I have been here for almost 2 years now. Away from the crowded outside, this café provides soothing music, exotic interiors and dim lighting (Not to forget those extravagant cost for coffees though). Apart from once in a while official discussions over coffee, some friendly get together and lone time over a coffee this place attracts a lot of couples. And for some reason I am the preferred one always for those couples. And to me the reason was because where I was! At the corner-most spot of the café, next to a big French window that overlooked a spacious lawn outside. On the adjacent wall hung Monalisa with her smile (although I never figured a smile in that, just heard people discussing it was a smile) and most importantly a barricade blocking the view of the others which had an engraving on it saying “Coffee with a Smile” and had a quote (saying something that I don’t remember) with a foamed Cappuccino that shaped into a heart. Yes the precise word that sums it all up is that I provided “Privacy”!!
There was silence for a while between them..
Barista- Madam your Short Macchiato, and sir your Double Espresso. The way you like it!
He said with a sense of pride as if he had brought it right from Italy. Anyways, that’s the only role he had to play here. So let’s get on with it…
They were regulars here over weekends and sometimes during weekdays. True love-birds, made for each other kind. Somehow I was the only one who could separate them from going all over each other and limit it to holding hands over me. But for last several weeks I had not seen them.
He- How are you doing?
She- Is this what you had to say?
He- No. But that’s important too…
She- Are you sure about this?
He- About what?
She- Your decision! Goddamn that’s why we are here!!
Whooo…she was loud. There was again silence for a minute or so, and yes a tear rolled…He acted to look away. This was a major scene, but the barricade helped (Privacy!!) He spoke...still looking away
He- I don’t know
She- You love me right?
Still looking away…
He- I do
She- Then why are you doing this?
Still…looking away
He- I have no choice
Finally…looking at her
He- You know I won’t have agreed to this if I had a choice
How she did that, I don’t know. But she managed to stop her tears, and those firm two words came out of her…
She- Tell Me!
He- My parents won’t agree
What!!
She- What?
He- Yes, I told them about us
She- And?
He- Our religions are different
Now I could sense indifference in her voice
She- So? You knew that right?
He- Yes...but…
She-But What!
He- I thought they would agree
She- And?
He-They wont
She- Hmm…So you decided to get married to someone else? Of your parents’ choice?
He was mum now
She- And I get to know about this through someone else..?
He objected
He- I was just going to tell you...but it happened so fast…
She- Yes, Of-course!
Pun intended
He- I was…
Looking straight into her eyes
She- Would that have changed anything?
He- I don’t know
She- No it would not have!!
Her voice climbed for the second time…
She- You were the one who said you love me. It took me nearly a year to come to terms with it, till I said yes. Because I saw that you loved me, because I started liking you, because I thought you were serious about it…about us…and after all this time we were together…after all this great moments we had together...this is what you have to say?
Hmm…
He- There is more to it
Her eyes were fixed on him.
He- You know my dad suffered a huge loss in his business last year?
Eyes still fixed
He- There is a merger happening between my dad’s business and the girl’s dad I am going to get married to. This merger is the only way we stand a chance to come out of this loss. And if we don’t come out of this loss, probably we would have to sell our house too. The debt is too high…
His voice trembled, for the first time.
She- Why would he marry his daughter to you then?
Ahaa…smart question!
He- The loss is not known in the market. And before this news hits the air my family wants this to be done with quickly.
Hence the hurry...
He- I don’t see a way out of it…I wanted to tell you…I am so sorry…This is the least I can do for my family
This time tears won’t stop. He held her hands…all she could manage to ask was…
She- And me?
I never understood what caused all this? Religion? Money? Or lack of will to hold on in the toughest of times?
Maybe, eventually it comes down to what matters the most. But how would I know all that. How would a coffee table know all that, than to witness it all!
I never saw them again. But that never stopped others from coming in, never stopped me from listening to this endless conversation on the same things with some additions here and there. Happy and smiling faces, flirty smiles, some fights, broken hearts and so on. “A lot can happen over a coffee’ (Oh, yes that’s what the quote read on the barricade)