My Birthday Promise (Editing)

Mathematics of love

Mohit

"We could save Rs. 980 a week, Rs. 3,920 a month or Rs. 47,040 a year if we do not buy coffee." I said to Aman, showing-off my calculation prowess. We were having coffee at the mall while the Rutt and Alisha were busy shopping for Rutt who was going to USA for some business consignment next week.

"But I want to live a happy life. My caffeine addiction isn't going anywhere, similar to my obsession for hot girls." Aman said, looking over my shoulders at the girl sitting behind me.

"Why do you urge for the fleeting experiences of one night stand when you have a full-fledged healthy relationship like other grown up people?" I asked Aman, like every other time.

He gave out a big smirk and gave the same reply as always. "I don't believe that love exists. There is only attraction."

I smiled at him. I wanted to correct him. I wanted to tell him about this most amazing feeling called love. But who was I kidding; for him there was no real love in this world.

"It's good to be real like you are. But I can assure you that you haven't met someone who would take your breath away." I replied, smiling.

Aman looked at me and shrugged, "I think I have met many beautiful women. And I was even attracted to them and we had great sex."

"Of course, it was sex not love. Love is different from sex. Sex is union of two bodies. But love is union of two souls. Real love has nothing to do with physical contact. The person of interest can glance at you and make you weak in the knees. And maybe you haven't experienced it yet because you might be too blinded by this love-does-not-exist thing to see it."

"Love is just a word. As far as people have explored love, there is nothing such as love. It's just an emotional illusion created to ensure the survival of the species."

"Love is not just a word, it is a feeling. You're still young with so much ahead of you. I am not trying to change you disbelief in love, or preach to you, or anything but if you shut love out then you definitely won't find it. I am not saying you should go falling in love with the next girl you date but just date and let what happens happen."

"I am still not convinced."

"Anything's possible, and that includes love." I replied. "May be someday someone will come waltzing by and you will run off into the sunset together."

A pleasant smile spread across his face. "Dude, you should stop watching bollywood movies!"

***

The young girl at the counter checked the price tag on the items. The billing machine was down again. The young girl sniffed and unwillingly took out the calculator. Alisha and Rutt,  who were second on the queue, eagerly waited for their turn.

Alisha looked at the young girl and said, "6890!" The girl looked at Alisha in surprise. "Sorry," she said.

Alisha said nothing and just rolled her eyes. The young girl dug her head in the calculator and filled in some digits for one minute. Rutt was losing her patience now. The young girl gazed Alisha in amazement before uttering 'Rs. 6,890' to the man in front of her in the queue. The man paid his due and left.

Rutt inched forward and moved her cart next to the counter girl. Alisha looked at the girl who was checking the price tags and said, "Total is Rs. 5,695."

The counter girl looked at Alisha unblinkingly for a while and accepting the cash from Rutt.

After they left she took her calculator and added some number quickly. Her lips curled at the edges when she saw her calculator say 5695.