Love Short Story
Photo credit: godidwlr from morguefile.com
Akila was waiting in her Scooty for the signal to turn green. She is waiting there for more than ten minutes and thanks to honking of vehicles behind, the situation is really maddening. One of the men waiting got the courage go up to policeman & found out traffic will clear out only after some time. Prime Minister is visiting India and for security reasons all the vehicles have to wait till PM’s fleet pass through.
Akila was thoroughly irritated. She knows PM is visiting Chennai today, she should have given a thought and planned it properly. It was a Saturday morning and she is returning from dance class to her PG accommodation. She found little space and moved her vehicle little forward.
“Isn’t that not, Naresh?” she thought to herself looking at the man sitting inside Black Alto.
Naresh is the prospective alliance she was supposed to meet yesterday evening. But he has messaged her saying ‘I’m struck up in office. Will try to meet sometime later’. She was annoyed not only because she was eagerly expecting to meet this guy but he didn’t have courtesy to call her and communicate it.
Akila’s parents are in a small town near Tanjore. As they were searching a groom for her, Akila’s father will shortlist the matrimonial profiles and sends it to her. If she likes it, she will proceed by talking with the prospective groom. Thankfully her parents were not old fashioned & she hated the idea of traditional bride-seeing. She liked Naresh’s profile. They had exchanged photographs, had initial few conversations over phone and agreed on meeting yesterday. But he had cancelled it.
Akila turned and saw some recognition in Naresh’s eyes. She received a call in her mobile; it was from him.
“Are you Akila?” he shouted from his car.
“Yes…And I hope you are Naresh…”
“Yeah. Sorry about yesterday. Hope I didn’t disappoint you. Actually I’m just coming back from office…”
“Oh..”
“Yes. Some emergency in our project and I was in office for last thirty hours. Look..”
“I would have been less irritated if you could have called me and talked to me…” she said truthfully
The man in the next vehicle asked her to move a little, now she is even closer to Naresh’s car.
“No Akila. Client was on my head. I’m the team lead right , I had to be in call…You are also working in IT right? Try to understand….”
Akila thought maybe he is true. Being in IT she has faced the same situations. Sometimes she has to cancel her weekend plans for project deadlines.
A small boy selling the wiping clothes came through the traffic and was standing at Naresh’s car window.
“You want one?” Naresh asked Akila smilingly
“Maybe you need a couple for to wipe your face…” replied Akila…
Naresh saw himself in car mirror.He had swollen eyes, clothes crushed from more than twenty fours usage, he looked totally unkempt. He looked at Akila, she was looking perfectly neat in salwar and matching accessories.
“I thought of calling you today evening..So how about a coffee now?” he asked her.
Since they were speaking over phone for last one week, they knew a bit about each other. Both of them were highly humorous and clicked well over phone.
“Now. Over that tea shop is it?” Akila pointed at the tea shop near signal.
Tea shop had a field day, with people waiting in the signal were ordering hot vadas and tea from them.
Naresh got a call on his mobile. Akila guessed it was from his office, as he was instructing someone on what to do. Akila trusted he had a genuine reason to cancel yesterday meeting. His looks, tiredness, eyes conveys he has pulled an overnight in office.
“Let’s go to coffee day..You know a lot can happen coffee?” he asked smilingly…
“How to trust you? You cancelled yesterday’s meeting and look at your face and eyes, you look as if…..Hmmm.. My first impression is not good ” she played along…..
“Maybe second impression will be good…”
As the traffic was stopped for more than twenty minutes, there was a huge row of vehicles in the signal. People were cribbing about they are late to catch the train, bus etc. What a total annoyance this traffic jam is Akila thought…They heard the sound of sirens. PM’s fleet must be passing through, Thankfully it will be over soon…
“Shall we pull over that Coffee-day Akila, I want to grab something to eat” Naresh asked her…
Akila was unsure. But she thought why not? He sounds genuine maybe I should give him this chance…probably that’s why I met him in this signal. Traffic started getting cleared slowly….
She agreed to have coffee with him.
Fifteen days later…..
Akila was trying to call Naresh, but he wasn’t lifting the phone. Not only their initial meeting at coffee day went well, they met frequently over last two weeks. Akila’s parents were pushing her to decide on the alliance soon, they liked Naresh as horoscope were matching & his family background is good. Akila too liked Naresh, but she wanted him to say yes first.
Naresh called her mobile.
“Hi Akila…”
“Hi Naresh…”
“I just decided on whom to vote in next parliamentary elections…”
What is he talking about thought Akila
“I guess I will vote to the same government. Because only when PM came to Chennai, I was able to meet you……So I have to thank him right?”
“What???”
“Will you marry me, Akila??”
__END__
