Coffee @ Ayodhya

Ep1: Filter Coffee and First Impressions

It had been another long day. Around 6 p.m., a boy strolled into a small, bustling coffee shop called "Ayodhya" for his daily cup of filter coffee. The shop was alive with people of all ages-some alone, others with friends, partners, or family-enjoying their coffee, tea, snacks, or early dinners. The local eatery always had this lively, familiar vibe.

The boy ordered his coffee and sat at a four-seater table, surprisingly unoccupied amidst the crowd. He wore a white Bluetooth headset, a small gym bag hung from the chair beside him, and his oversized hoodie made his slight frame appear even thinner. As he quietly sipped his coffee, he was absorbed in his own world.

Suddenly, a girl approached him. Thinking she wanted a chair, he looked up casually. But to his surprise, she gestured, "Can I sit?"

"Sure," he replied, expecting the usual silence to return. But instead, she broke it with an unexpected conversation.

Nervous, almost trembling, the girl spoke as if she'd rehearsed this moment for ages. "I've been seeing you here for almost a year. We come at the same time, almost every day."

He looked at her, a faint smile on his lips, clearly surprised. He gestured, "Do you want me to get you a coffee?" She shook her head, "No, thanks-I already have one." She continued, stumbling over her words, clearly anxious but determined to speak her mind.

"I've always found you interesting but never had the chance-or maybe the courage-to say hello."

Her nervous laugh filled the space between them as she introduced herself. "I'm Ananya, by the way."

He smiled, the tension breaking slightly. "Vikram," he said, offering his name in return. "I'm from North Kanthara, but I live here. I'm an aspiring actor."

The conversation became more relaxed, and Ananya fumbled with her phone, suddenly showing him a random Introgram follow request she'd received. The profile picture looked oddly like him.

"This isn't you, right?" she asked, half-laughing, half-serious.

Vikram took her phone, glanced at the profile, and shook his head with a smile. "No, that's not me," he said. He then swiftly found his actual profile on her phone and showed it to her.

Ananya's heart raced. She was practically screaming inside but held her composure. "I've always wondered about your name, and now I finally know it," she said, her joy almost childlike.

Vikram chuckled. It was all so random, but her enthusiasm was contagious. As she talked, her excitement bubbled over like a kid guessing the right answer on a quiz show, even clapping her hands playfully when she guessed he came to the café on a bike.

She suddenly paused, her face turning serious. "I hope this doesn't freak you out, but I'm not a stalker... I swear," she laughed awkwardly. "I've just noticed you here a lot."

Vikram laughed easily. "Even if you were a stalker, I think I'd be okay with that."

She laughed along, but only she knew the storm of emotions inside her-her heart was pounding, her mind racing. And then, just as she thought she'd lose her nerve, he dropped a piece of unexpected information.

"My birthday's in two days," Vikram said, completely out of the blue.

That single piece of trivia instantly calmed her. It felt like a signal-a sign that he wasn't uncomfortable with her, that she wasn't intruding. She beamed at him.

"Oh! So, you've got plans with friends then?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, something like that," he replied, though his answer seemed casual, maybe even evasive.

Part of her wanted to do something special for his birthday, but she held back. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. From what she'd seen over the past year, Vikram often looked like a loner-someone who spent a lot of time by himself. And she could relate to that. She, too, was a loner at heart, always concerned for others' happiness, never wanting to see anyone else struggle or feel out of place.

His voice pulled her from her thoughts. "So...?"

She snapped back to reality. "Oh, nothing! I just wanted to know your name, and now I do. I've got no other questions," she admitted honestly, maybe too honestly.

He smiled-a big, genuine smile-and she wondered if she had shared too much, been too open with a stranger she'd just spoken to for the first time.

Realizing she might be overstaying her welcome, Ananya quickly said, "I'll see you around then." She stood up and returned to her friend, who had been sitting nearby.

As Vikram finished his coffee and left without saying goodbye, Ananya watched him walk away. There was no glance back from him, no parting wave. But she didn't mind. She was proud of herself. After a year of curiosity, she had finally learned his name, found his introgram profile-what more could she ask for? She felt like she was on cloud nine.

Little did she know that this seemingly ordinary day was about to change her life in ways she couldn't have imagined.