Better safe than sorry?

"There is an office party tomorrow. Why don't you come along as well?"
Runu had asked me and now, along with the rest of the girls in office,the question was: what was one to wear? The whole day, all girls werediscussing their outfits of choice in various corners around theoffice. Then of course there were the girls who had not been invited –usually the variety who were known as 'prudes' or who had stringentdeadlines to follow. There was the gang of girls who decided to dressalike – jeans and a top in certain colour. I failed to understand whywomen insisted on wearing the same clothes as others. I thought thepoint of dressing up was to stand out from the crowd, ya?

I was very sure about what I was going to wear. My dilemma was moreabout 'who' I would go with. While Runu had asked me to join in forthe party, it was not as if it were a personal invite. He hadapparently asked eight other girls in office… the grapevine insistedthat he had picked out the best-looking women in office. I was happybeing part of one of them on Runu's list for now, very soon, thepriority list would change. As soon as office had learnt that even Ihad been invited, there were four different offers to hitch a ride tothe party.

As I debated on the one to choose, I was clear that I would not gowith Runu. Staring back into his eyes was fine, but a girl should notgive away too many hints, ya? I chose the safest option – ConfusedKutty, the senior sub editor – out of all four. I had been a bitsurprised when Kutty had offered to drive me to the party. He wasknown by all and general as the office bore and was known to frowndown upon girls who wore "revealing" clothes. And well, as far as Iwas concerned, if it wasn't revealing, it wasn't clothes! And yet, itwas Kutty who had asked me and it was Kutty I was going with. I justthought that unlike the other young boys in office, Kutty wouldn'tmind me flitting about in the party.

I entered the party on Kutty's arm, much to his surprise since he hadnot offered me his arm. But since he had sat absolutely quietly in thecar the entire way to the party, I decided to make him an 'open'person, soon.
To be continued…