There was no denying the fact that if I were to face this
situation a decade back, I’d have been anxious, a bit uncomfortable, and
perhaps a bit worried as well. But as I sat there, watching the raindrops
continuously hit the windows with such menace, for so long, I realized how much
difference a decade of time could make in someone’s life. “Do you want another
cup, sir?” asked the waiter. “You know better” I replied with a short grin.
“I’ll be right back”, he said, smiling back. I never really knew his name, but
he, for sure, was the liveliest guy in the café. I didn’t know the owner by name
either, but I was always a good customer to him whenever I was there. Most
people in the café recognized me through the smiles we shared and the fact that
I hardly ever left the place without two or three cups of coffee every time. I
didn’t prefer a particular table, but the one at the corner, right by the
window, was my favorite. I always went for it whenever it was available. Everyone
in the café was aware of that. The lively waiter knew this too and he always
tried his best to make it available to me most of the time.
For years, I didn’t have a particular cafe or a coffee place of my choice where I would hang out most of the time. There was this great pizza place I absolutely loved, but then they shut it down all of a sudden. Anyway, that was a long time ago, and I have been slave to this place, for the last five years. These guys serve great coffee, chocolate truffles, and the best cheese cake in the city. I have always been a pizza-holic, and these guys also happen to serve one of the finest pizzas I’ve ever had. I also love the unique red ambience of the interiors and the view of the traffic from here. On rainy days, this place gets really awesome. The darkness brought by the clouds mixed with the red lights inside, the downpour on the glass windows, and the sounds coming from the raindrops hitting the roof is completely mesmerizing. I even feel a little nostalgic and melancholic at times. I love all of that, though. Some so called “celebrities”, and other regulars visit this place every now and then. We exchange smiles and although most of us barely talk to each other, each one of us know how much we love this place. It has become a serene castle, a place where I’d come to find solace in my break time, or my off hours. I would often walk in, stay for hours simply listening to some music, read a book or scribble something in my journal, or sometimes just contemplate and ponder endlessly, staring outside the window. Most of my evenings, and some afternoons, pass that way.
This day, however, was different, altogether. It was one of those days when I’d be there for a purpose. I was there to reflect upon, and turn a page from remotest corners of my past. I am not quite sure if my concern had any relevance, or if it held any meaning at all now, but it certainly meant something, if not everything, back then. It was early morning when I got this phone call. Someone inquired “Is this Raunak?” in a woman’s voice. When I told her it was me, she again asked if I could remember her through her voice. Of course I could. I mean why wouldn’t I? She was one of the most subtle, and melodious voices I’d ever heard. That voice rang in my ears through all those years. But I was absolutely surprised to hear her voice once again. It was ten years since I last heard from her. I mean ten years is a lot, and on top of that, I never expected to hear from her again. I was still very, very surprised and told her I was absolutely stunned with her call. She laughed and asked if we could meet. It was my day off from work and therefore I agreed. I gave her the address of the place and the time. Before leaving home, I sneaked at the sky and put on a warm jacket assuming it was going to get colder later in the day. It was early November, and the sun was visibly dimmer in the sky. Winter was already on its way and the days had started growing chillier. I grabbed the keys to my bike, my phone battery was dying and probably wasn’t going to last all day, so I put a note at the kitchen counter mentioning I could be late and left. As I rode through the road, I was a little excited about what the day held. It was going to be an exciting rendezvous. Not because of the people involved, but because it was like something I thought was never going to happen. It was a chance to travel back in time and meet someone from the past. To refresh some memories that I’d nearly lost track of.
It was my fourth cup already and she hadn’t shown up yet. I reached the café some thirty minutes ahead of the time I had told her. Maybe I’d arrived sooner than I should’ve. It was a bit drizzly when I reached, but the rain had now turned into a downpour and the sky had turned darker. The traffic started to get even more “traffic-ky”, and in the road, the beeps and buzzes started to grow louder. I thought about calling her to know her whereabouts and was about to pick the phone when it suddenly buzzed with a text notification. “I’ll probably get a little late. I’m stuck in traffic”, it read. I was there for like two hours already, but thankfully it was a place I loved to be and I had no problem with the delay. I had always been that kind of person who didn’t mind waiting. I spent hours waiting for people, and never got bored. I just happened to find out things to keep my mind occupied, unless someone stood up on me.
I was tearing a sugar sachet when she walked in through the door. The moment I saw her, it was like my ten year old glasses had fallen off. To be honest, I didn’t have a perfectly clear memory of what she looked like, but at least I could affirm that she definitely didn’t look the way she was there, in front of my very eyes. Well, of course, she was ten years older. But she was really very different. Mahogany colored, long hair, shiny earrings, and white one piece apparel certainly didn’t define her in the past. While she was figuring out where I was seated, I finished my cup of coffee and then waved to her. She smiled and then walked towards my table. I know both of us were awestruck seeing each other but surely I was the one more surprised than her.
……………………continued
For years, I didn’t have a particular cafe or a coffee place of my choice where I would hang out most of the time. There was this great pizza place I absolutely loved, but then they shut it down all of a sudden. Anyway, that was a long time ago, and I have been slave to this place, for the last five years. These guys serve great coffee, chocolate truffles, and the best cheese cake in the city. I have always been a pizza-holic, and these guys also happen to serve one of the finest pizzas I’ve ever had. I also love the unique red ambience of the interiors and the view of the traffic from here. On rainy days, this place gets really awesome. The darkness brought by the clouds mixed with the red lights inside, the downpour on the glass windows, and the sounds coming from the raindrops hitting the roof is completely mesmerizing. I even feel a little nostalgic and melancholic at times. I love all of that, though. Some so called “celebrities”, and other regulars visit this place every now and then. We exchange smiles and although most of us barely talk to each other, each one of us know how much we love this place. It has become a serene castle, a place where I’d come to find solace in my break time, or my off hours. I would often walk in, stay for hours simply listening to some music, read a book or scribble something in my journal, or sometimes just contemplate and ponder endlessly, staring outside the window. Most of my evenings, and some afternoons, pass that way.
This day, however, was different, altogether. It was one of those days when I’d be there for a purpose. I was there to reflect upon, and turn a page from remotest corners of my past. I am not quite sure if my concern had any relevance, or if it held any meaning at all now, but it certainly meant something, if not everything, back then. It was early morning when I got this phone call. Someone inquired “Is this Raunak?” in a woman’s voice. When I told her it was me, she again asked if I could remember her through her voice. Of course I could. I mean why wouldn’t I? She was one of the most subtle, and melodious voices I’d ever heard. That voice rang in my ears through all those years. But I was absolutely surprised to hear her voice once again. It was ten years since I last heard from her. I mean ten years is a lot, and on top of that, I never expected to hear from her again. I was still very, very surprised and told her I was absolutely stunned with her call. She laughed and asked if we could meet. It was my day off from work and therefore I agreed. I gave her the address of the place and the time. Before leaving home, I sneaked at the sky and put on a warm jacket assuming it was going to get colder later in the day. It was early November, and the sun was visibly dimmer in the sky. Winter was already on its way and the days had started growing chillier. I grabbed the keys to my bike, my phone battery was dying and probably wasn’t going to last all day, so I put a note at the kitchen counter mentioning I could be late and left. As I rode through the road, I was a little excited about what the day held. It was going to be an exciting rendezvous. Not because of the people involved, but because it was like something I thought was never going to happen. It was a chance to travel back in time and meet someone from the past. To refresh some memories that I’d nearly lost track of.
It was my fourth cup already and she hadn’t shown up yet. I reached the café some thirty minutes ahead of the time I had told her. Maybe I’d arrived sooner than I should’ve. It was a bit drizzly when I reached, but the rain had now turned into a downpour and the sky had turned darker. The traffic started to get even more “traffic-ky”, and in the road, the beeps and buzzes started to grow louder. I thought about calling her to know her whereabouts and was about to pick the phone when it suddenly buzzed with a text notification. “I’ll probably get a little late. I’m stuck in traffic”, it read. I was there for like two hours already, but thankfully it was a place I loved to be and I had no problem with the delay. I had always been that kind of person who didn’t mind waiting. I spent hours waiting for people, and never got bored. I just happened to find out things to keep my mind occupied, unless someone stood up on me.
I was tearing a sugar sachet when she walked in through the door. The moment I saw her, it was like my ten year old glasses had fallen off. To be honest, I didn’t have a perfectly clear memory of what she looked like, but at least I could affirm that she definitely didn’t look the way she was there, in front of my very eyes. Well, of course, she was ten years older. But she was really very different. Mahogany colored, long hair, shiny earrings, and white one piece apparel certainly didn’t define her in the past. While she was figuring out where I was seated, I finished my cup of coffee and then waved to her. She smiled and then walked towards my table. I know both of us were awestruck seeing each other but surely I was the one more surprised than her.
……………………continued
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