Every Thursday evening was spent observing those caffeinated stories. Some made me smile, while some made me ponder over the depth of the bond they shared.
Some coffee flavoured stories tend to express stories which we try so hard to conceal within our periphery, but a few cups of coffee lets them release over the folds of the paper. Here everyone had a story over a cup of coffee. I too had one such story. I preferred to shut it down within me as I took my breath inside, while it comes out as I exhale and goes within me yet again. It goes on this way, no matter how hard I try closing those walls.
However that day Deb's thoughts surrounded my mind. It wasn't a lazy Thursday evening nor a dayout with my bunch of friends, I sat there waiting for my own story to unfold yet again. I looked around and checked the time. Deb was like always late and that was something I hated the most since those days.
"Sorry" he smiled.
Finally, the empty seat around the table was occupied today. Will my story too be something that I can call a coffee flavoured story? Which lingers its redolence like the layers of thick coffee which lets your system get this unusual happy energy to go on?
"Late like always, you didn't change at all" I commented
"Yeah, but life did change, anyways so tell me what do you do? How is everything? How is the nerdy Ghosh?"
His smile made me reciprocate. I took a deep breath as I spoke up opening up my spectacles,
"I am a writer, currently working in Technopoint as an HR," I said letting him have a small glimpse into my world
"Cool, so where are your books?" He sounded excitted
"Books? Well I have a blog from where I earn, and also observe stories, scribble them with the perfect taste of emotions, blend them with love and mould out the best version of them through words" I was pretty clear about my work
"Hm, so you are saying all you do here all the evening is to update your blog? I mean seriously you sit here for stories?" He asked amused
"Not that Deb, I sit here because its the place where one story started and departed breaking up on one Thursday evening over a cup of coffee. I can still vividly see the scene of that Thursday here. So I come over here scribble out stories, read books all over a cup of that amazing coffee. Wait I will order my favourite for us both"
"Sure" he smiled listening to me
I ordered my favourite latte with extra cream over it. The foams over the later with that favourite black forest pastry and chocolate cookies because I was still aware of how much he loved cookies back in time when we were together over those Kolkata streets.
"Wow it does savour my taste buds," he said taking a sip of that warm coffee.
"It refreshes you, Deb, just take deep sips of it and turned around to see these people out here. Every person here tells you a story, I name them some coffee flavoured stories" I smiled
He smiled back.
By the time we were back walking by the pavement to reach my abode, he followed. There was no rain today yet I liked the feeling of him being next to me much, in the same way, like before
"Kritika" he stopped.
I turned to him this time,
"Yes" I answered
He stepped closer. Two steps and my heart took several beats in just a second.
"I want you to accompany me to somewhere tomorrow after you are done with work," he said.
"But where?" I asked back.
"Kritika," he pulled out my specs as he spoke up again "Let us see the city tomorrow not through your glasses finding stories but in my way"
He placed my spectacles back as he smiled and before I could speak a word he left.
What was it? What did he mean? All those why's started bubbling up in my mind this time in a rush...
-To be continued...