I entered the coffee shop. At once I saw her sitting in front of a small round table. Another chair opposite her was unoccupied.
She was dressed in a blue green sleeveless top. She looked healthy; she had the eyeliners, just more than a millimeter thick, silhouetting her naturally beautiful eyes. The lip stick was subtle, glossy, in a faint pink shade. Her well rounded wrist sported a white square shaped watch. On her right hand was a metallic bracelet, with a floral pattern in black against a white background.
She must be waiting for her friend or someone, I thought. Since no other seats were available, I sat in that unoccupied chair. She gave a momentary disapproving look and pretended to read the pocket sized book she held. A tender curvaceous silvery fish studded ring was on her right forefinger.
Suddenly I felt an urge to start a conversation with her. I was rehearsing how to start it though.
Hi!
Hello!
‘Are you waiting for someone?’ I asked her almost autonomously.
She was startled, but she managed to pose a calm demeanor and slowly raised her head and there was quite a few moments before she uttered indifferently, ‘yes’.
Her voice sounded like a briefest melody. Few more words could have resulted in a symphony.
That shop was located in the basement of a shopping mall, located in the heart of the city. One can imagine the nature of crowd one can witness during the peak hours.
I followed the trail left behind by her eyes and ended up watching the television which was mounted on a corner of that shop. A highly animated reporter talking about the bomb blast which had occurred in the other end of the world earlier that day.
The blood stains, ambulances with sirens, the paramedics handling the stretchers, shattered glass windows, a chandelier which had fallen on to the floor.
Suddenly for me, that girl ceased to exist. Some unexplained feeling gripped me. I felt a totally strange environment in stark contrast with the ambience of the coffee shop. For a moment, I felt as if the blast had actually happened in the premises of that shop.
The noise of a chair which someone was dragging at the next table brought me back to the coffee shop.
On the table, I noticed her, growing restless. She received a call on her mobile phone, which she held almost hidden, imperceptibly between her ears and dark free flowing long hair.
She tucked the book in to hand bag and readied herself to leave the table.
She walked away briskly, the tapping of her foot wear made the rhythm audible.
But something was going on my mind despite the pleasantness which lingered on.
I guessed, she must be working at a place somewhere near that shopping mall. What struck me was the fact that she didn’t seem to be bothered by those ghastly scenes on the television, which she was watching for few moments. I thought of various possible reasons, but nothing explained the air of indifference with which she was watching those bloody scenes unfolding on the television.
I sipped the coffee in a hurry, my mind was restless and I reached the washroom inside the coffee shop, splashed water on my face and I didn’t bother to wipe my face.
I came out of the mall, now I was stamping on my own shadows on the floral patterns on the pavement. The shadow followed me for sometime and disappeared as a passing cloud came across the sun. Within minutes the sun emerged again and my shadow followed suit.
After a tedious walk, I reached the beach, the sun was scorching. I purchased a water pocket and gnawed at one of its corners and squeezed the water jet on to my face with a moderate force. With the water that remained, I soaked the handkerchief and threw away the shrunken pouch on the beach sand. I tied knots on all the four corners of kerchief and now it snuggly fitted my scalp. I started walking towards the sea.
There were a countable number of young pairs sitting on the sand braving the sun. May be they were of some rare breed of flowers which bloom in pairs on the beach sand, in response to the midday’s sunlight. Some were devoid of this special quality and gallantry and were holding umbrella.
I managed to reach the waters. The sea was relatively calm. The breeze was cool and gentle. I removed the foot wear and felt the chillness of sea water flowing through my veins.
I walked along the wet sand for sometime, before heading towards the beach side park and took shelter under a pungamia tree. I didn’t realize I dozed off. I don’t know for how long I was sleeping.
One of the shriveled leaves which had a free fall from the tree fell on my face and woke me up. I stretched out my hands with fingers interlocked; twisting the hands so that the palms faced outwards, the process was complete with an elaborate yawn.
The evening was pleasant, the sky was clear; the blue reminded me of the girl whom I met earlier in the day. Her face popped up from nowhere and soon i was immersed in the thoughts about her.
The evening crowd was trickling into the beach. I was sipping the hot tea, which I got from a bicycle vendor. The hot liquid descended down my parched throat.
By now, the beach sand couldn’t be seen. It was flooded with human heads. It was like a vast stretch of canvas painted with human figures dressed up in various hues. The dynamic nature of the characters added to the fascination.
The sparks could me seen flying off spectacularly from a burner. A stocky young woman in a dark green saree was roasting corn on the burner.
After wandering amidst the crowd aimlessly, I walked away from the crowd slowly, thinking about the all important activity which awaited me the next day. And then I disappeared into the darkness.
The next day, I started early. I changed into a new set of dress and slung the bag on my shoulder and boarded the state transport corporation bus to reach the shopping mall.
Since that morning I was in a totally different state of mind as if possessed by ‘something’. There was some kind of apathy, which reflected on my face, I noticed it while looking at me in the coffee shop's washroom mirror.
Now I was seated in the same chair in which that girl was sitting yesterday. As it happens, the other chair which remained unoccupied reminded me of everything that happened yesterday.
Suddenly I saw her standing in front of me. In a single continuous flow of movement, she grabbed the chair and sat in front of me.
The apathy in me disappeared miraculously. My indifferent heart was now pounding faster than ever. All of a sudden I felt very clear, nothing bothered me anymore, I removed the bag, which till now was on my back and placed in on the table and rushed to the wash room. In a hurry I washed my face and wiped it clean with my handkerchief and I was happily looking at myself in the mirror. I felt ‘this is an important moment in my life’
I walked back to the table, I saw her sipping the café au lait. I was wondering what struck me and brought about this tremendous transformation.
What an evil act I was about to commit?! How this angel was able to initiate this soul changing event? I felt like prostrating in front of her. I thanked her from my heart.
I wanted to hurry and dispose of that bag immediately. But I sat quietly in front of her in complete silence. She was in a grey shirt; the big black handbag of her's was still on her shoulders.
But I had to leave and dispose off my bag. ‘She is special’ I said to myself.
I hoped I can meet her again at the same place. My heart felt heavy with emotions for having to leave her but at the same time I felt hugely relieved.
Now the mall was bustling with activity and crowd was peaking up.
I walked out to the main road and boarded a bus. The bus wasn’t crowded and I took the rear seat. I slid the bag underneath the seat and move closer to the window and rested my cheeks on the palm of my right hand. I was happily savoring the moments which happened at the coffee shop.
The bus had taken a U-turn and by now was crossing the shopping mall, which could be seen on the other side of the road.
Suddenly I heard a loud thundering noise coming out from the direction of shopping mall. Screaming and howling, people were running out of the shopping mall in a mad rush. Smoke billowed out from one of the basement windows. Horde of people came out running into the main road, some with bleeding faces, few could me seen wincing in pain, supporting their fractured arms with their other hand. The scenes were kind of frozen in time.
Everything came to a halt. I jumped out of the bus, and was running madly towards the shopping mall. By now people were seen lifting the injured, and screaming for help.
I reached the shopping mall, walked against a current of crowd who were coming out of the basement carrying the injured and the dead.
I reached the basement, shattered glasses, furniture scattered in disorder, charred bodies, blood stains on the floor, sickening smell of the burnt flesh…
In a corner, I spotted a severed hand…and that familiar ring on its fore finger.
From a few feet away, her head was staring at me.
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