5th October 2002//

As usual Riya and me, are at the ward. There are lots of patients, and their relatives waiting outside neurology ward. I am dying, to tell Riya that I was thinking about her after the dinner, yesterday night. But is it correct to tell her? Or should I wait? Il tell her at the break time. Just then, Dr Seema announces "Patient no. 44 and Patient no. 46 will be taken for surgery today, so interns can leave early for the day."

I grow happy inside out. I am searching for Riya. Where is she? I hope she is not absent today. I see Riya coming, and is already running late. And I calm her down, "Dr Seema said we can leave early for the day."
Her face relaxes. I continue, "Uuhhhh, Riya, can we go for coffee?"
She is not surprised, and laughs "Rahul, are you asking me out for a date?"
"Well, if you call it a date, then fine, I don't mind either."
"I am okay, with the coffee, let's check out the new Cafe out opposite the 35 Street Road."

We reach the ''Le Café", an Iranian-French cafe, post our work. I have to tell her about yesterday. Waiter comes by our table, "Sir, what would you like to order?" I pretend to be engrossed in the menu card till he asks me again. I order, one bun maska, hot coffee, and one omelette. I look at Riya, she adds on one chocolate bun, hot chocolate with vanilla.

The food arrives in typical crockery, with Iranian style and light background music is playing on. The walls of the cafe have typical french paints and words on it. Riya sips on her hot chocolate, with a layer of chocolate moustache on her upper lip. I control my grin, and concentrate on what I have to speak.

"Riya, I have to tell you something" I clear my throat.
"Ya say Rahul."
"Yesterday, at night, after dropping you back, I was thinking about you. Maybe I would admire to take this on to the next step!"

For a moment there is a pause between us and now the light music of the cafe is way more audible.

She presses her lips and looks at me, with well-i-don't-know-what-to-say.
I add, "Riya there is no haste, you can take your time and then respond about this."

My inner conscience, "Shit Rahul, only you are speaking, let the poor girl express out her way"

I stare her, she says "Rahul, I dont know what to say. But I would also love, if it works out well. *I love you* are just the words. Well it is upon the two of them, how they work on it and maintain it till end."

My inner conscience, "So is it a yes or no!"
I take a bite from my food.

She says, "Rahul, we'll stay together for few days and see whether exactly what we want from each other, and then we can officially be there. If you don't mind, what say?"

She is correct in her own way and practical enough. And that's fair too. I agree to the pretty lady. We are happy, as we leave the cafe. For both of us, it was a first relationship, if at all it blooms up.

Its late in the evening. I decide to drop Riya at her hostel. I imagine how different things were yesterday and today evening! We hire an auto and I direct him towards the hostel. As we sit, I take Riya's hand in mine and kiss it gently. I understand that she is shy, and smiles away. We reach at her hostel. We are silent. I can hear my heart beats rising. And she hugs me lightly, and waves me good bye. I place my fingers on her hair and gently caress as she hugs me. We smile as we exchange the glimpse.
...................................

Those days, hardly any one had mobile phones. It was a luxury. So even we didn't own any. The real challenge was how to communicate when we were away. Using landline would invite my family to hear the ongoing conversation. Riya also stayed in the hostel, so there were only 2 to 3 telephone lines in her hostel. How are we going to communicate!!!!??

But this day marks one of the memorable day of my life.