It was a complete exhausting day. City travel by road in public transport, breakfast from a hotel which did fill my stomach but not my heart and then into the lecture of some language only machines can understand not human. Full day effort on this useless crap in front of a drama actor(lecturer). Its almost 4.35 evening and time to wind up the session but he is more interested when time closes to the end. Everyone in class was in some kind of irritation and need to somehow get down the hall. I literally felt like 'screwed to the seat and firing from the bottom'. By the way someone reminded him about the time aspect and he terminated the lecture for the day otherwise we all might have turned out to be TERMINATORs with weapons to fire him.
Everyone rushed out of the hall, me as well, pulled the chappals on and stepped down the stairs. The front office is still open, the students who wanted to bolt them to the seats are still there with applications. I peeped in through the window for a special reason all that view was awfully great. Sherin is right there in the office. She got someone in the phone to talk to. Her long coloured hair seemed giggling in the breeze. Her brown eye was focused in the white sheet in front of her and the pen oscillating to and fro in her hand. She is the receptionist of this project centre and one of the reason I am still continuing here. Anyhow the view was a big relief for me from the exhaustion. I slowly moved out through the gate. But too many thoughts enveloped me by the time. Instead of heading back to the room fast, why not call sherin for a coffee? The idea was not from the cool mind of mine but from the obsessed mind, the obsession of her damn beauty. Someone inside me called “go back and invite her for a coffee”. That was a wakeup call which demolished all my negative feelings. I started preparing myself to go for it. I set my mind with confidence and all plans of execution. Again that someone inside me roared “hey man, you are the best performer. Go and conquer her with your sound”. I was fully loaded by the time like Arnold
I started walking back. My steps was much more confident than before. The only 6 stairs up to front office seemed to be golden, I mean 6 golden steps to her. I entered in the office and found no one there other than sherin. All those students have left bolting their seats. I came near to her. She was busy writing something but saw me when came near to her.
“good afternoon mids”
“good afternoon sherin...hmm..by what time will you come out the office?” I asked casually
“yeah, by 5, 5.10...why” she, anxiously
“actually, I would like to have a coffee with you, will you? ” Oh, boy, that was pretty straight question that I never expected me to ask. I don't know what I planned or how I planned to present it before her. But now...she remained unmoved with her brown eyes sharp on me and with a smile. I don't know 'what the heck she was smiling for?'. Her smile slowly turned bigger and she replied
“why not...will u wait for me just 10 mins? ” I remained with the casual expression even though my heart was vibrating instead of pulse beat.
“sure, I will be there down stairs”
“okay” with the smile still on her face
I came out as normal as I could. I would have made myself kind a hurdler of joy jumping over the handrails through the stairs. But being in a public place, chained myself with my heart free to enjoy. I got down , crossed the road and stood there just opposite to those golden stairs. The romantic December with its coolest breeze and a white mercedez passed by the road. Just behind that I saw sherin , with a careless expression, throwing her bag on to her shoulders. Her giggling hair, a bunch falling on to her face. I noticed her white kurthi before itself but now the blue Jean too which is an ISO standard combination (blue Jean with white top).
I was standing with my palm in my pocket, with a fabricated smile even though I was little bit tensed inside. She came right to me with a concrete expression and said
“ come, let's go”
“yeah” It was nice that she dealt the scene so wonderfully. We walked in to the cafe room just 30meters away from project centre. She grabbed the table at the corner of the cafe room even I wished for the same table only. She still have a smile on me and said
“so, how was your classes? ” Its just a formal enquiry to start with the conversation, but still don't she know those classes are perfect screws. Anyhow I replied
“yeah, nice”
“hmm...and what about your life? ” she continued. I must have explained everything about life as I have much a broader view on it (actually that was a false thought of my 'broader-view-on-life' ).
“frustrating @times ” I replied as she expected me to say that, I guess.
“uh...life is so simple and we make it complicated, you know?” in between she was searching for something in her hand bag. “ I mostly have a 'live-the-moment' kind a theme in my life. This city its perfect to be like that”. Then she took out a box of her bag, 'chesterfield' written on it. She flipped the box and invited that for me. I don't know what I was doing but none thoughts flashed in me.
“No” I said. It will be shear foolishness to raise a question, 'do you smoke?' , now.
She continued “ I know, u were not expecting this kind a date from me, did you? ” I realised 'i-am-on-a-date'. I kept silent with the smile on. This girl is completely overtaking me in all areas. She guided me in to this hidden tea stall, talking everything herself, inviting me for a smoke and totally overruling the history of gender relation.
“you are extremely different out here” I commented
“yeah, my job demanded me to be so soft and patient. I pretend to be a girl of tradition culture in there...you know I resemble more like a guy”
wait a second. Just rewind her last quote. 'you-know, I-resemble-more-like-a-guy'. What she meant by that?. For a second my thoughts went out of the common genders we all know. I was literally shaken 'did she meant that?'.
She forwarded “I want to be a free bird...and live life unconditional”. A quick relief in me that she didn't meant what I thought. But I like what she spelled just now. Even I rely up on the same kind of life, living to its fullest, dismissing all rules and conditions from back generations. Do what I wish and always need to be unquestioned by anybody. We talked for a long time on such topics,this time I dominated most of the time.
Suddenly a guy came in to the scene, with long sharp ended boots, narrow casual trousers, tuck-inside shirt and belt on. Spiked hair and shining eyes. She introduced him “Mids, this is jerry my boyfriend... jerry, this s mids my friend” The broken pieces of my heart sprinkled over my soul like glass pieces and made scratches on it.
“hi...mids...anyway I will wait for you outside, sherin. I have a guest” he annoyed like a mustard
This time I was mealy-mouthed because I don't have a heart now and I do have a scratched soul. He left the scene as fast as he came breaking all evening calmness. I noticed sherin looking sharp in to my eyes as if she heard the sound of breaking my heart. She came near to me, rounded her hand around me and on my shoulder and pulled me on to her body (just friendly) and said.
“i know, what is happening in you. Don't worry, stay cool. she is waiting for you, someone much better than me.” I replied something I don't remember but she was happy when I leave her. She even told me “you should make this evening in to papers and forward it to me. I know you will have crazy thoughts when you write it truly”. Yes, these are indeed the damn experience that I should make it in to papers.
Back in my room there lying my gang in my bed having a big debate on something. I pretended to be cool but the comment came from somewhere “ how was the date dudy..?” oh, how the heck these guys know about that? “date? What date?” I tried to dismiss as if I even don't know the spelling of that word. But these jerks know me more than what I know about me. One of them came near to me “c'mon buddy how was it?” Now, no chance to escape, better to play the drama. I smiled mostly resembled a laughter and said “well, that was nice. You know, she is awesome. We talked for a long time in the cafeday about all damn things under the sun. About the studies, family, siblings, the city, trends, love, romance and much more. Finally she was holding my hand tight and said that I am the best companion ever she got and I am so romantic”
it was silent for next two seconds and then exploded in to a big laughter “uhu uha...better luck next time buddy..,hmu hu” they said laughing. They might have guessed what may happened in the first date, that too with a girl like sherin, who is damn beautiful, who is damn smart, who have a damn high potential.
The day changed all my views about girls. They are actually like 'IDLY' and 'IDIAPPAM'. Both are made of almost same composition and made probably in the same boiler but tastes different. More of them are like 'IDLYs' which have a taste and some like sherin are like 'IDIAPPAMs' which tastes different and looks gorgeous. Some are sour and others bitter but I realised none are sweet.
The next instant my cell phone beeped and the text was “Next time when you propose somebody for a date consult me. May be I can help you to make it better...he he...gn”-sherin.
