The smell of petrichor felt heavenly, the day was dull and grey as the Sun was playing hide and seek with dark clouds. The breeze was blowing with super cool dampness literally creating spine chilling effect.

“A lot can happen over a cup of coffee” he read the tag line for 96th time. It was half past four and every second seemed to move very slowly, he was waiting more than 40 minutes for her. He remembered the word “Punctuality”, exactly after 4 minutes and 23 seconds she made her appearance. She looked beautiful in her pale white shirt with black maxi skirt. Her eyes scanned the café and found him waving his hand.

Both smiled at each other. She said “Hi”

“Hi” He said

“I am really sorry for keep you waiting, it was raining cats and dogs” She said.

“No problem” He said.

“So nice of you to say that but first impression is best impression” She said

“It’s completely okay. Although you didn’t fail to impress me” He said.

Her eyes went curious.

“You look completely different than your matrimonial pictures and pictures you mailed us” He said

“Different?” She exclaimed

“I mean your outfits. Very conservative and modern” He said

“And you said I impressed you” she said

“You look very beautiful” He said.

“Thanks, and you look very nice” She said. An equalizer.

“Naturally” He said

Both laughed.

“So, you are a Financial Consultant?” She asked

“I am an Investment Banker, my line of work mostly..” He said.

“Don’t waste your energy, it’s going to be Greek and Latin for me. All I know and want is you are not a Software Engineer, I don’t like IT guys” She said

“Why?” He asked

“Because I am in that industry, I know how it works” She said

“Speaking of it, what do you do?” He asked.

“I am a Senior PeopleSoft Consultant and don’t ask me what is that, it will be boring. Let’s talk something interesting” She said

“Like?” He asked

“About us” She said.

He said “Right. We are not here to speak of Investment banking”

“Or slowly dying ERP system.” She finished the sentence

“Ladies first, tell me about you” he said

The very first question of any interview process, she said to herself.

“I am bold, fun loving, talkative, high functioning mediocre urban girl.. okay woman” She said

“I can sense that, it’s written all over your face” He said

“Am I?” She asked

“Yeah, you attire defines your bold style statement, you have a nonfiction, Postwar in you handbag so you must be an reader with an inquiring mind and since we meet you did most of the talking and smiling so you are extrovert and fun loving person” He said rapidly.

“You watch Sherlock a lot, don’t you?” She said.

He smiled.

“Enough of me, your turn” She said

“Mmmm” He started.

“Tell me things that are not in your profile” She said.

“Before that, would you like to have coffee?” He said

“Yeah, hmmm.. Irish Coffee” She asked.

“Alright”

He placed their order and took his seat.

“Your turn” She said

“I don’t have lot of adjectives to define me. I am man of simple tastes and pleasures. That’s it” He said

“That’s it? Come on, you should have lot to tell” She said

“Why so?”

“Because you are a financial sorry Investment banker at Barclays”

“That doesn’t make me a better person, haven’t you experienced that more you go up in the ladder the more dishonest you become”

“I didn’t get that”

“Deception rate is directly proportional to Organizational hierarchy”

“No one can’t satisfy everyone”

“But one has to earn Respect.”

“Enlighten me” she said

“According to me there are three types of people – people who want money, people who want power and people who want respect. I belong to third category”

“You are a communist”

He laughs “No, I am a rationalist”

She smiled.

“You have any expectation on your future husband?” He asked

“Not many but I do have some check list to tick. He must be well educated, well mannered tall gentleman. Of course his financial status is important need not be rich but upper middle class would be fine. If you let me talk I will consume this full evening”

He was looking at her mannerisms the way she speaks. She asked “What about you?”

“I had only one expectation. Ahhhmm, this may sound exaggerated –I wanted my girl to look like Scarlett Johanson”

“You mean that Hollywood actress”

“Yeah” He said with some reservation

“She is a babe”

He nodded his head.

“I definitely don’t look like her” She said with some uncertainty

“I said, I had this expectation, I am not having now. As Shakespeare said – Expectation hurts” He said

“You don’t have any expectations?” She asked

“Nope”

“So you will accept any person as she is, ugly fat unhealthy woman? ”

“I didn’t say that. I have some criteria and my parents know them well” He said

“So?”

When a woman say “So?” there are lot of things behind it. She wants to convey something so important. But before that she wants to know what is in your mind, to know what’s in your mind she says “So?”

“Yes” He said

“So..you have any love story”?

Before he responded, she said “I have one”

“I don’t care about your past, we have to faithful to our relationship and vow we are going to make. By the way I don’t have one story but two”

“Oh, is it. Tell about them”

“I think it’s not the right topic to discuss about, they are part of my past”

“This is interesting. Believe me I am not going to judge you on this. Every adult have a love story to tell, if he/she don’t have something is wrong with their puberty” She said and laughed

“Okay, I will play”

And he said –

“It’s kinda puppy love but most intense. I was in 12th standard and I was in first day of my Physics tuition. That’s where I meet her. She was lovely; she was slim and tall, stylish. I don’t know whether it’s because of lesson Electrostatics, I literally felt the shock. Next two weeks went just seeing.

My friends and I discussed a lot and came up with a worst pickup line. I was supposed to tell this line and she was supposed to spellbound by it; nothing happened, I couldn’t even open my mouth before her. Next day she was in parking area keying her scooty, my cycle was beside her and I casually asked – Are you from Cluny?

She said –No, I am from golden Gates

I said – Oh, okay

She asked – Why?

I said – because most of good looking girls are from Cluny only.

She controlled a lot but that blushing smile somehow seeped out. Uff, I could never forget that divine smile. At that moment I felt I have won two Noble prizes. Apart from my mom, she is the second most beautiful women I have ever met”

“Who is first in your list?” She said

“You are” he said.

She controlled a lot but that blushing smile somehow seeped out.

“Please continue” She said

“And we met frequently, spoke casually for some days and exchanged books. We went for casual date”

“Skip all these, how did you propose her?” she asked

“Although she liked me she didn’t entertain my affections to her romantically. She wanted me to be her best friend. She knew what she want in life. And I devised a plan to propose her.

I asked her – hey do you know about java?

She said – I am biology student, how do I know about Java!

I said – Java is one of the robust languages ever written, it has everything except pointers. Pointer is the only way we can access a memory block, and through java you can’t do it. You understand anything?

She said – Not even a word.

I said – Okay I will tell you something you can understand well, I am in love with you and I want to be with you always.

She said – don’t do that. This is not love, you are infatuated.

I said – call it by any name; Love, infatuation, puppy love, calf love, lust. Names don’t matter but you do. Are you not feeling the way I feel about you?”

“Wow, that is romantic and brilliant” She said

“Not brilliant enough to convince her. As I said before ‘She know what she wants in life’. She loved me but she didn’t confess it. After board exams she went North to pursue her dream, she wanted to become a doctor.

She was the best thing happened to me in my teenage, I learned a lot. We exchanged lot of ideas, she thought me things which I never cared about. I felt bad for some time and you time heals everything”

“Ouu, that’s touching. What about second girl?” She said

“Ahh. Second one is very plain story. She proposed me, she said she loved me, she went out with me and she finally ditched me on final year, now she is married to some other guy.

But in a way it was helpful in my life. I took that as a motivating factor for my Cat preparation. I failed in first attempt but in second attempt I converted 3 IIMs”

“Bravo” She said

“End of two chapters. Now you tell me” he said

“It happened before five years. I was in another CCD reading a novel. I was so engrossed in the novel, after finishing a chapter I saw a man sitting in front of me looking at me. I gestured “What”

He said – I like you.

I said – What do you want?

He said – Shall we talk? Not so long until my coffee arrives.

And before I started he said – I will not talk about love, sex, politics, you and me.

No one talked to me like that, I thought he was clever, we started to speak and only after two hours I realized that he never ordered that coffee. After two months he proposed me, I was also attracted.”

“Then why did you guys break up?” He asked

“It ran its course, we have good times and lot of bad days. After few months, I thought his is not enough committed, he thought I was dominating him. It didn’t work out. So we broke up, mutual consent. As you said time heals everything. I was in US for couple of years, made lot of new friends, life goes on”

“Oh, we have turned a friendly chat into our grievance court” He said

“Not really, I am glad that we spoke about this before our families proceed further.”

“Yeah, I too feel the same”

“So what’s then?” She asked

“Well, I am a teetotaler” He said

“You haven’t tried?”

“I have tried all, just tried. The problem with drinking is one will look for opportunity to drink. I don’t want to be that guy. I get high when I read good book or watch a good movie or write something” He said

“You are philosophical” she said

“Do I?”

”Yes Mr. Socrates” She said

Both laughed. He checked the time; he said “Oh God, we have been talking two hours straight”

“Ohh, time moves fast” she reckoned

“Shall we?” He said

“Sure, So...what shall I tell my dad?” She asked

“Tell what you feel, tell him the truth because it’s lifetime commitment” He said

“Then I would tell him that I meet this Investment banker today a handsome, friendly, intelligent, matured, well mannered person. I felt secure and he made me feel good. I think I like him”

He smiled and said “I think you should remove the word intelligent”

“What would you say to your mom?” she asked

And he said.