Random Walk - V

link to part 4: here

“This coffee house seems quite famous. Does it have some kind of history?” she asked.

“It does, but more importantly coffee houses are often part of beginnings.” He replied, smiling. She smiled in return.

It was his turn to ask- “It was quite unusual of me to ask someone I am meeting first time in bus for a coffee date. I am quite sure it wasn’t usual of you to say yes as well. Why did you say yes?”

“Well I thought that for first time in many years, or first time ever, I am meeting someone genuine & different though a bit weird. But there is also the chance of you ‘acting’ intelligent or different, say just to impress, so wanted to find out that too.”

“Do you think it is possible? ‘Acting’ intelligent or different?”

“No, I don’t”, Sheetal said with a sudden spark in eyes. “But it is possible that I may mistakenly believe so”, her expressions changed while saying this. “Have you ever committed such mistake?” She asked.

“Well, it sounds from the tone of the question that you have, in past” Nakul said with a half mocking smile.

“You think you are too smart, don’t you?”

“I don’t need to think it” he replied with same smile but added with a serious tone, “if it helps you, I did commit such mistake, but there is no point dwelling over it”

“Okay, so what exactly do you do, apart from professing your thoughts to someone crazy enough to listen?”

He told about himself and answered each question patiently, logically. Later he asked her few questions. The questions were very simple & basic but questions of the kind she had wished to hear but hadn’t heard ever. They continued talking, forgetting everything else. Once in a while, they ordered for odd snack item or coffee, each time the waitress came back with the question “anything else?” with anticipation of- “No, cheque please.” They had a good laugh when the waitress returned.

They discussed many topics. She felt astonished at some of his radical thoughts and amazed at his childlike manner of expressing. He, on the other hand was behaving as if he has known her since long and such a discussion with her was natural & inevitable.

She suddenly felt happy & joyous, similar to what she had felt in morning. The events of the morning seemed to have happened weeks ago. But then she recalled what happened in college & it made her uncomfortable. “Am I committing same mistake, anticipating something great, only to regret later?” Her expressions changed.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Nothing. I have to go. Getting late.”

He understood that that was not the reason. “Well, is there going to be another meeting then?”

“Maybe” she said with a chuckle and left, giving her contact number.

Nakul kept staring at her walking figure. He felt a sea of emotions. For once, he didn’t want to find out the reason behind the emotions, they seemed perfectly in place.

to be continued...