A Lot Can Happen Over Tea Too..!!

This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to anyone or place is purely coincidental.

On a chill winter morning Anirudh was jogging in the nearby park. As always after jogging he visited the cafeteria located in the corner of the park street. That day all the tables were occupied and just one table was vacant. He reached the table and when he was about to sit, a girl sat opposite to him. He was a little confused whether the table was reserved.

"Do you mind if I sit here, as all the tables are occupied", asked Anirudh. "No I don’t mind, actually I thought you have reserved the table and was about to ask you the same question.” replied the girl with a smile and started reading something on her phone. "Your order please", the bearer requested. "One lime tea with mint leaf" they both replied instantly and burst into laughter seeing each other.

The bearer smiled and left the place to get the order. The girl continued to read. But Anirudh started experiencing strange things. Everything around started moving in slow motion. A romantic melody was playing in his ears, his vision was blurred. The only thing that was clearly visible was the girl's smile. His heart was pounding heavily and was forcing him to talk to her. His brain started to search for all possible ways to initiate a talk between them.

When he was about to ask her name, his phone rang. With a great frustration he picked the call without even looking at the caller’s name.

“Hello”, Anirudh responded.

“Anirudh, what took you so long to attend the call? Have been trying to call you since one hour.” the person calling exclaimed.

Anirudh came back to his senses and realized it was his mother’s call and noticed 7 missed calls.

“Sorry Mom, mobile was in silent mode and thus didn’t notice your call. Tell me what happened?” Anirudh replied trying to hide the fact that he had forgotten the world because of a girl’s smile.

“Did you forget? We are going to the bride’s home today right? I and your father are waiting for you, Come soon” replied Anirudh’s mom.

‘Bride’s home? Oh god!!! My parents are seeing a match for me!! I don’t even know her name…’ Anirudh told himself.

Meanwhile his mother started again “By the way girl’s name is Usha Bhatt, come soon”.

“Ok mom, I’ll be there in half an hour” Anirudh replied and disconnected the call.

“Huh Usha!!” sighed Anirudh and the girl looked at him and asked “How did you know that my name is Usha?” Anirudh was in a sense of shock… Lot many questions started haunting his mind ‘is her name really Usha? Did I hear it right? Is she Usha Bhatt or some other Usha? Am I going to her home today? Suddenly he came back to his senses and asked “I just guessed”.

“How can you guess that without even talking a single word?” asked Usha.

The bearer came with Lime tea and served it to Anirudh and Usha. They both smiled at the bearer and had a sip. Anirudh thought this was the right time and continued the talk.

“It just flashed like that. So I’m Anirudh and you are?” asked Anirudh

“I am Usha” replied the girl.

Anirudh suddenly had a thousand watt happiness strike his heart. He was even more curious now. He didn’t want to lose anytime, his excitement started increasing. He started enquiring everything about her, they started talking to each other as if they knew each other since long time. Anirudh started feeling how nice it would be if she was the same Usha her mother had mentioned about as he was not sure how to ask if she was Usha Bhatt.

“Usha, something is pricking me inside and I want to tell you what it is. Only if you don’t mind” asked Anirudh.

“It’s ok Anirudh go head, say what you wanted to say” replied Usha.

“I think I am madly in love with you, if you agree I would like to be your better half” proposed Anirudh.

A very silent and secret smile struck Usha’s lips, her heart started pounding fast, her cheeks started to glow and her eyes started twinkling. She also felt the same the moment she saw Anirudh. But suddenly she remembered something and she became dull.

“What happened Usha? I’m sorry if I’d hurt you by proposing, it’s ok if you don’t like it. I have had very good day in my life, thank you for spending memorable time with me” replied Anirudh.

“It’s not that I don’t like your proposal Anirudh, but I would have been very fortunate if you had met me a week before” Usha replied, got up from her chair and continued “My parents have seen a match for me and I cannot oppose them. You take care, the girl you are going to marry is very lucky…” Usha left the place with tears in her eyes. Anirudh felt very bad and noticed the call on his phone, he informed that he started and left to his home.

Anirudh reached his home, directly went to his room and started getting ready as he didn’t want to make his parents shout at him but he was continuously thinking about Usha, how to find her and how to convince her parents as well as his parents. Meanwhile his mother comes in and shouts “Anirudh I am keeping the girl’s photo on the bed. Get ready and come soon. “.

Anirudh now again started getting thoughts if the girl is Usha. He immediately ran out of the bathroom and with all excitement to take a look at the photo. He finds the photo on the bed, his heartbeats started banging the way it bangs when people check their exam results. Strange sound in the ears, all possible prayers in the mind he sees the photo. Usha, the girl he met at the cafeteria was Usha Bhatt, the girl his mom had chosen for him!!! A very big smile burst on his lips, happiness starts flowing through the eyes. His joy knew no bounds. Now it was his turn to surprise Usha. He got into the best dress he had. Anirudh along with his parents started to Usha’s home.

Usha returned home. She heard her parents talking.

“Dear what’s the groom’s name?” Usha’s father asked her mother

“Krishna… Is his name” replied her mother and then exclaimed “Ushaaa!! You are coming now? The groom would have started from his place by now!!! Go and get ready soon…”

Usha left to her room. The doorbell rings and Usha’s parents run to welcome the groom. They start talking about various things, offer sweets and special dishes to eat. Usha’s mother takes an excuse to bring Usha. Meanwhile Usha with lot of pain gets ready and goes to kitchen as her mom calls her to get the coffee. On the way to kitchen she hears her mother-in-law talking “Krishna, I liked the girl a lot by seeing the photo itself. We have come now just for a formality. We’ll fix this match for you”.

Usha lost the last hope she had to meet Anirudh as she thought of convincing her parents after the groom left. Usha takes coffee to the groom’s family. She gives coffee to everyone without lifting her head. When she gives coffee to the groom, Groom talks to her.

“Is this coffee?” Groom asks Usha.

“Yes, this is coffee. My mother prepared” replied Usha without lifting her head.

“Actually I would prefer to drink Lime Tea with a mint leaf made by you for the rest of my life” replied the groom.

Usha was in a complete sense of shock, she wanted to lift her head and see Anirudh as the groom. Then finally with lot of hope she lifted her head and was extremely happy to see Anirudh as the groom. Her soul was jumping out of the world and coming back. With that happiness she replied “I will definitely make for you”.

Hearing that everyone were extremely happy, they started greeting each other as their children agreed for the Marriage. Usha and Anirudh exchanged their numbers and Anirudh’s family left the place.

Now one question was haunting her “Krishna was supposed to come to see me but how did Anirudh come to my home?” she decided to ask her mother.

“Ma what is the name of the groom?” Usha asked her mother.

Her mother replied “Anirudh Krishna is the groom’s name”…

                Within few months Usha and Anirudh got married and they happily lived ever after.

 

Matches are made in heaven, we have to wait for the right match and right cup of tea!!!

 

-          Manoj Kumar Desai