I looked at my watch. It was 4.30. Nikhil had said he would reach at 5. Stupid flight, why did it have to reach early? I couldn't wait to meet him again. It had been eight months since we last saw each other. The distance had taken every ounce of our good will to keep things going smoothly. He was always busy. Sometimes, it would be early morning by the time he got to sleep. I smiled thinking about the next four days. We had all the time in the world.
I looked around for a place to sit and wait. I spotted a small café right outside the gates of the airport. I heaved my bag onto my shoulder and stepped out into the evening. Though the sun was still high in the sky, a cool breeze was making my skin tingle. I smiled with delight. I bent down and rolled up my jeans to my knees. What were a pair of skinny legs around shirtless men and bikini clad women. I was free to walk around in skimpy clothes here. I was free. I walked into the café and found myself a seat by the window. A little woman came and handed me a menu. I ordered a caramel frappé with two helpings of whipped crème. She smiled and asked if I would like a biscotti with it. I shook my head and smiled back at her. This much sugar would be enough to keep me up all night. While I waited for my coffee to arrive, I texted Nikhil to let him know where to find me. After staring at the screen for ten seconds, I switched the screen off and sat back. A big man was sitting across the room from me, engrossed in a book. I could not see what he was reading from where I sat, but I suddenly wished I had brought something of my own to read. I resigned myself to nothingness, and let my mind wander. I thought about the past few months. Things had been really tensed between Nikhil and me. He would be tired from all the work, and I would be crabby because we hardly got to talk. When we did get the time, I would be all cool and aloof, because it made me mad that we hardly spoke. Sometimes, I really don't understand how the female mind works. I mean, I know he is busy, I know he isn't doing it deliberately, and I know I shouldn't be mad at him for it. Yet, there I was, being a jerk. It reminded me of the time when we were kids, before we got involved. The time when we were "just friends". It was an unspoken rule, that we would start texting each other the moment we got home from college. And if ever there was a day when he was busy, and was unable to text, or respond...well, I had no right to be mad at him, but I could express myself in other, less flattering ways. I would go all Brit on him, and pretend like I was too cool to care. It amazed me how, even after all these years, I was still capable of getting angry over something so ridiculous.
The lady brought me my coffee, the big man got up and left, I checked my phone.
Nikhil: See you in a bit!
I couldn't help but smile. Hurry! I replied. I couldn't contain my excitement.
I picked up my frappé, licked a part of the whipped crème off. Bliss! If Nikhil were here, he would have grabbed up the glass and licked up all the whipped crème, holding me off of him with one arm. I would have been left with just the coffee and a broken heart. I figured if I was fast enough, I could get to the bottom of the glass before he arrived. I took a few more sips and put my glass down, wishing time would move faster. I looked around listlessly, humming a random tune. The guy behind the counter was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest, his left foot vibrating to the tune of boredom. I like that, tune of boredom. I suddenly realised my own left foot was shaking. But mine was shaking to the tune of excitement. Ta da da, ta- ta ta da. Dee daa. Ta dee da. I caught myself in the middle of shaking my head to the made up tune. This won't do. I was, after all, sitting in a public place. I looked down at my watch. Gah! He was late. Again. The idiot. I picked up my coffee again, and finished it all up in one big gulp. I picked up the phone and sent a whiny "Where aaaare youuuuuu" to Nikhil. I had just pressed sent, when I spotted him from my window. Jogging across the parking lot, looking for a small café outside the airport. Tingles. He found it! He looked into the café, saw me standing at the window, and his face lit up to reflect my expression. As he strode into the café, I came around the table, calm and composed, but with a big buffoon like grin on my face. He rushed into me, and caught me in his arms. I nuzzled my face in his chest, taking in all the warmth of his body, feeling his heart thumping against my chin. I felt him loosen his grip on me, grab the coffee glass from behind me, and finish off the last dollop of whipped crème that was left in my glass.
I smiled, I was home.
I looked around for a place to sit and wait. I spotted a small café right outside the gates of the airport. I heaved my bag onto my shoulder and stepped out into the evening. Though the sun was still high in the sky, a cool breeze was making my skin tingle. I smiled with delight. I bent down and rolled up my jeans to my knees. What were a pair of skinny legs around shirtless men and bikini clad women. I was free to walk around in skimpy clothes here. I was free. I walked into the café and found myself a seat by the window. A little woman came and handed me a menu. I ordered a caramel frappé with two helpings of whipped crème. She smiled and asked if I would like a biscotti with it. I shook my head and smiled back at her. This much sugar would be enough to keep me up all night. While I waited for my coffee to arrive, I texted Nikhil to let him know where to find me. After staring at the screen for ten seconds, I switched the screen off and sat back. A big man was sitting across the room from me, engrossed in a book. I could not see what he was reading from where I sat, but I suddenly wished I had brought something of my own to read. I resigned myself to nothingness, and let my mind wander. I thought about the past few months. Things had been really tensed between Nikhil and me. He would be tired from all the work, and I would be crabby because we hardly got to talk. When we did get the time, I would be all cool and aloof, because it made me mad that we hardly spoke. Sometimes, I really don't understand how the female mind works. I mean, I know he is busy, I know he isn't doing it deliberately, and I know I shouldn't be mad at him for it. Yet, there I was, being a jerk. It reminded me of the time when we were kids, before we got involved. The time when we were "just friends". It was an unspoken rule, that we would start texting each other the moment we got home from college. And if ever there was a day when he was busy, and was unable to text, or respond...well, I had no right to be mad at him, but I could express myself in other, less flattering ways. I would go all Brit on him, and pretend like I was too cool to care. It amazed me how, even after all these years, I was still capable of getting angry over something so ridiculous.
The lady brought me my coffee, the big man got up and left, I checked my phone.
Nikhil: See you in a bit!
I couldn't help but smile. Hurry! I replied. I couldn't contain my excitement.
I picked up my frappé, licked a part of the whipped crème off. Bliss! If Nikhil were here, he would have grabbed up the glass and licked up all the whipped crème, holding me off of him with one arm. I would have been left with just the coffee and a broken heart. I figured if I was fast enough, I could get to the bottom of the glass before he arrived. I took a few more sips and put my glass down, wishing time would move faster. I looked around listlessly, humming a random tune. The guy behind the counter was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest, his left foot vibrating to the tune of boredom. I like that, tune of boredom. I suddenly realised my own left foot was shaking. But mine was shaking to the tune of excitement. Ta da da, ta- ta ta da. Dee daa. Ta dee da. I caught myself in the middle of shaking my head to the made up tune. This won't do. I was, after all, sitting in a public place. I looked down at my watch. Gah! He was late. Again. The idiot. I picked up my coffee again, and finished it all up in one big gulp. I picked up the phone and sent a whiny "Where aaaare youuuuuu" to Nikhil. I had just pressed sent, when I spotted him from my window. Jogging across the parking lot, looking for a small café outside the airport. Tingles. He found it! He looked into the café, saw me standing at the window, and his face lit up to reflect my expression. As he strode into the café, I came around the table, calm and composed, but with a big buffoon like grin on my face. He rushed into me, and caught me in his arms. I nuzzled my face in his chest, taking in all the warmth of his body, feeling his heart thumping against my chin. I felt him loosen his grip on me, grab the coffee glass from behind me, and finish off the last dollop of whipped crème that was left in my glass.
I smiled, I was home.