The Night Never Before

The Day Follows The Night

The sun overhead shined bright, no sign of rain not even clouds up high, a perfect day to open account in the city. The early hours at the parking seemed vacant. The address in my hand showed some house in the Baker Street. Just out of the Police Headquarters, I was on my way for the first case in the city. Being received orders from the top, I was there for some weeks to takeover a few cases which has been drilling through the minds of the Local Inspectors. The discussion with the DGP made me clear about the first case. A murder mystery, never mind, I love murder mysteries. I was offered a police jeep for movements, but I preferred a Bullet instead. So I was set, helmet and keys on my right hand, and a file with details on my left hands. But as I have no idea of the city and the route, I opened my mobile to access the Google Maps. The moment I unlocked my mobile, it directly opened to the WhatsApp. My eyes suddenly caught that one message from the unknown number who I know from the last night. 'Sorry for the indecency, friends popped up. Have a good day n see you soon.' read the message. A quick flashback went through my mind.
"Hello Mr. Inspector. Coming tonight?" said the voice from the other side of the phone. I couldn't recognise the voice, it was early in the morning and I still had enough dream to complete. I couldn't get my preoccupied mind through the words as the aversion of me to get off sleep early was an old age habit. Being in a dilemma of answering the call, my indolent mouth had made mind not to open.
So I remained in a transitional state between sleep and awake.
"Hello? Anyone there?" the voice replied some sec later.
This time the deadlock broke and I replied with "Hmmmmmmm."
"Hi Mr. Inspector. Still on bed?" the voice said.
"Who's this?" I asked in an unconscious manner.
"Alisha. Remember? Last night. Rain. Under the tree." She replied.
The name rang the bells in my mind. 'Am I out of my mind? Am I still dreaming? Is this the same Alisha of last night? A dozens of questions triggered my mind. I was keyed up to what say next, suddenly she replied, "Mr. Inspector is still dreaming or what?"
"No. Sorry. I was a bit off. I have a bad habit of waking late. By the way, good morning Miss Alisha."
"I had not thought that policeman like you would be lazy. Ha-ha..."
"Not actually. But I am an immense night stalker. I cannot sleep early in night as a result I miss the morning alarm everyday. By the way, where do you get my mobile number when I have not given you last night?" I asked in anxiety.
"You must be forgetting Mr. Inspector that I work at a call centre. It was not so laborious to get your number."
"Ohh, how could I forget that? Miss Alisha Mishra, the self-dependable hardworking woman, working late night at office." I said with a big smile on my face. Her reaction was not obvious. But her laugh suggested that she liked my sarcasm.
"So today, your day off or what? Or you are in a mood to bunk the first class?" She said countering my remarks.
"Very funny! In that case Miss Alisha, please get my proxy in the class." I said and the next moment we laughed our hearts out. She was admiring my sense of humour, and I got nothing but to imagine her with my eyes closed and feel the warmth of her beauty. I could see her giggling, her smile wide open. I could see her big, round bright eyes, meeting mine. I could see her untied, silky-black straightened hair coming across her face which she didn't care about. I could see her cheeks, turning pinkish-red in shy, when she came to know that I am watching her. I could just sense her presence with me, there and then on my bed aside me, hiding the cutest smile in the world with her two small palms. And I was just lost in her, for how many ages, I don't know.

The fantasy suddenly turned to blackout. I didn't actually know what to tell next and she also remained calm. The awkward silence held for a good 10 sec. It happens when you are talking to the girl of your heart for the first time on phone whom you have just met the previous day and don't know much about. The mouth by itself gets frigid. You get short of words and expressions. You begin to wander in the world of words but fail each time to choose a perfect one to utter. But to my good luck, she was the chirping bird. Dropping the pin, she started again, "Hey, again lost in the dream or what?"
"No, actually I was confused, what to say next." I continued, "May be because we have not known each other that much."
"Ohh. So Mr. Inspector is a little shy by nature. Ha-ha." She began to laugh, which in turn made me smile.
"Sort of. But yes, I don't really know how to converse with strangers." I replied
"Is it? But it didn't seem such last night. You were very open, and after all you are a policeman." She said.
"Yeah. That's true. I am very interrogative and straight during my cases and it's my duty, but didn't have a good knowledge about girls." I said and giggle.
"Ha-ha. Don't worry, I will teach you." She said.
"Then, I think, I must join you classes from today." We both laughed.
"Okay, sure and the class starts tonight 7 PM at the Garden Inn. Come soon Mr. Inspector, I would be waiting." She said and cut the phone as in a hurry. I was a bit set back, for we had talked for 20 mins or something and she had hung like that.
Seconds later, a message came from her stating 'Sorry for the indecency, friends popped up. Have a good day n see you soon.'