A Blind Date

It was a chilly December morning in Delhi when Sania was sleeping cozily with blankets on when there was a sound of the messenger's notification. At other times Sania would have felt it as a sweet sound of the bell ringing in a temple. Perhaps she was also expecting a call. But today is Sunday morning and it had rained heavily the previous night making the day chilly.

Therefore, at this time she did not feel like coming out of her bed. Yet, after taking out the mobile, kept under the pillow, she somehow managed to type out the password with one eye open. The number did not appear properly to her sleepy eyes. Her sleep disappeared in a moment as soon as she could manage to type the correct password, after four or five attempts. - seeing the profile picture of the sender of the message. It was a message from Aarav!

Aarav lived in Europe. He was working in Belgium for the last five to six years. Otherwise, he was a resident of Rajinder Nagar in Delhi. He was a bachelor and probably handsome too. Only his back appears in the profile picture because he is gazing towards the Alps.

"Are you still asleep, Madam? I am travelling so far from Europe and coming to Delhi for you!!”

"Hey, I got a little sleepy. It is winter with thick fog outside. Being Sunday morning, I have no specific work to do. Understood Mister!”

"It's ten in the morning! Wake up early dear!! Otherwise, you won't get breakfast!" Aarav reminded.

Sania lives in a working women’s hostel in Paschimi Bagh, where she does not get breakfast after half-past ten on a holiday. She had almost forgotten this, But Aarav still remembers it.

Sania likes such simple caring words of Aarav. She has never met him, but there is a wonderful sense of familiarity in his voice, which often pleases her.

"And, where have you reached?" Sania asked.

Normally they addressed each other as you but sometimes out of respect and love they used thyself

"I am in Abu Dhabi Airport, waiting for a connecting flight." Aarav replied.

Sania had met Aarav on Facebook exactly six months before. A friend request came from Aarav. When the chain of chatting started, it was clear as to how much their thoughts matched. The time for their talk was unusual. Early morning time! Due to the different time zones, it is night time at Aarav’s place. After the day’s hard work in the office, when he returns home tired, he chats for an hour with Sania before sleep. Sania also eagerly waits for him to return from the office. The sound of an incoming message in the messenger brought sweetness to her ears.

Both became good friends quickly chatting. Last month, their friendship rose to one level up when Aarav informed that he was coming to India for a few days and wanted to meet Sania. After online dating for so many days, Sania also had the same inkling that someday she should sit with Aarav, have coffee and talk to him to her heart’s content. Perhaps both of them thought that after meeting, they would like to take up the proposal of their marriage.

After chatting for so many days, both of them had become very comfortable with each other. They began to feel free to share their thoughts.

"Tell me, Sania, do you want any gift from Abu Dhabi Airport?"

"Bring dates for my brother. He likes dates very much."

"Okay, Madam” said Aarav and sent a smiley.

Three days later, the message came from Aarav in the Messenger.

"Hi Sania, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Aarav. How are you? Did you get over your jet lag?"

"Sania, it’s fine now. I kept sleeping for two days. So I couldn't chat with you. Tell me when should we meet?"

"Any time you choose."

"Are you free this evening? Let us meet at seven in the Barista."

"Okay, I will come. But--"

“Yes, tell me."

"But how will I recognize you, Aarav? Send me your pic. I have been asking for it since long."

"No, Sania, I want to surprise you. Wait a little longer. Why should you see my pic? I shall be present right in front of you."

"Well that is fine. If you so desire."

"Sania I'll come wearing a red T-shirt. Don't worry, I'll recognize you easily. But what will you wear?"

"I will come straight from the office. So I will be in blue jeans and a kurti of light green color with Kutch handiwork."

"Okay, see you in the evening. I take leave because my mother is calling me. Probably she has some work for me.

“Okay, Bye”.

Sania started finishing the office work very quickly. Permission was already taken from the boss to leave the office early. Why should there be any objection from the boss? Sania was a very hard-working employee of this office. Never before had she sought permission to leave early. So he had agreed readily. The deadline for the work, as per the files entrusted to her, was only tomorrow. Therefore, before leaving, she has to complete the work. Sania started doing the work hurriedly. She was so engrossed in her work that she even forgot to take her lunch today. She remembered it only when her friend Rubi, sitting in the adjacent cubicle, reminded her.

“Hi Sania, you are going for a date today. If you remain hungry like this you might look famished, Rubi told this winking her eyes. Let us go to the canteen and eat something.”

Sania laughed seeing her manner of talking. But she obeyed her words. And both went towards the canteen.

Leaving the office in the evening, Sania called a cab to go to Rajinder Nagar and started for Cafe Day.

After reaching there, Sania was searching for a twenty-six-year-old man wearing a red T-shirt. She suddenly caught sight of a boy sitting at the corner table and reading a magazine. He alone was sitting at the round wooden table outside the barista and was looking towards the same direction.

"Does Aarav like reading? He has never told her." Sania started thinking.

Well, she went ahead and said, "Hi, Aarav! I am Sania. Hope I haven't made you wait longer?"

"Hey,” Aarav said only this.

There was silence between them for a few moments. Sania could not check herself.

She asked, "Hey, why are you so silent, Aarav?"

"No, you tell me."Aarav said with a smile.

"Okay, tell me what would you like to eat? I shall come after placing an order."

Sania got up and went to order for both of them.

After her return, she got busy talking to Aarav. He praised her dress. He liked her looks too. She felt that Aarav was also very handsome. She felt that he was the type of person she had been waiting for, with whom she can enjoy the rest of her life with fun.

Aarav speaks very little but Sania speaks a lot. She speaks so much that she doesn’t give rest to her tongue. They might make an ideal match.

Sania gave Aarav the gift that she had brought for him. Aarav felt very happy after getting it. He apologizes that he couldn’t bring her any gift.

“It’s Okay, there is no formality,” Sania said.

“How big a gift Aarav himself was for Sania, he did not know”, Sania thought and smiled.

Aarav felt that the food was tasty. He thanked Sania for the nice treat. After all, it was Sania who had selected the menu so thoughtfully because it was her first date! She was a foodie herself. She, being an epicure knew the best place for quality food. The office people also consulted her before going to the restaurant.

After one and a half hours, their date suddenly came to an end. Aarav had to go to someplace urgently. He was getting many calls. Sania had a lot more to to talk to him. But after the last call, Aarav started getting restless.

"See you later," he said and left the place hurriedly.

Hey, I couldn't tell him many things which I wanted to .” Sania started thinking about it sitting there.

Well, I will tell him next time. Otherwise, the messenger is always there.

Thereafter, Sania walked towards the house, feeling a little sad. She was very happy to have met Aarav. But she was not fully satisfied

On reaching the road, she decided to take a cab to the house. As soon as she took out the phone and turned on, the message of Aarav appeared in the notification.

"He must have messaged to say thank you! He was appreciating the food."Sania started thinking and read after opening the message. But as she read the message, her hands started getting cold. The message was something like this:-

"Sorry dear, Sania. I shall not be coming today. Papa's internal organ has been bothering him for a few days. Today, he has got a date with a nephrologist after a long wait. I am taking him for a check-up. By the way, I am in India for a few months. We shall plan next time.”

Sania placed her hands on her head and sat there at the corner of the roadside railing.

Here, the man wearing a red T-shirt was thinking, “Whose face did I see today? I could enjoy such a good coffee and breakfast for free. Over and above that the gift was a bonus!! It is only the good fortune brought by my red T-shirt. It is awesome and has proved auspicious for me. I had gone there only to buy a magazine. Where do I have the money in my pocket to eat in barista? All the salary money which I get in this sales job is spent on my mother's medicines and brother's education. There is no money left for blind dating?”

THE END

ब्लाइंडडेट 

★★★★★ 

© Moumita Bagchi

https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/jopts3es/blaaindd-ddett/detail

सड़कआजमुश्किल