The bright new day at the office was a great one, we had many new interactions but that damn smile could not leave my mind. I would steal glances and see him gleam with a smile to every new person he met.

LUNCH HOURS

Up in the cafeteria, I saw him, surrounded by many people. He was rude to me though but he had a very sharp sense of humor making everyone around laugh and glee with joy. I saw him making people comfortable around him and especially attracting all the girls’ attention towards him. A cheater though.

That is how easily he came to talk to me too, I wondered!

After the warm get together of all the freshers was over, he seemed to be looking at everybody’s face in the hall and it seemed to me that he was looking for me.

I wondered if he was, so I hid behind the big guy from the north I guessed and started observing Siddharth. He probably wasn’t, so I became casual and started roaming about in the cafeteria.

I indeed was not blessed with a good luck because after a week of training we were assigned different locations to continue our training from and so he moved to a different city and I had to stay in Pune.

I didn’t feel offended but yes, his smile would be missed.

One week is a short time to let someone know you would miss the smile, so I acted casually and we were nothing more than  A SOCIAL MEDIA frenemies. He was the one to send a request! It doesn’t matter? Does it? It so does!

It was the last day of all of us together.

“After the weekend everybody will be relocated” announced the HR. Everyone is required to take their respective ID cards from the department at the end of the day.

I ran into him at the department while collecting the ID card and he smiled at me! The oh so, I am so adorable that you will like me back baby smile!

I didn’t smile and made a face in anguish raising one eyebrow, trying to show I don’t care and I don’t know who you are!

I collected my documents and was about to leave when I heard a voice

“Hey Ooooonishaa, Coffee?”  I turned around and saw it was him walking towards me.

“What??” I said trying to hide my surprise reaction and trying to be oh so cool and I don’t care attitude alive though I failed!

“Tomorrow at Onesta Cafe across the road.. umm 4 o’ clock?” He said not waiting for my yes or no!

He left the office and left me wondering what is wrong with him. I went to my room and called my best friend who was supposed to give me advice but was asleep like a PANDA so didn’t pick up.

NEXT DAY 

Well, I didn’t go! If you are thinking I did!

Neither did I got a follow up on his offer so I stayed back and slept in my room like a PANDA the whole weekend.

TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER

The small interaction left me wounded, and the awesome smile left me wanting for more. But people come and go, there is nothing to hold on and be vulnerable!

He came at my PUNE office for the project that I was working in and all the memories of the coffee came flooding back to me like an arrow cast to unveil the concealed apocalypse of being stood up though it was me who didn’t go to the cafe!”

“Hi!” he was very formal, very polite, and gave me his sheepish smile which was very unlikely of him! He turned into a scapegoat in these years. The profession had dulled him and his oh so baby like me back smile has seemed to be lost somewhere.

He was not him anymore duh like I remembered every bit of him… we hardly even talked!

“So, Who are you?” I acted like I didn’t know him.

“The girl whom I first met here!” he said very genuinely and his eyes were blank giving nothing away.

“Oops”  I wasn’t expecting this reply and with this expression!

The day went in the formal meetings and team work trying to finish the deadline of the tasks and we did not talk.

EVENING

I was leaving home with my office colleague and roommate Katie who was the executive HR there. We were in Katie’s cubicle and I ran into Siddharth, he was collecting his ID card for this office, the same way he did when he asked me for coffee. I was surprised, I ignored though and walked away.

I was pushing the door open when the voice again startled me, Just like that day.

“Coffee Oooooniishaaa” and he was back.

Katie turned around surprised and laughing at me. I was annoyed and gave him my I will eat you alive looks and the sudden teenage rush comes to my mind.

When all of a sudden, Katie shook me and asked: “What happened?”

I daydreamed the incident happened two and a half years ago. I looked back and Siddharth was busy collecting his ID card and stuff.

                                                                                                                                Coffee Date 3