OS - The Coffee Date
Dev sat, waiting in the crowded cafe, impatiently looking at his watch while wary of the weird looks the waiter was giving him, every time he passed by.
His watch read 8.30 PM, his annoyance was increasing with every second his watch ticked.
"What is wrong with Dr. Bose? Waqt ka khayal bilkul bhi nahi hai inhe!" He murmured to himself.
"Get me another cup of coffee." He ordered. It was his tenth cup.
Two Hours Later
Sonakshi hurriedly got down from the auto and rushed into the cafe. "Oh. No. This is so not done. How can I be so irresponsible and careless? Will he even be there? He isn't even picking my calls!"
She walked in, to find the cleaners clearing the tables, in the process of closing the cafe for the evening. It was nearly 11pm at night, and she was flabbergasted with herself, worried and irrationally let down.
There was not a soul except for the waiters themselves. She, moved a little further, trying to look at the tables on the first floor, to see, if Dev was still there.
"Bhai Saheb, is there a man here, most probably in a suit, he must have been waiting since evening... And probably must have ordered a lot of coffee." She called out to one of the waiters.
When the waiter, replied in denial, Sonakshi turned around, to leave the cafe when, she heard someone say, "I am sorry Sir, the cafe closes at 10.30. We need to close down today, Sir. We cannot allow you to wait any longer Sir..."
Sonakshi abruptly turned around, voices floated from the floor above, and she ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, only to find Dev arguing with the Manager, "Excuse me. I am sure, this isn't the way you are taught to treat your customers."
"Mr. Dikshit"
Dev turned and looked at Sonakshi, his eyes expressing the various emotions swirling in his mind, from disbelief to surprise, to relief and fury.
The Manager looked back and forth from Dev and Sonakshi as they stood looking at each other, still unable to believe the other's presence at such an hour, trying to fulfil their respective commitments.
"Sir, Madam, it is past closing time. I am really sorry, I will have to usher you out..." He began uncertainly.
"Haan, haan, hum nikal rahe hain." Dev said, his annoyance at the triviality of the Manager, visible, and hurriedly walked down, knowing, Sonakshi would follow suit.
In the parking lot, they stood, uninterrupted by anyone except the dead night and its lonely inhabitants. Dev with his back facing Sonakshi, stiff, with folded hands, his countenance emanating unabated, but controlled anger and Sonakshi, fiddling with her fingers, unaware where and how, and more importantly, what to start.
"Mr. Dikshit..." She began.
"Ms Bose..." Dev called out, in a low, gruff tone, and turned around, facing Sonakshi. "Oh, I am sorry, Dr. Bose, before you correct me." He said, sarcasm evident, stressing specifically on the abbreviation she always insisted he used.
"I understand, it is my mistake..." Sonakshi began, fully expecting Dev to reprimand her, and rightly so. But he didn't flinch. Perturbed by his ignorance, she continued, half hoping he was waiting for her explanation, and he wasn't fully ignorant towards her.
"I was leaving home, to meet you here, on time, and you do know, that I am punctual and sincere with any of my commitments. I am not defending myself... I... My cousin, Elena, arrived in Delhi today, and she was lost in the city... She called me then, and I had no choice but to go to her immediately... And, it is no hidden secret from you, that Delhi is a very unsafe city, I couldn't have left her stranded. I was constantly, on the phone with her, trying my best to ensure her safety. And, I was distracted and worried... Amidst all this, aapse milna mere dimaag se nikal gaya. I promise, if not for her, today, this wouldn't have happened. I know, this is no penance for today. I am really, really, really sorry. I am, really sorry, Mr. Dikshit..." Sonakshi finally stopped her ranting, and looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction.
Dev turned around, gave her a hard stare, and walked away towards his parked car, while Sonakshi stood surprised, with her mouth hanging open. "Mr. Dikshit... Mr.Dikshit." She rushed behind him, and held his hand, trying to stop him, as Dev opened the door of his car.
"Ms. Bose" He warned, refusing to turn back.
"It's Dr. Bose for you, Mr. Dikshit. And, aapko meri baat sunni hi hogi. You can't just walk away. I crushed my ego, and self-respect and apologised to you, and aap attitude dikha rahe hain. I accepted your apology, remember? You have to accept mine, too." She argued.
"Dr. Bose." Dev called out trying to free his hand from her clasp.
"Alright, let us call a truce, Mr. Dikshit. I am really sorry again. I promise, main aapse kabhi nahi kahungi, ki bohot coffee peene se insomnia hoti hai, yeh bhi nahi kahungi excess oil increases cholesterol, BP, and fatty foods may lead to heart diseases and, yeh bhi nahi ki puriyan khaane se breathlessness hota hai, aur..." Sonakshi went on, and on, until, "Ms. Bose." Dev called out again for the umpteenth time while rolling his eyes. His anger had ebbed, and now, he was just pulling her leg now. He was allowed that much of leniency considering her brazen act today.
Sonakshi stopped, finally, realising her folly, while Dev just gave her a hopeless look. "Scooty nahi laayi apna?" He asked looking around, and she shook her head. "Get into the car, Ms. Bose." He sighed. "Dr. Bose, for you." Sonakshi grumbled and moved to the opposite side, and got into the car, while Dev just sighed again, at her childishness.
The End
Note - This is based on the latest episode. If someone is fluent in Bengali, do let me know. I may want to use some Bengali terms in some stories, I plan to write, and I don't know any. And, I love having banners for my works. If anyone can volunteer, nothing like it! 😛
Edited - Hema pointed out, that Sonakshi had parked her scooter, and then forgotten about it, I edited it that she came in an auto. That was a silly blooper. 😆 Secondly, I have no idea about nutrition and diets, so, all that was just lapetna.😆
Other Works on DevAkshi -
OS: The Aftermath Of The Nikki Fiasco
| OS: Dev's Impending Date |
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Mangal Lakshmi
