‘Finally the monsoon
is here.’
If you have ever stayed in any part of northern India, you
can relate to each and every emotion associated with this one phrase. For those
who haven’t, in simple words, imagine yourself as a turkey, right out of a heated
oven, and put under a running tap. And when the tap is closed, there will be a
sense of relief and joy in your heart, for having come out of the torturous
heat. Yet you would be bewildered with steam coming out of your ears, with this
sudden shift from hot to cold environments.
I guess I was also in a similar condition. Bewildered with
the changes around me, not knowing how to react, steam coming out of my ears,
and filling my nostrils, forming a vicious circle.
It all started two days back. We had an unusually light day
in office. A review meet, where almost half the staff was to be present, was
unexpectedly cancelled at the last minute. Since all of us had aligned our work
and schedules to accommodate the meeting, it left us jobless for those couple
of hours. And thus a group of friends decided to move out and catch up over a
glass of beer.
It was not a meeting of love-stricken young couples, nor was
it a get together of long lost friends. And thus there was no need for the
weather to get so romantic. But it did. With light drizzles filling the fresh
air, and a lovely breeze touching the softest corners of hearts. The intoxicants
did their bit. And unknowingly the conversations drifted to the topics of love
and romance.
As they say, men will be men. Each of us started bragging
about our romantic adventures and expeditions. From surprise candle-light
dinners to rings in Champaign glasses, almost all text-book tricks were
discussed and events were recounted.
God has blessed the male fraternity with a great skill
called conditional memory. While our counterparts struggle with managing a lot
of junk in the head, due to excess of data present. We, the blessed souls, have
the easy access to delete button. Push of a button and the event is erased from
the temporary memory, moved to the archives for future use if any. Another push
and everything is permanently erased.
But it was not be. I am sure the error happened under the
strong influence of spirits. No, as always I refuse to accept I was on a high. But
it was a mere slip of memory that I forgot to press the delete button. And hence
the day’s events left a mark on my male ego. While my friends were busy bragging,
I realized that I had not achieved any of these feats in recent past. Thus I was
in a compelling need to brush up my chivalry skills.
And it happened again today. As soon as I woke up today
morning, the droplets of love falling from skies above forced me to open my
eyes to reality. Time was slipping from my hand like grains of sand. It was the
time to act. There was an urgency in the air. It was now or never.
And so I got up with a jerk. With my mind racing, almost on a
mission, I took out my favorite red shirt. It had to be red. No other color
would serve the purpose. I admired the result in the mirror. And left home
without a word with anyone.
I could hardly focus on work thorough-out the day. Towards the
evening, I called up my favorite restaurant and booked a table for two. I remembered
to mention the words, corner table with dim lights. I also told them to reserve
a vintage wine of my favorite flavor. Then I called up the nearby bakery shop,
and ordered a chocolate cake, another of my favorites, to be delivered at the
restaurant. Then I left a message at home that I would be late from office
today. Having done all this, I was quite pleased with my thoroughness.
Finally, with trembling hands, I picked up my phone, and
messaged an invite for dinner at 8. Okay, I agree that a personal call would
have been more appropriate. But I also accept I was nervous. Rejection is
difficult to handle. And I was in no mood to entertain it.
Within a minute of my sending the message, my phone rang. It
was a message from her. She had accepted my invitation. My heart missed a beat,
and then started beating very fast. This was my lucky day. One the response had
come so fast, usually not a trait of the fairer sex. Then it hadn’t come
accompanied by a list of questions on why, who, and what…. It was a plain
simple yes, almost a rarity. All of this reminded me of Paulo Cohelo’s
conspiring universe. And I was happy since the universe was conspiring in my favor.
Since I had decided to work hard on my chivalry skills, I reached
at the meeting spots, ten minutes ahead of the time. Another thing I had not
done in a very long time. Even though I was clueless on what is to be done
while waiting for one’s date to arrive, I decided to take a chance. And in
absence of any fresh wave of creativity, I started checking my office mails,
and responding to them.
I don’t know how long I would have waited. I was too busy to
take notice. And then I saw her. She was coming towards me. She was wearing the
same black top I had gifted her a few months ago. I can’t remember the occasion,
but it suited her well. Her lovely hair dancing with the breeze. And that
lovely smile on her face. The smile which made me go weak in my knees when I had
first seen it. The smile, that almost made me fall in love. The smile, my
favorite thing about her. The smile, I was wanting to spend my evening with.
And then it happened. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But
time froze. She had almost reached at an arm’s length. Talking to me in an
exciting tone. Trying to show me something she had just purchased on her way. But
I couldn’t hear her voice. I couldn’t understand anything. I was staring at her, the mother of my two
year old. And right behind her, was my two year old, chirping gaily in the arms
of her grand-mother, ie my mother. Laughing at her antics, standing there were
my father, sister & brother-in-law. At this point my wife lovingly shook
me, and asked why I wasn’t listening? And why I wasn’t noticing the nursery rhyme
book, with so many pictures, that she had picked up on her way.
At night the city witnessed some hail-storm, with heavy
showers.
