The Corner Table

1st June 2007

Debrup was constantly looking at his watch. It’s still some time to strike 4 but he was impatient. He looked around. The coffee house hasn’t changed much except the faces of the visitors. The waiters also seemed the same. Not that he remembered all the faces but still he could make out. He checked the bouquet of yellow roses he was carrying. They are alright - Fresh and vibrant. "Will she remember the date? Will she at all come?" He checked his mobile now .. just to reconfirm the date. Yes, it’s the 1st June. 

And that realisation took him back to the date and year when it all began. 

1st June 1996

Yahoo messenger 

Debrup_talks: Hi Sanchari_friendship. Asl, please. Oops sorry. AL Please. Your name gives away the gender though. 

Sanchari_friendship: Hi Deprup_talks. 26/Cal here. What’s yours? Of course, I am a female and please don’t tell you were ok speaking to a Male. ;-). Anyway, Catch you later. Kinda got busy now. Bye. 

Debrup_talks: Hi Sanchari, This is Debrup. 29/Cal. LOL. U r right. By the way, Your ID suggests that you like to make new friends. Well .. I love to make new friends too. Hence thought of dropping you a line. Hope you will write back. What do u do?

Sanchari_friendship: Hi Debrup, sorry for the late reply. Was kinda busy the whole day. And it’s quite late at night. Thanks for writing to me. Yes, you got it right. I like to make new friends. But I am pretty choosy. I am into the hospitality industry working with a reputed hotel. You must be sleeping now. 

2nd June 1996

Debrup_talks: Hi Sanchari, Good morning. I almost lost hope of getting a reply. Thought maybe you didn’t like my writing to you this way. Relieved now. Well .. it’s good to be choosy. Hospitality segment!! Wow!! I am into IT. In that way, I am into a boring kind of a job. Your one is pretty interesting. You get to interact with so many people. Mine always revolves around projects and deadlines. U r not online now. Do reply back once u r online. Do reply at your convenience. I will wait. 

Sanchari_friendship: Hey Debrup, Relax. My job just seems interesting from outside. Controlling and managing weird kind of requests from the hotel guests are at times such pain and not that easy as well. At least you don’t have to go through it. But yes I agree, yours is a very boring job. But again I am sure the pay package compensates it. Anyway, leave these boring work-related discussions. I hate to discuss it after office hours. So how do you chill? For me, it’s music all the day. Not much into hip hop but I kinda like slow romantic numbers. And of course ghazals. 

3rd June 1996

Debrup_talks: Hey you like Ghazals! Wow .. it’s something I connect too as well. But of course nothing in comparison to listening to Kishore Kumar. That person is sheer genius. I can go on and on and on listening to him. I have almost all the songs of KK. Isn’t he your fav too? 

Sanchari_friendship: Of course he is Debrup. KK is in a different league altogether. His songs are like energy. He has songs for every season, every emotion ... no wonder we all feel so much connected to him. Hey, Debrup good yaar we both feel that way. It’s kinda nice connection. Isn’t it? 

4th June 1996

Debrup_talks: Absolutely!! Seems we know each other from long back. By the way is Kinda your fav word? U use it quite often. 

Sanchari_friendship: Not favorite but a word I use often. U read my messages so minutely. Makes me feel important. Good to know you. And yes u seem quite a flirt. “Seems we know each other from long back” ROFL!! 

5th June 1996

Debrup_talks: I meant it seriously. Not said with the intention of flirt. I feel good chatting with you. And u know what .. u are becoming a habit. A good one though.  And I wanna know u more. Would love to meet you someday. 

Sanchari_friendship: Well ... a little fast maybe but I don’t mind meeting you. U come across as a nice person. Let me know when and where u wanna meet? Don’t forget to leave a message. Although we never get online at the same time. You come in the morning and I come late at night. But I do wait for your messages too. 

6th June 1996

Debrup_talks: How abt Saturday? afternoon? Being Saturday I hope u will be relatively free. College Street coffee house sounds good? 

Sanchari_friendship: Coffee house? Wow. I am impressed at your selection. I love the place. My College life memories will go alive. 4 pm is good for you? 

7th June 1996

Debrup_talks: Absolutely. But how to identify you? I will be waiting just at the ground floor entrance. I will be wearing a white tee and jeans. Blue one. Not the camel colour which is in fashion nowadays. 

Sanchari_friendship: Well.. not decided yet. But wait ... hmm.. an orange salwar suit. And yes a little brown handbag to go with it. See ya then.

9th June 1996

Debrup_talks: Hey .. what a lovely afternoon I had. Thank you. Loved your company. It never looked we met for the first time. I loved your passion for music and movies. Something which is there in me as well. I think you realised too.

Sanchari_friendship: Same here Debrup. I too had a great time and loved to see your likeness for similar kind of music and movies. And thank you for the chocolates. That was really a pleasant surprise and a sweet gesture from you. 

10th June 1996

Debrup_talks: Can we meet next Saturday again? Same time and preferably the same corner table?

Sanchari_friendship: Oh yes. Let’s meet again. 

18th August 1996

Sanchari_friendship: Debrup .. did u call in the landline? Was that you? Must be you only. But sorry I can’t take the call now. Guests at home. Baba took the call. No one answered so I knew it was you. Yes, I know dear It was 8 pm the time we had decided to speak over the phone every day but what can I do?? Please don’t get angry. Please understand. Please Please Please. 

Debrup_talks: U father must be mad at me. He is not habituated to get blank calls. Is he? But How will I know? Next time I don’t want to listen to anything. U have to take the call. At least say hello.. I will be happy just to hear your voice. We meet only on Saturdays. It’s this 8 pm call that’s all we have on other days. I can’t stay even for a day without hearing your voice. 

Sanchari_friendship: What do U think!?? I don’t feel the pain. But please understand what will happen if Baba comes to know! Ok, I will try to take the call from now on. 

6th November 1996

Sanchari_friendship: Baba is furious to know about us. This Saturday can’t meet you. A family is coming to see me. I can’t help it. They want me to get married asap. Today I am logging in from a cyber cafe. We need to do something for us Deb. Please, I can’t live without you. 

Debrup_talks: I can’t live without you too. I will work out something. Don’t worry. I will come and meet your Baba soon. He has to agree. I am there don’t worry. 

1st June , 1997

Sanchari_friendship: Deb ... this is my last message to you here, in this platform. I could have easily called you. No one at home would have to mind that. I could have even taken permission from home to meet you. But I wanted to communicate here, what I want to say, as this, Yahoo Messenger, is very place where we first got introduced to each other. Deb, I can see you are online. Are you listening?? For the first time, we are online together at the same time after that first day. I logged in at this time just to get you here today. What an irony! Last day for us here and online at the same time.

As you already know I am getting married tomorrow. And what way my marriage is getting done. What a storm I had to go through!! I am scared of my married life. Did I make the right decision? Will Baba be happy?! Lots of things going on in my mind Deb. Tell me you won’t stop loving me ever. It’s your love that will give me the strength to withstand all the hurdles in life. Deb .. r u there? Listening to me? Will you still love me like this after 10 years too? See the date .. today is 1st June. We completed one year today. Last year the same day we first chatted. Can I request you one thing? Let’s meet once on 1st June after 10 years at Same place where we first met. That corner table in a coffee house.

Every Saturday that table waited for us. We stood for so long just to sit in that table. That table knows our story, our smell, our love, our fights. But we will meet only if we still love each other then. No force no bluff .. I will come only if I still love you then. You will also only come if you still love me then. Same at 4 pm. Let’s see who remembers to come. And yes whoever comes will bring a bouquet of yellow roses for the other person. 

Debrup_talks: I know how many storms you faced Sanchari. You are a true fighter. But one thing I am 100% sure is that you will be a wonderful life partner. Don't worry ..your married life will be full of happiness. My best wishes and prayers will always be with you. But I will not uninstall this messenger ever. Will read whenever I feel like. I can assure you that my love will not diminish a bit even after 100 years. Will definitely meet you there on that day, no matter, what the situation is at that time. 

Present Day (1st June 2007)

“Would you like to order Sir?” 

Debrup’s flashback got interrupted by the waiter. He looked at the watch. Still couple of minutes to 4. He kept the bouquet on the table. 

“I am waiting for someone. By the way, just keep a watch on the table.. I will be back from the washroom” 

Debrup washed his face. Last 12 months had been very disturbing for him. Nothing is going right in his marital life. Fights every day. Name-calling. The love and warmth of those initial years of married life seemed to have vanished. Both of them, the other day even brought up the topic of separation. So what that it cropped up out of an intense quarrel … it came up in both person's mind that's important. Debrup looked up to the mirror trying to find out whether he looked stressed. Couldn’t make out. Looked at the watch it’s 4:05. “Has Sanchari come? Will she at all remember the date? Will she at all come?” Debrup’s mind got cluttered with so many questions. He rushed towards the table. 

He could make out Sanchari seating. Her back was towards him as he walked towards the table. 

“Where’s her bouquet of yellow roses that she was supposed to bring?” Debrup thought within himself. And as he thought this he could see a bunch of yellow roses neatly kept just beside his ones. 

“She still loves me!” Debrup felt ecstatic inside. 

He went and sat in front of her. Sanchari looked up …. Their eyes met. They hold each other’s hand and smiled. No words needed. Only tears rolled down from both pairs of eyes. The silence, the hold of hands, the tears … and the unspoken words were enough for both to realise that even after 10 years, they still love each other.

Debrup entered his house. 

“Where did you get this bouquet from?" His wife asked. 

“Got from an admirer” Debrup replied with a wink while keeping the yellow roses on the table just beside where another bunch of yellow roses were lying. Looked up and continued with a smile. “Tomorrow is the 2nd of June and our 10th Anniversary. Let’s celebrate in a grand way and promise us a new start with all the love we have in our heart”.

They both hugged each other for a long time that day after many many months.