15:30

Twenty Seven

"TARA!"

"Woah big man! Taking note of the extreme delight in your voice, I'm guessing the dinner last night with your dad went really well!"

"No it was what happened after the dinner that has gotten me all excited!"

"Really? Tell me about it."

"So after dinner, I was driving home. Then I passed Wanderlust, just as I was thinking about what I would do for the rest of my break. It was like a sign."

"Wow , you really believe in those."

"Yes! And then one thing led to another, and now I'm going for a holiday!"

"Wohoo!! That is brilliant. I'm so happy for you."

"Me too! This is my first real vacation in years. I don't even remember the last time I took a nice long vacation. The last time I boarded a plane headed to a holiday spot not business meeting. Oh man, I'm super excited."

Jay sounded so confident, that it made Tara feel happy. He had never sounded like that before. Maybe travel was really his true calling.

"And you totally deserve it. So, when do you leave?"

"Friday evening.As soon as I got home from Brian's last night, I sat and booked my tickets. I leave this Friday, and return next Sunday."

"Oh. That's pretty much the rest of your break," she said, her tone dropping.

"Yeah, yeah it is. But , don't you think its high time I got outta here. I really want to go on this holiday."

"And I'm never going to come in between you and your desires. Oh , I almost forgot. Where exactly are you going?"

"The Hague."

"Netherlands! Phenomenal choice. Lucky you man. I want to go too. Don't forget to see the International Court of Justice headquarters. I've always wanted to go there, even as a child."

"You can come with me, you know."

"I would love to, but you know, not all of us have a break right now. "

"I understand. But atleast you'll come see me off at the airport?"

"That I surely will."

"And one last thing. I'm not carrying my phone with me."

Tara's expression changed drastically.

"No phone? Well obviously you'll carry some other mode of communication."

"Nothing at all. I'm doing it the old way."

"Aww man , that sucks. Pretty sure Brian is giving you all these ideas."

"Yeah, but they make so much sense. I really think I'll be able to enjoy my holiday more this way."

"Probably. But what if there's an emergency here? How do we contact you then?"

"When I get to a hotel, I'll call you from the hotel phone. That way you'll have the number, and in case something comes up, you can leave message at the hotel. Emergencies are unlikely to come, but you know, just in case."

"I was really hoping you'd send me pictures from there."

"I'll send a postcard."

"You've really given it a lot of thought."

"Since last night. I didn't get any sleep. All I could think about was this little adventure of mine."

"Literally, listening to you right now is giving me joy. I'm glad you decided to do this."

"But I need your help. I have two days, and I need to pack and everything. Think you can help?"

"Obviously. I'm on it."

"You're the best!"

"I know I am."

"Shopping after work? I'll pick you up."

"Haha done. Always up for a shopping trip."

"One last thing, " Jay said, sounding serious," Will you miss me when I'm gone?"

"I will. Surprisingly. I will."

It hadn't even been twelve hours since Jay took the decision, and the first thing he did was call Tara. After the brief phone conversation ended Jay had a smile that couldn't be erased. Tara was happy for Jay, and maybe it was for the best that he went on the vacation. He wanted it, and they'd been seeing each other almost everyday. This would give both of them time to think about where things were headed.

Jay roamed around his huge apartment, preparing. He spent all morning looking for things he needed to carry and things he needed to buy.
And suddenly, he found Verita's poem, in his drawer. The more he read it, the better he felt. The poem dictated about taking chances. That's exactly what he had been doing in the past few days. Living spontaneously. Acting on impulses. Taking the chance.

****
Shopping with Tara was a lot more fun than expected. She knew exactly what looked best on him. She was like the friend you take to the store for second opinion. His packing and preparation glided smoothly, thanks to Tara. And they spent a lot of quality time together before he left.
Their feelings for each other did grow stronger in the process. For Jay, it was certainly one of the best of times.