Romeo

Saturday, 14th July 2009, 6 pm, at where else but any of your local cafes.


The guy just sits there with a book, Catch-22 and a folder in hand. The wait for his moronic-always late-yet indispensable best friend never seems to get over. What was supposed to be a brief meet at 4pm to discuss the impending submissions of assignments (and that is what it always is, more talk and never work) is now a test of patience or rather the perpetuation of his state of absolute laziness to either call the MORON or leave the cafe.

So he waits at the cafe sitting alone at the table and orders his espresso not because that is his favourite (that would be the cafe late or Ethiopian kawa) but more because he has to order and the above mentioned drink is the cheapest. The cafe manager doesn't seem to mind after all Romeo over here has visits his cafe every weekend with a minimum of 3 friends in tow (a bill of Rs 300 at least!)

But wait who is that at the door, MORON? Definitely not because there isn't a part of his appearance that can even be called appeasing. Further more the phenomenon that walked inside was distinctly feminine and even more distinctly beautiful. And for better or for worse MORON was primarily categorized as an excessively testosterone pumping male. No it can't be, an angel fallen right from the stars entering the cafe.

The smile, the amazing straight hair touching almost her waist, the cute body hugging pink t-shirt, the skinny jeans, an embodiment of both a pleasing silhouette and a completely clothed female( an absolute rarity the last one!). His self-esteem, his extremely low self-esteem was suddenly at an all time high. He almost thought of mustering the courage to open the door for the dame and then he thought the better of it.

What was he thinking? She must be here waiting for her tall, dark, rich, handsome and suave boyfriend. But his eyes still lingered around her. She turns the other way and takes about 5 steps (step no 6,7,8....he is counting them now). The rebuttal of his very presence by her hits him like a knife piercing into his very soul. The disappointment he felt was finally driving him to get up or at least call MORON but wait is there light at the end of this eternity of darkness that had befallen him?

She turns, she is walking towards him, the dejection has given way to elation, he almost wants to scream and give a double high five to everyone around. He tries to maintain calm. Half a glance inside Joseph Heller's witty book and half on the approaching Goddess. She finds a table next to him but there are no seats (what luck!! he thanks the group of school kids who took away those chairs to another spot).

Then the unthinkable happens she looks at him, acknowledging his existence in the otherwise bleak and despairing universe. She smiles, he is too dumbfounded to respond by smiling back, he grips Heller's book even more tightly. No she can't, no she wouldn't, but she did open her mouth and spoke what felt like the sonnet from the heavens above. "Hey I am waiting for my sister here do you mind if sit here in the meanwhile."

Keywords: Waiting, sister, sitting beside
Inference: She has time, no boyfriend around and genius she is beside you smile back at least

So he smiles and searches for a baritone voice deeper than Sean Connery and Amitabh put together but what emerged was a voice which he remembered was so unlike his screen legends but very much his own, "Sure have a seat, I am waiting for a friend myself, I could use the company."

Woh that was smooth Romeo, he said to himself. Boy this is his day!
"Nerdy boy finds the Stardust," read the headlines in his head. So he chatted away with her. His only thought being that MORON should be at least an hour away, stuck in traffic with a broken down car and no garage in sight for a mile while he continued his dream. He pinched himself, he didn't wake up she was talking and better yet laughing. He remembered a great line from a great movie; "I think this is a beginning of a great friendship," or that is what he thought it was. He didn't bother, the heavens were smiling, the violins were playing, rose petals were all around him and she was in front of him.