Marry Me

Chapter- 6 UNCLE SAM.

"Wait." I say, "Do you have a cap or anything else to walk away from the parking lot?"

"No," he says guiltily as he turns to me, his eyebrows scrunching in frustration. "I thought-"

"Don't worry about it, I'll get you a coffee and a way to get there, just give me five minutes. I am gonna be there," I point towards the Boîte down the right of the parking lot.

"Okay," He says reluctantly.

Uncle Sam was a retired army general who had a dream of opening up a cafe when he was sixteen, but had to join Army in the 1970's Indo-Pakistani war. His whole family had an Army background. His grandfather, he had hushed to Kiyansh and I once, was one of the founders of RAW so it was inevitable of him to not join the army when the country needed him. He had said, over the years he had made coffee for his fellow soldiers in the Indian Army and after the retirement, he had been finally able to chase his dreams and opened up several boîtes all across Delhi from his savings. And now, he was a full-time owner of 52 establishments famous for the best coffee and cheese sandwiches in Delhi. But he mainly handles everything from this small open booth style one in CP. He always says, "Because everything started from here."

As I was expecting, I find him standing behind the counter. He was a lean, sinewy man with a big grey moustache and shrewd eyes like a cat's. The kind of man you would think twice before talking to at first, but when you really got to know him, he was just a big softy from inside who loved to collect everything related to Tom and Jerry and cartoon network. In fact, he was wearing a grey- red Tom and Jerry vintage t-shirt and a newsboy cap. One more fact about him, he loved to wear caps, the reason I promised Ayan I would find a way to get him inside at the back kitchen.

Uncle Sam says something sternly to his employee and turns to fill two glasses with syrup, which he handles to the two customers standing in a line, he is passing the customers the receipt when his eyes meet mine, and becomes all wide and happy, "Senorita," he shouts from there. The two customers turn to stare in my direction and I blush. He had his own names for us.

I walk to the counter, and laugh, beaming at him, "Hey Sam, how are you?"

"I am good," he pats on the counter and says to the employ, "Bring me two cups for STAR IRISH." The employ, whose name I read Ashvin, must be new because he looks at me all wide-eyed. Star Irish is Kiyansh's and my special coffee. "Come on get inside," Uncle Sam says to me opening the small gate on the right of the counter, and becomes busy as Ashvin handles him the cup and he turns to make the coffee. Two minutes later he presses up the cap and turns to me holding two cups of Star Irish, he puts them on the counter and looks behind me, "Where is Migo?"

Migo is Kiyansh's nickname. A sick feeling starts to churn in my gut. "I don't want to talk about him right now Sam."

Sam's tawny eyes lands up on me, as he carefully nods up at me. He knows everything about me and Kiyansh. I have had crying sessions with Uncle Sam before, and he has patted my head and made me thousands of Star Irish over it. But right now I just needed an escape from Kiyansh talk. "Okay Senorita. We will not talk about Migo. Come on now, have this." He passes up the coffee to me, as four another customers come beside me. He silently motions Ashvin to handle them and his eyes land back on me as he takes a sip from the other cup, and tells me come to the back kitchen with him so we can sit and talk.

My phone starts ringing in my hand. I check up the caller ID and look across the parking lot, to find Ayan's face sticking to the window of the Sedan like a cartoon character kid who was forced to sit inside the car while the elders were having ice cream alone. He motions at me to pick up the phone call and I do. "Who is that man in yellow Tom and Jerry t-shirt who is drinking my coffee," He growls from the other end. I roll my eyes at him from across the lot. Two year old kid, I think fondly.