The First Date...The Last Date?

She dials in the second last number on her last dialed entries…and says, “Poor fellow wants to meet me tomorrow…again… (a loud laughter followed…) don’t you worry…I am sure I’m not turning up...”..."Or..even if I turn up..I am sure he'll be in for a tough time...something hes given many girls..what does he say..'its cool mahn'...yes Nikhil..its gonna be very cool"...

And she drops the call soon...still thinking of her plan of action for tomorrow...dozing off after a while...
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Next Day:

It was 6PM and Nikhil was already waiting on the coveted hot-seat of the food court. Nikhil saw beautiful curly hair appear on the floor yet again right at 6:30PM, he was sure this time, it cannot be her...‘right on time’. But he was surprised to see her there. All charged up…walking up to him with the cutest smile he had seen.


She had a bouquet of flowers in her hand and she was walking up closer to him. She hugs him gently, hands over the bouquet to him and sits right in front of him. Nikhil was just about to gain his senses out of the mist of her splendid perfume and she said, “The bouquet is for the long wait which you did for me yesterday. I know I have been rude to you in the past but yesterday you made me realize that you are not the SOB which I was expecting you to be…" And she started approaching him closer to his left cheek……

And suddenly his phone started ringing which brought him out of his daydreaming. Aghast…he saw the screen flashing “Bhargavi calling…” Oh well, not again…she must not be ditching me yet again…

“Bhargavi…What the hell!! Its 7 already…how much more u want to me to wait??…I wished you wud have come…at least for some time…”... ‘Gosh!!! The desperate me…’ he grumbled…

She rattled back, “Look Nikhil, I don’t like malls; I am waiting right outside the mall. Quickly rush out or I will be leaving in another 5 minutes.” And before Nikhil could say anything, the call was dropped.

He rushed down the elevators almost stumbling down three times.

Right at the front gate of the mall, there was a Black Toyota Camry waiting. Nikhil saw her sitting at the back seat, the driver on the wheel. She was busy combing her shining black hair…her face was turned sideways. Nikhil could just gaze at her eyelashes through the strands of her curly hair...waiting to see her again...These 2 days had seemed like 2 decades...

As he reached close to the car, she asked the driver to open the front door. And she commented, “I think I should keep a safe distance from the Nikhils of the world….” With the sheepish smile on his face, he had no other option than to sit with Mr. Natthuram.

First her father and now the driver, why every male around her furnishes such a deadly huge moustache…Nikhil thought…

“Natthuram ji, ghar chaliye.”

“WHAT??? Are we going to your home Bhargavi. Don’t you think it would be too early for me to meet your parents…?”

She laughed aloud…“Nikhil…come on…I am not fool enough to take you home…That was just to scare the hell outta you...By the way…U look cute when u r scared…Chalo, lets walk…”,

‘SCARED n CUTE’, Nikhil didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or plain insult.

Both of them got out of the car. Nikhil noticed, she was dressed in a white dress with a broad leather belt draping her skirt across her waist properly. Her transparent white sandals as she stepped out of the car made Nikhil think as if an angel was coming out. Her earrings were small, still very fashionable adding to her charisma. Nikhil thought again, "It’s a dream or a reality…I am finally meeting her…"

They started walking and Natthuram Ji followed in the car.

"CAN WE TALK?"…he stated his pick up line again..cursing himself for the lack of originality.

"Hmmmmmmmm? How many times and to how many girls you have said this before…?” She broke the silence created by the breeze which was crossing both of them.

“Not many Bhargavi. Seriously, you are different, way different than anyone else. I can’t express this in words, but believe me you are the one. All my lifetime I have liked only the girls who have been challenging, if any girl had come up to me on her own, my interests for her had gone down. In that sense you seem to be way different, really challenging. And definitely the most desired one too…”

“All you guys are the same, you definitely find every girl different in the beginning but soon you get familiar and again start looking for some THING different. Isn’t it true…Nikhil?”

“I won’t lie on this Bhargavi. It’s true that one looks for change in life but that change seeking proposition goes on till the moment you don’t find someone who is much more than all the changes you have ever seen in the life. Over and above that, it’s the connect, that makes life a worthwhile experience and when that connect goes missing, it’s better to look for change…isn’t it?”

“So, you mean to say that you would look for your own so called ‘connect’ and then you would part ways than even when you know that the girl whom you are with still shares the same connect.”

“I think a connect happens with the two - together, that’s my philosophy. And both should definitely realize, when is the moment when the connect breaks. I think there is no point to continue for the benefit of both after the connect is broken. Both can try a couple of times but that’s it…you have to make a move after a while…”

“So, that’s the reason you broke up with Swati and that’s the reason you never got along with Aruna.”, She asked him...

It came to him as a jolt. The floor from the bottom of his feet started quaking.

"So how many connections have you broken till date? Or let me put it the other way..how many connects did you feel did not connect to you Nikhil?"

Had it been someone else..Nikhil would have lied on her face..but to her..he didn't get the urge, "I won't lie to you..I have had relations in the past..I haven't been a nice guy Bhargavi..I have broken a lot of promises..and trusts..and have moved on...I am bad and I know I'm"...."I don't know why I am saying this to you..but I don't wanna lie to you..."

"Ahh..and you think you gonna impress me by stating some true facts…" she interrupted...

"I don't know what makes you dislike me so much..but I am finding my connect here...a connect for which I have waited all my lifetime...a connect which might last a lifetime...N this is coming straight from my heart...right for the first time...", Nikhil was being desperate..

"Lets cut this senti business Nikhil…I'am not in for it please..You have broken many hearts and I am here to teach you a lesson…something that you rightfully deserve...I gotta go now..I have other important things to do..."

"Will we meet next?"

"Why do you wanna meet me?"

"I don't know..."

"May be when you can give me some reason to meet you...as of now, I don't see any..."

With that she gestured to the driver...
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A few MOMENTS later:

There was already a great distance between them by this moment…they were going in different directions...far away from each other, soon...




PS: With contributions from none other than Richa (aka Santa)