Daksh Chauhan

The second last day of May.

I waited in the small cozy café that I was instructed to be present at right 1:00 pm. Everything here looked friendly except for the lady behind the counter and the way she handed over the cup of black coffee and a kit kat milkshake as soon as I had arrived 5 min aga, as if she knew I was going to be here and the one whom I was supposed to meet.

And even though I tried my best not creep out with the way her gaze studied me, as if she was confused why would I be here and somewhere she was right, with the occasion for what many would be here, I was surely not appropriately dressed.

Lifting up the cup of coffee, I dared to have a sip, and was shocked to know that it did surely tasted good. Still busy in davoroung my beverage, I missed out the small commotion that happened behind me when all off a sudden Mitali came and sat before me, her eyes still on someone behind me, with a bright smile on her face and she continued to talk to them, unaware of my stares as usual.

“you can thanks Rey for this milkshake and mom’s calling you since two days … answer her call this time or else with you even I would be dead.”

When her eyes returned to me, the smile that was there on her face if possible increased even more.

“I am so sorry for being late, I hope you didn’t wait for long?” she inquired, while I could only laugh. This was the third time that we were meeting again, had talked with each other numerous times on phone, yet this girl has never failed to amuse me.

“Hi Mitali, and no  Mitali I wasn’t here for long, I assume you are friends with the owners?” I asked as I kept my hands on the table leaning a bit towards her.

But how did I ever forget that it was Mitali with whom I was talking with. “I am sorry, I really don’t know how I always forget to say hi to you.”

It really made me laugh, she seemed so cute with the small frown of hers.

“I really don’t know, but it's okay as long as you recognize me and say at least something, if ever I hate something than its not being acknowledged.”

“and I hate being hungry, did you ordered something?” she called out to someone even before I could have said anything.

Didn’t she just asked me if I ordered something or not?’, I thought, than realization settled on me as soon as she began to give her order at the speed of a jet speed. It was as if the whole menu  was by heart to her.

I waited patiently, with my hands folded on my chest, eyes on her every move. How her hair floated with the slight breeze of the Ac that was at corner, or how her hands moved as explained her order, how her lips puckered as she stuck somewhere and pondered over the quantity.

Mitali, that evening I realized was a person who loved food. And I was glad unlike what her body structure dictated, she was a delicate person, she was someone who would do only what her heart said.

And the way she conducted herself, she surely was way different from her brother, where he thought over things for a longer time and only acted if his heart dictated… she was someone to feel the situation.

Just the way she had agreed to meet me the moment I had asked her to choose a place where she felt comfortable.

Once her attention was back at me, she smiled sheepishly. “and what about that milkshake? Mitali most of your order is filled with sugar and cheese.”

“I know, and please don’t tell Bhai about this, he is already behind my back to eat healthy.”

It felt refreshing to meet someone who harboured the spirits of his age, many people that I had been dealing with at the moment had talked about the times which seemed Nonexistant. Business models and deals, money some more money and than if not that than properties.

It had me worried many times that if I were to have to strike a conversation with someone, it would be somewhat related to business itself.

And then here I am, though seated in a business suit talking and discussing food and how it would be unhealthy enough to be called out on one’s brother.

“So you like to eat?” I asked nursing back my coffee, and almost making up my mind to order some more, for I had an inkling this talk would go on for ages, and strike me if I say I wouldn’t enjoy it.

“ohh, no, not specifically, but it is something I could always rely on when I am really not into mood.” Mitali shrugged her shoulders and took a long drag of her drink, once done she let out a breath at the taste as she savoured it once again. It made me curious, was that milkshake as tasty as she was portraying it?

Though my mouth watered and I had almost called out for the waiter, but I restrained myself, and asked, “you mean to say when you are  bored you might or might not just hog on to something?”

She nodded her head in positive, with her eyes on me and her lips still on the straw as she took another drag of the drink.

“you just remind me of someone I know.”

Her actions stilled for a moment as she murmured in a low voice yet loud enough for me to hear it.

“ohh please, that statement already makes me want to hit my head somewhere.”

“you said something?” Mitali shook her head in negative and went back to her drink, while I kept on looking at her. She looked so cute the way her legs would bounce in impatience as she waited for the waiter to come.

The more I stared at her, observed her, I couldn’t help but think how well she and Jai would gel up if he was to be here.

She was someone who Jai was back in college, the days when nothing mattered but fun, food and sleep. The professors in college were scary but even their threat wouldn’t stop him from doing things that he had wanted to do.

He would be so crazy behind them, sometime even so immersed that he would even forget the people around him. Just the way Mitali would forget to greet people, stay calm and composed, have small talks – when there was something on her mind, as if she had an agenda to complete.

And each moment when I came to these conclusions related to her, it used to make me wonder why was it so that I could very well come to a conclusion about her… and no matter how much of money I  would have bet on it, I would be right.

“you are waiting for the food, or is there something really important going on in that brain of yours?” I asked. The curiosity to know as to what could be possibly tormenting her to not even discuss something as interesting as what we had came here for.

Even though she tried to avert her eyes to all the places possible it seemed my question had made her aware of the said thing at an another level. Mitali fiddled with her fingers, and tried to look back into my eyes as she said,

“I am sorry, but, I am really hungry right now, in the afternoon I was so excited to meet you that I couldn’t eat anything.”

“you were excited to meet me?” I was shocked, the words that she was excited to meet me amused me and had my attention more that the fact that she hadn’t had any lunch.

“you can't blame me, I have like what a list of 20 paintings to be discussed with you, and let's be honest which dealer now a days takes such a deep interest in knowing the paintings?”

“what do you mean?”

“what I mean is,” she leaned in on the table with her hands perched on it, her facial expression as that of a very offended person and the way her voice sounded as if nothing could be as disheartening as what she had to say.

“for the last few days that I have met with the potential buyers, what they do is, they come to the gallery, have a look at a few paintings and the ones which they think might look best and is costliest is bought.”

My head tilted on its side, which many times I have got to know from my mom, I did when I was very much interested in a topic and listened to what she had to say ahead.

“I mean, wait for a minute, ask the people out there what it actually means, and if ever you know something, indulge with the newbies… you know so many interns out there work as if they are the visitors itself.”

Though I wanted to let out a chuckle and explain it to her that not everyone is aas interested in paintings as we were, but it seemed quite wrong to just burst her bubble.

People who mostly came to the gallery I could hardly believe are the real owners of the paintings, many times it’s the decorators, or the errand runners for these hot shots out in the city.

Taking hold of her hand, as she continued to complain I smiled at her, “Mitali, relax, I understand you enjoy your work a lot, this is your passion… but you know the best thing of pursuing something that you love is that, you must never force something on anyone, because the moment you do that, it loses its charm… it becomes a obligation than sincerity and acceptance.”

For a long while she kept on staring at me, it made me feel weird, her eyes studied me as if I had been something that she had waited for so long. And though I wasn’t an expert in reading people’s eyes, her  held the feelings so strongly that it made me shiver for a moment.

“I wish I could have met you long ago.” She confessed and straightened up, her back now resting  on the back rest of the chair and a faint smile on her face.

“why so?”

“Daksh, many times you say things which are… you know just confusing out of the box, but they are perfect, like, like the way you said right now,” she paused for a moment, may to take a deep breath for the overwhelming state that she seemed to be in.

“not many understood why I was doing what I am, not everyone could understand this craze of mine, art and paintings for me are like music and books for any other person and somehow people just don’t understand that,”

“but than you , you would just know what it is, and it is just weird,”

“what's weird?” I asked

“not always I have wanted to voice out these feelings and thoughts of mine to anyone else but you, and when I do, I am always in a state where I need certain perfect words, and you somehow have it.”

A comfortable silence had developed around us, I was supposed to feel something weird, confusion, happiness, assurance; at least something. But at that moment when Mitali sat there in front of me, her eyes smiling just the way her face did, with my lips stretched out at the maximum, I was completely at peace, as if nothing could be best than this knowledge.

Knowing that I had answers to things that this bubbly little, amazingly amusing girl had in that tiny brain of hers.

Mitali let out a weird laugh her eyes gazing into mine as she asked, “what are you Daksh?”

And somehow that was the only question of Mitali, whose answer I didn’t had until later.

A/N
First of all really sorry for not updating on the said day.

But nevertheless Here is one do tell me how do you like it and what do you think about it?

Also who all here have been to Bangalore, mysore and Ooty or are from there??

Am currently on vacation to these places and they are just soo amaizing!!!

The next updateight be soon by saturday or sunday.
Till than
Happy reading
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