A Coffee at Dawn

Chapter 18 : Second Chance!?

2012 :

Lé Càfé, Versova beach, Mumbai. .

It was three in the night, well early to morning. I stood by the fence and Dhruv was resting on the chair with his legs up on the table. The silence that prevailed got mixed with the slush of the waves and we both spoke nothing after I had stopped. The atmosphere around was heavy with the breeze going colder and dense. The pitch dark shade of the sky was turning to creepy blue. My mind was still not able to register the chaos that grew up ten hours ago in my life. The waves had caught my attention and I could clearly hear the clash between the waves. Too much of caffeine had made my eyes go red, well just not the caffeine, tears as well. A totally messed person was standing and looking at the vividity of nature not able to understand the vividity within himself.

I sighed and turned facing Dhruv while my back was facing the beach. He raised his brows in question, I nodded and said nothing. He had patiently heard every word I had spoken. He had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask, but he refrained only looking at me. The entire road was empty with a distant street lamp glowing and few stray dogs sleeping beneath the beam of light. The waiter at Le Cafe was asleep as I had assured him of no more orders.

"Oh hero!" Dhruv called out. I turned towards him to see him get up from the table and walk across. I folded my hands and stood still.

"You have had one roller coaster life back at Bangalore, brother. The way you see life, can hardly be found in people these days. From the day I have known you, a strange perspective of yours has always made me look up to you. Now I know what that strange thing about you is." He brushed my hair and put his arm around my shoulder and stood by my side.

I nodded at it and sighed. All these talks of people always went above my head. I did not realise what they meant when they spoke such things. All that mattered to me was to be true my conscience. Being true to myself and reacting for a situation had pushed me to this state of mine.

"I know you would not believe in what I said, that's ok. I have a few things to ask." He paused and I nodded to him in reply.

"You both had that understanding which lacks in people who know each other for more than what you both knew each other. Yet, I see you stand here this way. What went wrong? I don't need to know Aarti more, by hearing to all that you have told, she would never leave you. I just don't understand." He was not aware of the call that happened ten hours ago which led to all this.

"A call, just one call landed us where we are today. I was at fault, I lost it and she took a decision, a decision may be right for her. " I moved away from the fence.

"Be clear Mayank. I hardly understand these lines."

"Well, final year I got placed and moved to Mumbai. I had a limited time frame to build myself to ask her for myself from her parents. Though it was tough for both of us, I moved here and I knew how weak she fell over there. Post me moving here, its been constant calls that had kept us in touch and I had gone down to Bangalore twice last year. Things were all fine, only till she turned twenty three. " I paused. He nodded his head and listened to me carefully.

"A girl at twenty three, all of a sudden becomes a form of duty to parents from being a daughter. With the building tensions at home regarding the proposals she was posted with every fortnight and the distance between us, made her paranoid. It was her birthday and for the first time ever I had missed it, I was not there by her side celebrating it for her. All thanks to Mr. Agarwal." I paused looking at Dhruv as he had to tell something.

"And the fight was because of the birthday?" He was shocked.

"No. The dent started from there. As I could not make it for her birthday, I had called up Payal and Nishanth to plan something and keep her happy. She knew from the beginning that I wouldn't make it. As per the discussions, Nishanth planned things for her and everyone were there with her except for me. I had picked a dress for her from a store here and sent it across. The day ended there fine but a scratch was done here. " I moved to a bench aside and sat with my legs up on the fence.