The Affair - Part 3

Chatting with AD had become a routine for me. I would feel restless if for any reason we missed chatting a single day. AD by now had become a bit expressive in his chats on his growing fondness towards me, while I chose not to conceal the same yet. Possibly that's the best thing about online chatting. You can hide your emotions, expressions and feelings.  Frankly, I was moved with many things about him but most specifically his selfless love for his late wife.

Then one day AD asked me if I am comfortable in meeting him for a cup of tea. This got me thinking for some time. 'It's just a cup of tea with a good friend' I convinced myself. Finally, after a day of thoughtful process, I gave my consent in the next evening chat. He suggested the place 'Tea Corner'. 

AD has his tea only and strictly made in a specific way. He preferred cardamon, cinnamon, pepper and ginger in it and Tea Corner makes it exactly as per his taste. He had mentioned earlier to me that he has a severe allergy with coffee. This place was a little roundabout route for me. But I liked the place. It was familiar to me. It happened to be a favourite joint of Mr Iyer and mine in the past. Due to 'our hectic schedule' - guess that's the best excuse we could give ourselves, we stopped visiting the place years ago.

 

So, it was decided that we meet the coming Friday at 6pm, table no. 2 at Tea Corner. AD seemed ecstatic to get to finally meet me. Did I felt the same too? ...Well..maybe.

 

 Here Mr. Iyer looked curious with my behaviour. Usually, whenever I kept pestering him to go for movie or a quiet dinner together over the weekends, he preferred including our few other friends in the plan and me on the contrary preferred just the two of us. He found that boring. So, we would land up into an argument and land up staying back home most of the times. Whenever I would talk to him on various instances that happened during the week in college and in general. He would have no patience and time to listen to me. Therefore,  he had suggested I should start with diary writing to release all my thoughts in it instead. Since two weekends, unlike my usual behaviour I was sitting silently with my book or the laptop (chatting with AD) . This surely got him into thinking. He tried asking me once if everything was alright. To which I replied "Better than before."

 

Until Friday I was excited to finally meet the face who had brought in a pleasant change in my life and in me. But as the day arrived the excitement had turned to hesitation. I wasn't sure what I was up-to.

 

From college I booked a rental car to go to Tea Corner, the same car would take me back home later. As I stepped out of the car, the driver asked me how much time will I take. 

I reluctantly said, "30mins". 

While heading towards the restaurant something inside of me was making my steps go slow. I told myself 'I am just meeting a good friend and there is absolutely nothing wrong in having just a cup of tea with him'. I couldn't perceive what was wrong with me. Perhaps I knew but chose to ignore. The fact was, I was kind of missing Mr. Iyer at that time. As it was our once favourite joint, I would be stepping in.

 

So, I decided not to go in. And started walking back towards the car. Just then ADs talks flashed in my mind. The pain that he had been through and how anxious he was after ages to come out this way to meet me, the person whom he had found a breath of fresh air in the lowest phase of his life.

 

I changed my decision again and turned back to meet him.

 

I entered the 'Tea Corner' and looked for table no. 2. I could see him at a distance. By the colour of his shirt that he mentioned the previous day, it was confirmed it's him. In total awkwardness I went towards him. We came face to face while we greeted each other.

 

He was an average looking, good physique tall man, with a good sense of dressing. Probably almost same age as mine. I could see his eyes lit up when he saw me. While we sat on our seats he smiled "So finally we meet!". I acknowledged with a smile. He continued " The way you took the entire day to respond, I was uncertain that you would come. Glad that you came" I smiled back again.

I looked around the place. It had made some fondest memories from the past. I could notice the ambience being changed quite a bit since my last visit with Mr. Iyer. 

Those days Mr. Iyer was a different man. We were different as a couple. Just then AD snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. "Hello!! Payal!! Please be comfortable, else you will make me feel awkward."

 

Slowly I became comfortable sitting with AD. Like online chatting, in no time we gelled well here too . We spoke about many things. In ages I hadn't spoken so much and laughed my heart content. After a while, I checked my watch and I realized it had crossed more than an hour. The driver of the car rental would be waiting. I sipped in quickly the remaining of my second cup of lemon tea and said to AD that I needed to make a move.

 

He walked with me till the car. Before opening the car door for me he looked straight into my eyes for a few seconds and said "It was a wonderful date Payal. It is indeed a pleasure to know a person like you. Next time we must plan for a dinner date."

I smiled back feeling uneasy and sat in the car. On my way back home ADs words kept replaying in my mind. 'Date?' So, is this a kind of an affair that I am having with him? I thought. Even though it was me who with all my senses, without any confusion, had got into all this, yet I was feeling edgy.

 

I reached my home door and checked the time. Three hours late than my usual time I was. Yet there was enough time for Mr. Iyer to come and for me to prepare a quick dinner. I opened the main door, of the house with the key.

 

To my confusion, the living room lights were ON.  I wondered how.

As I got in, what I saw in front of me astounded me!

 

 

 

...... To be continued with concluding part.

 

 

 

 

-Sharon Lasrado.