Sip - 16

Angel knows that girl over the table near the book shelf. Not because of her looks or the person who accompany her but because she was the only one who used to pick book from U-Smile. She doesn’t seem to be a book freak but she always has interaction with the books atleast 15 minutes. Angel was wishing to have an intro with her for a long time. “Hi Good evening!”, Angel started with the greeting. She gave a bright smile and greeted back. “May I take the order please?”

“Yes, 1 cold coffee with oreo please”

“Sure. Just 5 minutes.” Saying so Angel turned but stopped. “I think you can try the ‘poems of Shakespeare’ it’s a good collection.”

“Oh..sure. Will try. I’m Isha.I just love your café. You serve well, the atmosphere is cozy and neat. I drop by once in a week here”

“Ha Ha..Yes I have noted you! And thank you Isha for the compliment.”

Angel was overjoyed on talking to her. She was neither a celebrity nor a renowned politician but it was like ticking a checkbox from her to achieve list of Angel. She was so happy that she forgot even the fact that the Doc didn’t show up that day.

A guy came over and joined her. Their conversation seemed intense. “See I love you and I wanted to spend time with you. What’s wrong in that?” he said.
“That’s not the problem Vidhu. I’m just saying you should spend time her also. Sathya is your friend.”

“Yes she is. But why can’t she understand my feelings? I have my own life. I have a lover and I want to dream about my future with her. Why can’t she get that?”

“Vidhu. This is not you. Just think about the days you guys were close. It would be like you won’t even mind who comes and interrupt your conversation. You people will forget your surrounding when you were talking and spending time with each other. And now, if you suddenly ignore her calls, stop visiting her, reduce spending time with her, won’t she feel bad?”

“What do you mean to say?”
“I saying, put yourself in her shoes and think. It is hard for any relationship to take the sudden change. It must be you who sits with her and explains the change. Show her what she is to you even the world is turning to a new one. Show her she is the best diary with whom you can confide in. She’s your FRIEND yaar. That’s the best bond you can get in your life.”
He was looking at the water in the glass…..

***************************************************

This is how it would have been...
 “Hey Sathu, make yourself free this Sunday”
“Why da? are you getting me treat?”
“Hey idiot. No. this is more important than that.”
“Oh! What’s that then?”
“First tell me you will be free”
“Ok. Tell me”

“I have been called for audition for Anirudh’s album. I need you to be there.”
“No way. I have educational trip this weekend. I need to go. I need to prepare a report on the trip and based on that only I can get internship. Sorry yaar”
“Don’t try to make me plead to you, you are coming that’s all”
“Understand Vidhu. This is my life.”
“And this is mine. I want you to support me. Stay na”

She was silent and angry. The audition day came. He was asked to sing after 7 people. She was not there. “Why am I longing for her presence when she has not even thought about my future. I not going to talk to her…….No…that’s a tough task…Ok, I’ll make it this way, I won’t talk to her as before.”

His mobile was ringing. It was Sathya, “Oi stupid, come out for a minute. Am waiting here.”
He rushed down to see her. It was a great backing for him. “I know you stupid, I know you. You will think about my future, my life. Thank you buffalo.” He hugged her.
“Ha ha..don’t lie to me, I can see it. You have been scolding me till now right. Ok ok. Go on it’s time for you. Chalo!”
“What about your trip?”

She winked at him. “You didn’t go for my sake?” He was smiling with all those blush but it was stopped when she said, “No da, I made them cancel the plan. We are going next week. Don’t evet get a thought that I will get back in such things for your sake, you don’t worth that much you see!” She ran and he chased her. Their laughter faded in air.

------

“Hey Vidhu, Vidhu..?”
He could barely talk. It was 2.00 am on a Monday of December month. “Hey are you mad? Am sleeping. What happened?”
“I missed the bus da. I got down to refresh, the bus left. I don’t know what to do”
She was stammering. He could sense her situation. “Hey Sathya..Ok ok..calm yourself. Where are you now?”
“A motel after crossing Trichy. No one is here da. I’m afraid”
“Ok ok..baby did you tell your mom?”
“No Vidhu she may even faint if I say this. Help me da”
“Hey chi..you don’t need you say this. I will. Wait..Do you find any travels there?”
“Yes. There is one.”
“Ok. Go and ask the driver where is it going. Stay on line.”
“mmm..ANna where is this bus going?”
The driver said it’s destination is melmaruvathur. “Sathu..listen, ask him if you can get a seat in the bus and if he says yes get on it. Pay him and don’t bargain”
She paid and got into the bus. “Inform me wherever you are passing”
“Ok Vidhu. I should get down at melmaruvathur?”
“Just tell me the places. Don’t worry.”

After a 3 hrs journey, she got down from the bus. He was there, standing with his bike. She couldn’t hold herself, she ran to him, hugged and cried. He consoled her someway and they got on the bike. They travelled 30 kms before they reach home. The next day he was not there at the college. Sathya called him, he didn’t pick it up. She called his mom and she said, “Sathya ma, I called him yesterday and he said he was not feeling well. I think he must be sleeping”
She ran to his PG. He had a burning temperature of 101 degree. She thanked him through her eyes. She promised herself that she will take care of him at any stage of her life.

****************************************
 “Tear drops rolled over Angel’s eyes and fell on the tissue.
“Yah Ishu. I need to spare time for her. I was so immersed in love that I was reluctant to think about her. She is such an idiot to me.”
“Yes she is. You know what, she was such an idiot that she didn’t express anything to you and kept worrying herself sitting near the college fountain. So go…go and talk to your friend!”
“Yes…I need to slap her and ask ‘WTH are you thinking? Can’t you kill me when I ignored your calls’”
They both laughed and Ishu came towards me. “How much is it?”
“It is 125”
She paid. Angel gave her a chocolate roll and said “You are the best life partner to a guy” and smiled.
Ishu smiled back as if she could get the implicit meaning of Angel’s words.

“If you get a girlfriend to support your life partner you are lucky – But
 If you get a life partner to support your girlfriend, you are blessed!”

Writing so, she closed her diary!!!
 

Sip - 15

The same giggles which made the Angel to take a look at the girls long before, made her to notice the girls’ presence there today. “The ‘passenger friends’ that’s the way I used to call them, Amriti and Kushi. They were from different states, working at different places, don’t know each other’s mother tongue but they had one thing in common - the 8.30 train. They came to know each other only by the train. At start they shared just a smile. Day by day their blank smiles turned to known smiles, then hi-bye and then good morning-good evening and finally a visit to U-Smile” said the Angel with a broad smile in her face, feeling happy for their friendship.

“Wow! that’s cool right? knowing someone through travel and all, this is the first time I’m seeing girls like them” said the doctor with a mocking smile.

“Doctor this may not seem to be a special friendship to you. But for me it is. Only those who have many friends and not that one friend with whom we share our anything and everything can understand this feel. You know what, they come here every week like a ritual. They spend time and leave the place expecting 7 days to pass on soon.”
“Ok Ok Angel. I do agree that’s a healthy friendship.”
Angel took their orders and went to serve them stepping aside the doc. His scent was mild and I noticed it. It was worth enough to sway any girl from the Earth to his heart. Oh shit! What am I thinking. Why do I get such filthy thoughts? I’m not like this. Ok I’m going to serve them and ask that question.

“Hi Guys. How are you doing?”

Amriti replied,”Yah! we are good. How are you Miss World?”

“Ha Ha! you always do this!. Yah I’m good. So what’s with your friend? I haven;t seen her this much quite in any one of the days?”

Kushi just looked Angel and bent down as if she was ignoring her. Amriti managed the situation and said,”Nothing, she’s getting an offer in US and she’s leaving in 2 days. That’s the reason. She is feeling for not meeting by weekends.” She patted Kushi mildly and went back to the doc.

“I told you na, they are so close that she’s feeling for getting an offer in US”.
The doc didn’t take away his eyes from her even after she completed her sentence. “Hello Doc. Ok just say me your orders.

“1 cold coffee please”

She could feel the raise of pumping in her heart. To get out of this feeling she started following the lyrics of “Dekha Hazaro Dafa…” from Rustom which was getting played in the stereo. When the male lyrics was played she stopped reciting the words. She was stunned when he was starting to follow the male lines, but he waved his hands to continue it. After sometime the entire coffee shop started watching them. But their eyes didn’t move from each other. They were singing in a flow and it was in sync with the cloudy environment. It was snowing outside. Even after the song was over, their conversation didn’t end. They were talking through their eyes.

Suddenly someone was shaking Angel’s hands, it was Amriti. “Man you are so good at singing yaar. Cool!”

She then realised the place she is standing and what she was doing so far. “Thank you Amriti”

“Yes you are too good…..in singing!” said the Doc who stood there in front of his angel. 

“Ok Miss World here is the cash. The coffee was so damn good. Maybe your voice added additional flavour to it.”

She winked and moved back to her friend. Amriti and Kushi hugged each other and with little tears. Angel asked them to stay for a second.

They were surprised and was wondering why she asked them to stay. She inside a room and appeared after few seconds with two little cards. It said “Though you are there and she is here, she is always there for you to hold on”.

They both thanked Angel and left the place with heavy hearts.

“You make everyone feel special Angel. You are blessed with that magic”

She blushed which was obviously seen from her pink cheek. “I would like to play antakshari with you. Will you play?”

She felt it was so kiddish to play at this age. But she still accepted it as she could spend some time with him.But she didn’t realise that, that expectation was love. 

They played it till it was 12. Songs were stopped and chatting began. By dawn she got each and every detail about him. She now know he liked solving sudoku while sipping his morning coffee, he hate overtaking in traffic and everything. She felt that he had entered her life in just a few hours. Neither he poked her in fb, nor he shared stickers in hike but still they shared their lives. She never wanted to end this chat but that’s the truth of life, one thing should end to see another’s beginning.

It was dawn, the doc stood and moved towards the door. He stopped for a moment and looked her. She was waiting there with her eyes wide opened to listen to his words.

He was about to say something, he paused, smiled and he said,” Good Morning Angel!”

She smiled back and said,”Good Morning Doc”

By this time the sky was painted with yellow colour and was welcoming the Sun.

Sip -14

It was a quite long day for the angel as very less visitors she faced on that day. Not just her co-workers wonder about her, even the God sometimes wonder about how cheerful she is whatever happens. It might be because she lives in her own world without worrying about what others think. She, her story, her casts and her love for herself. This may make her happy. Guess this can make anyone happy, just staying contented with themselves.
By the sunset she saw her entering the cafe. With a laptop covered with the art work, might be the girl's sketch work. Angel was impressed by her for some reason. She was not sure it was for her loosely tied hair bun or for the casual tees and pant or for her innocent face and smile. It was that girl who greeted the angel first and so she volunteered to serve the girl herself.
"What can I take for order for this pretty lady?"
She looked in a surprise then realized the angel was pointing her as pretty lady and replied "1 twilight punch please"
"Just 5 minutes mam"
The angel could sense a kind of romance in her voice. And yes, when had angel's guess went wrong. The girl opened her laptop and immediately Skype was launched. Gotcha! She's gonna chat with her guy. Though angel avoided to listen the conversation, the girl was at times peppy and in a hype that she heard few words and the guy's name is Dharshan. But the thing was, no words were needed to show the girl's liking for that guy. It was obviously seen in her face. After the girl took the help from her head phones angle heard just one sentence many times from the girl. "I miss you."
After 10 minutes she closed the laptop and sat silently looking outside the window.The angel could understand that the girl was not concentrating on anything surrounding her. Her thoughts, her soul, her heart..she was completely there.. she was there in the far away place where her other part of heart stays.When the angel served the order she saw a note near the girl where it was written "How true you feel my love is the same truth your absence near me"
She understood the story.She closed her eyes to begin the dream...

***********************************************************

If I were the girl, it would be....it should be...
"I don't know whether it's correct to say it or not. But I can't hold it to me anymore Dharshan. I love you."
He left the luggage from his hand. He was as happy as me. He was literally crying. But how would I know through phone, if he didn't say these. And finally he said those words : "what took you so long to tell me this".
We know each other as friends for 4 long years and I got this feel the first moment I saw him. I was not expecting to propose him as he was truly talking to me as a friend. I can't be the same girl with mask when he is saying bye to me to look into his path for studies. "I know you are leaving abroad. I can wait for you. I don't even want you to accept me as your lover. But if you can't, please don't continue talking with me as before. Because I can't."
"Hey pagli..i said I love you too."
Life was amazing while talking to him. I cherish every moment with him. Every love story is unique and so is ours. I face as much pain as I'm happy being in love. I'm also a young woman like other woman who has fallen in love and wish to have their partner near them. Those who has this wish as real are lucky. I see there were roses around, red,yellow,pink and of other colours. Gifts around, teddy, watch, dress, ring, perfume and of many forms. Cards around, with red hearts in it, poetic lines in it, pictures of various couples in it and cards of many sizes. She closed her eyes, she could feel him around her arms, she could smell his scent, she could hear his voice. She walked some pace. Few minutes later when she came back to the same place, she could see the fallen rose petals left untouched, gift wrappers left crushed, greeting card envelope deserted. Again she closed her eyes. She could still see him. Dropping a little smile and a relieved breath. Whisperings of valentine wishes drifted through the air to her ears. She wished him back in her heart. Days passed by this way...

It's been 2 years....

********************************************************************

The angel took the bill and wrote something behind it. Once she gave it to her, the girl smiled and left the place. When she stepped out of the cafe, angel noticed the girl flipping the paper and reading the lines : Others you see may miss the most important thing in their love, the word REAL. But you have it in yours.Stay strong. Everything will fall in place soon. Invite me to your wedding love bird!
-Angel
She tuned back and answered yes through her smile and a nod.

That's LDR. They don't roam around, they don't spare time for coffee, they don't admire the sea breeze together, but they praise just one thing. Their love. True love!

Writing so, she closed her diary...