At the usual spot by the wall, he sat with his laptop on the table and a huge cup of coffee. The semi-full cafe turned crowded on a mid-week much to his surprise. However, the spot that used to be occupied by the cafe's regular customer had been occupied by someone else. He doubted if she had stopped coming after his last note since it has been four weeks.

Osha, he learnt her name when one of the many men she met called her aloud. She had been a regular customer to the cafe who often comes to work on her art. A calm and serene lady she used to be however, he started noticing a change of body language when she met someone for the first time and it continued every time, she had someone over to meet.

Sitting at a table not so far from where she usually sits, it wasn't hard for him to find out that the person she meet are those her mother had chosen as her prospect groom. Soon, he realised she isn't a lady who wants to get committed but wishes to be free. Despite knowing about her, his heart involuntarily started sailing closer to her every day and in her every successful denial of her mother's choice, he too celebrated with her.

From her second meeting, he began writing a short note after the end of her meeting either complimenting her looks or her way of handling the matter or just some random note. Perhaps his last note had gone overboard for a stranger who has been eavesdropping her every conversation.

The doorbell ringed for the umpteenth time and for the umpteenth time, his murky brown eyes darted to the door waiting for her arrival. The morning turned evening and he quit waiting to meet her for the day.

As he got out of the cafe and into his car, he noticed a lady clad in red saree breeze into the cafe. A familiar lady, "It must be her." He jumped out of his car and peeked from outside.

Osha appeared to be calm than she usually does whenever she waits for someone. Her lips adorned a beautiful smile, a carefree one and the casual chat with the waiter confirms, she isn't waiting for anyone.

He rushed to his car, grabbed his phone, he checked his appearance. Running a hand through his thick hair and brushing his white shirt and straighten his brown pants, off he started back to the cafe.

Sliding onto the chair before her, he was greeted with a confusion stained on her beautiful face.

"Hi! I'm Tejas." He waved once and plastered a wide smile on his face.

"Hi." She greeted reluctantly, her hazel eyes filled with curiosity.

"Didn't see you for the last few weeks. How are you?"

Her brows squeezed, she tried to remember if she had seen him before or is, he randomly starting off a conversation. "I'm fine, thank you. Have we met before?" she asked.

Tejas nodded, "Many times in fact." He raised his hand and signalled his order.

She wondered if he too was a regular customer in the cafe. "But I don't remember meeting you even once."

"That's because our meet had never been more than a couple of seconds. I used to be sitting at that table," he pointed to a table behind him in the next row towards the wall.

She stared at the table longer than anyone would, mentally replaying her visit in the cafe. Failure to remember him at that particular table had her inwardly groan. Sometimes, she hated herself for not noticing things and people around her. Especially at times as such when someone tries to rekindle her weak memories.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember," she grinned.

"That's alright. You will remember me from now on. So, tell me have your mother stopped finding a groom for you?"

"Uhmm... what do you mean?"

"I did not see you meeting anyone since last four weeks. If yes, I thought I shall try my luck," he simpered with an angled brow.

Osha burst of laughing, her face turned crimson. She shook her head and read him for a moment before speaking. "Are you sure? For a man who sits at a table not far from this one can certainly hear or pick up a few words being spoken from here. I won't be surprise that you know why none of the men return to this cafe after the first meet." Her hazel eyes, glowed under the yellow light it turned golden.

"You have a beautiful eye." He complimented as he concentrated on her eyes glimmering under the light and as if her words fell on deaf ears.

His flattery comment left her mum for some time.

"Coming back to the topic. Yes, I know why they never return to meet you again and why you never wanted them to be in your life as well. . . but despite knowing the reason, I find myself attracted to you very much." His murky browns finally tore its gaze from her and settled on his huge cup of coffee.

The smell of the coffee soothed his tensed soul. Tejas was tensed, he knew she isn't interested in tangling herself in a relationship nor wished to get tied in the name of marriage. Yet he wanted to pursuit his wish to at least know her more than by simply watching her from far. Osha has something in her that attracts him. 

"I know you want to lead your life solo but what if I follow you as well. Like a shadow?" His eyes met hers and they stayed there for longer than any strangers would hold an eye contact.

It took a while, an effort to tear her gaze away from his murky brown. They were so captivating, she had to remember his last statement with a greater effort to respond.

She picked up the momentum. "I'm Osha and you are Tejas. We both don't have shadows." She whispered leaned closer to the table, smirking.

He squeezed his brows trying to understand her statement that she was taking their names as a literal meaning of fire that doesn't have shadow of its own.

He huffed, "Smarty."

Osha shrugged proudly.

"Look Tejas. I don't know what you see in me that you are attracted even after knowing why I don't want to get into marriage and stuff. But listen, I'm unpredictable and untrustworthy. I can just let you go and run away without a thought.

You should start focusing on someone better rather than wasting your time with me," she tried to sound as genuine as possible but the smile on her face retracted when he pulled out a pen from his shirt pocket and a tissue paper from the table.

He scribbled quickly and folded it before sliding the tissue paper across the table.

You are unpredictable, yes but untrustworthy? You got to be kidding me. I might say yes to you even now. ~ T

The note stroked a memory of she receiving anonymous notes after every meeting.

"T for Tejas?"

"Yes!" He beamed.

Osha fell silent trying to catch on to those notes he had passed her in the past. Were they a subtle hint of him attempting to impress her before he meets her?

"I'm sorry, Tejas but this isn't gonna work. I don't fit to be someone's life partner and I ... I can't handle being — being a wife, a daughter-in-law, a mother. The responsibilities are too much to take in and I'm not ready. Whatever that follows after being a wife is something I cannot comprehend.

I don't think I'll ever be able to take up those roles.

I just want to be Osha, an artist who wants to achieve something that gives her happiness. Not Osha, a wife or a mother. The very thought gives me an uneasy feeling.
I'm sorry, please drop the idea."

Tejas noticed her trying to ease the pain or the uneasy feeling she felt as she rubbed her chest with her hand. Her calmness had turned gloomy as she got up and left the cafe leaving a silent Tejas at the table.

He tried to absorb and he kind of understood as well. Perhaps, he understood because he too had been in the very same boat as she is now, five years ago.

At the age of thirty he lost everyone in his family in an accident and the lost had him realise that he has no shoulder to cry on. He felt lonely, deserted and miserable. No one to share his grief, no one to console him and to support him. He understood, why his mother never wanted him to be alone in his life.

He never had the thought of finding a life partner never before he lost his family nor after. He continued his life the way he used to with his work and taking care of his cafe. Osha came in his life as a regular customer to his cafe and how he got acquainted to her was beyond his understanding.

Out of so many interesting people walked in and out of the cafe yet it had been she who caught his attention. Perhaps, it's God's will, he believed.

Tejas took a few sips of the coffee and drove back to his empty house. Agreeing to himself to follow his plan. Never to initiate talk with Osha hereafter.

***********

Now what? 

Get them together or let them take separate ways?