Life with(out) him

Chapter 5

Mira

I saw him, and his friends of course, though I wasn't really intrigued by them, just him in particular. So I saw him getting up, bidding goodbyes to his friends. Were they leaving? Not that I cared, or did I? I couldn't help thinking about the magnetic smile that he gave me about an hour ago. Why did he seem so familiar? I thought about it for the umpteenth time this evening. I shook my head to push him and his thoughts out. It was Shweta's bad evening today, and she needed the consoling, I decided to let Mr. attractive go for the rest of the evening. Time seemed to have stopped still or so I thought when suddenly I heard Radha over the loud rock music, 'Who's it? That guy at the bar?' I looked around trying to search for Shweta. I mean what was wrong with Radha, it was Shweta's night and a total No-Guy evening right? 'Shweta's gone to the washroom and I couldn't wait to ask you this, because I can see you're so full of thoughts about him already.'
'I'm not. He just seemed way too familiar somehow that's all.' And somehow I kept on telling my mind this, trying in vain to convince my heart about it.

Shweta had a nice smile pasted on her face when she was back. That seriously did not seem like a break up evening. Weird. 'You sure you were in the washroom honey?' She smiled wider at that, 'Yes I was, but I met someone on my way out here and we talked a bit, and somehow he made me realize that Manav was a jerk like many here and did not deserve me! So yes no more sulking.' Okay, she met a random stranger when she was drunk. Was that good? No. She told a random stranger about her relationship and the breakup. Now was this okay? No. And she believed what that random stranger told her rather than what her best friends did even if both had actually said the same thing? What part of this made sense? Yes right, none of it did. I looked at Radha with a concerned look on my face and she seemed to mirror my look as well. 'Yes honey time to wrap up and go home. Radha am I right?' 'Uh-huh!' I guess she was beyond any words at the moment. But Shweta seemed to pay no heed to us at all. She sat down excitedly at the table, 'Listen to this guys please, I'm glad to have run into them!'
'Them? I thought you said him!' Now this was getting even more confusing, was it just my mind or were it the drinks that I had?
'No, they were three of them one of them was on the phone with someone, that's not the point. Well I kind of dashed into one of them and I yelled at him for no reason, well because you know the No-Guy night and all, and especially after this breakup I was way too angry with the entire gender in itself.' Yes. It wasn't just me Radha had her mouth open too. What was wrong with this woman sitting with us? We do not behave friendly with strangers! But she seemed to not care and continued her saga 'So somehow the other guy understood why I was behaving the way I was, funny he asked me if I was the person who had the breakup?' What? Was she that obvious this entire evening? Wait! No! This cannot be happening. I had blabbed about my friend having a breakup and about a No-Guy evening to one guy in here. And yes if I wasn't mistaken he was here with two of his friends of which one could easily have been on the phone which left us with two! No! Not that stranger guy who seemed familiar and who now had my phone number!

'Um, was one of them like tall and handsome with an infectious smile?' Shweta frowned as if trying to remember and during that miniscule of a second I prayed to god hoping that I was wrong. She broke into a huge smile, 'Yes! Now that you point out the one who actually made me realize that I was being stupid about all this did indeed have a magnetic smile.' I stole a glance at Radha shrugging my shoulders in defeat, and Radha in return just had to close her eyes and shake her head. That guy had actually gone out of his way to help my friend out. He was indeed a keeper! Keeper? Woman get your head straight. I was lost in thoughts about a lot of things now – the strange familiarity, that infectious smile, his eyes that sparkled like stars in the night sky, and the way he'd helped my best friend, the damsel in distress. I couldn't believe in the fact that such guys even existed in today's world. I was glad to hear when Radha finally called it a happy end to the evening. It wasn't long before we hugged each other and I was on my way back home.

'Hey you!' I recognized the voice even before I turned around to face the person to whom it belonged. Radha. She just couldn't wait to hear it all out from me. So yes. I narrated the entire evening to her, in detail. The conversation, the handsome man. Everything. 'So wait, why do you think him to be someone familiar? You recognise him from somewhere?'
'No! And I hate the fact that I know him somehow and I cannot place him in my mind!' I couldn't have sounded more exasperated I knew. 'Oh forget it, don't think about it much. And anyway it's not like you'll see him again. I mean you don't even know his name.'
'Yes. Now that you mention it. About that. Well he kind of asked me for a random name and number like I already told you but I gave him mine.' Radha stopped dead in her tracks right beside me. 'You did what?! Why would you give your number to a stranger?' But before I could even answer to that she continued 'You know what this entire evening is just getting weirder by the second. First Shweta and then you. Drunkards.' I couldn't help myself but I had to put it in front of her, 'It's not like he'll figure it out that it is actually my number right?' and even though I was hoping this were the case my voice didn't quite agree with the reason and it came out quite meekly.

I reached home and I couldn't help wonder would he even call me? Wait, did I want him to call me? My brain and my heart definitely had an inward fight going on there I could sense. When suddenly my phone buzzed. An unknown number. My heart started beating at a much faster rate. Could it be possible that it was the stranger? I picked up and uttered a very hollow 'hello!' into it. What was wrong with me? Was my voice dead beyond reason? And all I could hear from the other end was laughter. High pitched known squeals of laughter. 'I hate you Radha! Dammit. What is wrong with you?' 'Duh! Wrong with me? Honey you're the one that needs to visit the psychiatrist! Giving your cell number to an unknown person.'
'Well, in my defence I did tell you he seemed familiar.'
'Blah blah! Try all you want, you are weird.' And yes that went on for some more time. And I did eventually give up on the idea that he'd want to call up just in case. And just as I was about to turn my light off and go off to sleep my phone buzzed once again. And the screen flashed an unknown number once more. Okay I was ready for it this time. 'Give it up Radha, I'm not falling for it again. Stop with it already.' And somehow there were no giggles from the other end this time. 'Hello? Radha? You there?' and then I heard that voice. The one I knew I was longing to hear. 'Hi Mira, sorry to disappoint you but it's not Radha. It's me!'