Perception
"2 coffee lana"
Daya sir ordered the waiter grabbing his chair opposite to me in the coffee shop.
I don't like coffee much but I will always say yes even if he is offering me a poison and I think he also knows that. When we got some spare minutes from the work he asked me for coffee and it made my day.
"Yaha ki coffee amazing hoti hai Shreya. Dekhna tumhe bhi aadat ho jayegi. Abhijeet ko to coffee pasand nahi lekin main use yaha jabardasti lakar coffee pilata hu to wo pagal ho jata hai. To maine socha aaj kisi aur ko le aata hu. Tum to coffee peeti ho na? Tum to pareshan nahi ho rahi mere sath?" He asked smiling playfully.
"Nahi sir, Mujhe pasand hai coffee" I lied, "Intact mujhe to aapko thanks bolna chahiye ki aap mujhe yaha lekar aaye. Isme pareshan hone wali koi baat nahi hai. Main to roj aane ke liye taiyar hu agar aap kahe to" I said staring into his eyes.
He stared me back but soon took his eyes off hearing a girl screaming at someone behind.
"Main yaha paglo ki terah 2 ghante se tumhara wait kar rahi hu. 8 cup coffee pi chuki hu main. Aur tum mujhe aakar itna ghatiya excuse de rahe ho late hone ka. Traffic? 2 ghante ka traffic jam? Phone to kar sakte the. Nahi to mera phone to receive kar lete. Mujhe pagal samajh rakha hai tumne. Ghar se kitne bahane bana kar aane padte hain mujhe tumse milne ke liye lekin tumhe usse koi matlab nahi."
We both looked at a girl shouting at her boyfriend. Poor fellow was apologizing sitting on his knees in front of all but the girl was in no mood to forgive him.
Daya sir let out a laugh looking at me, "Kya drama hai ye? Bechara maafi to mang raha hai na!"
"Han lekin ladki ka gussa bhi sahi hai. Kisi ke liye wait Karna wo bhi pure 2 ghante? Mood to off ho jayega na. Main to nahi kar sakti kisi ka itna intejar." I said nodding my head in no.
"Isi liye tumhara koi boyfriend nahi hai." I just heard Daya sir saying keeping his voice low but I had heard that very clearly.
"Kya kaha aapne?" I questioned narrowing my brows.
He looked up at me, "Main to bas ye kaha raha tha ki tum kitni samjhdar aur intelligent ho Shreya ki tumne koi boyfriend nahi banaya. Warna tum bhi kisi ke liye coffee shop me baithkar apna time waste kar rahi hoti" he said laughing.
Meanwhile our coffee arrived. I grabbed my cup, "To abhi main aapke sath yaha coffee shop me baith kar kya time waste kar rahi hu?"
Daya sir sighed as he found me taking him wrong, "Nahi bilkul nahi. Humare paas time hi kaha hota hai waste karne ke liye! Chalo jaldi se coffee pikar chalo bahut sara kaam hai." He sipped the coffee.
I smiled at him and took some sips unwillingly.
Next day again we both went for coffee at the same shop. We again witnessed the same girl yelling at her boyfriend.
After that it almost became a routine for two of us to go to that coffee shop and witness that couple sometimes fighting and arguing and sometimes romancing. Hugging and kissing were their normal activities. They used to fight in public and romance also in public. They never cared about the surrounding. I have seen others glaring at them with corners of eyes but I always loved them. I was a fan of their carefree attitude.
"Sir ye dono yaha regular aate hain kya? Hum jab bhi yaha aate hain ye dono jaroor milte hain." I asked Daya sir in whispers.
He took a glance at the couple and turned to me, "Aate honge? Ye coffee shop specially couples ke liye hi hai na! Chup chup kar apni girlfriend ya boyfriend se milna ho to isse better koi dusri jegah nahi." He said stirring his coffee
Suddenly my eyes were widened. I never noticed that we both were coming regularly to a coffee shop which was a famous hotspot for couples.
"Ye couples ke liye hai?" I asked surprised.
"Han" he said, " isiliy to Abhijeet yaha aur bhi aana pasand nahi karta. Theek hai couples ke liye hai but hume to sirf coffee se matlab hai na. Aisa koi rule to nahi hai ki singles yaha nahi aa sakte? Hai na? Waise tumhe to koi problem nahi hai na?" He fixed his eyes on my face and asked.
I couldn't help but smiled, "Nahi sir, mujhe toh sirf coffee se matlab hai."
He appreciated my opinion knowing I also think like him. I was feeling so delighted inside.
"Chalo iska matlab kam se kam ye dekhne wale to hume couple hi samajhte honge. Ab to wakai yaha ki coffee achhi lagne lagi hai." I was speaking to myself staring at him from behind the cup.
It was being more than two months since we were going to that coffee shop. Everyone else were thinking that something is cooking between us otherwise why would we go to a coffee shop designed specially for couples. Even my feelings had grown so much for him just because those coffee meetings. And I had an assumption that there is definitely something in his heart for me.
We kept on visiting the coffee shop almost on a regular basis but since last two weeks that couple was not coming there.
"Sir wo dono kai dino se dikh nahi rahe? Kahi aisa to nahi ki ladki ke gharwalo ko uske boyfriend ke bare me pata chal gaya ho aur unhone un dono ka milna band karwa diya ho?" I said in a low voice looking a little tensed.
He stopped sipping the coffee and stared into my eyes, "hoga kuch tum kyun itna pareshan ho rahi ho?"
I changed my expressions, "sir main pareshan nahi hu. Bas Kai dino se un dono ko dekha nahi na isliye."
"Hmm!" He exclaimed, "Waise jo bhi ho dono kitna bhi ladte jhagadte ho par ek dusre se pyar bahut karte hain."
I was lost in him. How cute he is. So he can also notice who loves whom and how much.
"Han sir wo to hai. Isi liye thodi tension ho gayi mujhe. Dono ko alag nahi hona chahiye. Achhe lagte hain sath me." I said finally what I was feeling for that couple.
Two days later we entered the coffee shop and I saw something that made me jump in exhilaration. I was so excited that I grabbed his arm tightly.
"Daya sir, wo dekhiye!" I said holding his arm from one hand and pointing in a direction from the other.
He first observed my expressions and my grip on his arm then looked where I was pointing. The same couple was sitting there enjoying their coffee. The difference was that the girl was in Saree and jeweleries. Her hands were covered with beautiful henna design giving her a perfect newly wedded look.
I was already overwhelmed seeing them but this time daya sir too smiled seeing them.
"Inhone Shadi kar li?" I don't know he asked me or told me that but he was smiling.
"Han!" I said looking at him. He looked at my hand still holding his arm. I realized that and removed my grip feeling awkward.
We made our way towards our table and ordered our coffee.
"Mujhe pata nahi kyun par in dono ko sath dekh kar bahut khushi ho rahi hai!" I said admiring the couple who were completely unaware of our stare upon them. "Kuch dino pehle kaise bachho ki terah ladte rehte the dono aur ab achanak se shadi. How cute! Kash har love story ka end aise hi hota."
Daya sir smirked and I looked at him.
"Exactly, love story ka the end. Inki bhi love story ab khatam."
I simply didn't like his comment, "Nahi sir, aisa kyun keh rahe hain. Abhi to inki life me bahut sari khushiyan aani baki hain!"
Meanwhile our coffee arrived. Daya sir grabbed his cup, "Kya khushiyan? Khushiyan to wo thi jab ye dono apni family se chup chup kar ek dusre se milne aate the. Ladte the jhagadte the. Roothna manana that was pure love. But ab sab kuch badal chuka hai. Dekhna kuch dino baad ye dono iss coffee shop me aana bhi bhool jayenge. Shadi ka matlab responsibility hota hai. Ye ab pehle ki terah befikre nahi rahe. Ab family ki responsibilities phir bachhe wagera ho gaye to inke paas ek dusre ke liye time bhi nahi hoga. Shadi is the end of every love story." He said laughing supposing me too to laugh with him.
But that was not funny for me. How can he say that. Marriage doesn't end a love story but completes it.
He was still laughing on his stupid thought. I was stirring my coffee but was in no mood to take a sip and suddenly he said something that pinched my heart.
"Mera ek cheej to clear hai, I am ready to fall in love but shadi..." He looked at me, "No way!" He nodded his head.
I was feeling deceived. I was feeling cheated. What just he said that he can love but not marry? Why?
"Sir aap majak kar rahe hain!" I said with a faint smile.
"Nahi Shreya, I am absolutely serious. Majak kyun karunga?" He said.
I don't know what happened but I stood up leaving my chair suddenly.
"Kya hua?" He asked me confused.
"Sir wapas jana hai mujhe bahut jaroori kaam hai." I said and grabbed my purse.
"Arey lekin coffee to pi lo!" He said bewildered with my behavior.
"Aaj man nahi hai sir!" I replied curtly moving towards the exit.
"Ek minute Shreya..." He quickly paid for the untouched coffee and came behind me, "Shreya kya ho gaya achanak? Bolo to sahi. Mujhe koi galti ho gayi? Kuch galat bol diya jo nahi bolna chahiye tha. Aise mat jao. Baat to karo."
I was just walking completely ignoring him.
"Shreya tum kuch bologi nahi to mujhe pata kaise chalega kya hua hai. Batao na kya ho gaya tumhe achanak?" He said holding my hand and made me to face him.
He was stunned seeing me in tears. "Oh my god Shreya kya hua hai? Ek baar bolo to please!"
I simply shook my head and freed my hand from his grip. I replied nothing and he kept on asking till we reached at bureau. After that we both got busy with the work and didn't talk the whole day.
At night when I was in the bed staring at the sealing, I received a text from him.
"Please talk to me Shreya. I don't know kya problem hai but I know it's surely because of me. I am sorry!"
I burst out in tears after reading the text. He said sorry without knowing his mistake. And the problem was that I couldn't tell him why I was hurt when he said he doesn't want to marry. Because it would be really awkward to tell him that I have already started dreaming about our marriage without knowing whether he even loves me or not.
Words doesn't matter but perception matters. He only said that he can love but not marry and what I perceived that if he is saying , "I love you Shreya but I won't marry you'.
Maybe he was just kidding or maybe he was serious or whatever but I was hurt and he had no fault in that. All I was thinking that how I am going to settle the matter the next day. What I am going to say if he asks me why I was crying?
o- The End -o