The Past: Kondapur, Hyderabad.
I’ve never been so stressed in my entire life, unlike today. I just got up, trimmed my beard, ironed my white shirt, picked the torn jeans, searched for the watch, tied my shoe lays, reached out for the door, took a deep breath, gave a relief sigh, and continued opening the door. The whole night I’ve been talking to myself, processing the imaginary date, and practicing the do’s and don’ts. Whatever it is to be, I am not giving up this chance!
I walked towards my bike and self-started it, it wouldn’t start at the first ignition push, and then the silencer wobbled with strong thumping distinctive roars that could even be heard from two streets away. I love this roar but today the sound is distracting my focus and thought process, I am constantly filling confidence in myself. Clipped my helmet, pulled my visor down, released the clutch, gear shifted from neutral, slowly accelerated, and paced forward.
I reached block number 13 and turned off my engine ignition at the waiting bay which is to the left of the block. I don’t have her number, I don’t know how she looks in person, I just have her digital photos on the dating platform. I opened the app and left a message asking for her number, which went unnoticed for over 30 minutes and I am just waiting patiently. Meanwhile, Meghna called to check in about the developments.
“Remember you’ve met her on a virtual dating platform, don’t rush! Keep things easy.
One quick piece of advice: ‘Let the flow be neutral & don’t invade her space with your, give me priority wala shakal. Allow her some time to settle and initiate.’ This is a tailor-made suggestion that’ll work for you!” Meghna said knowing that I am always demanding, she knows the best!
“Alright.”
“Tej, did she come?”
“Not yet.”
“What are you doing there?”
“Just waiting, browsing her pictures, trying to scan her through the crowd.”
“Okay, sounds like a thing to me!”
‘
“What waiting? You must be kidding.”
“Good luck on your hunt, keep me posted.”
“Alright,” I said and hung up the call.
It is a lousy, dramatic climate! Dark clouds fighting to win over the sky, gushy winds touching every possible face leaving them refreshed, life is less complicated because of this setting and I’m glad nature is with me today. While I was standing clueless my phone beeped only to see Dr. Satish’s message asking for the reports I promised I’d send. I’ve skipped certain values which would piss him off. I ignored them and continued searching for Jyothsna! It’s already been over an hour yet no response from her.
“Hey! You must be Sriteja right?” Asked a female voice from behind. I quickly turned back to see who that might be!
“Yeah, and you are?” I responded after failing to notice who she was.
“I’m Jyothsna’s friend, she asked me to inform she is a little busy and she will text you back after some time.”
“Okay,” I said leaving a throw-up face, and turned around walking towards the bike only to see Jyothsna walking past me quickly trying to ignore me and that put me in more uncertain thoughts, remember? She asked me to come in the first place. She turned back after walking a little away and threw a smile, turned back towards me, and stood in front of me.
“What’s love to you?” She asked.
“Wait, what?” I retorted having encountered such a question as an opening sentence of our first in-person conversation. Never knew if she was judgemental or not, my reply might decide the furthermore events to happen in the day.
“Uh, I guess I need to experience it first before I draw to a certain conclusion. I still haven’t fallen in love yet in case you are curious to know!”
“Interesting! Chalo, let’s go.” She said unbuckling my helmet from the rear pannier support.
“Where are we going?”
“Uncertain right now. It feels good out here so let’s just roll?”
“Alright,” I said starting the engine. Usually, I become very conscious when I’m double riding, conscious of power infinity if it were to be someone from the opposite gender.
“Take a right, go straight, and stop there next to the chaiwala on to our left.” She asked and I followed her directions. We stopped at the Dabba Chaiwala, a famous chai and snack start-up from the F&B industry that raked up millions in funding. Never thought one would make this humongous business out of chai! I pressed the engine kill switch, and she immediately got down and went ahead to order two Kadak Chai.
“What makes life complicated?” She asked.
“Before I answer: tell me, why are you trying to quiz me? I mean these are subjective questions and is the date dependent on the answers?”
“Ah, maybe you should stop worrying about what I think and should voice out yourself.”
“Okay. To me, relationships are very difficult to handle. Less patience and zero tolerance! But I’m trying, that’s why I am here trying to know you better, you know spend some time with you, make a social life out of my no life.”
“So, you isolated your world and struck to yourself pretty much eh?”
“In a way yes.”
“What are you expecting out of this to-be about X, Y, Z relation?”
“Again, no definitive answers. Let’s allow life to follow its designated route map, honestly tho: I am a very non-judgemental and an ordinary person doing some weird science stuff.”
“Have I mentioned? I love weird.”
“You just did.” I smiled picking the clay cup from the helper who assisted us in getting the mood even better. What else would you be asking for? Rain, chai, and a curious girl. My background is from theoretical physics, I love explaining things only if there is a logical backing to it!
“I’ve always been open to relationships, it’s just that life always picked the right ones at the wrong time and vice versa. Having control over your actions is one thing and your life supporting it to make your efforts a smooth reality is still a dream.”
“Wanna explore life?” I questioned clueless about what she was talking about.
“Yes, it’s once in a creation task list: Possibly you cannot make it happen. Would you?”
“Let me hear it first and then I’ll decide if I am capable of helping you achieve that.”
“Okay hear me out, brace yourself:
Need Tom Hanks's autograph on my Sully T-shirt,
Swim in the Bay of Bengal,
Skydive from above 13,000 Feet,
Trekking in the Switzerland Alps and night camps with open tents staring at the sky,
Should try Colombian snort,
Take a camel ride to the Tutankhamun tomb in Egypt,
Take me to Ed Sheeran’s concert,
Set me up a date with Vijay,
Should explore the nightlife in Bangkok,
Wildlife safari in the dense African jungles,
My love should propose in front of the Eiffel Tower,
Should Own a Ducati Multistrada 1260,
Start my line of clothing,
Should eat panner cheese momos in Sikkim,
Should start a confident & bakery after 45,
Go on a road trip to the Himalayas,” and there are even more to it. You just have to have the time to listen to it.” Jyothsna said sipping the kadak chai with one hand and punching the raindrops with the other falling from the edges of the thin steel sheet above.
“Looks like you have a book of wishes.”
“Certainly, one life is all we have!”
We all have definitions of love, life, and relationships but the commonality that we seem to ignore is the factor of happiness, appreciation, and substantial efforts.
Trust me, Imperfections and voids exist only to be filled by that one individual whom you call
‘My life.’
“There ain’t no discussion about how one leads a life, it’s just about what quality of life you lived with that one and can it even be quantifiable? I would say no. So chill!” She said sipping the chai.
I’ve not expressed but I feel very happy, such an open-minded discussion on the very first meeting is such a blessing. We’ve not pretended, no opinionated dominance ideology and most importantly I’ve not witnessed ego. Maybe I thought way bad about people in general, not everyone is judgemental, Jyothsna’s approach to being honest and frank is highly admirable.
“Where are we heading now?” I asked placing the empty chai cup on the table top.
“Do we need a whole day to understand each other?”
“I am so much more than you understood so far,” I said smiling rubbing my shoulders with my hands feeling the cold.
“Maybe but I’m sure I like this.” She said looking away from me, watching the vehicles run through the water puddles splashing the mud.
“The irony is, everything in this universe is quite dependent but our desire to knock out nature trying to be independent is funny isn’t it? The earth relies on the sun for rotation, the sun relies on hydrogen to fuel itself and we humans try to be independent, that’s the goal. Isn’t there a due disconnect?
“Well, the independence that we seek is a dependent factor it could be financial independence, emotional independence, and more. Yes, I agree all these years trying to be a self-sufficient person I’ve had some professional achievements but never had someone whom I could spend some time with, get to know me, this is that kind of pain that hits you in the ’40s wouldn’t come near you at 20’s.”
“Makes sense.” She said pulling me into the rain.
“What?” I shouted immediately wearing the helmet.
“Let’s go she said holding the bike.”
“Arey, don’t get filmy now. Let the rain cease!” I said pulling her back to the shelter.
“I’m not coming. I’m either riding with you or I’m getting wet in the rain!” She declared.
“Alright. Let’s go!” I said starting to get wet in the rain hesitantly. Honestly, I’m not a great fan of rain but sometimes for the people you like, some habits do change I guess.
We drove past the newly built IKEA through Kondapur and reached Gachibowli. “Where to next?” I asked turning my head half to my right.
“AM-PM Maggie!” She shouted leaning forward.
“Alright,” I said and continued driving. After a while, we reached the AM-PM Maggie which is kinda of famous in Hyderabad in other words to me fried Maggie is love, looks like it is to her as well. I parked the bike while she walked slowly towards the stall.
“Panner cheese fried maggie!” I guessed.
“Double cheese panner fried maggie.” She corrected. I ordered while we waited a little longer than usual due to the surge in orders probably because of rain.
“I find you a good person to hang!” She said tapping my shoulder, while I smiled.
“The feeling is mutual,” I said nodding my head.
“People are not that bad after all as you think, come out and explore life.” Suggested Jyothsna slurping the maggie. “Just that everyone has their fair share of pain and happiness going through, never jump to conclusions.” I listened while she spoke, she spoke sense to me. Jyothsna seems to be a great individual, I want a second date with her, I thought holding maggie and staring at her giving Gyan.
“Maybe I’m reluctant to change, I’m scared honestly but this scared is not like scared, scared but yes while you speak all this I feel I wanna go on a second date with you. You get me?” I said looking away anticipating a yes.
“Oh! Where is this all coming from?” She mocked while I was lost in thoughts! “Are you here?” She snapped.
“Oh yes,” I said recovering myself from the lost day-dream I was in.
“Where are you at?” She asked.
“Nothing just lost!”
“When silence can speak 1000 words, that’s when you realize you are not you anymore!”
“We all have a story to tell, just that you should wait for the one, and at the right time, it’ll all happen. I promise!” Jyothsna said finishing the rest of the maggie.
“I’ll leave a message, until next time, I will see you around. For this time, it was all a good experience.” She said. “Drop me at the office!”
“Thanks!” I said looking at her.
“Now what? You’re gonna felicitate me or what?” She said making the moment lighter. “Next time, we gonna rock!”
“I wanna be rocked.” I smiled.
