Silently Falling in Love: Again (Edited)

Chapter 8 - Arranged Meetings

Anjali – February 1996

Nervous, I couldn't stop swinging my foot waiting for my meeting with Raj.

After reviewing dozens of biodata's, I picked a dozen I liked. Raj was number eleven. The first ten meetings were horrible. How could someone sound so good on paper and then be so horrible in person. There was only one more man to meet after Raj and if none of them worked out then it was back to the drawing board.

I assumed arranged meetings would have been a reprieve from the horrors of dating, but it was equally hard. After several long and boring dinners, I smartened up and scheduled this meeting at a coffee shop. If he was a dud at least I only wasted an hour and not a whole evening.

The last date, with Arvind, had been excruciating constantly asking me what my scores had been through my entire school life. He wouldn't accept that I'd forgotten my grades, my SAT scores and what not. He remembered the very first perfect score he had from grade school. Everything in his life was a stat to be measured, compared and of course remembered. We moved from discussing his perfect scores to the cost of grocery items.

Swirling my latte as I waited impatiently, I attempted to read The Runaway Jury, by John Grisham. The book, on the New York Times best-selling list, was supposed to be a page turner and it kept my mind from wondering about candidate #11.

The coffee shop door opened, and I looked up to discover a tall handsome Indian man walk in. I strained my eyes to catch if this was the man I was waiting for. He was close to six feet tall, but the biodata had said 5'10". I expected for him to be shorter since Candidate #3, 7, and 8 had all been a good two inches shorter. Candidate #7 was even shorter than 5'8 because I looked down at him with flats! I expected exaggeration on height but had not expected for the error to go the other way.

Maybe it wasn't Raj.

It couldn't be the Raj I was expecting because this man was gorgeous, and the picture included in the biodata was of an average looking guy. This guy could walk off a GQ magazine ad with his perfect dark black suit shaped to fit his athletic shape. He had shed his tie and the first few buttons of his crisp white shirt opened in an inviting V making me wonder what I would learn I undid if a few more buttons.

God, it had been too long since I last had sex. Desperation had me feeling these things about a guy whose name I didn't even know.

I looked down at my book since this wasn't the desi boy I was waiting for.

Tapping my foot even more now, because of the evening caffeine I'd injected into my body I looked at my watch. It was only five minutes after six pm. Our date was for six pm. But I had been here since 5:40pm and the waiting grated on my nerves.

"Anjali?"

I jerked my head upon hearing my name. I stared into the dark brown desi GQ man's eyes. He looked like a chocolate lover boy that I was curious to taste.

"Sorry I'm late. I got onto the wrong train and had to back track my way here."

I coughed hoping to find my voice. Oh my god, this was my Raj! Well not "my" Raj, but the Raj they set me up to meet.

Standing up to greet him I was about to extend my hand for a handshake when he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

"It's nice to meet you. Please have a seat, I'm sure you didn't get one on the train at rush hour," I gushed.