Mitali Jain 

For the days after that talk with my brother, I had expected Jai to have contacted me the very next day, and it would be a lie if I were to say that I had not waited for his call, not just after the said advice of my brother, but even after the night when he had confessed his said infatuation for me.

But it was also true that it did disturb me when I looked over the incidents. I had never met him in my life ever to have him interested in me, and all the while that I had been in his presence, it had always been something that would have made a normal person run far away from me.

When these confusing thoughts had became unbearable, lucky for me Tejal had barged into my office, the clock had already stuck 1 and when I looked back at my file I realized I had wasted half of my day thinking about Jai.

"You didn't greet me." Tejal voiced out as she made herself comfortable on the chair on the other side of the table.

For a long while I kept on looking at her, though not really she as my thoughts was completely somewhere else.

"Okay, you didn't even answer that... are you all right?" This time her eyes softened as she brought her hand ahead and held mine in a comforting grip.

"Have you ever met a person for the first time, and realized that you might have some sort of feelings for them?" Tejal, though was younger than I was, yet she had this perfect answers for the most quizzical questions.

For a long time she kept on studying me, with her fingers drumming on the table, her lips would pucker in a pout sometimes while other time she would pull them below her teeth biting them - while her brain, I suppose analyzed the situation.

"Do you think it might be the case of love at first sight?" The doctor in her asked. When I first came to know sometime in last week during our planning sessions that she was an aspiring psychologist it was a shocker for me.

Tejal was someone from the first sight and her overly enthusiastic self who would love to be into something that might be utterly funky... and psychology was yet a complete 360 degree on the other side

"I don't know, he claims that he likes me... but you know we were meeting for the first time, for the better half of the day I didn't even knew his name. "

"And what do you think he might know about you? Do you think he might have known you beforehand, from somewhere?"

"I wish I did" I took a deep breath as I weaved my fingers through my hair, "he is my brother's friend from college, all he knew about me was from the stories that my brother told him."

"hmmm" her eyes wandered around the room and then landed back on me. She rested her back by the hair and folded her hands and asked,

"Tell me what do you think of him, not as a person who has feelings for you or him but just as a human being."

My thoughts wandered off to the time when I had first known Him. It wasn't surely on the day when we were formally introduced; I had known Jai from the better days of Naveen's college life, just the name without a face.

"Jai, I mean the guy about whom we are talking about, had been my brother's friend for the best Part of his college life. My brother always talked about him. How he was from a successful family, and hence was judged by many. For many part of the time even I would do the same, I had known a lot about him through the news and the talks that were spread around the society. "I smiled at the words that I said. And when I spoke them out loud I never really understood what Kind of a person Jai was.

"In fact now that I think about it, it was all what the people said, in true sense even I don't know who Jai is. And what little while I had spent with him all I know is he is a decent boy, someone who is so passionate about what he does and evidently proud of himself"

For a long time Tejal didn't let me speak, and somewhere I was glad. The words that I had spoke were for the first time something I had just let out while having a conversation with someone. There were no 'thinking' on those views, they occurred and were out for the world to know.

"so when he said that he likes you... what did you say? "

"I couldn't speak anything. I had just sat there and then he was gone. But now my brother and parents know about it. Naveen, my brother wants me to give him a chance... but how will I do that when he wouldn't even make an effort to come ahead."

"Mitali when someone confesses their feelings to someone it takes a whole lot of courage, and Jai as you said is a very proud person. Come to think of it, he met you in person for the first time, but he knew about you for the same duration as you did. Your brother might have said something about you that he might have seemed attractive about you, and there isn't any reason for one to have feelings for someone..."

She once again took hold of my hand and gave me a soft smile, "love occurs when it occurs, there is never the perfect timing, in many cases it's just a minute like yours and for others it even takes years."

Though it seemed a bit clear in the hazy situation that I was in I couldn't depict what was it that I was supposed to do now. Call it the lack of experience in these situations, but I surely sucked at analyzing my thoughts and feelings.

"so what shall I do now? "

"In many situations we suggest a talk, but before that you need to be clear of what you really want to do and have with this whole situation. Till the time you are not clear with it, any number of talks will fail." Tejal smiled at me as she got busied with searching for a new restaurant for us to try.

Whereas I, I was trying to depict the n number of things that I wanted to be clear off, and if so than how was it that I was going to sail it off to the other party.

My brain could hardly stay at peace, if just Jai's confession had such a huge mess in my life, I wondered what would jai's presence do.

"now if your queries are done, please pack your thinking for later and lets go for lunch I am really hungry right now and I want to see what list have you prepared."

****

When an hour later I came back to office and handed over the list to Tejal it visibly seemed in futile to stay back at work when I was proved to be useless, hence it was very well decided that I took a half day and walk out of this cabin. With Tejal as my plus one, an hour later I had walked into the doors of my most favorite place to hang out, the lady standing behind the desk greeted me with not just a huge smile but as well an almost shock to the customers that were present there.

Shakti Ahuja and her twin Reyansh Ahuja, who were not only the owners of Khayali Adda, a cute cafe and hang out parlor that they had opened right after college.

Shakti and Rey, the two most important people of my college life, If ever I had to talk about friends than it would only be these two. None had the ability to understand my craziness and nor did I had the ability to handle others craziness.

"wow, this place is so beautiful." Tejal said as her eyes wandered off around the room like that of a kid in a candy store.

"Yep, it's all the brain and hard work of Shakti and Rey... the two idiots who are walking towards us." I pointed out and even before I could have blinked my eyes and Tejal could respond to the information provided, I was finally attacked in a tight hug.

"I missed you soo much, I thought you were working today?" Shakti asked as she squeezed the hell out of me for a minute and let me go only to be gathered by huge muscles.

"Rey, you are stuffy, let me go." I complained as the two ladies stood there gaping at me just like many other people in the café.

"I was supposed to be working, but we are working on a project, and it seemed I was useless today at the work, so I thought it would be better to come and hang out over here than spoiling my day"

The two smiled at each other and then rested their eyes on my companion, taking it my clue to finally introduce Tejal, I linked my hand with hers and pulled her ahead.

"And this is Tejal, my client –cum- friend"

"Its nice to meet you Tejal, come we will show you around." With that Rey had Tejal by her hand and had walked out to make Tejal all familiar with the place. Whereas I, I shrugged my shoulders at Shakti who gave me that weird grin as we walked towards my favoriite couch with surely the barista already on his way to make my usual order.

"so, why was it that you were so useless today?"

Some words never needed any explanation for Shakti, she knew what was what, and though she couldn't provide you with the solutions that may be Rey or Tejal could, but surely you would have a great ear to went-out your frustration without being misjudged.

*****

It was the third last day of the month of may, when I was working on the final lists for the June collection when the phone of my office room rang. Unsurprisingly it was my Boss, and luckily, the list of paintings for Daksh's order were ready.

It seemed after a long time as if something really good was happening, when I opened up the mail and looked at the list, I was happy. There were about 10 Paintings, some antique some from the debuts some from the current chart toppers, but all in all when I had first saw the list of the painters that Daksh had sent to me, it would be a lie if I didn't admit that I was impressed with his choice.

Without making any more delay, I pulled open the drawer of the table and pulled out the visiting card that was kept untouched from the first time that I had kept there.

There hadn't been any need to let Daksh know that time was running off and that he had to place his orders soon. He was surely on time, and if not that very much clear as to what he wanted and what not.

As I stared at the 8 digit number of the landline of his office, I felt a bit of nervousness creep into me. It had been days that I had a conversation with him. The last time that we had met and talked about, it seemed as if the time had to catch it's own rajdhani express.

The whole weekend we had talked about so many things, of my college, my ambitions, my childhood, his childhood, his other interest, our views on life... things that had always been in our mind, and talks that had never occurred in the presence of my friends or my brother and even my own parents, and obviously art.

It had never been this simple to befriend anyone as simple it had been with Daksh. There wasn't any logic behind it, it was simple... I was comfortable with him, and he was someone who could easily understand what I had to say.

It was a connection that I had tried to find out in Shakti, Rey and even my brother, but I had failed miserably... whereas with Daksh it had came up as easily as breathing.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the receiver of the landline and dialed the number, it ranged for about a minute and was answered by a lady,

"Kapadia Industries, this is Shruti, Mr. Chauhan's secretary."

"hello, This is Mitali Jain from Jahangir Art gallery, is it possible to be connected with Mr. Chauhan at this moment." I asked, my fingers played with the visiting card in anticipation.

"Ma'am if you don't mind me asking, can I know the reason for your call?" the lady, Ms. shruti inquired.

"ohh yes, please let him know that I have the list of the paintings and wanted to discuss a few things regarding it."

"all right ma'am could you please hold on a second?" after receiving a small yes from me, she kept me on hold. It had almost been a minute, and the next moment when I was back on the call I wasn't greeted with the well trained voice of Ms. Shruti, rather it was the Gruff voice of Daksh which only made me chuckle.

"Finally I got a call from the Gregarious Mitali Jain, please tell me you will be greeting me at least this time?" 

A/n

hello lovely people!!

how is the summer getting on with you? for me i am struggling day and night to be conscious, please do drink a lot of water else, you might suffer form dehydration. 

well somehow i did felt dehydrated this afternoon when i was writing the 10 chapter of this story, gosh soo many things are coming up and will go bam in just one chpater. 

cant wait to share it with you all, but before that, 

what do you think of Mitali's dilemma? 

Is love at first sight a possibility? 

have you ever fell in love at the first sight? 

let me know through your comments and spread some word about the story with your friends here on wattpad, 

also do not forget to vote and comment 

happy reading 

next update might be tomorrow or late on sunday, I have a few beautiful chapters to share with you all, hence you all might get back to back updates.. 

but for that

stay tuned keep reading and keep smiling 

Cuteminger A.k.A Yadni