An Unknown Girl (Chapter 2)

That short time feelings were so beautiful. I don't know whether it was love or attraction or imagination or what. But that day I smiled after a decade. After that whenever I booked shared cab, my mind made my eyes to look the co-passengers list in the cab booking app. Not even once I found Shruti again. That unknown girl, I missed her whenever I saw yellow board cabs and cab booking app in my phone.

I tried booking cab from same location. But she was disappeared like Mr India. I was controlled by my heart which was forcing me to get back to that unknown girl, that Shruti.

It was 20 December, exactly one month before I met that unknown girl. I almost stopped hoping to see that unknown girl again. I stopped expecting as well. But life surprises you with things when you least expect.

It was Friday afternoon; I wasn't feeling well. Thursday I was on leave. But some work was pending, that's why I decided to go to office half day. Anyhow I managed to travel to office.

I tried completing pending tasks, but due to coughing, I couldn't concentrate. In every 20 minutes I was taking breaks.

Then I informed to my reporting manager about my health issue and asked him for leave for half day. His reply wasn't straight. He asked me to get done the pending tasks from Dheeraj and then I can leave. Dheeraj was new to Android development, no doubt, he needs little more to complete this work. I can't wait till he completes it. Better I would have completed quickly. I explained task details to Dheeraj, and I didn't have enough energy to walk to bus stand which was only 400 meters far from my office. So, I booked the shared cab. Even this time I checked co passengers list, there was no Shruti. But I didn't want to go home early. I decided to visit Vega City Mall for some time and then direct home.

I reached Vega City Mall in about an hour, there were no much traffic. I de-boarded the cab and took a glance of mall from the road. I saw entrance of the mall was decorated well for Christmas. Most people were busy in clicking pictures with the decoration. Some people were standing outside waiting for cabs or their near and dear ones. I entered inside the mall. There was hustle-bustle of people. Loud music was playing in the background. I directly went to third floor where I usually visit without even noticing here and there and ordered cappuccino. I visited this mall regularly as it was on the way to my office. Luckily, I got the corner seat. Third floor was full of food stalls. Chairs were arranged outside the stalls.

I settled down and kept my bag on the chair beside me. I called my junior team member to check the status of work. Unfortunately, he couldn't complete. As my manager told us to finish it today itself. I took out my laptop and started completing the task. I wrote couple of lines of code. I was kind of lost in coding. I didn't even notice what was going on surrounding me. I tested my code, wow it worked in very first attempt.

For developers, it is one of happy moments. I felt like dancing and celebrating this small success. I was just cross checking the things and it was getting uploaded. I took out my eyes from laptop screen to the surrounding. I steal a glance, but there were nothing looking interesting.

Suddenly my eyes stuck at another side corner seat. Still cappuccino was in glass. I haven’t taken a single sip. My eyes were locked at that white top girl and blonde long hair. But she was too busy in staring stalls and I was busy in looking at her. I couldn’t see her face as she was looking another side, I could only see the side look of her face. Her face looked familiar. I hold on a second and tried remembering the face, but I couldn’t remember. I was waiting for her to look at my side, not me my side was enough for me. I tried to get back to work, I forced myself. Finally, “data uploaded successfully” message pop-up on my laptop screen.

She was staring stalls from long time. I just noticed that, she was sitting in four-seater table. Opposite side a guy and a girl were sitting and another side she was sitting alone. The guy and the girl were sitting reverse direction, I couldn’t see their faces.

I locked my laptop and resumed looking at her. A countdown started in my mind, 5…4…3 and finally her eyes went off from food stalls to food now and I got chance to see her face. I saw her properly. It didn’t even take a second to identify the face. I wasn’t believing, what I saw just now.

My mind gone through an array of questions, “Is it dream?”,

“is she that unknown girl”, “is she really Shruti?”

I took large sip of cappuccino, cleaned my eyes and looked again. Oh my god, that was Shruti. I wasn’t believing it. My heart started beating fast. I didn’t know why, but I felt scared, what if she catches me staring her?

My mind and heart were in battle, but the heart won. I decided to resume looking at her. But now she was staring food and having it as if food was her true love.

Finally, after so many minutes, her eyes came on me and I was so stupid that my eyes already on her. Our eyes met for couple of seconds and she looked other side it looked like she was thinking something. I got scared. I unlocked my laptop and opened and started typing random words, pretended like I was busy in doing something important.

I didn’t even move my eyes from laptop screen for couple of minutes. Then I turned my eyes without turning the head. I just saw that she was continuously looking at me.

Anyhow I managed to look at her again, it didn’t even take a second for eye contact and she smiled, and I smiled back.

I waved my hand without thinking anything and surrounding and she waved back.

I asked her in language of indication,

“Can I come there”

It looked like she understood. She closed her eyes for a while and asked me to hold for some time in the same language.

Still food was there in her plate. She started having food quickly. In every minute, we were looking at each other and smiling.

Finally, she was done with the food. She was talking something to the guy and girl sitting next to her. She went to washroom. Still I wasn’t believing what was happening, Now I was staring the empty chair where she was sitting. She took 2 minutes and 30 seconds to come back from washroom. I knew exact because my eyes were on my watch and the empty chair. I was interchanging glances from empty chair to my watch.

Damn, those 2 minutes and 30 seconds looked too long. I was hoping to see her again. Meanwhile I finished my cappuccino and packed my bag and cleaned my face with tissue.

She went back to her seat. Neither she looked at my side nor she came to me. My heart started feeling heavy. I did put my one hand on my head. I didn’t know but I was worried. I started thinking that how could she do like this to me. Although nothing was happened between us, but her ignorance was killing me. In my mind “Jag suna suna lage” was playing. The most heart-breaking song from Bollywood.

An array of negative thoughts was floating in my mind,

“Why she didn’t look here”, “Why she didn’t smile”.

Although it wasn’t even five minutes, but it disturbed like hell. Why her ignorance of five minutes affecting me like anything?

I decided to not to look at her and move on with the life however it was going. I didn’t know why but I gave up in just five minutes. But I couldn’t convince my heart.

“Nothing wrong in trying once more, patience bro, patience.

I told this to myself only calm down.

I moved my eyes towards her. I saw three of them were looking at me. I got scared. I started looking empty class of cappuccino. Before turning my eyes, I noticed that she was laughing, maybe on my reaction.

A little later, I looked again. I saw the guy and girl’s chair were vacant. She was sitting alone and looking towards me. Our eyes met again.

She put her iPhone back to her purse and cleaned her face with tissue. She got up from the chair. She started walking, but her direction of walking was little confusing because in between there were traffic of some tables and walking people. She had to take some right and some lefts. I didn’t know why she wasn’t looking at me while walking. Still I couldn’t understand her destination pf this walk. When she crossed my closet table. I got to know to that her destination was somewhere near me or maybe me.

She finally looked at me, I was already looking her.

‘Hi’ I said to her from a distance, even though she wasn’t yet come closer. I noticed there were many persons who looked at me. She didn’t anything. She just smiled.

I didn’t speak anything further. I couldn’t speak. It was strange situation for me. I felt like she was uncomfortable.

This feeling made me uncomfortable. She was standing next to my table now.

I quickly got up from my chair, pulled chair beside like gentle man.

“Please have a seat “, I said with bright smile.

Still her face was little sadist, I was sure that she wasn’t comfortable. It’s natural, you know when you talk or meet to strangers or new person, initially you feel little uncomfortable.

We passed some smiles to each other without saying anything. Initially couple of minutes, we were repeating it.

I thought of starting conversion.

It’s said, ‘Ladies First’, then why ladies won’t initiate conversion?

I practiced in my mind that how to ask her whether she want to have something. Even though I knew she had heavy food just now. I was confused what to ask.

“Would you like to have something”. That’s too old and I erased it in my mind.

“Would you like to have coffee?”. Again, I erased it, she could be tea lover. If I ask her for lunch, she might say no as she had just now.

I was struggling hard just for asking simple thing. Damn poor me.

What about asking her, her favorite drink. That’s sounded good to me and I got convinced and in no time, I decided to ask this.

“What do you like coffee or tea?” I asked breaking the silence and still maintaining back to back smiles.

“Coffee and what about you?” She reposed taking no time.

“Coffee too” I said quickly without even thinking anything. I was die-hard fan of tea and specially I never missed roadside tea shop’s delicious tea. I did not know why I said coffee to her.

I could see, she felt a bit comfort. She might think that, and I won’t talk and will continue with smiling.

“Excuse me, I will back in 2 minutes” I said and walked to Starbucks which in ground floor of the mall. I didn’t even wait for her response.

But two minutes were not enough at all, But we Indians are like this only, we have magical power to extent the validity of these two minutes to 15 or 20 minutes.

I reached Starbucks and quickly ordered one coffee only. It was my second experience of Starbucks, so I was aware of prices. I thought of saving it and I could use this money for tea for 10 days in roadside tea shops. And moreover, I am Marwadi and we have this feature built in. I kept my excuse ready for not having coffee in my mind, if in case Shruti asks.

I asked them to parcel it. There was no much rush at all so they quickly handover the coffee to me along with the bill. I didn’t look to bill at all. I quickly went back to third floor. I didn’t know how much time it took but it exceeded two minutes for sure.

Now I was at third floor near to escalator and noticed her from there. I saw that she was locking and unlocking her iPhone repeatedly. We do, this kind of stuff when either we are bored or feeling uncomfortable.

I went to her and said sorry for the delay. She continued with locking and unlocking stuff and she looked to me.

“Hmmm”, she said. She didn’t even notice me properly. Damn it was our first unplanned meeting or date or what and I already made her feel bore and uncomfortable.

I kept the parcel of coffee on the table and passed it her without saying anything. Eventually, she kept her iPhone aside and looked at me. I pulled coffee parcel back to me and I opened it and took out the glass and pass it to her.

She read the brand name on the glass. I looked like that she was angry by seeing it. I felt like she will shout at me. She might control it and managed to smile.

I didn’t count the number of smiles we had exchanged so far, probably it crossed 100 for sure. But what was it, why was it, I didn’t understand? I felt good when she was around me this day and that cab incident day.

She picked the glass in her hand and started taking sip of coffee and same time her eyes were on me.

“You like coffee know, then where is your coffee?” She asked.

As I expected this question from her and fortunately my excuse was ready.

“Just now I had cappuccino, having much is not good for health” I said.

She continued with her coffee and she looked convinced with my answer.

She looked again to my eyes.

“What’s your name by the way?” She asked

“You don’t know name of the boy, but you are having coffee with stranger huh?” I said with little fake anger in my eyes and voice.

“Arey! That day you didn’t tell me your name know; Mujhe kaise pata chalega (how will I know)” She said and smiled to calm down my fake anger. She spoked last sentence in Hindi that made me smile. I was finding little difficulty in speaking English specially with her.

“Aapne pucha tha mera naam huh?” (Did you ask my name huh) I said sarcastically. I noticed her, she looked clueless. I could feel that she didn’t have any reply for it. All she did was laughed and nodded her head.

“Hello, my name is Mukesh”, I said with bright smile and extended my hand for handshake. So, did she.

I didn’t ask her name because I knew her name already but, I didn’t know that whether she knew that I knew her name or not.

“Hello, my name is”, She said but I interrupted her.

“ You are Shruti sorry Shruti P right?” I said pretending as if I knew anything about her.

“Hey how do you know my name?” She asked taking no time. I could see curiosity on her face.

“Arey IT wale hai hum”, I said

I was damn sure that she didn’t get what I meant to say. I didn’t want to share it this early.

“Tell me pleaseeeee” She said.

A way she pronounced ‘Please’, Damn already her voice was sweet. It added 25% extra sweetness in her voice.

I thought of extending this drama for some time more. But the way she pronounced please word. I melted.

“Nothing tricky, I saw your name in cab booking app that day” I said.

She paid all her attention to me when I said it.

As I finished saying this. I could her taking deep breaths and she looked relax.

I thought of asking her whether everything was alright or not. But she looked calm and relax. So, I didn’t want to embrace by asking this kind of stuff.

“Oh okay” She said and smiled. So did I.

I glanced at my Titan watch and it was 5.30 Pm. She went to washroom. She left or forgot her purse and iPhone on the table.

I was looking the empty chair where she sat. I was thinking

‘why that message listing page is not sorting. I am using the same code with user listing page there it is working, then why it’s not working here, Dheeraj might have pushed wrong code, I need to see it.’

I heard her iPhone ringing and made me come out my thoughts. I looked at her iPhone screen, I saw caller name flashing on it. It was

“Nyra Salon, Arekere”

Few minutes later, she came back. She sat on chair.

“Sorry yaar” She said

I didn’t say anything just smiled and I informed her that she was getting call.

Quickly she picked up her iPhone and called back. She finished talking over phone.

“Okay, okay”, That’s all heard her talking.

She disconnected the call.

“Sorry, I have to go now.” She said. Her face was sadist and worried and smile was disappeared from her face the moment she checked her phone.

Even this time too we couldn’t talk. She said that she works at ‘Nyra Salon’ which at Brigade road as makeup artist. But today she needs to visit another branch which is at Bannergatta Road.

“Hey, even my office is near Brigade road” I said and smile to make her smile and but this time she didn’t smile. Still she was quite worried.

“Is everything alright?” I asked

“Nothing yaar, it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the coffee. Now I need to go yaar” She said, and she paused.

“I am already late” She added and forcefully passed a smile.

“That’s alright yaar, thanks for coming here. Its nice meeting you again.” I said and smiled like an idiot.

“Now, we are friends, right?” I added

“Haan re, ache wale friends” (Yes, good friends) she said

I could see, she was comfortable talking. I felt like she wanted to spend little more time with me.

“See you yaar, bye” She said, and we exchanged another smile.

I didn’t say anything. I just waved my hand. Eventually she kept her iPhone back to her purse and got up from the chair and started walking towards the escalator. When she reached at escalator. She looked back and caught me looking at her.

We exchanged another smile, probably last smile and in no time she disappeared. I was still sitting on the chair. I wasn’t in sense that what has happened just now. I was thinking whether it really happened, or I was just daydreaming, or it was just imagination.

Oh shit, this time too, I didn’t take any contact detail of her.

Why that stupid call came. I cursed myself for everything.

For couple of minutes, I was sitting, putting one hand on my head as if something bad had happened to me. Things became little hard for me. It was hard to get back to reality again without her.

“Arey, at least you spoke with her, 100 plus smiles you exchanged, what else you need man” Inner me said me. I felt little better. I shooked my head.
Oh yes, I knew where she works. That could be way, I could she her again. That wasn’t the last smile.
This thought charged my mood and I smiled and laughed alone like an idiot in public.
So far, I hadn’t notice what was happening surrounding. I glanced at surrounding. There were many persons whose eyes were on me. I felt embraced. I kept my bag on my shoulders and in no time left the mall.
I boarded the first bus from bus stop which right outside of the mall. On the way, This meeting with her revolving in my mind. I was happy.
I reached home and quickly had dinner. I called my best friend and shared this incident with him. The way I was talking, it had huge change this is what my friend said.
“Inshaallah bro, now everything will be good Muku” my friend said.
We spoke about two hours and I went to sleep. In my mind meeting with that unknown girl was revolving. I didn’t know when I slept.

To be continued...

This was the chapter 2 of "An Unknown Girl".
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Chapter 3 of "An Unknown Girl" is released.
Read Chapter 3 of An Unknown Girl