All beans, no aroma!

continued from Cigar Lounge...


Soon enough, they had accepted their feelings for each other. But, it took exactly one month after the apple juice incident that they were able to reconcile with it. Sid called her parents and broke the news. Their parents, were obviously not happy!

"Mom, yeah I wanted to tell you something. I like this boy, Kartik. And I will marry him."

"That is a very good news Sid, bete when are we meeting him?"

"You can meet him whenever you are in Mumbai."

"So when are you calling us?"

"You come whenever, I am flying off to NY tomorrow - oh yeah I forgot to tell you - I am going to do a course in film making - I will graduate in two years."

She told Kartik about this even later - 5 hours before the flight.

"Sid, what the hell?"

"Kat, when my course gets over, then we will think what to do next with our relationship"

"Sid! Are you even hearing yourself? For two years what will we do? You could have told me, I could have come along"

"What will you do there dude? And plus you don't like the States"

"But I like you! I will do whatever I do here!"

There was no logical explanation that could convince Kat. But Sid had not left him with any option. She flew off and did not speak to him even once post that. She did not even share her mobile number.

In one month, Kat was able to find a job for himself in NY. And he flew exactly 31 days after she had left, in search of her. In one year, Kat knew it was like finding a needle in the haystack. He was not devastated yet, and was in his make believe world that he will find her.

It was one afternoon, 13 months after he had arrived in NY, that she saw him for the first time. She even shouted his name from behind. But, he was in his own world. He was on beans. And, there was no aroma.

to be continued

Cigar Lounge

continued from Coffee and Cig

"Kat is that you?" Sid asked in slow voice.

The guy she was looking at was totally wasted. Seemed he hadn't taken a bath nor shaved for months.

"Is that you Kat?", she repeated slightly louder this time.

But he was dazed, confused and totally unable to understand what was being asked. The street where she found him is called the Cigar Lounge. A spoof to the high society restaurant across town, this street houses all the homeless druggies. She had searched for Kat in numerous places in the United States. This is where the young detective brought her to identify Kat.

"He is definitely Mr. Kartik, Miss Siddhi. People here recognized him with the photograph shown. He started living the shelter at the end of the street, they say. But, then as is the tradition he got back to his addiction. You know there are a few people living in the projects who still aren't abused by drugs. But they are also soon to be. But I think he is definitely Kartik. What do you think Siddhi?", Detective Cross asked.

"I know he his Kartik. But I don't know how to react. Be happy that I found him after three years?

After all, it was my mistake to let him go...

As they had said, if you love a person so much, you should let him go, if he loved you back he would come back - otherwise he didn't ever...

to be continued

Coffee and a Cig

"You want to go for a cup of coffee?" asked Kat.
"Sure, although I want to go for a smoke, I will join you." replied Sid.


They walked on the winding foot path leading to a small open cafe. That was their usual meeting place. While it seemed like they were dating, they weren't. They were what at best two casual friends can become. Kat was as addicted to coffee, as Sid was to fags.

"When are you planning to leave that bad habit?"
"Whenever you leave yours!"

"What? Coffee is nor as addictive and neither as unhealthy as cigarettes."
"OK, whatever, addiction is addiction. You can't leave it one fine day. It takes time. Well can you leave your coffee, well say today?"

"Yes I can. If I believe it is very unhealthy. OK lets do one thing, I wont have coffee today, you don't have your cigs. We will both go and have apple juice then."
"Whatever. We will see."

"No promise me, we will start from today."
"OK OK. Lets go about it today. And the time I catch you having a sip of that caffeine-heavy drink, you will know where the smoke is coming from!"

"Uh waiter, please get us two glasses of fresh Apple juice." "So, hows auntie and uncle?"
"Gosh, tum bhi na roz roz. You ask me the same question everyday. I hardly call them, say once a week."

"Well, you should call them more often then. They are your parents! Anyways, how is your old friend these days? The one who used to call you like five times a day?"
"Well, that friend is no longer in my life. I am damn happy about this fact. And no more questions on this topic."

"OK, well" In the meantime the waiter came and served them two glasses of Apple Juice. "Well this doesn't look fresh. Waiter....... did you bring it out of a can?"
The waiter totally ignored the question and took the glasses away, and quickly brought two new glasses which apparently satisfied Kat.
"Well that's what you call fresh juice!"
"You are too particular! Loosen up!"

"Why should I loosen up? You know what happens when one drinks canned juice?"
"What? One dies? Right" "Ha ha ha, as I said loosen up"

"Ok ok. Anyways, so where were we?"
"In a cafe!"

"Ha ha ha, nice joke really. That is what your idea of loosening up was?" "Ha ha ha."
"Yes. I have another idea."

Sid got up and kissed on Kat's cheeks.

"What are you doing Siddhi. You are a girl."
"Well Kartik, being a boy you should be the one doing this long ago!"

to be continued....