missed connections

coffee for 2

the first week let's ace this one!

my sun rose exceptionally early today. i have tallied all the accounts and have completed my given work. all my laundry is washed and folded. my hair smells like lemons. and my I'm off periods now. it feels so good to meet the deadlines. no, i wasn't a 'nerd' in high school. organizing and taking notes are cool. i think so?

i took my time on my way to the office. took a relaxed look of the busy city. buildings raced each other in a quest to touch the soft blue sky and people littered the streets and sidewalks. life here was upbeat and fast-paced and everyone and everything was moving, but then i crossed into the central park.

crossing the sidewalk into the large park was like crossing the border into another world. the milieu changed from the rapid-fire movement of the concrete jungle to slow-moving peace in the blink of an eye. the privileged class coming through the expensive shops. i spotted a small café around the corner and decided to treat myself.

i got a normal cup of coffee; to be honest, i don't know the fancy terms. venti, latte, cappuccino blah blah blah. i had the same order since i was 19 which was black coffee with a shit ton of sugar. it looks very bitter but can give diabetes. 

i thanked the barista and tipped the whole 5$ since i was in such a good mood. just when i was about to leave i collided with a tall, hard surface. well, spoke too soon. mere saath hi aisa kyu hota hai?

"motherf-" i almost cursed in my mother tongue.

i bumped into a tall, young man with black hair in a turtleneck & trench coat which caused the coffee to spill all over my white, satin shirt. this is gonna leave a mark. he was in his early 30s, i could decipher from the looks. he had tan skin, rimless glasses, and stubble. his voice was deep, as expected. but not like those men in the books. his was deep yet warm. he radiated golden retriever energy; unlike aarav.  

the man was visibly very sorry and was apologizing nonstop. he said sorry at least 16 times.

"holy shit i am genuinely so sorry. i ruined your shirt. here, please take my business card and bill the laundry charges to this phone number" he pleaded.

i hesitated at first but when he literally took my hand and placed the card in it. well, can't ignore that huh?

'Dr. Kabeer Dev, Neurologist' it read.

dear god, why do you do this to me? i am not your strongest solider. is the world really that small? why do i keep bumping with people from the past? this is too much. marr jaungi.

i affirmed him that it was alright and hailed a taxi to my workplace.

i could see him from the back window of the taxi waving worriedly. god he's such a dork. cute.

8:34 am

i felt aarav's eyes on me as i entered our cabin desperately trying to rub-off the stain. i looked up and he immediately diverted his gaze to the monitor screen.

"how did that happen?" he asked without looking at me, eyes still on his work.

"bumped into a really hot dude and spilled my coffee. day ruined" i blurted in a flow, without thinking.

that caught his interest. he looked up and raised an eyebrow. i was still trying to rub that off so didn't notice.

"what," he said in a low, 'wtf?' tone.

the realization hit me like a bus. i need to get a grip for real.

"oh, i clashed with someone so uh yeah, and spilled my drink. happens," i corrected nervously.