“Sir! A teeny tiny request. Since you’re occupied in this table already, can we have one more person to accommodate?”, asked the smiling face waiter.
‘Sure! No Problem’, I replied as if it’d be a guy like me who sat alone.
“Hello There!”, being called out by a sweet voice and turned my head. Quizzed by the lady who greeted me, I acknowledged with a smile.
“Bruschetta and a Bira? You’ve got a great taste”, smirked.
Before I could thank her, she intervened. “In Music! I love people who have a great choice in music”, looking up to the waiter who kept a Guinness stout on the table;
“Thank You! One Blackberry tart is yet to arrive”
Looked her and squinted. ‘Had a long day? Or is it the diet you’re going through?’
“Whoa! It’s probably both Mr Bruce Wayne”, she smiled, and the dimple was more visible as the candle shone over her face.
The froth from her glass of stout stayed on her lips and smacked to call the waiter. Got a piece of paper and pen from him, then wrote something down. He went straight to the singer at the house who was singing his heart out with tons of classic rock songs.
“What waited until tomorrow starts tonight! It starts tonight”, she said. ‘Let this promise in you start… Like an anthem in your heart’, I sang.
In unison — “FROM NOW ON!” and an immense laughter.
The guitar tuning began and strummed a quick chord to begin in E-minor. ‘Wow!’ breath pause, ‘Hotel California? Are you kidding me!’.
“Just cause you requested a Fleetwood Mac doesn’t mean I can stay resilient and do nothing. Just have a moment to yourself. It never hurts to soothe the soul”, she was being so generous and practical.
She attempted to grab some fries from my plate. With a straight face, I said ‘Waiter! One more plate of fries, please. For the lady. Yeah! I’m Joey’
With an annoyed look, she replied “The hell with you! Yeah, whatever. But how’s it humanly possible to quote a cinematic reference”
It was almost end of the glass and we, the strangers were talking about an hour long. She kept addressing me that I am silently reading people. ‘No! I’m easily entertained. So I read people and their traits. It has lots of things to do with ourselves on how we can start behaving and also how not we should. By the way, don’t ask for examples’.
The pub singer started — MORE THAN A FEELING!
‘Now this guy is making me want to stay more’, she squished her lips with a nasty rise of her eyebrow as if I uttered a wrong thing.
“And I am not?”
‘No kidding! I totally had a great chat while gulping down this gorgeous drink’, pointed upwards for bill request to the waiter.
“So! What do you think? About this combination we have here”, she asked sipping the last drop from her glass.
‘Since you asked, I’d say it’s way too complicated. Mine’s citric, spicy, soft and some comfort food. Where you had an aristocratic strong, dry drink with some coherent plate of Tarts. That’s way too sweet’
“Uh! Wake up! I wasn’t asking about the food” and I instantly replied. “Neither did I. Hate to break it to you. But I’m seeing someone already” and the bill book came through the table.
“Sir! Ma’am! I have combined your bills. Sorry about that as we cannot split bills. She said looking at me, “I’ll pay up! You hit me up, deal?”
‘Lannister always pay their debts’
“So! Would you be my date”, she asked out of blue. I was taken aback so far that I could smell Stone Age behind me.
‘Technically this is a dinner date but I already answered that question, Miss. Sorry to disappoint you again’ and put up my sad face. “Well! To be honest, I work at your ODC”. ‘What? Do you work at IBM-Research division? Are we on the same premises?”
Whoa! Now, this is getting crazier than usual. It got me high than the pint I had.
“I’ve been seeing you for quite a while. But this is a sheer coincidence. I swear to god. I had a heartbreak recently where he was a dickhead and happen to cross paths with him this morning before the office. Then seeing you, you became my heartthrob. I swear again, so. Later!’, smiled and we had a gentle goodbye hug.
She had a request for me. “If there a next time, the first round’s on me”
‘Sure thing. Two pints please!’, laughed. ‘OK! See ya later! If we ever get a chance again. Or when some freakish coincidence tries to play’, laughed a little loud this time and we stepped out. I could say, she had no heart or wish to walk away in another path at the mall. A fist Bump and a wink. We walked away from each other.
She called me out, “Hey! Hey buddy! We totally forgot something?” to which I replied with a quirky smile, ‘Is it though?’
“I’m Anjali Pratheebha by the way… You’re?”
‘I wish I was Bruce Wayne. But I’m called Mahi’
