The Meet Cute

Thinking back to how they had met for the very first time, Ria couldn’t help but wonder how time flew by in the past two years. What started with having a cup of coffee at the office cafeteria transitioned into a series of a million cups of coffee, a billion office lunches and a gazillion moments of small talk. There was no denying the fact that she liked talking to Aarush. She couldn’t really explain it but she felt attracted to him. But, so what? She wasn’t stupid enough to think they had any future together.

Even if there was a possibility that he liked her back, Ria had her own demons to take care of. These very demons were responsible for giving her that distinct sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach every now and then. They got stirred up by painful memories of her past. They hijacked her sleep and appetite at will. The only constant in her life, that got her through all this, was her counselor. She was grateful for having been able to find her. Had it not been for her, Ria might not have been able to make it. She was more than a seasoned mental health practitioner for Ria. She was her confidante and her guiding light. Ria could share her vulnerabilities with her and not feel exposed. She could work through her pain, anger, guilt, shame, bitterness, and what not, while taking therapy sessions with her.

Ria knew that she had a long way to go before she felt healed and whole. There was a lot, she still needed to work upon. So, she couldn’t allow herself to think about having anything more with Aarush. They had coffee, they took lunch breaks together and they made small talk. That was all, there was to it. To an outsider, they would seem like a pair of office colleagues who were friendly towards each other. Friendly, not friends. Aarush might make her feel things that she hadn’t felt in a long time, but she wasn’t going to dwell on that. She wasn’t going to push herself down this slippery slope again. She knew she trusted far too easily and this had been her downfall, the last time. Well, she wasn’t one to repeat her mistakes. She had learnt her lesson and she was determined to do better. She was not falling in that trap, ever again.

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He couldn’t believe his luck. Aarush knew he had had a crush on Ria ever since he saw her, but he just couldn’t believe his luck. She genuinely seemed to like talking to him but she was way out of his league! She was so good-looking and he was not, at least not in the conventional way. He wanted to ask her out on a date but he wasn’t sure. What if she said no? They were in the same team and he didn’t want things to be awkward. So, did he or did he not have the guts to take the plunge? Well, what was the worst that could happen? She would say no. Even if she said no, she would do it in a dignified manner. That much, he was sure about. Whatever he had observed about her, he knew one thing for certain. She was a nice person. She wasn’t a sadist. So, maybe it was worth a try. He would just walk up to her and directly ask her. No beating around the bush. If she said no, then he would forget all about her. Or at least try to.

As she looked up from her laptop, Ria suddenly realized the lateness of the hour. The office was almost empty. Any later and she would not get a cab for home. She got up and started packing her stuff. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Aarush walking towards her. Maybe he wanted to say bye. As she looked up, he said, “Hey, leaving so early?”

She replied, “Haha, yes, so early that it’s almost dark outside.”

“Hmm. Hey, do you want to grab a cup of coffee sometime?”

“You mean in the cafeteria?”

“No. I mean outside.”

She laughed a little awkwardly and said, “Oh. Umm, that sounds like a date.”

“Yes. I want it to be like a date.”

Ria wasn’t expecting this. She was suddenly at a complete loss of words. As Aarush stood there, waiting with bated breath, she said softy, “Umm, you probably don’t know this about me but I am..”

To her surprise, he cut her off and said, “I know.”

She was taken aback by his answer. She wasn’t sure that he understood what she was trying to say. So, she tried again, “No, I don’t think you know this about me. I am a..”

Again, he cut her off and said, more vehemently this time, “Ria, I know! I am too.”

Something in his tone suggested that he really knew. She couldn’t believe her ears. She had been so meticulous with her web of lies. All of a sudden, she could feel it come crashing down, taking her along with it. How the hell had her truth escaped out from her web of lies? Who all knew? She had been so sure that nobody at office knew. How could they know? She had been extremely careful. And he had said that he was also… Did that mean what she thought that meant? No, this was a joke. He was bluffing. She could feel the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach expanding. No, now was not the time to get freaked out. “Keep calm”, she told herself. She could still get out of this unscathed. She just needed to call his bluff.

Speaking with an air of confidence that she didn’t really feel, she said, “Well, if you know so much about me, then you surely know that I also have a kid.” As she said this, his eyes widened for a moment and Ria could feel the smug satisfaction on her face.

He took a deep breath and said in an even tone, “I do too.”

What!! How was that possible? She hadn’t recovered from this shock, when he asked her again, “So, will you go out with me?”

She found herself answering, “Yes.” It seemed like her mouth had moved on its own and she had no control over it.

Oh God. Oh no! Before she could take her words back, he smiled and said, “Okay. So, let’s go tomorrow after office.”

Words failed her. She didn’t really trust her treacherous mouth. Non-verbal cues would have to do. She just nodded her acquiescence.

He said, “Great, see you tomorrow then.” He thought to himself, “That was amazing!” and walked away. She stood rooted to the spot and thought to herself, “That was a total disaster!”

Written By – Aastha Aggarwal

Aastha is a bibliophile, a foodie, a consulting professional and a full-time mum who is currently living in Noida. Writing is a cathartic process for her. She endeavours to inspire the next generation of readers with her writing.