Playlist: Somewhere only we know- Keane
Falling in love at a coffee shop- Landon Pigg
When she said she was going to bring me somewhere to drink, the last thing I had in mind was at her place. Apparently, she has a condominium now. It was white and very chic. So unlike the Pragya I knew. She opened the door and let me in. Her place was neat, tidy and smelled of old books and coffee. Definitely the Pragya I knew. Now, this seems familiar. I remember how she used to be such an OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). She used to be a clean freak who hated things being misplaced or when I throw dirty towels down. And she still is. It is evident in how her furniture's are dust-free and all her books in the shelves are arranged alphabetically.
"Have a seat," she told me. She was polite and all but I could sense her hostility and coldness towards me. Will things ever be okay between us? I obeyed.
She went into the kitchen and came back with two cups of coffee. Hers was black as usual and mine was white. I took a sip of it and remembered my Daadi who passed away two years ago. How much have I missed her coffee? I've forgotten that only Pragya could make the same coffee like Daadi. And I am touched that she still remembered that I liked my coffee with cinnamon powder. Maybe I have a chance at forgiveness with her. She noticed my reaction and asked, "Does it taste bad. I've always been bad at making coffees with milk," she said.
"No, it's perfect actually," I said smiling. She didn't smile back and just nodded.
"So, it's been really long since we met," I said awkwardly.
"Yes, it has," she nodded. "So, how have you been?" she asked.
"Fine," I said without adding now that you're here with me. How do I tell her that I've missed her so much? I missed her vanilla mixed cinnamon smell despite her liking for black coffee. I missed her eyes that spoke so much behind those glasses. I missed her body next to mine. How perfectly she used to fit into my arms when I carried her. How do I tell her that I've been such an idiot to let her go?
"Good," she replied.
I decided to be bold, "Are we going talk like this, with one sentence throughout the coffee? So much for a coffee talk," I teased.
"Well, what else is there for us to talk? You tell me," she said.
"How are your family?" I asked.
"They are fine. Since Daadi passed away three years ago, we sold the house we used to live in. Purvi used to live with me until she moved away to college last year. And Bulbul is married to Suresh. So, she's living with him and their family. And me? I am here all by myself," she said.
"Why are you all alone?" I asked. I hope I'd get some hint if she is dating anyone currently.
"Why shouldn't I? Did you expect me to be living off with some rich guy? Sorry to disappoint you," she said angrily.
"No, that's not what I meant. You know that I don't see you like that. Not anymore," I stumbled. Then, she laughed.
"Gotcha. God, you're so gullible. You should've look at your face," she said and continued laughing. What happen to this Pragya? Where has the Pragya that I've known all the years disappeared to? I looked at her blankly.
"What, it's funny! Why aren't you laughing Abhi? Don't you used to appreciate a good sense of humor?" she asked.
"Not anymore," I muttered. I finished my coffee and I wanted to ask another but I changed my mind. I don't know what I am doing here. I was in here searching for my Pragya, the girl I've been longing for. Guess, I've lost her for good. I was about to say goodbye and leave, when she came and took my cup.
"I'll get you some more," she said and left to the kitchen. She refilled the cup with more coffee.
"So, tell me about you now. I used to get a glimpse about your life from the media here and then. But, I've came to realize that it's better to really know from one's mouth than to just assume through another's mouth," she said and took another sip of her coffee. Ouch, that stings.
"It's okay. Aaliyah is staying in Australia with Purab since he moved there. They are not married though. I was surprised too, at first but after Daadi's death Purab and Aaliyah reconnected and started dating. But she came back to visit me. It's definitely hard leaving without her around, but I am managing it. After Daadi died, I got out from my family. I only stayed there for Daadi. When she was gone, I didn't find that place as my home anymore. I've got a house where I have my own studio. I make my own music now," I said.
"God, I am sure they sound just horrible as your old ones," she said in a teasing tone.
"Please, they can't be as bad as this book of yours," I said and took it out from my sweater.
"Then, why did you bought it then?" she asked.
"Besides, your music is only known locally, but my books have recognized internationally, okay?" she continued.
"What? My songs are recognized internationally too. They have been quite a buzz lately in Asian countries, for your kind information. Ugh, this book is horrible. I just read a few lines and it was about to put me to sleep. Guess, I don't need sleeping pills anymore. This is enough," I said playfully.
She got up from the one-seater sofa she was sitting opposite me and came to me.
"Ugh, give me the book, then," she said annoyingly.
"What, no way," I said and got up running away from her with the book. She chased after me. For a few minutes, all we were doing was circling around the three-seater sofa. When she nearly caught me, I jumped over the sofa to escape but tripped and fall on the couch. It hurt my back but all I could do was laugh at our silliness. I gave up and continued lying there.
"Hey, is the couch okay? I don't want it to get dirty," she said and laughed in between. It's so obvious that she didn't want to laugh and was trying so hard to keep a straight face but failing miserably. She leaned at back of the sofa and smiled. The genuine kind of smile. All I wanted to do was to grab her face and kiss that beautiful lips of hers. She definitely looks beautiful. I've always liked her flawless skin and that beautiful complexion of her face but never had the guts to admit it.
"Now tell me really, how did you find my book to be? Did you like it?" she asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't really read it," I said.
"What? Why?" she asked in a surprised voice.
"I mean I can't read," I said. She looked at me like I've gone mad or something. Why do I always make an attempt of being such a dimwit around her? I sighed.
"Before you make any kind of assumption, let me explain. This is something I've never told anyone, but I can't read things for a very long time. It's not dyslexia or anything like that. I can recognize alphabets and spell words but can't able to concentrate on words for a long time. I used to suck at school. Which is why I prefer music, they are mostly notes and sounds. And for rock music, the lyrics are kind of repetitive so that make things easy for me," I said slowly. She looked at me silently for a long time. Then she smiled. She definitely looked at me differently now. Warmer. Her cold stare is long gone. She gestured me to get up and sit. Again, I obeyed. Yes, apparently she has that kind of effect on me. She took the book from me and opened it. "To be or not to be. That is the question. This is a famous quote by Shakespeare from Hamlet. And, boy I don't even know if he knew how right he was. It certainly does when it comes to my life," she started reading. To me of all people. I sat straight and listened to the story narrated through her voice. Voice that I missed so much.
Thank you so much for reading.
Anupamaa
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