Unexpected rendezvous proceeds...

Five months had passed since the day he asked Anupama out. Madhav sat in the balcony, with the cloudless night giving him the much needed serenity. He slowly dragged on his cigarette, reflecting on the chain of events that caused him to be six hundred miles away from Anupama. Two drinks of Johnny walker Black Label ensured that the relevant scenes are in a nostalgic sepia as they flashed by. For an instant, Madhav couldn't help laughing at himself for his mind to be not just so filmy but predictable at that. He smiled at his own predictability and resumed watching the flash-back scenes involving him and Anupama.

17th July, 2007 - 7:45 pm, Lower Parel, Mumbai
Madhav had not expected things would happen so fast. He was not prepared for a relationship, he was only trying to flirt, trying to convince himself that he can make any girl fall for him. As was his style, as he boastfully told his friends, he had never proposed any girl with whom he had had a relationship, however brief it might have lasted. Hence he was not surprised when Anupama had expressed her feelings for him, on that rainy night, in a taxi, as they chugged past the ITC Grand Maratha to have a 'cutting' chai in her favourite 'tapri'. Completely bowled over by the sincere love in her eyes, Madhav could not bring himself to tell her he is not interested in a commitment, especially immediately after his traumatic break up with Sandhya just about a month ago. On his way back, he carelessly stood on the footboard of the Virar fast, allowing the slight drizzle to caress him.

Unexpected Rendezvous - continues

Madhav waited impatiently outside Phoenix mills. He was pacing up and down restlessly, glancing at his cell phone each passing second. He tried calling her cell phone, but his call went unanswered. “Will she show up at all?” he began to think. After all, they had met just once, and after that it had just been online conversations. He just took a chance when he expressed his desire to give her a treat on his birthday. He was exalted when she had agreed, but now, he felt she had just been humouring him.

He had almost made up his mind to leave when his cell phone buzzed. It was Anupama. He answered within milliseconds of the buzz. “Where are you?” he almost yelled into the phone. He then realised he has to play it cool and not seem desperate. He softened his tone and said “I mean, are you at home or are you out?” She said “hello, we were supposed to meet right? So how can I be at home? I am outside Phoenix mills.” When Madhav asked her why she hadn’t answered his calls she blurted out something about a problem with her SIM card, but he wasn’t listening. He was just happy that she had kept her word, though an hour late. He was sure she would have an explanation. He started walking towards High-Street Phoenix where she said she was waiting.

Unexpected rendezvous

"An unexpected rendezvous turns into a special bond, until fate intervenes"


"If you are interested in freelance writing, please let me know", he wrote in her scrapbook. Though he was sure she would be a decent writer if not good, (as he had stumbled upon her profile in the mass media community) it was for sheer flirtatious purpose that he had scrapped her alone amongst several members in the community.

Within a couple of minutes, he had got a reply from her,"yes I am, please let me know the details".

"One masala papad?... okay thank you!" said uncle and he repeated the order to the kitchen. Janardhan, fondly called as uncle by the patrons, was the senior waiter in the local bar Nidhi, which had several regulars, of which Sunil and Madhav were most regular.

"I was chatting with a random chick yesterday, till about 2 in the morning" began Madhav, as soon as they had clinked "cheers". Sunil, till that time was stroking the beautiful model posing with Kinley soda on the table cloth, immediately stopped and said "what are you saying?"

By the time they had paid the bill a couple of hours later, Madhav had taken Sunil through his meeting as well as the entire conversation that followed with Anupama.

"Looks like I will be meeting her this weekend, Halder wanted to meet her. Raju sir is in Goa, hence Halder will do the briefing" said Madhav as they arose. "Thank you uncle!", they said in unison as they stepped out into the street. Madhav lit a cigarette, and after dropping off Sunil who lived just a stone throw away from Nidhi, he hailed an auto rickshaw.
- To be continued...