The Bad Day That I Loved…

The recipe for a perfect bad day was in place. I slept through the morning alarm, woke up at 11AM and missed the meeting at 10. To top things up, i woke up with a bad headache. Hangover from last night! 2 large vodkas with coke with 2 cubes of ice, that’s all that i had. Plus the fact that i went out on a weekday for a drive with the gang. I wasn’t home till 3 in the morning.

Well, i sat there on the bed contemplating what to do now? Obviously i had to get dressed asap and reach office. In the mean time i had to think of some real good reason to tell my manager why i was late. Cant tell him that i was working late, because the release was done and there was not much of work left. Ok, the most used and reused reason always works, ‘I wasn’t feeling well, i was having a bad headache!’. Thinking that will bail me out i had a quick shower, dressed and reached office.

As if i had a clue, work piled on me when i got my senses back. I thought about the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson, now i should be Haw. How can i be Haw? Screw it, let me get through the day first. Just want to get back home. Some how i managed to push myself through what was left of the day. Remember, i reached office at 12PM. Finally after managing to stage some ‘i’m feeling sick’ drama i was out of office by 5PM. Please don’t ask me how, but i managed it.

Whats next? Took my bike and was out of Embassy Golf Links, on to Intermediate Ring Road and i was headed towards K-Town. Hmmm.. none of my friends are going to be free till 7PM. Not even my jobless sweetheart, my pseudo-wife in the group, who only has time to cut her hair. Someone should tell her that at this rate she would go hairless in a month or less. The fact is that, that someone should be Mr. India, not because he can charm her into not doing it, because she is the bully of the group and we all are, to be frank, scared to tell her this. That even applies to her ‘real’ boyfriend too.

This did bring a smile on my face, which quickly faded into something like – Ooops i’m screwed again – when i realized that i jumped the signal at Sony World. Throttled to the max and even before the cowboys of Bangalore Traffic Police could jump in front of my bike, i had crossed e-zone. Hmmm where do i go next. Let me go to Forum. I’ll go to Landmark and roam around till everyone is free and its time when the ‘gang’ can meet up.

I was feeling much better compared to how i had started the day. It was returning to normalcy. 30 min in Landmark and i was bored to my karmic senses. Oh crap, let me have a coffee now. I went all the way to CCD and ordered for a Mocha with an extra espresso shot. That ought to cheer me up a bit. Waiting … waiting … waiting … looking at the chicken-tikka sandwich, thinking over what had happened till now, i lost track of my environment and was cursing me in my head when,

“What a bad a day!!!”

“Tell me about it…”, i replied.

Oops. Did i just say that out loud. With ninja-reflexes and blood rushing to my head and beads of sweat forming on my forehead, i looked to the side, to find those beautiful hazel-eyes looking quizzically at me. The ninja ran for cover, more blood rushed to my head and i was sweating so badly that i could have used a shower at that point.

“I’m … i’m … i’m… sorry, i was lost in my own thoughts and i too had a bad day.. sorry for that.” That was my immediate reaction at the 2nd second and i said that in 2.5sec. I can bet that all that she could have heard was – “Prrrrtthhbb…… “. Need less to say she was still looking at me and smiling.

I vividly recollect hearing , “Tum Ho Toh” from Rock On playing in the background. Damn TV at the Coffee Day. I turned to look at the TV, oops, turned back, looked at her and all i could say was “Oops again, The day just got better.”

“Mocha with estra espresso, Saar!!!”. Damn it, you fake Italian CCD boy. Dont spoil the mood.

“Would you mind if i had the coffee with you? May be you can tell me what was wrong with your day Or not. Or we could just have the coffee thats all Or maybe i should stop asking so many questions Or may be i should let you decide … “, i burped out.

“Ok…” tagged along with that was a smile. The smile was one that made my headache and the hangover from the previous day disappear in the abyss.

She took her coffee. A regular Cappuccino. She added exactly one sachet of brown sugar, stirred it twice and sipped the stirrer. Feeling satisfied she dropped the stirrer off, wrapped her coffee in a tissue and came walking towards me.

She was dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt. She carried a black-bag that hung from her left shoulder. Hair held behind with a clip. Thin silver chain held a pearl pendant around her flawless neck. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she turned to look at me. Smiled and asked.

“So … ”

I’m supposed to say something now. And ‘now’ should happen in the next 1sec. Its .99sec. I held my hand out.

“I’m …”

“No…, Dont want to know your name. We met for coffee and that’s the end of it. I dont want to know beyond that. Lets keep it that way. Its fun.”

What do you mean by fun? I didnt have much to tell after that. I just looked at those eyes, all confused…

“I know what you’re thinking… You have a face that is really very expressive. Cant hide much or lie with that? All i meant to say is that, lets just keep it this way. Later when u think about it, its just only good things. No complications.”

“Ok. Well the evening is going to be interesting, from Tom and Jerry, i’m Jerry. And you are… Ms…”

“Ms. Pinocchio”, she laughed about it. She is smart in her own ways. I have to agree on that.

We sat outside Forum and talked. She was a techie(like that was hard to guess), been in Bangalore for the last 2 years. Joined her job right after college. It was almost dark when we were done with the coffee and our conversation. It was one of the most interesting conversation that i had and my day was made. Ms. Pinocchio was good at what ever she did. She was slipping all the way into becoming my Pocahontas.

“So Mr. Jerry Mouse, the coffee is done and may be i should get going. That was our deal and may be we have gone a little overboard too. It was nice meeting you.”

“Well the coffee was for the evening, more over we only made you get out of your bad day. What about me? You owe me.”

“But … ”

“I’m hungry, lets walk a little bit and then decide on where to have dinner and we will bid adieu. So lets go.”

I looked at her. She kept smiling and shaking her head, “Are you sure?”

“More than ever… come lets go…”

“Ok…”

We got up and started walking towards Madiwala signal.

“How did you reach Forum?”, i asked

“Tuk-tuk”

“Great, I have a bike, will get back to Forum after this and we will head out to K-Town to have something…”

“K-Town? and i’m not getting on any bike, you get that straight. You think a coffee, a conversation and a walk later its easy to get me on the bike. Bad Mr. Jerry Mouse, Bad! I was thinking you at least were not like those regular guys… ”

Oops… Now what did i do wrong? Was it dinner or the bike. Definitely it was the bike. I didnt had the courage to look at her face. Looking ahead I said, “Ok”.

She was talking about something as we crossed Tavant technologies and approached the Madiwala Checkpost Signal. I was lost in my thoughts. Why would she want to think like that? I had a bike. We could just head out to have dinner and that was it. May be i could have dropped her if it was fine by her. But i swear i had nothing in mind. I was pretty much sure that i’ve grown much beyond the fetish of having a bike and then taking a good looking girl around. That was when i was new to namma bengaluru. The new found freedom, the job and the money. But hey, i’m not like that. God, i started hating her for what she just said.

She was saying something repeatedly as we turned towards Staples and started out walk towards Big Bazzaar and eventually Forum. She was still saying something again.I could hear a faint call, “Hey Mr. Mouse….”, “Hey, Mr. Jerry Mouse…”

‘Snap’, she snapped her fingers right in front of my face. I felt like i just woke up and realized that she was telling me something. I felt bad as i wasnt listening…

“Mr. Jerry Mouse, where were you lost? Did you listen to what i just said?”

I gave out a smile.

“Look who was lost in his thoughts. Well i didnt like the whole idea of you asking me to come with you on a bike. You could have joined me in an auto. But you had to ask me to come on a bike. Didnt you?”

“Well i’m sorry, i didnt mean it that way. All i was …”

“Keep it above 60 and i will come with you… ”

“No i meant to say that, i’m … err .. WHAT? “. There it was, she was laughing her heart out. I was lost on the highway to get heart.”WHAT DID U JUST SAY?”

“Well if you are disappointed, then keep it above 70. Hmmm would that be fine?”

I looked at her and all i could say was “You are one crazy person Ms. Pinocchio. Turn around, I’m gonna kick you now.”

“Hey! Hey! Keep you hands off me. Else I’ll just walk off.”

“Oh C’mon you wont i know…”

“Do you see my nose growing? No, right…so i mean it…”, she gestured by placing the thumb on her nose and wiggling her fingers.

I didnt had anything to say. Smiled and walked along.

Lost in her conversation, i realized that we had reached back at Forum. I asked her if we are ready for dinner. She was ok with that. Asked me where and all i could think of taking my dream to was “Take 5″.

“Where is that in Kormangala? I never heard of that?”

“Err… well that’s at Indiranagar”

“What thats far?”

“I don’t think I can reach 70+ in K-Town. At the least let me get to Intermediate Ring Road.”. She smiled and agreed.

So we were out of Forum and on our way to Take 5. On the way we talked about movies, music, work, life etc. A great fan of John Abraham, with love for Kailash Kher, Atif Aslam and Bryan Adams, Loves her work and enjoys it too. Life for her is one place to freak-out and have fun. She goes on to say, that eventually she will get married and that is going to change her life. Till that day, she wants to enjoy life and do all menacing things possible, so that some day in her life she can tell these stories to her kids. WOW!!. I began riding the bike slow after that.

Her conversation kept me so involved that I failed to realize that we reached Indiranagar. Parked my bike in front of CCD and started walking up the stairs to Take-5. I held the door open for her as she walked in. I walked in after her and as the waiter approached us, she said “Table for 2″. The waiter pointed us towards our right and told us we can have any table of our choice. She went ahead and sat at the table in the corner. I smiled and followed her.

“Nice place, Hmmm romantic enough….”, she remarked.

The waiter lit the candle in front of us and left. A divine look came up on her face as the golden light fell on it. I was lost for a moment.

‘Snap’.. Oh God not the snap again.

“Hello Mr. Mouse, where are you lost?”

I had to be honest with her, “You look gorgeous for a stranger that i met and is out with to have dinner. Can i know you more? You name? Where you stay? etc… Ms. Pinocchio. Or rather Pocahontas, what you have just become to exist for me as…”

The waiter laid the menu on the table and left. I was looking into her eyes and she into mine. She was just smiling and i my heart was doing an overdrive. We just sat there for 5 min or more when the waiter returned to take the order.

“Will you have something to drink?” I asked her. She didnt reply anything and stared out through the window.

“Two Take-5, please”, and the waiter promptly left.

“Pocahontas….”

“You are sweet Jerry Mouse. Sweet like the Jerry Mouse in the toons….”, she again stared out through the window

I just sat there looking at her and at the candle. The flame was dancing around, it cast beautiful shades on her face. She was still looking outside. The drinks arrived and we cheered for Jerry Mouse and Pocahontas, smiled and looked at each other. She sank back in her chair and was lost in thought. Looked at me at times, at times at the flame and at times outside at the never ending traffic.

The waiter, just like a programmed android, kept the main menu on the table and left. I skimmed through it as i asked her if she was vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

“Vegetarian…”

I called the waiter and made orders for our dinner. I tried popping in random topics to have her mood lit up. Told her about how funny the restroom doors looked like. Tried talking about my ‘gang’. She just smiled to it looking deep into my eyes.

The android returned with the Master’s orders and left.

We had a quite dinner for a rather fun filled evening. Somehow finishing that dinner seemed to be one of the longest moments for me. Wishing every second that it just passes by. Well, the only way through it was through it. So i sat there wishing that she would talk and be the person i met in the evening. In this through some how i was done with my dinner and so was she. I looked at her and she was looking deep into my eyes.

Android cleared the table as i ordered for a refill for the drinks we ordered. Touched the glasses and we sipped the drink. I popped in the questions again.

“Pocahontas who are you? Cant i know you more? Why does this have to end like this?”

She pulled her chair close to mine. Came close to me. My heart beating a million beats. Touched my hand and the top of my palm. I held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. I saw myself in those limpid pools of love. She turned her face and rest her head on my shoulder. I sipped my drink and i saw her run her fingers through the rim of her glass.

“Finish your drink, Pocahontas. I will drop you back home if u don’t mind. That would be the last thing that i would ever ask you. Dont worry, i dont want to know you more? I will cherish these memories. It was a wonderful evening for me and i go back with something that is precious. Let it be the way it is unaltered, unadulterated. Let the mystery serve was the spice and the sweet pain for both us”

She raised her head, looked at me and i saw she was close to breaking into tears. Her grip on my hands tightened.

We left the place and i asked her where to drop her.

“Drive towards Kormangala. And Mouse keep it below 20. I’m in no hurry”

I could feel her hand on my shoulder as i drove towards Kormangala. Nothing was spoken in that 20 min drive. She instructed me to take a u-turn at Sony World. Just after the turn, she asked me to turn left, a right and asked me to stop. It was a deserted road and poorly lit by streetlights. She got off the bike and so did i. I took off the helmet and placed it on the bike and turned towards her. I found a tear glittering past her cheek pulled by gravity, and off into the dark ground, lost for ever. I came close, held her hand and said “Thank you, sweetheart. This will be forever cherished. I dont know, but if possible someday tell this to your kids”.

She hugged me tight and wept. “Jerry Mouse, you are as sweet as the real Jerry in the toons. Stay the same. But i’m not the one for you. Sorry. Remember me like this”

“I will, my dear Pocahontas”

She raised her head and looked into my eyes. She kissed me tight. She tasted like sweet wine, lips sealed against mine… Time was no longer a dimension for me. I dint care about anything. It was me, it was her and that moment.

She moved away and kissed me on the cheek and said, “Thankyou , I wont forget you”,  and walked away into the alley. I kept looking at the dark profile of hers. I saw her wipe her tears and disappear as i my vision got blurred with tears.

I dont know who she was and i will never know anything beyond the fact that she was my Pocahontas and always will be.