One shot: Five questions
It was such a cliche really, to find a woman sitting alone with her book in a coffee shop, and approaching her to take things forward.
But there's something about women, their coffees and the novels they try to entertain themselves with. It screams of wanting to be alone, and not surprisingly male populace over a period of time began to think that all the women immersed in themselves or who seem to enjoy their own company follow Newton's law of inertia; that they are in a state of blissful unawareness until an external unbalanced force acts upon them, disturbing their being.
"Hey" he said taking Newton's first law of motion quite seriously and breaking into her personal space.
She looked up at him, put her book down and raised her eyebrows.
"I have been observing you for quite some time"
"Thank you for the concern. One cappuccino will do" she said and dismissed him, going back to her book.
"I'm not the waiter" he said mildly affronted.
"Oh?" She returned mildly confused. "Ok then, good day" she said ending the conversation and going back to her book.
"You're quite rude" he said taking a seat before her.
This time she shut the book as she said "I'm sorry but I believe you're quite rude for forcing your presence on someone who doesn't know you or doesn't care. Secondly, I think minding one's own business is not considered to be rude. If I made myself clear, I'll like to be myself. Thanks"
He looked at her in disbelief, and although he had recovered from the surprise and was ready with a couple of comebacks, his friends sitting at quite a few tables away were already sniggering at him. There was no point in making an ass out of himself. Hence he thought exiting like a gentleman will have to give him some brownie points and save his face before his friends especially before that one demonic friend that had made a bet with him to approach the girl.
From across the table, Maan Khurana had looked at him and simply raised his eyebrow, mocking his state. He stood up red faced and walked back to the table which reverberated with cat calls and mocking, celebrating his failure.
"You knew she is a bitch. You tricked me to take up this challenge. You know anybody is going to lose with her" he said darkly to Maan for which, to his credit, Maan looked as if he would be offended for such a claim made, although one look at his eyes, it becomes evident he was enjoying this.
"Now now Rahul, don't cry sour grapes" he grinned "And don't blame a poor woman for the presence of mind a and quality in taste"
"Let's increase the stake higher Maan" Rahul said looking straight in his eye.
"Ten thousand bucks if you could extract her phone Number" he told pulling out a was of notes and placing them on the table, emanating a low wolf whistle from the fellow friends.
Maan gave a sly grin before straightening up, fixing his cap on his head before making his move towards the slender girl sitting at table no 6, oblivious of all the bets she had been causing to happen around her.
------
He had gone to the counter first instead of going to her directly. With his back to the counter, he had looked at her.
With a black boat neck top, and a stone washed pale blue jeans and a red peppy scarf around her, she looked totally unaware and oblivious to her surroundings. No wonder all eyes were on her. Her hair pulled up into a high pony, and except for a lone bracelet on her wrist and a pair of studs to her ears, she didn't seem to be a fan of accessories.
Her eyes were downcast and there was a hint of a smile, which he supposed was something to do with what she was reading. She was beautiful. It's not just her looks though, it got to do with the rare quality of being immersed in her own world, and being happy there.
His eyes fell on the title of the book she was reading, and a surprised smile spread across his face.
Things had just gotten interesting. He turned back to the counter and asked the waiter to play a song of his choice, and then another, and then another until he saw her raise her face from the book, and smile at the song.
Coldplay, of course.
He saw her feet tap to the song and knew her attention towards the book was wavering. Knowing it's time, he went for the master stroke.
He ordered for a cafe frappe and took to her table.
"Your coffee" he said extending it to her, which made her tear her eyes away briefly from her book to look at him.
There was mild confusion in her eyes but she took the Coffee all the same.
"Wait, what is this?"
"Cafe frappe"
"I didn't order it"
"I know. I'm buying everyone free drinks"
"This isn't a bar"
"And hence buying everyone a cup of coffee is cheaper"
She didn't expect it, but she found herself fighting back a smile. She had always appreciated a hint of honesty anyway.
"Okay" she said taking it from him. "Thanks, I think"
He grinned and his face suddenly looked familiar.
"How far are you into the book?" He asked tilting his head. "Reached the interesting point yet?"
She raised a brow. "You're telling me you read this book"
"I know the book"
"Oh" she said eyeing the table where his friends sat. "I'll believe you" although every part of her facial expression screamed otherwise.
"I didn't want to do this, disturbing you and all but here you go", he said pulling a chair and turning it on the other side to sit.
"Did they or did they not play a truth game, much like truth or dare without dare?"
She was genuinely surprised. "You really read it? Forgive me but it's a chick lit so I didn't expect..." She trailed off.
"I never said I read it. I know it" he said with a grin "I've a younger sister who's a bookworm. I gifted her this book. It was maddening really, trying to read reviews, and making sense of any of it. I found half of the books stupid and pointless but who am I to judge. I got her the one with highest rating, and she loved it. She loved it so much she used to make me sit and read it aloud for me"
It was her turn to grin. "Ouch" she said. "You must have hated it"
"A little" he told her and grinned. She felt the same feeling of familiarity strike back.
"Do I know you?" She asked "You look familiar"
He grinned the same way again "Glad you asked. The said younger sister is your student. Naisha"
Naisha is one of the students she teaches dance to. She started taking classes in the summer break as a hobby and it continued even after she started college. With weekdays at college and weekends at dance classes, the only time she gets to herself is the weekday evenings where she goes to the nearest cafe a little away from college, an underrated but beautiful place. One of the reasons she liked this place was because her college crowd frequented less here. Although she wasn't in a mood to find someone she knew, this chance encounter with one of her student's brother didn't seem that bad.
"So you know me before you came by"
"Maybe I did" he gave the very sly smile she is getting used to.
Something clicked and suddenly she found it absurd. The entire conversation seemed to be a little stage than innocent.
"Wait. Why were you buying everyone free drinks anyway"
He was silent for a second. "Are we playing that truth game like they do in the book?"
"Maybe"
"Well then" he said trying to measure his words "I needed a reason to talk to you"
She raised her eyebrow more impressed at the honesty than surprised. Even though she isn't going to admit to him that.
"And why is that?" She asked her chin resting in her palm.
"Isn't it supposed to be my turn to ask you a question now, to which you got to speak the truth"
"How about I ask you all the questions and you save yours to ask me whenever you want, indefinitely"
"Tempting"
"So..?" She egged on and he sighed.
"I made a bet"
Instinctively, she had looked at the table where the guy who approached her was looking at them.
She looked back at him, her face unreadable although it stung somewhere.
"What's the bet about and what's the stake"
"To get your number and..." He hesitated "10000 bucks"
"Wow. That dude must have taken it on his ego"
"Fortunately yes"
Although she understood the implied meaning, she chose to ignore. She never knew what was fortunate to him anyway. It might not be this conversation, it might be winning that stupid bet. Who knows...
"Alright then" she said taking a tissue and scribbling down her number and pushed it towards him and got up with her bag. "Congratulations for winning the 10000"
With that she walked away, and while his friends errupted into hoots and wolf whistles for his win and Rahul looked surprised to say the least, Maan however made a quick jog to the girl that was walking away.
"Hey stop" he told her once she just exited the door.
She stopped and turned at him mildly confused.
"I thought you won the bet" she said, wondering why was he even bothering to follow her.
"Not entirely" he told her.
"Ask me another question"
She looked at him like he had grown two heads.
"Come on. You are curious about one thing at least" he said and she crossed her arms as she made up her mind.
"How did you know you'll win the bet?" She asked.
"Simple. From the little of what I've seen you with your students and especially with Naisha, you're kind and not antisocial. The mistake Rahul did was to disturb you of your own bubble, when you're immersed in doing something you love. I wanted the disturbance to start at your end. First, your attention has to be wavered and then, every thing, every single question and step has to be from your end. I wasn't trying to make a conversation although I did generate the curiosity. The trick was to get you in a mode you are not against striking a conversation"
She looked like she was part impressed and part surprised.
"What do you study, again?" She asked dumbfounded.
"I'm a mathematician. I know how to solve a problem" he grinned. "Also that's your fifth question. Now it's my turn. What's your name"
"Don't tell me you don't know"
"Just answer"
"Geet"
"Beautiful"
"I'll convey the appreciation to my parents for naming me that."
He grinned at the sarcasm.
"Are you free tomorrow evening"
She pressed her lips not wanting to answer that. It's a trap. If she's truthful, it might be considered an affirmative to the next question he's going to ask.
"I'm not going to answer that"
He smiled.
"I have told even gory details about myself. Almost screwed everything over. Come on you don't want me to be the bigger person, now do you"
"Manipulative jerk" she muttered to herself.
"I heard that"
"Fine yes I am free"
"Is this your correct number" he said flashing the tissue.
Despite the situation she felt herself fight a smile "No"
"Thought so"
"What is it that made you mad?"
She was silent for a second.
"I don't know. Maybe because when I thought I was enjoying this, you made me realise it's all built on a lie. For a petty bet. So the fifteen minutes I've known you is moot. I hate it I liked being disturbed out of the book for once"
"If it is just for a petty bet, I would have been there collecting the sum. If it is just winning the bet, I could have lied or cheated or never revealed about the bet. Might have gotten the correct number then. Why did I risk it? Maybe because I liked to disturb you too, and knew I wouldn't want to screw this up?"
She remained silent.
"Goodbye Naisha's brother"
"You can call me Maan. I won't count it as an extra question" he told her.
"Very kind of you" she said turning to leave.
"Hey I never asked the last question"
"I figured you would want to save it for future"
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Maybe I want to ask your correct phone number"
"It's only the last digit that's false. You're a mathematician. You know permutations and combinations. There are going to be 9 choices. I am pretty sure you are going to figure that out"
With that she walked away without turning back and he knew there was a smile on her face.
After six wrong attempts, he did find the correct permutation. And the last question he wanted to avail had been put on hold for the future, which he would eventually ask a few years from then.
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