The Ice-Cream

Episode 1

(Phone rings)

"Sir, your Dubai hotel and flight tickets have been booked. The flight is today at 4:45 PM Spicejet. I will be emailing you all the information in a couple of minutes." said the voice on the other side of the call.

"Thanks, Lisa!" I said looking at my watch and ended the call. It's already 11:00 AM and I will have to go back to home to pack my bags. It's better I leave now or else I can miss the flight, I uttered within my lips.

I reached the SVP International Airport on T1 and unloaded the bags from the car. I thanked the office driver Hari and gave him a hundred rupee note wishing him a good day.

I checked my watch and it said 3:00 PM. I took the trolley and started moving towards the checking counter. I finished the proceedings and went on to sit on the first floor from where the flight would be boarded. I still had some good amount of time to stretch and I chose a good sofa seat in the waiting area. Passengers were coming eventually and waiting for the gates to open.

Suddenly a lady with her small daughter stumbled upon one of the sofas next to me and lost her control. She was about to fall down but she gets hold of the corner of the sofa and managed not to fall.

"Mummy, you're ok?" asked her little daughter.

"Yes, baby I'm fine. Come sit here" she said holding her daughter in her hands and making her sit on the sofa.

She adjusted her daughter along with her handbag and was standing next to the sofa. I was watching them from a couple of minutes and then my eyes went on the face of the lady. I recognized her but I doubt whether she did. She didn't notice me and went on to play with her daughter who was running in the entire corridor now. She was an adorable small girl with a pink frock and it seemed as she would be of 3 years of age. But more than the daughter, my eyes were stuck at the mother and I wasn't able to convince myself if it was her only.

She then sat back on the sofa where they had their handbags. The lady had her back side faced me and within this time I had convinced myself to stand up and check whether it was she or just my illusion. I went to her and with all my courage I tapped her back right shoulder with my right hand.

She turned towards me with a surprise, frowned her eyebrows and asked me "Yes?"

The clear view of her face made me more confident and I was sure that it was she. I was also sure that she didn't recognize me but I had. I was smiling in front of her and she was looking at me in grunt now rather than surprise. And then she turned her face back not getting any response for her "yes?"

So before she decides to walk away, I softly spoke from behind, "Sandy!"

Slowly she turned her face towards me, now in shock. This time she was quite, stunned, and astonished. She gathered all her heart a few seconds later and asked "Aakash?"

"I'm sure you haven't given the privilege to anyone to call you by that name!" I said with a huge smile on my face. This was the best smile I had on my face after a long time.

"What a pleasant surprise!" she said with a half-smile on her face. I could easily judge she was in a tense stage.

"I'm glad it is pleasant," I said on a sarcastic note.

"Of course it is," she said. "But it doesn't seem so." I replied cutting her words, "Anyways how are you?" I asked.

"I am fine, and you?" she asked trying not to have an eye contact with me.

"Great as usual," I said, blinking my left eye.

"Good, so why Dubai?" she tried to interrogate.

"Oh, yes some business meetings, conference and so on. Boring things!" I answered on a lighter note. "And what about you?" I enquired too.

"I live there for4 years" she paused for some seconds and then added, "I mean my husband is settled there from 10 years and I shifted after marriage. I came here for a wedding in Mumbai last week and now going back." she answered with certain gaps in her reply and certainly no eye contact with me.

I sighed deeply and replied, "That's great, congratulations, so she must be your daughter?" I pointed to the small girl who was busy playing with a teddy this time on the sofa.

"Yes, Shanaya, two and a half years!" she replied caressing her daughter's forehead.

"Wow, perfect family. Good to hear that." I said nodding my head and added, "So is your husband..."

"Vivek.." she added to my pause.

"Yes, Vivek, is he joining you?" I asked with a surprise on my face.

"No, actually he had some work back in Dubai so he didn't join us either!" she responded.

"Ah, I see" I uttered with a huge relief.