The Usual Place

“The usual place???” My phone beeped with a text message. I involuntarily took out my phone from the table just then realizing an array of faces were turning towards me with a deep stare. It took me a while to realize that I was in a meeting room but even before my realization hit, I had another text with a series of five question marks.

I made a vain attempt to lift my head to glance the twelve angry men staring at me and facing towards my manager, I put up a best possible sheepish face I can and muttered a “sorry”.

I promptly took out my phone and put that in silent, Because I know patience was never her virtue and am it’s about to rain texts until I reply.

My thoughts slowly drifted away and meeting room was not interesting enough to keep me occupied. I slowly began to think

“Why are married men so grumpy that they do not get to understand the feelings of a bachelor? Does getting married rips off your eruditeness right away from you?”

No wonder my manager was a classic example. You know how hard it really is to be in your mid twenties? You are not too old rather not too young either.

After the meeting, I took out my phone to reply her.

“Let’s see. I can’t guarantee”

Within a wink of an eye, I got her reply. “Please don’t tell me that your manager told you to do this and that blah blah blah....”

“You know what??? He actually told me to do hell a lot of things and I am running short for a deadline. Sorry dear.. can’t come” I replied with a lie.

“If you cancel on me this time , for sure I am going to call up your manager’s wife and tell her that you both are in a secret relationship. After all it’s still illegal here you know :wink:??” She winked with a smiley.

“Actually I got a new lady manager, just an year elder than me and smoking hot too!!!”

“In your dreams my boy. Just think yourself lucky because at least you have me to talk with” I could hear her hysteric laugh when she typed those lines.

“Chalo okay!! What time it is then?” I asked her.

“7:30 PM sharp, the usual place” she replied.

The rest of the day went without doing nothing. I was like a kid who is about to go to the town’s fair for the very first time. Lots of excitement and speculation. “What will she wear? The black dress with the high heels or the salwar I got her with the wedges?” Oh damn!! Speculating what she will wear is like counting the stars in the sky. You would do it for your mere pleasure but you will never succeed.

After a long struggle to complete my boring day at office, I sluggishly reached our usual place, a small yet elegant cafe by the beach side around half past eight. The cafe has the ability to even tweak your dormant romantic cells active, just like it did for me every time I enter it. Who would have known that I will write poems until the moment I came here and wrote a couple of poems for her.

I trod towards our usual table and she was nowhere to be seen. I politely smiled at the manager while passing by the reception and he smiled back. I took my seat waiting for the seat opposite mine to be filled and just then I realised , a familiar fragrance filled the air.

She shouted from behind “ Have I made you wait too long?”

I nodded my head for a “No”

“Oh!! I would have still taken enough time for doing my hair then” she mocked. I let out an irritated sigh while she slowly slid the chair and sat in front of me. “This is his waiting looks like” she sighed back. “What is the time I told you and when were you here. I know your clock is always an hour behind the normal people and don’t know when are you going to change for good” she paused to glance at my almost reaction less face, but what she can’t see was there is already millions of things running behind it.

Without much delay, the waiter who know us real well brought a caffè macchiato for me and a cappuccino with two extra sugar cubes for her.

We started to share minor details about our respective days and this is just a minor courtesy extended by her for me to talk and if I am not gonna talk then the stage is all hers.

There are people who are either an introvert or an extrovert. But me!!! I am a person who talks paragraphs in texts and struggles to complete even a sentence in person. But she understands me very well and does the talking for me as well and I too do a pretty decent job in understanding her.

Slowly the conversation changed lanes and she started to talk about her new diet plans and how often she is planning to hit the gym. While she was talking, suddenly her hands slid into mine which was wrapped around the coffee cup, I was froze for a moment and the hot cup failed to provide the warmth in front of her cold hands.

She took my hands into hers and started off in a serious tone. “You know how important tomorrow is for me rather for us”

I gave her an affirmative nod. She continued “ just because you are there with me now and will be always, I am taking this big leap of faith. Against my parents, family and every soul I know. Don’t make me regret this. Be there 9 AM sharp and not your 9 mine.”

I slowly pulled back my hands , took her into mine in closed fist. With my eyes I told her “I will” and her eyes moist even had smiles on their own.

She stood up, came close to me and hugged me tight. The one that could crush your heart and make you choke but the still the one you cannot say no to, the one you always crave more for. Her hair slowly swayed and brushed against my face in the gentle sea breeze. I wanted the time to freeze at the exact frame and do not want it to move even a micro second, but time wasn’t always my best mate.

She slowly stepped back, put up a pale smile on her face and bid me a bye. She turned back and started to walk slowly and here I am in our usual place, staring at her fading figure, thinking of what to wear tomorrow to look at my best for signing as a witness to her register marriage.