Beautiful Stranger (How I Met Your Mother)

08. Setback

Third night in a row, Ted was feeling awfully brittle after working for not less than six hours without coffee. He was running a week late from his deadline. After his ninth sketch of the night, he had been overwhelmed by the sudden realization that the legal framework of the concept he had been working on was gravely misconceived by him. He had wasted a lot of his precious time chasing after an ambiguity. He had to start over.

Although, it wasn't the unfinished project that had been keeping him awake.

Since that night at the bar, Nisha had shut him out. She hadn't been responding to his texts or calls or even voice mails. He enquired Marshall if he had spoken to her in class, who told him she hadn't been coming to school.

A couple of weeks in, Ted had been feeling deeply connected to her. He was almost sure she had felt the same way. But then her sudden ignorance was too cold for him. From what he had learned about Nisha, her silence had made him see a new side to her whole personality that he feared could end things between them. He wasn't sure if his closeness with Robin was the reason behind her disappearance. If it was, he really had to do something about him. He couldn't lose another great girl for Robin.

"Hey, Man. Everything okay?"

Marshall stood across the table Ted was working on, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah. Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No. I was just out to get water. But, why are you still awake? It's five in the morning."

"Oh. Is it? Well, I had to finish this sketch for the big presentation tomorrow. I mean, today." Ted replied.

"You have to leave in four hours, dude. You should get some sleep before that. How much of the work is still left?" Marshall asked.

"Well after I wasted like six hours working on something futile, I am gonna say EVERYTHING." Ted smiled, tiredly.

"Do you want me to make you some coffee?"

"Nah. I'm alright."

"Are you, Ted?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Ted."

Ted didn't respond to that.

Marshall pulled an ottoman and sat down near him.

"I don't get it." Ted pondered for some moments, and then continued, "My heart says things will be fine. If Nisha and I are meant to be together, it would happen regardless of whether or not Robin is my friend. But then my mind somewhere knows that I might have to stop seeing her if I am ever going to have a love life. Argh! Why am I boring you with this? Sorry man. You should get some sleep."

"I can't believe you actually said that." Marshall added.

"What?"

"You have never talked about not seeing Robin. You know, it tells how much you have started to like this girl."

"Yeah. I guess so. She is so nice and kind and... hot. I still wish she had talked to me once. I just needed one chance to explain that nothing is really between me and Robin." Ted spoke, wearily.

"And then what? Even if she accepts your explanation, you think she will really be okay with you hanging out with a girl you left so many other girls for?" Marshall asked, considerately.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Cut off Robin?" Ted asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Can you even get yourself to do that?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. God, it pains to even think about it." Ted muttered. "You decide for me."

"What? Oh. No no. I can't"

"Yes, you can. And you will. And whatever happens, I won't blame you."

"Fine." Marshall paused. He later spoke, "If I were you, I would go up to Nisha's apartment, and explain to her how I really feel about Robin. And even after that if she wasn't convinced... I would..." His eyes looked into Ted's, guilty for what he was about to say. "I think then I would have to end things with Robin. Don't get me wrong, Ted. Your history with Robin has been jeopardizing your relationships whether you notice it or not. And it's not just about Nisha but about all the future women who may have a problem with your closeness with Robin. You can't expect all of them to accept your friendship with her, which we all have known is more than that."

Ted didn't say anything for a while.

"Come on, Man. Say something."

"You're right. I hate it, but you are."

Marshall saw sadness in his face. He was worried he had said the wrong thing.

"Ted, if you go through with this, and then things still don't work out between you and Nisha, you will be the biggest idiot, besides me of course." Marshal's expressions dropped.

"I guess we will have to wait to find that out, Right?"

"I'm sorry, but is it okay if I go back to bed? I have a seminar to attend in a few hours. And you should get some sleep too. Okay?"

"Oh. No problem. I need some more time to finish this sketch. Will take a nap after that."

Marshal got up from the ottoman. "Good night, Man."

"Good night."