BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS »

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The One (Part 2)

A New Morning

I woke up, all groggy headed. Weddings normally do that to me, I thought. I turned to the person sleeping next to me. I wouldn’t normally let anyone sleep in with me, but I’d made an exception this time.
“Good morning” I said, sleepily, stifling a yawn.
“Good morning” he replied.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Yeah. I did. Would you like some coffee?” I asked.
“Sure” he mumbled. His back was still facing me. He had shoved his head under the pillow.
I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the kitchen. I got down to making some coffee, and hunted everywhere for something to tie up my hair with. I hated my hair on my face while I was in the kitchen.
“Good morning” he said, once again, as he came and held me from behind.
“Sugar?” I asked him, as I moved towards the shelf to fetch out the container with the sugar in it.
“Two spoons, please!” he replied, walking towards the couch.
“Here” I said, placing the cup in his hand, while I sat down opposite him.
“Do you know you look pretty even without makeup on?” he said, as he got up and came and sat next to me. I smiled and looked at him. I should have blushed at a statement like this one, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.
“Thanks for letting me stay the night” he said, as he continued looking me in the eyes.
“Don’t mention it” I told him.
“What’s the matter, Lisa?” he asked me.
I looked up at him. “Nothing!” I replied, nonchalantly.
“Is something up? Do you like have a boyfriend or something?” he asked, all concerned.
“What would make you ask me that?” I shot him a questioning look.
“Well, for starters, I had to beg you to dance with me. I know you would have never asked me to stay back at yours’ had it not been for my flat tire. Plus, it’s not like I looked at any other woman at the wedding. It was obvious I had my eyes on you. I didn’t even make a move on you last night, in spite of sleeping in the same bed. What’s wrong with you? Why are you so cold towards me?” he asked.
“Alston, I have always been like this. Why do you think I’m still single?” I asked him.
He smiled. “Well, I thought you were single because you’d been waiting for the right one” he said, while pointing his thumbs towards himself.
I smiled, and playfully hit him on the hand.
“Oh damn, I didn’t realize the coffee was in your hand” I said, when I looked down at the shorts. They were covered with the coffee that spilled over thanks to my playful hitting.
“Well, technically, they are your shorts. So I don’t care!” he said.
“Bitch” I yelled, as I got up to fetch some tissue. “But I must admit, you look good in my clothes” I yelled from the kitchen.
I gasped when I turned around to run into the living room; because he had sneaked up on me in the kitchen. He was standing right in front of me, his face as close to mine as it could be.
“Lisa, I really think there’s some potential here. What do you think?” he asked.
“C’mon Alston” I choked, “You’ve hardly known me for 24 hours” I said, trying to move away from him, and succeeding. “Plus, you’ll be back in Nottingham before I say ‘Yugoslavia’.”
“Why Yugoslavia?” he asked, perplexed.
“Focus, Alston, focus!” I said, hand on hips.
“You’re right” he said, head hanging low. “But if you do change your mind about the UK, and decide to head there some time, promise me you’ll call me!”
“I promise you I will call you” I said, as I gave him one of my world-famous teddy bear hugs. People often told me that my hugs cheered them up. That was the last time I saw Alston.





Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

“Ae kutti” Andrea yelled into the phone.
“Haan bol na, Kameeni” I replied. I loved talking to her. It always brightened my mood. Two years into her marriage and she was still the same person.
“I have some news for you”, she said, all excited.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“Josh and I are flying down to Goa next month.”
“That’s great. Second honeymoon?” I asked.
“Nope! You’re coming with us too!” she said.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Yup! And do you know why we’re going?” she asked.
“How would I know?” I replied.
“It’s your 29th birthday, you fool!” she said, all excited.
‘Damn! I’m old!’
“Wow, 29, eh? I sure am growing old” I said.
“Let’s do this. Please don’t say no!” she pleaded.
“Okay, okay!” I agreed. “Who else is involved in the plan?”
“We could call Prateeksha, if you’d like. She and Saurabh would be more than happy to come along. It’s your birthday, after all!” she said, referring to Prateeksha, my school friend and her husband Saurabh.
“Wow, do you want to call any more married couples and remind me of how single I am?” I asked.
“Well, I knew you would say this; and I was almost hoping you would. So then there’s alternative number 2” she said, the excitement evident in her voice.
“And what’s alternative number 2?” I asked.
“An all girls trip” Andrea squealed.
“I wish you could see my raised eyebrow right now” I told her over the phone.
“Prateeksha, Priya, Candice and Karen have already agreed” she said.
“So the whole couples’ thing was never on your mind, was it?” I asked her.
“Nah!” she replied.
“Let’s do this” I replied, enthusiastic.
I was turning 29. I was in a job that I loved, an apartment that was the envy of most women my age, and a lovely set of friends. But I was still single. However, the last time I’d been reminded of my singledom was perhaps about 2 years back, when I had gone to Andrea’s wedding date-less. I’d taken up a new job post the wedding; and work hadn’t left me any time to worry ever since then.
I turned around to stare at my laptop once again. The minimized window was a blinking orange. He’d sent a reply. Did I want to see his reply? I wasn’t sure. I just shut down the laptop without seeing what he’d said, and ran in for a shower. I was late for my lunch date.

TO BE CONTINUED....

0 comments: