''Meet me in the Pouring Rain''
"I love someone else."
"What?"
"I love someone else." He actually looked at the girl for the first time in past 10 mins. He did acknowledge her when she sat opposite him but the price list of the new product seemed more interesting and held his eyes on mobile until she uttered those four words.
"Sorry?" He felt like a fool confirming the clear sentence twice.
"I. Love. Someone. Else." She spoke again but stressing on every word this time. The nervous look her face held previously was now replaced by a "no-non sense" demeanor but his eyes traveled to her hands which were fidgeting with the hem of her dupatta. 'She is still nervous.' Unknowingly his straight face broke into a smile which did no good but made her arch her eyebrows quizzically.
"Ok, so?" He asked with tongue in cheek. Call him sadist but he suddenly found this conversation interesting. He was used to girls flaunting their pearly white teeth or artificial eyelashes or manicured nails as he went on his mother's insistence to her so called 'friend' circle and so expected the same today which would end in a quick reply of 'No' to this proposal until this girl thought of breaking the norm unintentionally.
"What so ?" She asked agitated. She was biting her lower lip to contain her anger which only made him smile a little more.
"What do you want me to do ?" He shifted a little bit in his chair to directly face her while she made no attempt for same.
"I want you to say No to this wedding." He saw her digging her painted nails in her dupatta and could imagine the impact his words were having on her temper.
"Why can't you say so?"
"Because my Amma will try to convince me till I say a Yes and I don't wish to go through that."
"And what do you think my mother will do ?"
"As if you really care !" In a fit of anger she shot those words and cursed herself
"What do you mean ?" He seemed amused now. Reality check
"Nothing. Can you do this or not ?" She was clearly not interested in talking to him, it came out loud and clear.
"What next?"
"What next ?" She repeated his words, confused.
"Will you tell about your someone to your mom after I say No ?" He asked, not knowing why her life interested him, but it did. He did not fail to catch the glimpse of despair as she twitched her lips in irritation.
"We are no longer together."
"Why?" Such an intruder I am.
"Does this concerns you ?"
"Nope."
"Then ?"
"Ok. But if I say No, aunty will make you see more guys for wedding." He pondered upon his words, Did he sound concern ? Hallucinations.
"No. My mother forced me because she is apparently quite fond of you and I don't think I will have to go through this torture again without my consent." She sounded irritated, pissed and agitated. He smiled as how tables have turned in this meeting.
"So you won't marry anyone else ?" She took a deep breath to calm herself down and not reach out for his neck.
"I don't wanna marry any XYZ just because I had a heart break. I need my time and if that time means lifelong, I don't mind."
"Are you really dumb or pretending to be ?" As direct as it sounded, he saw her open and close her mouth.
"Fine ! I hate you." She stood on her feet and marched away to her parents, not before purposely stomping in front of him.
Raman chuckled as he saw her moving away. He noticed her sitting down next to her mother and something made her pass a deadly glare at his direction, next second. He looked at his phone which was abandoned for the maximum time in past 5-6 years, except when he is asleep, he smiled as he re-read the price list while his mind was busy recalling the same monotonous day until the last 10 minutes. He kept his phone aside and finally again looked in her direction - She sat, trying to convey something to her dad as well as faking smile at some of his mother's joke. She was not the most beautiful girl he ever saw but there was something about her that even in that simple dark blue churidaar, he couldn't help but think about her. He finally got up when his phone buzzed and taking a last glance at her, he picked up.
***
Terrible ! Pathetically Terrible !
She thought as she walked towards her parents after talking to that jerk. She hadn't expected such an outcome of a conversation which she planned when she saw him enter her place. His deadly stares at his mom, his continuous focus on the mobile screen with customary nods to her parents spoke loud and clear of his disinterest for this proposal. All she needed to do was to ask him to say "No" which didn't seem tough either till she sat across him in the lawn. He just acknowledged her before returning to his mobile while she was left to talk to herself. She could have easily killed him in those ten minutes till she decided to play safe and say those four stupidest words in this world. And rest is History.
As she sat, her Amma glared at her "Aiyyo ! Ishu tum Raman ko akela chod ke aa gayi?" Her mother questioned in her typical tamilian accent.
Was I suppose to give my finger to walk ?
"He had some work." She said as politely as she could while glancing at the person responsible for chaos.
"Oh." All her mother could manage while Mrs. Bhalla nodded. Rest of 15 minutes passed trying to nudge her Appa to refuse for the marriage and smile at not-so-funny jokes of Mrs.Bhalla when the man in question himself arrived with a trademark smirk.
"Ishu get coffee for Raman." Her mother spoke and she passed a fake broad smile at her direction which faltered her mother's smile.
He just had one thirty minutes ago.
"Surely." She got up while he shifted to make way for her.
"Ishu-"
"Ishita." She snapped immediately making her mother mutter under breath while his mother almost choked on a biscuit. Raman rolled tongue in his mouth to stop laughing "Yes, Ishita just one sugar cube. I like my coffee bit bitter." He stifled a grin as her nose flared up in anger.
Can I add rat poison ?
"Sure." She replied and walked away after passing a glare at her mother.
Next 30 minutes were quite uneventful considering the previous time and it ended with Mrs.Bhalla leaving with his amused son while Mrs.Iyer screaming at her already angry daughter.
***
Edited by Let-It-Go - 10 years ago
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