The Cafe Couple
The Cafe Couple
She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her pink silk scarf. Yes this was her beloved scarf, her “highly prized possession”, which was gifted to her by Viraj, her first and last love.
How can she forget her first meeting with him? Looks like it was just yesterday when she first met her life; in the same place where she was sitting right now, the Starbucks cafe. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was all over in the ambience which she likes very much. That day also after spending a very frantic day in college while she was crossing the road when she found this place, welcoming her like a mother’s lap to get rid of her all worries. After entering, the first thing she noticed was a boy who was sitting alone with cappuccino in his hand and doodling on the tissue paper. She also ordered the same coffee and sat in a corner table watching people silently. It was her relaxation therapy to sip her favorite cappuccino and watch people of diverse kinds. A boy with her girlfriend on first date in next table, a group of youngsters celebrating nth birthday of their buddy and a mother helping her kid to finish him chocolate muffin. She was just observing the eyes of people, which were full of love. Love between couples, mother and son and above all, bonding of friendship. She was unfortunate to come across such feelings. Life is pretty hard for an orphan girl………Arundhati.
She remembered her troubled childhood when she was molested, physically and mentally by Naveen Das, who was the owner of her orphanage. She use to cry and complain the almighty for leaving her alone in this harsh world. Once she was princess of her daddy. In school where she was among top students. She was amongst the few to whom god blesses ‘beauty with brain’. Her complexion was flawless and bright enough to give complex to other girls of her age. Her pretty dark deep eyes, perfectly shaped lips and sweet voice complimented her personality. Everything was running like a fairytale in her life where she has loving and caring parents, wonderful friends and excellent school. Then one day the world of dream got totally shattered when her family met a car accident, doctors were able to save only her life. When she got up in the hospital, she found herself all alone in this brutal world. She didn't’t remember for how many day she cried after that. The hospital decided to send her to an orphanage run by a NGO named Asha. At her teenage when things were going beyond toleration due to atmosphere of orphanage, God became merciful for her by sending a middle class couple who adopted her and helped her to be where she is now. Symbiosis international, one of the best prestigious college of the nation. After her parents death she tried to hide her sorrow by doing friendship with books, the friends who never complain anything to her but try to give her answers of her all queries. The result of this ultimate bonding was that she topped her senior board school exams with top scoring. Her foster parents were really proud on her and she respected them a lot but the emptiness life created for her was not being filled.
She came out of her world of thoughts by sudden shouting of the boy on the phone “You always do that to me, not this time. I had informed you in much advance and you are still busy with your business, why don’t you understand art is my first love and that exhibition is very important for me.” He left the cafe in full of fury and left the paper on which he was doodling. The wind flew that paper on the table of Arundhati and she was amazed to see the image of a lonely kid who was desperate for the love on the back of flyer for a painting exhibition. She was also a good painter but after her parents death she was not able to hold brush again. She checked the time for the exhibition, Sunday 5 o’clock and the venue was also close to her hostel. She decided to go to this art exhibition as there was something in that boy’s eyes, an emptiness which Arundhati found very similar to her.
It was Sunday, the most relaxed day of the week for Arundhati. After completing her daily cores and doing weekly laundry, she took bath and got ready for the exhibition. She put her sky blue dress which has little pink flowers on it with black heals and applied very little make up. Any ways her face was perfect without any blemishes. She took an auto and reached there. There was a painting in center of wall in which the boy was holding silver spoon but his eyes were full of tears. Now Arundhati understood that why the boy in cafe was shouting? She was engrossed in the painting when she found that boy standing just behind her. She turned and saw a tall, handsome boy with fair complexion, when he smiled dimples were prominent on his cheek.
‘I think I have seen you somewhere but I am not sure where and when?’
Arundhati replied back ‘Yesterday in Starbucks, I was there when you were on phone with someone’
Viraj: How did you find these paintings?
When he was expecting the reply, he got the chance to stare on that pretty face. Her eyes were speaking without uttering a single word, he never saw such dark deep eyes. When she opened her lips he felt god can only make such beautiful creation, and definitely he used roses to color her lips. Her long hairs were straight and she let it free, he was resisting enough to not embarrass her by continuous staring but the fact was he found himself helpless to take off his eyes from her face.
Arundhati: ‘Whoever made these is a great artist but I am unable to find the reason behind the emptiness in the eyes of the faces, like they are waiting for someone’.
Viraj: Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, I am Viraj Narsinghani, who tried to sketch these paintings on the canvas.
Arundhati: “The Viraj Narsinghani, son of business tycoon Vijay Narsinghani”?
Viraj: “Yes you are right and this answers your first question as well about the emptiness in the eyes. I am son of a business tycoon, who was born with silver spoon but no one was there to give him time or love he deserved.
Arundhati fell in love with those eyes and innocence he had got on the face when he was telling that. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?” Viraj asked.
“Nothing great, I just want to be with you” Arundhati wanted to say but she replied “I have to check”.
Viraj: Ok, can I give you a call tomorrow?
Arundhati: “Sure, but you need my number for that” and they both started giggling on this reply.
They exchanged the numbers and that’s how they met in Starbucks first, as friends not anonymous people. After that day it became routine for them to meet after college hours and then chat on mobiles till the batteries die. After meeting with “Aru”, Viraj found the love that he was looking from the age when he was as a small kid whose mother was no more in this world and father kept himself busy around his business world. Likewise Arundhati felt that there is no emptiness in her life as “Raj” became his world now and she forgot all the dark memories of childhood, she spent in the orphanage. Everything was going like fairytales again but somewhere in her heart she was afraid that this dream too will be shattered one day.
She was going to be twenty tomorrow, her birthday which reminds her the accident that took everything from her. Although her adoptive parents tried to make her feel good on the day but clouds of sadness capture her mind on this day. She was thinking and trying hard to sleep when she heard knock on her window. “What is this, who can knock on my window in this night” she thought and moved towards window when her heart came out watching Raj there, who came there by climbing on the pipes and was smiling. She was unable to decide whether she should shout on him first or open the window.
Viraj: “Your hostels pipes are not strong enough to hold me for long time. Do you want your birthday to be the last day of my life?”
Arundhati opened the window and he jumped in. “Are you out of your mind? You could have fallen, the warden might have seen you, and the security might have caught you. Why did you do this…………I just don’t understand.”
Viraj: “I don’t care whatever happens to me but not meeting you on your birthday was end of my life.” He came closer to her and hold her tight. Her heart was pounding and she was able to hear each beat of it. Nervously she asked “why is it so? Why am I so important for you?”
Viraj smiled cutely and replied “because you are my life and for everyone their life is utmost important thing”. She felt shy and started blushing and was searching for word, then only the clock stuck twelve and he took her in his her arms and kissed on her lips. “Happy birthday, Aru; my love, my jaan”. Arundhati felt so special after a long time and thought now she need not to worry about her bad past, life is going to be like dream again. He took out a small packet that has a silk blue scarf and when she pulled the scarf, she found a shining diamond ring in that. “Will you marry me?” Viraj asked like a gentleman sitting on his knee and holding that ring in his hand. “I have not completed my studies and I have to ask my parent” Arundhati replied.
Viraj: ‘I am not in hurry either. I can wait for you my whole life, then what is your answer Miss Arundhati?’
Arundhati: “I don’t deserve you Raj. I have a dark past”.
Viraj: “I don’t bother you past, Think about our bright future together”. Arundhati smiled and replied “Yes, Mr. Viraj Narsinghani, my future husband”.
Arundhati‘s this birthday gave her the best gift “gift of love” and she thought she should doubt on her luck no more. Thinking of the sweet memories of last night she got ready for the college annual day where she had to take part in singing competition and sing her favorite song “Dil hai chhota sa, choti si asha”. After her song whole hall was hearing the rounding applause and she was announced the winner. Her name was called on the stage and she came to get her award trophy, but what was that? She felt her head is spinning and she will fall down, when she had a look on the chief guest; Naveen Das, who was became now a renowned social activist. She took award with heavy heart and saw Naveen smiling with his cunning smile, the smile with which she was very familiar and hated it most. After the ceremony, he met her in the main gate of the college and said he has something important to discuss with her and she should come to the guest house else she will regret not coming. Arundhati wanted to tell everything to Viraj but then she had to tell about her dark past, her childhood she spent in orphanage. She thought for a while and decided to face him alone. In the guest house Naveen was sitting alone, cutting apples with a knife. ‘I was always knowing you will be beautiful when you will cross your teenage but this much pretty, I was not knowing’ He laughed badly and Arundhati was just thinking what should be his next words, why did he call her here after these many years. Naveen showed Arundhati her pictures on his mobile, which he took when she was being molested by him and was obscene enough to disgrace and destroy her future. He wanted her to do her “favors” as she did unwillingly in her childhood, else he will make the pictures public. She shouted “not now! Please leave me in the peace, I have seen enough in my childhood.” ‘Choice is yours’ Naveen replied. Arundhati took the knife from the fruit plate, and reprimanded him ‘give me the phone, else I will not give a second thought about slitting your throat’ She rushed to grab the mobile from him holding knife in one hand and they started struggling for getting hold of it. Accidently, knife got stabbed in his chest and blood started running. For a moment she was shocked and took out knife from his chest but her bad luck was ended with his death. She was relieved by facing disgrace but was worried that crime scene will prove her as murderer even though it was an accident. She wrapped knife in her blue silk scarf she was pairing with her white dress and started moving towards the cafe which was witness of both good and bad phases of her life. After sitting in her usual seat and making sure no one is interested in listening to their conversation she called Viraj and told him that she is in big trouble.
Viraj: ‘Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I am coming there.’
As soon as Arundhati saw him in car, she ran inside it and started sobbing badly and narrated the whole story. Viraj consoled and convinced her that he will take all the charges and will not let her suffer by any disgrace or difficulty. Although initially Arundhati was reluctant to it but Viraj argued that is she goes to jail without her, he himself will end his life as he can’t imagine life without her. They called Police and Viraj did surrender himself taking all crime charges and case was run against him for 3 months. Court gave life sentence to him considering his young age and no criminal records. When he was being taken to prison, Arundhati was standing there full of tears and said ‘why you did this to me?’ Viraj replied’ because I love you and I committed my life to you the day I saw you.
Arundhati; ‘I will wait for you till my whole life’
Due to good behavior Viraj was set free within seven years and when he came out Arundhati was waiting for him smiling and dressed as bride. ‘Now where?’ Viraj asked. “The place that witnessed our love, happiness, sorrow and everything, “Starbucks cafe” Arundhati replied.
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