

Minutes went by and it wasn’t until the doorbell echoed through the silent house that Siya snapped out of her trance. With trembling hands, she tucked away the tests and rose unsteadily to her feet.

How could she be pregnant?

It was impossible… right?

They had taken precautions, hadn’t they?

The tests must be wrong!

Her mind reeling with denial, highly doubted the results. She shook her head and patted her cheeks before making her way to the phone which was still ringing.

“Hello?” she answered in a croaky voice and realised she was parched.

“Siya! Oh my god! Where have you been? Do you know how many times I’ve called?” Janvi’s anxious voice blared from the other end.

Siya passed a fleeting glance towards the bathroom. “Sorry… I was napping and the phone was on silent…” she lied, licking her dry lips. A second later, she headed towards the kitchen to get some water before answering the doorbell that had rung once again.

Janvi sighed with relief on the other end of the phone. “Oh… thank goodness! Well… I actually called because Dhruv’s on his way to your house.”

Her words did not register as Siya first gulped in a mouthful of water and then checked the peephole.

She froze for the second time in that hour staring at the man, she least expected and least desired to meet.

On the other hand, distressed and helpless, Dhruv stood outside, his heart heavy with regret and uncertainty. He had no right to show up unannounced, especially after their last meeting. But with the lockdown in full force, he had nowhere else to go, at least for now. He hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorbell once again, unsure if he should even be here.

Inside, Siya’s pulse had quickened, and her stomach churned with anxiety. Faced with Dhruv’s unexpected presence, her thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind until Janvi’s voice repeated, bringing her attention back to the phone and she asked, “What did you say?”

“Dhruv. Arjun’s brother. He’s on his way to your home,” Janvi answered and continued, “With a lockdown in London, and a travel ban imposed, he has nowhere to go. Could you shelter him for a few days?”

With a deep breath, Siya swung open the door, her eyes meeting Dhruv’s for the first time in what felt like an eternity. His presence only added to her turmoil, stirring up memories she had tried so hard to bury.

Unaware of her predicament, Janvi rambled on, “I know, it’s asking too much of you, considering you hardly know my brother-in-law but these are desperate times and he’s in desperate need-”

“Got it,” Siya cut her friend short and added, “He’s here.” And before Janvi could react, she disconnected the phone. Taking in a deep breath she yanked open the door.

Dhruv was about to walk away when he came face-to-face with Siya and stiffened. “Hi,” he greeted her, his hoarse voice hesitant and uncertain. He struggled to find the right words, his guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Siya’s throat tightened at the sight of him, a mixture of anger, sadness and even helplessness swirling inside her. Minutes passed as they stared at each other, hearts full of complicated emotions.

Just as another minute passed, Dhruv broke the gaze and turned to leave, his resolve crumbling in the face of her silent accusation.

“Down the hall, first door. You can take that,” Siya’s voice cut through the tension, surprising them both. She didn’t meet his gaze as she pointed towards the empty room, which was once occupied by Jiya, her twin who resided there until last December. Leaving Dhruv standing in a stupor, she walked towards her room. Her heart was heavy with conflicting emotions but was not yet ready to seek a resolution. Returning to her room, Siya slumped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What had she gotten herself into?

Too many confusing thoughts assaulted her at once. Her possible pregnancy, Dhruv’s unexpected arrival and the countrywide curfew due to COVID were just too much to handle at the same time…

Her head buzzed and she let out a groan, “Argh! This is operation overload Siya! Just shut down and sleep! We’ll think about it tomorrow!”

In the adjacent room, Dhruv found himself in a daze. Collapsing onto the bed, he stared blankly at nowhere. The encounter with Siya had unfolded better than anticipated. Yet, her acceptance without protest left him unsettled, a weight upon his conscience. He struggled to decipher his emotions which were a strange mix of relief and discomfort.

He was visiting London for work when suddenly two nights ago curfew was imposed in the entire city. He was staying at a hotel but because of the lockdown, he was forced to check out and look for an alternative place to board.

An acquaintance offered to let him stay at his place. But, unfortunately, that afternoon, before Dhruv could arrive, the acquaintance was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was quarantined at home.

Dhruv contacted his other friends, in search of accommodation but couldn’t find any. Some were afraid to let him into their homes due to the COVID scare while some had left the city and returned to their homes in the suburbs or different cities.

With the nightfall deepening, he reluctantly hurried to Siya’s place for refuge. The next day, he resolved to reach out to other people and move out before things got complicated with Siya.

But as he lay on the bed, even after an hour of tossing and turning, Dhruv was far from sleep. His mind was occupied with his last meeting with Siya.

Siya and Jiya, the identical twins, were once his neighbours at The Woodsman Estate. They were Janvi’s best friends and now that Arjun, his older brother and Janvi had married, they could be considered family. However, it was difficult to distinguish between the twins. They often dressed alike, confusing others and that’s why the mess happened! Had he known who was Siya and who was Jiya, he would never have made the mistake!She scrutinized him from head to toe to ensure she wasn’t daydreaming. But then her mind registered the wheelchair, and she knew it was reality. Arjun was in person in front of her.

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