Saturday, 10:00 AM and I was wide awake. A time when I'm usually in bed, sleeping like a log. In fact, there are times, my mum has thought I was dead. I sleep like that.
I was up since 6:00 in the morning, wondering why Ajith wanted to meet me.
I wore my faded blue jeans and a white shirt. Tied my hair into a ponytail and looked myself in the mirror. I looked miserable but I didn't care. I wasn't particularly interested in meeting Ajith. I was rather skeptical about him bringing Dev into our conversation. I closed the door behind me, prepared for whatever was waiting for me outside.
Why on earth would anybody want to meet at Topaz? I thought.
Topaz was a new hangout for hookah enthusiasts and for solitary readers. It was old house, renovated to give a vintage feel to the ambiance. Complete with creepers, rustic fans and swings, the place was a steal away from the buzz of the city. But it is an expensive affair nonetheless, to sip a coffee in there, one'll have to shell out Rs. 115. Gasp. I can buy myself a whole meal with that money.
I walked into the garden and seated myself on the swing. It creaked when I sat on it.
'Doesn't matter.' I thought to myself and continued swinging.
My phone beeped.
Hi Naaz... I'll be there in ten mins. Just on my way.
I did not reply. Let him come.
The waiter came in and asked me if I wanted something. I asked him to hold on.
Just then Ajith greeted me.
'I thought you said ten mins' I exclaimed, not expecting him to walk in like that.
"Yeah... well, I wanted to surprise you"
'What's there to surprise in this' I was irritated.
"Ok. It backfired. So, how long have you been waiting here Naaz?"
'10 mins may be...'
"Sorry to have kept you waiting..."
'That's OK.' I cut him short. Honestly, I was not in a very chatty mood that morning. My mind was occupied by Dev.
Ajith sat down next to me on the swing. It creaked even louder.
I got up and walked up to the next table that was free. I couldn't risk getting embarrassed. Ajith joined me shortly.
"Guess, these swings are not meant for two people."
'Yeah, may be they are meant for pigeons'
He laughed like he had never laughed in his life. Like a maniac. Now he was beginning to irritate me more.
'Ajith, I'll be honest with you. I want to know why you wanted to meet me. Please tell me before I lose my patience.'
"Naaz. I have been texting you everyday, hoping you'd reply. You seldom do. I just wanted to meet you in person."
'That's all?'
"Are you expecting me to say something?"
'Huh?'
"Coffee?"
'Ok.' I looked away.
He waved at the waiter and ordered two coffees.
"How's work?"
'What do you do Ajith?' I asked him curtly.
"Wow! Well, I'm an engineer. I work with L&T."
'Oh...' I sighed
"Sad life I know"
'I never said that'
"The sigh speaks volumes"
'What do you do on weekends?'
"Nothing much, I catch up with friends. It's at the movies mostly. What about you?"
'What's taking the coffee so long?'
"Naaz, I know. Here see this."
He stretched out a small piece of paper towards me.
I looked at him and then the paper and then again at him.
'What's that?' I asked him rather suspiciously.
"A love letter?" He smirked
'WHAT?' I squealed.
"No. Relax! Goodness, you freaked me out"
'What the hell is that Ajith?' I was now irritated to the utmost core that I wanted to tear him into pieces.
"I want you to tell me that Naaz."
I simply stared at him. The coffee arrived. The waiter placed it on the table and left to attend to other hungry souls. Hardly any at that time. I took a sip and got up.
"I found this in Dev's desk. It's a song." He handed the piece of paper to me.
I took a look at it. Folded it and tucked it away.
"May be it's for you"
My eyes welled up.
"Naaz..." Ajith called for me.
I heard him but I was already gone. I was no longer there. I just wanted to read that song.
The song that my Dev had written for me.
I was up since 6:00 in the morning, wondering why Ajith wanted to meet me.
I wore my faded blue jeans and a white shirt. Tied my hair into a ponytail and looked myself in the mirror. I looked miserable but I didn't care. I wasn't particularly interested in meeting Ajith. I was rather skeptical about him bringing Dev into our conversation. I closed the door behind me, prepared for whatever was waiting for me outside.
Why on earth would anybody want to meet at Topaz? I thought.
Topaz was a new hangout for hookah enthusiasts and for solitary readers. It was old house, renovated to give a vintage feel to the ambiance. Complete with creepers, rustic fans and swings, the place was a steal away from the buzz of the city. But it is an expensive affair nonetheless, to sip a coffee in there, one'll have to shell out Rs. 115. Gasp. I can buy myself a whole meal with that money.
I walked into the garden and seated myself on the swing. It creaked when I sat on it.
'Doesn't matter.' I thought to myself and continued swinging.
My phone beeped.
Hi Naaz... I'll be there in ten mins. Just on my way.
I did not reply. Let him come.
The waiter came in and asked me if I wanted something. I asked him to hold on.
Just then Ajith greeted me.
'I thought you said ten mins' I exclaimed, not expecting him to walk in like that.
"Yeah... well, I wanted to surprise you"
'What's there to surprise in this' I was irritated.
"Ok. It backfired. So, how long have you been waiting here Naaz?"
'10 mins may be...'
"Sorry to have kept you waiting..."
'That's OK.' I cut him short. Honestly, I was not in a very chatty mood that morning. My mind was occupied by Dev.
Ajith sat down next to me on the swing. It creaked even louder.
I got up and walked up to the next table that was free. I couldn't risk getting embarrassed. Ajith joined me shortly.
"Guess, these swings are not meant for two people."
'Yeah, may be they are meant for pigeons'
He laughed like he had never laughed in his life. Like a maniac. Now he was beginning to irritate me more.
'Ajith, I'll be honest with you. I want to know why you wanted to meet me. Please tell me before I lose my patience.'
"Naaz. I have been texting you everyday, hoping you'd reply. You seldom do. I just wanted to meet you in person."
'That's all?'
"Are you expecting me to say something?"
'Huh?'
"Coffee?"
'Ok.' I looked away.
He waved at the waiter and ordered two coffees.
"How's work?"
'What do you do Ajith?' I asked him curtly.
"Wow! Well, I'm an engineer. I work with L&T."
'Oh...' I sighed
"Sad life I know"
'I never said that'
"The sigh speaks volumes"
'What do you do on weekends?'
"Nothing much, I catch up with friends. It's at the movies mostly. What about you?"
'What's taking the coffee so long?'
"Naaz, I know. Here see this."
He stretched out a small piece of paper towards me.
I looked at him and then the paper and then again at him.
'What's that?' I asked him rather suspiciously.
"A love letter?" He smirked
'WHAT?' I squealed.
"No. Relax! Goodness, you freaked me out"
'What the hell is that Ajith?' I was now irritated to the utmost core that I wanted to tear him into pieces.
"I want you to tell me that Naaz."
I simply stared at him. The coffee arrived. The waiter placed it on the table and left to attend to other hungry souls. Hardly any at that time. I took a sip and got up.
"I found this in Dev's desk. It's a song." He handed the piece of paper to me.
I took a look at it. Folded it and tucked it away.
"May be it's for you"
My eyes welled up.
"Naaz..." Ajith called for me.
I heard him but I was already gone. I was no longer there. I just wanted to read that song.
The song that my Dev had written for me.
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