Romance - Not Again

He was the first to come back to the room from office that day. His roommates were not expected to be back for at least another hour. Not knowing what to do, he switched on his laptop and went online to see if he could while away the time chatting with any of his friends. It had been a typical day, nothing exciting at office and an uneventful journey back home. He felt no particular emotion at that moment, no anxiety, no anger, no happiness, it was just that he was present there; he existed in this wide world. Even as the page was loading, power went off. Router powered off and it was pitch dark that moment. No cursing the electricity board, no self depreciating cries of why it happens only to me, he simply did not bother. He sat there just glaring at the laptop and then thought Rahman would be a good company now and started playing the master’s melodies in his laptop.

Couple of songs had played and he was just lying there staring at the roof with no real thoughts running through his mind. It was not often that he was so silent. But then this was not the first time that he felt this way, blank. He was not depressed, just that, right then nothing seemed important enough to occupy his thoughts. He secretly enjoyed such moments and longed for more such solitary hours.

Then the mobile phone lying next to him started blinking and was trying desperately to get his attention. He took the phone in his hand, still lying down and tilting his head slightly to the left to see who the caller was. He was not eager to talk to someone but then neither was he in such a bad mood to leave the call unanswered. The display flashed the image of a girl, dressed in red tops standing in the terrace of some building with green background, courtesy the dense tree cover (dense by city standards). It was not a close up pic but still was enough to show that the girl was pretty beautiful, nice homely face and a real cute smile. It was a picture that would warrant a second glance from anyone.

He reluctantly paused Rahman and then answered the call after a few rings, “hello”.

“Hi, what are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Hmm... so...”

“What?”

(Pause)”what have you decided?”

“It will take two years for me from now to complete my higher studies, provided I get admit in a decent college, and then at least another year or two to settle down nicely after repaying the education loan. “

“We have spoken about that at least ten times the last two days.”

“It was you who asked”

“I asked about what we are going to do, I did not ask you to re state what we already know”

“Ok relax now, I am not trying to irritate you, please understand it’s not easy to decide”

“Neither is it easy for me to keep dodging my parents. I have to say something to them before they bring the tall, smart NRI next week to rate my looks.”

(Laughs)”rate your looks; will it be on a scale of ten or hundred?”

“Stop joking and get serious, are you ready to confront our parents?”

“Hey, I thought we were thinking of convincing only your parents now”

“Thought about it, but my parents would definitely want to talk to your parents to make sure you don’t run away with a north Indian chic in your college.”

“North Indian chic, wow sounds tempting, and how do you think telling my parents would help prevent that from happening.”

“I knew you would ask this, flirt. It would probably result in us getting engaged before you leave for college”

“Engaged? What the fuck. Now? I thought I was at least two years away from jumping into the well.”

“According to my parents am already two years too late to do the same. Think a but practically and build up some courage”

“As if you are going to leave me if I pull out now. Why don’t you start telling in your house first and then give me an intro once they are convinced. Anyway everyone knows am the shy one and you are the rowdy. “

“Shy one? What a way to say you are scared”

“Aren’t you?”

“Yes I am, but then, is there a choice we have, this has to happen someday so why not today?”

“What today? I think next thing you would want me to come there right away and meet your parents now.”

“Sounds an excellent idea, it is just 730, and for the way you drive, even if you start now, you can make it here by 830. We can talk tonight and you can have dinner here itself, instead of eating in that rat infested mess of yours.”

“There are no rats there, just a few cockroaches and by the way food tastes good, better than the sour curd rice you bring to office every day. Also has your dad Mr Sincere Ramasamy, come back from his office to talk about the impending disaster. And do you think he will let me stay in the house let alone have dinner, after hearing that his lovely young daughter loves me more than even the discount sale at lifestyle?”

“I am not quite sure about if I love you more that the sale. Neither do I know if Mr Ramasamy will allow you to enter the house, why don’t you ask him yourself? I am on speaker phone and he is right next to me. And while you do that mind that your dad is also here, so don’t use the name which you usually use to describe him.”

(Hurriedly) “Wh..? What? What speaker? Your dad? My dad? Hey? Don’t tell me you spoke to my parents and convinced them and made them come all the way from Bangalore to here. Oh my god, that is why you asked me about the flight timings from Bangalore to Chennai yesterday. And now you have put me in soup by having speaker on.”

“Yes my dear dumbo boy friend and now your dad wants you to save my cell phone bill and come here without wetting your pants in tension like you did before your oratorical competition in 2^nd. You never told me about that.”

“He told you that. Oh no. Oh my god. I have a villain in my father and a dictatorial girl friend. I will be there right away before he does any more damage to my already screwed up reputation.”

He kept the phone down and right at that instant the power came on. He was blushing like a girl and hurriedly wore his pants, took his bike keys and ran with his ipod on. Memories flashed, of his dad, his mom, her. He just could not stop smiling. Solitude? What’s that?