It was the kind of gaze which makes you stop, and look around as those eyes scrutinize you. I stood there observing him as the umbrella over me drenched itself in the heavy rain outside the coffee shop where I just observed some caffeinated stories. He smiled at me, while we took synchronized steps together by the pavement. I held onto my diary closer to my embrace while he with one hand inside his pocket did his work well of shedding me from the rain.
"When did you come back?"
I finally asked as we were still walking in silence. I didn't think that while I was spilling other's stories amidst crisp pages of my diary, there was my story who waited for me to write on. Yet another story which randomly started with an evening over a cup of coffee which I didn't want to spill over in words.
"Two days back, I heard Kritika Ghosh is still the same nerdy I met back then so when I went to your place your mom said you were here all by yourself on every Thursday, so here I am" he smiled.
I smiled back adjusting my hairs behind the back of my ears as I noticed him smiling as he watched me do that.
"How is life, Deb? How is everything? What's your story?" I asked him this time.
The rains by then have succumbed to our talks. It was drizzling slowly and he preferred to keep the umbrella down as we walked through that pavement as the street lights illuminated the evening scene.
"Life is as usual. Work, then a home which doesn't feel like home" I looked on at him. I don't know why but an urge to know his story made me wait for him to speak more, but he didn't nor did I ask him.
"I reached"
"Where?"
"Home...Deb??" I smiled
He looked over and realised we were already standing outside the gate to my little abode.
"Uhm..okay so leaving?" he asked
"I need to its 8 already," I said, though a corner of my heart wanted to stay back with him,
"Okay then let's meet tomorrow what say?" he suggested
"Sure"
I walked inside bidding adieu as those memories, all those wrapped up emotions became vivid in front of me once again. They plummeted all over me as I locked myself in those four walls and sat down over the bed with a thud.
"Debraj Roy" the name was still etched all over my heart which I believed to turn parched after he departed from my life one rainy day. Was it another coffee flavoured story my destiny wants me to write? Is it something that I must scribble? Or is it just the same old line that history is repeating itself?
Whatever it was but surely, something which was making me go back in time. To that fall season when winters were at the doorstep while my heart felt a sudden shake of February...
-To be continued...
-Hook on till next Thursday