FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, LIFE & MORE...

ONE DAY IN A CAFE - NOT QUITE A LOVE STORY

"Hey it's me, Rajvir, how'r you doing?"

A young handsome man of athletic build... No wonder the young and beautiful school teacher slightly blushed in her red attire.

But she had literally hesitated for this meeting when her Mom had said mockingly- "Meet him once. Not a bad idea to get married to a software engineer!"

"Really mom?" She had protested making faces before finally agreeing to it. She was a girl who enjoyed living an independent life and was devoted to it.

The greeting, exchanging names and few more random chats were enough to reveal to him that she had hardly changed.

"So you stay in Bangalore." she said, giving her cute smile away.

"Yes! Working for Wipro. Do you like Banglore?"

"Ofcourse, though I still prefer my hometown. Your family stays with you?"

Her way of smiling, her twinkling eyes were all the same. There were little changes in tastes though. Straightened hair that used to be curly once and her lips glossier if he was correct.

"Yes they do. Actually we are in the city for the last ten years. I graduated from there." he said.

"Oh I see." she said, as she stole a look at his muscular arms. Tough guy.

"Sorry I kept you waiting for twenty minutes. It's the traffic you know." he said.

"Ah it's fine, don't be."

"So you're a teacher? Which school?" He asked though he knew it too well.

"Don Bosco. Actually it's the very same school I passed my tenth from." she replied smiling.

"Really? It must be a good feeling to work for your own school then." he said..

"Yes indeed. I love teaching." she said.

He wasn't amazed that she didn't have the slightest idea of who he really was. It was long before they had met last.

They talked about this and that, as friends.

Friends. Shreya had been losing them with time. Those jolly school days when everything was great for her... Riya and Suzata, those rush hours, Madam Molly who had been more of a parent, those boring SS classes, those chatty recesses, and their endeavours none had any idea of. Then there were her boyfriends she was never a girlfriend for, crazy Raghav who never let her out of sight and that stupid innocent chubby Bittu who was her neighbour and her Mom's fav boy. No wonder the girls had paired her and Bittu throughout the tenth standard all for taunting. And Bittu's formal name was... ok, she couldn't remember. 'Motu Bittu' it was for all.

"So, what would you like to have? Shreya?" he asked, stressing on her name as she seemed lost.

"Huh? Oh. A cup of coffee would do." she said, tracing back to present.

He ordered black coffee along with chocolate cakes. Rajvir had liked her since their schooldays without her knowing. She was a particular girl in the class, especially who the boys fell for. After tenth, his family had moved away to Bangalore leaving his crush behind. He couldn't forget how her Mom loved him years ago, she would pinch his cheeks saying, "Kesa he Bittu beta!" And then last Friday she had exclaimed - "Bittu! Kitnaaa badal gaya tu!" - when he had paid a visit to Shreya's in her absence. Her parents were overjoyed at the prospect of their marriage as Rajvir's Dad had proposed a week before. They too had agreed to Rajvir on keeping his name a secret provided that Shreya would never remember it, except 'Bittu'. Since, he had little plans to surprise her. After all, she had to be convinced too.

"Tell me something about yourself." he said, sipping in the liquid and trying to figure it out how to put forward his proposal and reveal 'Bittu' once and for all.

"Well Rajvir, I am a simple down-to-earth girl who likes to live with her freedom. I don't possess big dreams and rather look forward for a happier life with someone adorable and caring." she said, lifting her gaze from her cup to him.

"Do I... uh... deserve you Shreya?" he asked back with a skeptical smile.

"Honestly, it's hard to tell. Do I know you Mr. Rajvir? We've just met." she said despite the fact that he had managed to impress her from the very first moment he stepped into the cafe.

"What if I say you do? What if I say that I had a soft corner for you for more than ten years?" he blurted out desperately.

Shreya stared at him for few seconds with a blank expression. Then changing her face to a severe interrogative look, she asked, "What did you just say?"

"Yes you know me! I asked your Mom not to. . ." he began.

"Who are you?" she sternly asked across the table trying to read him. A minute of silence... and then he decided to reveal.

"It's me, Bittu." he said, feeling almost the same childish fear he once had for her.

"WHAT?" She jumped out of her chair and stared at him.

"Motuuu? It's really you!!" she exclaimed realising what she had failed to notice all along. She fell back on the chair smiling wide.

The next minutes in the cafe were filled with jeers and laughs. "You want to marry me? School time crush huh? Hahaha.." She winked at him. Destiny brought her to a silly childhood friend. And she was somewhat willing to give it a try.

END