Skip to main content

Coffee? : A Short Story

She moved like the wind, quick, easy, and mostly, unnoticed. Her lithe, agile body facilitated brisk, quiet movements. And the fact that she was more an observer than part of the world played to her advantage. Libraries were her favorite, coffee shops with cozy corners came a close second. She was reading "Alice in Wonderland" today. Finishing actually - the book as well as the large cup of coffee.

"Still she haunts me phantomwise Alice moving under skies Never seen by waking eyes" 

She looked up, feeling a pair of eyes on her and noticed a young man in another corner of the yard. He had a lost expression plastered on his face, like an abandoned kitten, stuck out in rain. She looked back in to her book : 

"Ever drifting down the stream Lingering in the golden gleam Life, what is it but a dream?" 

She let the words linger as she closed the book and got up quietly. He was still waiting to be helped. This time she held his gaze until he was prompted to take action. He approached her saying "British Council Library". She nodded and directed him to the registration desk, while she handed over the borrowed copy. 

Twenty minutes later as she was walking back to the metro station, the lost kitten-man still followed her, keeping a safe respectable distance. She stopped and looked at him again, prompting action. "Would you like to hangout?" he ventured. There was a boyish hesitation in his expression and a slight quiver in his voice. The poor kid must've been forced to take up this dare of asking a stranger out, she thought. Who was she to deny amusement of victory to a young fellow. "Sure" she replied nonchalantly and continued to walk. It wasn't until she reached the station that she noticed he was still around. "How about now?" he said, a little more confident than the last time. She looked around half expecting to lock eyes with a group of amused youngsters watching the scene play out. Not finding anything discernible in the surrounding, she replied "Sure" and got in to the train. The boy was confused but neither did he have the time or the choice, he was pushed in by the volatile crowd at the door of the train. He slowly waded to the corner and managed to say "How about a coffee? I know a great coffee shop near by, we can get off at the next station". 

For the first time in the entire conversation, he saw semblance of a smile; it wasn't a smile to be honest, just a twitch of the lips. But he could see her eyes light up in amusement as she was beginning to realize this was not a teenager playing "Truth or Dare" anymore. "No" she said. "Next time". "Okay, that's no problem. So can I have your number?" "No". "So I wait till I see you again in the library?" "Yes". A twitch of lip again. "Don't you think that's a bit unfair? You're leaving it to chance. That's.." She barely heard the last few words as the doors closed leaving him still inside the train while she continued to walk out of the station. 

------------------------------------------------------- 

She was humming the tune to "Oh! The places you'll go" on the way to the library. 

  "All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot And when you're alone, there is a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you..." 

"Hey", she heard an unusually chirpy voice directed at her, that made her jump out of her seat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." he said apologetically. She knew he meant it, so she just nodded and moved to make space so he could sit. "So we meet again", he said. She smiled, not the twitch of lips, but a beautiful smile perched on her lips, like the rays of first summer morning. "This is the stop where we get down, the coffee shop is a 2 minute walk from here" he said, leading the way. A brief moment of thought passed over her mind, but she got up and followed him. Minutes later, they were sitting in the coffee shop, across the table. He spoke for the two of them, she spoke measuredly, with a quiet confidence, carefully choosing her words and never giving more than what the conversation demanded to carry on. He was a doctor, just graduated from medical school, working at a clinic in the southern section of the city while considering his options for specialization. They talked about music, movies, books, cricket and philosophy of life, in no particular order for more than a few hours. 

The food and coffee re-fills were beginning to make her drowsy. Large amounts of coffee made her sleepy, it was a strange thing but it was true. She must have been sleeping for a few minutes when a hand jerked at her left elbow. "Excuse me, are you alright? I noticed you...", he was speaking, as he always did, he was the talker between them but they were no longer in the coffee shop. She was sitting under a tree, in the yard, the "Alice in Wonderland" book was lying on the ground. It must have slipped off her grip as she dozed. It took her a few moments to realize she'd been dreaming. Her imaginative mind played the scene for her : a lovely scene of a chance encounter with a stranger leading to charming conversations at a coffee shop. He was still talking, checking her pulse when she focused back on to the words coming out of his mouth. "You're fine, you dozed off for a bit. You'll need to rest, please stay away from caffeine for a while." he noticed a strange expression on her face and clarified "I'm a doctor". She smiled, the kind of smile you'd give if you saw a unicorn while being stuck at a traffic jam. "Now, could you point me to the British Council Library Registration desk please?" he asked not noticing the amusement on her face growing by the second.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Random Ramblings-2

Y et another stream of thoughts interrupted, with the loud thundering noise outside. As I look through the plain glass window, the gathering of the ominous clouds casting their shadows on the ground below, I firmly come to the conclusion that out there is where I belong, not in this stuffy classroom loaded with a monologue! Out there, filling my senses with the smell of the wet Earth, kiss of the first showers, sight of the overcast sky and the strangely comforting sound of thunder, as of the pitter patter rain drops while tasting the pure drops of water from the heavens themselves—that is where I truly belong, feeling alive with every single passing moment. Rains always evoked that excitement in me. Rains always held that mystique calling. They brought the smile back on my face and a pining in the lit up eyes. And though I may rave and rant about the summers and winters, the rains- whenever they come are most welcome. They have my heart and every feeling that is inspire...
6 comments
Read more

Live…Laugh…Love…

A bright ray of light infiltrated through the small crack in the translucent window and perched itself stubbornly on my shut eyes, urging me to get out of my bed and enjoy the marvels of the sunny morning. I smiled, yes, because I believe in starting my day with a smile in the heart and a song on the lips. Last night, I had gone to bed listening to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, so now the song began playing in my mind automatically, on a loop. I welcomed some more sunshine into my room and walked out to the sprawling terrace, to warm up to the day that lay ahead. A cool breeze blew a few strands of my unkempt hair and I stood there, while happy birds were chirping, singing their hearts out, calling out to their mates, flocking together in the blue skies above. The fog was clearing slowly and steadily. And the path was becoming clear. The nights were cold and chilly but along came the mornings that warmly cuddle you with boundless hope and a silent happiness. In the past few ...
4 comments
Read more

Autumn Joy

Joy walked across the park where a beautiful young woman was sitting with a yellow maple leaf in her hands.  "You never cease to amaze me, Joy. One minute, you're following me around like a petty pot of glue and as soon as I'm out of the picture, you're onto conquering the next challenge." "Look who's talking", laughed Joy, "While you last, you're a celebration. And then you're gone, for months on end. You raise desperate hopes and then leave a cold trail. And right when I'm recovering from the void you'd left behind, you jump back in, more beautiful and vibrant than before. How am I to help myself?" "Stop chasing me", Autumn snapped mischievously.  "I would if I could", Joy answered matter-of-factly. Her laugh was crisp, like the raking of leaves.  "You're always changing Autumn, you're in a constant flux. It's taken me many seasons to learn and accept that you'd ...
2 comments
Read more