World at odds (WAO)

I was sitting in a café, when I noticed a young gal sitting on the adjacent table. Somehow I was getting the feeling I knew her.Na Na my friends absolutely not the gimmick we used to pull during the school day. The face looked so familiar. I must have known her some days or the other. But I was in Pune, 2000 km away from home, chances of serendipity were zero. But the face was attractive and she was alone, so I listened to my heart and was convinced I knew her.Hey hey she glanced towards me, she noticed me. She now knew for sure I was looking at her. She too turned around for a second time and for a minute her eye stopped on me. I was thinking her too having the apprehension she also knew me.i was not sure what to do next, if I go and say a hello, what would be her reaction. Gal’s reactions to strangers are very unpredictable and I was no more a college student. Sitting in this café was a daily ritual; I had all the chances of making it my last day.

I said to myself,Anuj take a long breath, go back the memory lane and sort it out how you know this face. Meet her in train, saw her in office canteen, may be in a shopping mall, or she one of those from the college days. I was blank again, it was time to make a bet with my heart and take a chance and say at least hello to her. She looked again towards me; give me a smile I suppose. like you I was also thinking I am not that smart looking on weekends (I prefer shabby look on out of office days, and gals say I look nice in formals haha) that gals end up giving a smile, must be those funny giggles, gals give it to you when you stare a lot, can not afford to be wrong on this front. I gulped one glass of water in hurry, that’s boys’ way to calm down nerves. Decision was made I will for sure ask her do I know you?

My mind is a ticking bomb in such situation, I had a nice plan. I took a napkin and jotted down on it “Do I know you, must have meet in Priya’s part?”.No no, that’s too filmy, I took another napkin and wrote on it”Hi I am Anuj,I am having the feeling that I know you?”That look better called for the waiter and asked him to give this napkin to the lady sitting on the adjacent table. He took it and gives it to her; my anxiety level was at its highest. How will she react? She read it, and now she has a more mischievous smile on her face. Wait for a second, let me confirm, which napkin did I forwarded?Oops the wrong one, I was screwed,she smiling before she get ready to scream.Anuj boy,you need to sleep well in night to avoid such visions in days.

Surprise, Surprise, she waved towards me. I was getting nervous, I too waved back.Dekha bola than a, she was a friend or a friend of Friend, now she recognized me. Must be Tina’s friend, she had lots of friend and must have meet her in a party. I was thinking to go to her table and ask her to join me, for a cup of coffee, ke utne mein, she rose from her seat and start coming towards me. It was again a sinking feeling, I was never been slapped in my life by gal and maybe it was time for this. She was looking angelic, no like satin. I was not sure, but she was so beautiful, I was sure when she will speak to me I will forget to speak. She leaned toward me standing near my table, I was blushing. Said softly in my ear(yes she did) “Hi” and slipped a napkin paper in my hand and left. My mind that was a ticking bomb sometime ago was now dead. I opened the paper, she must have left her number, was not comfortable talking to stranger (of course she knew me, but Indian gals, it take time to break ice after these many days).Hey what was that, it has a strange scription, I haven’t seen any phone number like that before, SF202MFH.i hate riddles, this was not a cryptography class.i called for the waiter, and asked do you know what that means. He said yes Sir, why not. Man now what even a waiter know what is written here, I am going nerdish day by day,Lagta hae I am out of sync with happening things of todays.Must be a new lingo, even waiters are knowing. I asked him to come close, whispered to him “ do not tell anyone I don’t know about it, I will be embarrassed, I know about how to read it, but just today cannot figure it out.”He said without emotion “ok” and passed me the bill. I haven’t eaten anything then how the bill, I was going to raise the eyebrow ke he just pointed towards her table. Got it, she is a dear friend, so paying bill is her expectation, I am such a goose does not even remember her.Ok I pay it but you batao what’s written on the napkin. I took money out of my wallet and paid the bill. He turned around to spell it “Second floor 202 May fair hotel. “and left giggling.

What’s funny about it that he has to giggle; I was still not getting what it means? I too left the café,ke when it struck my mind, God I am baffled, I am really out of sync with this world. I got it right it was not my date with serendipity and will never try to have one again. I never turned back to that café,I would have kept my embarrassment with myself but wanted to share so that you all not make a fool of yourself when you go for a coffee in Café Frozen.