That Night At The Cafe

That Night At The Cafe

4 mins
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My phone buzzed for a tenth time, since the time I left home. And yet again, I declined. No, I won’t and couldn’t pick up the call. The cool November breeze chilled me to the bone. I looked at my watch, it was about nine thirty. It had been half an hour sine I had been aimlessly walking down the street to nowhere. My headphones kept me entertained. Maggie Lindemann’s Pretty girl was playing- a song which I seriously liked, at this moment.

I hung my duffel bag properly on my shoulder. As I walked on, my stomach gurgled. And I realized that I had even skipped lunch. In a corner, I saw a small lighted cafe, and having nowhere to go to, I walked up till there. At that hour, the cafe was mostly filled with couples. I entered quietly and sat in the farthest corner. I didn’t want to be observed or noticed, in the way society does. I saw those guys and girls glancing affectionately at each other, giving each other, cute gestures and I felt irritated. I was irritated with everything.

I turned off my headphones. That is what I usually do. I turn them off but keep wearing them. My mom usually asks me why I listen to so much music. But the truth is that I don’t. At times I just want to sit quietly and observe other people. And headphones give me the reason to do so. The waiters kept coming and going, carrying orders of people. I too ordered a Cappuccino.

The door bells slightly jingled as the glass door opened. I looked up to see a lady entering. She looked roughly around my mom’s age. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and she wore a loose kurta and jeans. She came and sat at the table in front of me. I took out my copy of, ‘The Alchemist’ and quietly started reading. But that was hoax, for in reality I was observing that lady. Her eyes were red and puffed. She glanced at her phone every now and then, as if awaiting a call from someone. She smiled politely at me, and I looked away embarrassed. Even I had been crying a while ago. And tears unfazed me.

The waiter appeared with my coffee. I put down my book and started sipping it in silence, but that wasn’t wholly true for my mind wasn’t silent. There were weird thoughts coming and going. What must be the atmosphere at my house? Is mom crying as usual? But I shook those thoughts aside. She too had, by now ordered a drink. I noticed that she had ordered a latte and even then, was adding too much sugar. My health consciousness wanted to erupt and stop her from doing so, but I restrained myself.

The waiter appeared with the bill, kept it politely and left. I turned to my duffel bag and looked for money, and the reality struck me then. I had forgotten my purse at home. Shit! I cursed inwardly. What to do now…. It seemed as if the lady had sensed what I was feeling. She quietly opened her purse an placed some money on it. I noticed that it was the exact sum that I had to pay. I looked at her gratefully. She smiled kindly. It was then, that I took off my headphones.

‘I don’t know how to thank you-’ I began. But she cut me off. ‘No need for such formalities.’ She said. Her eyes went over to her phone screen again and her eyebrows scrunched up in worry.

‘Not to sound impertinent, but you look tensed….’ I ventured.

‘Never mind. I need to open up. My son, he left home yesterday.’ She began. ‘he hasn’t even called me till now.’

‘Oh.’ I said, ‘I too have done the same thing.’

‘Did you? Why?’ she asked.

‘Mom, doesn’t get me.’ I began, ‘She isn’t letting me chose a career of my choice.’ I told her.

‘I too am the same, I guess.’ She confided, ‘I think I scolded him a bit too much. Now I am repenting. I want to apologize but, I can’t trace him.’

She glanced often at the door, as if she believed that her son would be back soon.

‘I’m sorry.’ I said impulsively.

‘What for?’ she asked, her eyes gleaming with mirth.

‘For you son.’ I said.

‘You shouldn’t be.’ She said, shaking her head, ‘Be sorry for your mother.’

My phone rang again, and I declined the call. ‘She must be worried.’ The lady spoke with an effort. ‘Call her back.’

And something in her tone, made me obey her to the T. I sympathized with my mother now. I called her up and she picked up the call almost immediately as if she had been waiting all along for it.

I didn’t explain a thing. It seemed as if she knew everything. ‘I’ll be back in a sec.’ I said as I hung up. I looked at the lady in front of me to find that she wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened to her. Just that, I hope, her son comes back to her.


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