Chapter 1: Meeting in a Coffee Shop.
Daya had just finished his second cup of morning tea when his cellphone rang.
"Hi, Abhijeet! What's up?" Daya said as he answered the call.
"Hi Daya... uh... how are you?" Abhijeet asked. Daya could sense some anxiousness in his voice.
"Me? I am fine. Why do you ask?" Daya said.
"Oh, you didn't hear about it then?" Abhijeet asked.
"About what?" Daya questioned.
"Listen can we meet for coffee? Before going to bureau, I mean? I wanted to tell you something. It's kinda important" said Abhijeet.
"Yeah sure we can meet. Is everything okay? You sound worried" said Daya.
"Oh, I am fine. And it's not that serious. Don't worry" Abhijeet assured him.
"Okay so where do you want to meet?" Daya asked.
"Our usual meeting place? You know that little coffee shop around the corner of my house?" Abhijeet suggested.
"Fine. I will be there in an hour" Daya said.
"Okay. See you then. Bye" Abhijeet said and disconnected the call.
An hour later, when Daya entered the cafe, he found Abhijeet already sitting with a coffee cup placed in front of him.
"Sorry I got late. Morning traffic sucks" Daya said as he pulled out a chair accross the table from Abhijeet and sat down.
The waitress arrived to take his order. "A cappucino, please" Daya told her. "Okay then, tell me" he said after the waitress had walked away.
"Tarika called me yesterday" Abhijeet said, playing with the stirrer, not willing to look at him.
"So...?" Daya said.
"Do you know that Shreya is not gonna come to bureau today?" Abhijeet asked him.
"Yeah, I heard her talking to Purvi yesterday about it" said Daya.
"Do you know why? Has Shreya talked to you about it?" Abhijeet asked.
"About what, Abhijeet?" Daya said.
"I don't know how to break this news to you" Abhijeet said.
"Oh come on man! Stop beating around the bush. What is this about?" Daya said with an exasperated sigh.
"Well -"
"Wait, wait. You said Tarika called you. Is this about you and Tarika? Do you need any dating tips from me?" Daya asked, smirking at his best friend.
The waitress came back with his coffee and asked if they needed anything else. "No thanks" Daya told her. Lifting his cup to his lips, Daya took a long slow drag off the steaming cappucino. "Mmm... excellent" he said, relishing the taste of cappucino.
"Daya, Shreya's parents are looking for a suitable groom for her. Infact a guy is coming to meet her today" Abhijeet said.
Daya stared at Abhijeet, his coffee cup suspended in mid air supported by his hand. "Oh", he said setting the cup down with much more force than necessary.
"Yes. Tarika told me yesterday on telepphone" Abhijeet said.
"Daya stared glumly at his coffee, stirring it with his stirrer.
"Daya, you okay?" Abhijeet asked.
"Yeah, fine. I am fine" Daya said giving him a fake smile.
"You are not going to say anything?" Abhijeet said.
"What am I to say?" Daya scoffed. "It's good. Good for her"
"Really? That is your reaction?" Abhjeet said.
"What were you expecting?" Daya asked.
"You are not going to talk to her?" Abhijeet prompted.
"No"
"Why not?!" Abhijeet exclaimed.
"Well, she didn't tell me anything!" Daya retorted furiously. "Why should I bother? I don't care"
"Excuse me, what? You don't care?"
"No, I don't Abhijeet. It's her life, not mine. She is free to take her own decisions." Daya said.
"Look at your face!" Abhijeet said in a loud voice causing people sitting in the vicinity to stare at them. "Who are you kidding? I know you like her, Daya."
"It's not like that Abhijeet" Daya said, looking away.
"Don't you lie to me. I have seen the way you look at her. I have seen your concern for her-"
"But I am sure she doesn't feel that way. Else, she wouldn't have agreed to meet this stupid guy." Daya snapped. "Who is he, anyway?
"He is a businessman and son of her father's friend" said Abhijeet.
"I see. Good looking, I assume?"
"I don't know"
"But he must be her age and he must be rich and I have a feeling he probably is good looking too" Daya said dully.
"You know Shreya doesn't care about any of that" Abhijeet told him.
"But she's still meeting the guy" Daya said.
"Have you ever told her how you feel about her?" Abhijeet asked. "How is she supposed to know then?"
"She hasn't said anything either" Daya argued.
"Well, someone has to speak out eventually" Abhijeet said irritably.
"She doesn't love me Abhijeet. I agree we have came closer since past few days but it was nothing more than that really. Just silly flirting and stuff." Daya said.
"How can you assume that Daya? Maybe she too would have thought that you dont like her and that's why she agreed to meet this guy" Abhijeet said.
"She didn't even mention anything" said Daya.
"Maybe she is too shy to speak" Abhijeet said. "Maybe she is waiting for you to ask her out"
"Okay, so what are you suggesting?" Daya asked.
"Call her." Abhijeet said.
"Call her? Like now?"
"Yeah obviously!"
"What am I going to even say to her?" Daya said incredulously.
"Tell her how you feel, ofcourse" Abhijeet said.
"What? No, how can I-
"You know what? I have a better option. I will drive you to her house. Talk to her face to face." said Abhijeet.
"No"
"Yes"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No please Abhijeet. I don't want to go there now. That-that guy might have reached already. I - I will call her" Daya said.
"Okay, call then" Abhijeet said.
"I am not calling her now!"
"Then when?"
"In some time. I promise I will call okay?" said Daya when Abhijeet looked doubtful. "Come we need to get to bureau. It's getting late"
"Daya! Daya listen to me-" Abhijeet called but Daya had already walked out of the coffee shop.
Quote for the day:
"You cannot control the behavior of others, but you can always choose how you respond to it." ~ Roy T. Bennett.
