His statement halted my steps and I looked at him. My brain stopped functioning. My heart was the one sending signals and it directed my body to 'stop'. Sit and listen to the man asking me to hear his story.

"How long will it take?" I decided to stay. There was no one waiting for me at home as it is.

"As long as you want. Five minutes, fifty minutes or five hours."

Dear eyes, please avoid looking at him. His smile is infectious.

"Just kidding! No Jane."

His smile was permanently stuck on his face now.

"My name is, Madhavi." I introduced myself.

"Glad to meet you this 'other time', Madhavi."

We shook hands and I realised this man was messing my brain. The spark I felt with his touch was nothing but the aftermath of his stupid, meaningless talks.

He pulled a chair for me in the front row and greeted his audience. Mostly girls and boys in their teenage or early twenties. I couldn't help but compare my time with theirs. People were more liberal now. I may have studied in a co-education school but no boy was allowed to come to my house. If I had to talk, only studies were the topic of discussion with them. I was glad times have changed. Maybe, this time some 'Madhavi', will gather courage and tell her crush she liked him.

"Good evening wonderful people."

Eric greeted his readers with a pleasant smile. But his readers were overwhelmed by his presence. They were singing praises about his story which was titled 'One day or Day one'.

Wow! I was already impressed but when he adjusted his spectacles and started reading I was bewitched. The lines that especially captured my attention were...

"She was a girl he admired from afar
He was probably the boy she admired from afar.
This mutual admiration was never
vocal and absolutely not social.

The language of smiles and eyes
was redesigned.
For two souls restricted themselves
to blank calls and deep sighs.

His eyes didn't blink when
she swayed her raven hair
She forgot to blink when
she saw him anywhere.
The smile on his adolescent face widened when her anklets tinkled
The twinkle in her eyes sparkled when his bike signalled.

She was his quest and his treasure
His teenage heart's only desire.

He was her path and her destiny
Her only aim was to become one entity.

Years passed but none confessed
they only dreamt and reminisced.
It was their happy space and me time
to think about other with an incandescent shine.
Their love needed no verbal commitments
admiring from afar filled them with excitement.

Today, he has written a book or two and
in a bustling café, she is sipping cappuccino.
Gathering courage he walked up to her and finally confessed, "You were the girl I admired from afar, I was probably the boy you admired from afar. I cannot promise you moon and stars but a friendship that will last till I last."

The cafe roared with applause and my heart roared with numerous questions.
This is not what I think this is?
Is it?
Could it be?
Hell! I cannot forget the face. Can I?
No! No! No! It can't be true.

A push on my shoulder brought me out of my thoughts and I could see the audience swoon over him.

"Sir, this was such an unexpected moderation? You did this on the spot? Wow! You are so brilliant!" A girl looked amused with some change he did instantly. He just smiled in response. My peripheral vision told me he was looking in my direction.

Wh...what change? Definitely the last part? It was me who was drinking cappuccino. I guess I was getting my answers.

"Eric, you have to tell us the end. What did the girl say? I hope she says yes. They have to be together. Please unite them." A boy almost pleaded to him for details.

His name is Eric. It's not him. His name was...

"There's no end. Love stories don't end. They start but never finish." Eric- the writer's statement got my attention.

See! This is what I hate. These amorists just give false hopes.

"We want an epilogue, sir. Please." One other girl literally begged him and with her, the entire audience chanted, "Please, please."

Was the story so good to receive such reactions? Definitely, it was! The excerpt he read was beyond beautiful. I think I should read. Should I? One read, maybe.

"To conclude the story is beyond my capabilities now. Why don't you mix a magic potion to the coffee of the girl and make her say "yes" to my proposal."

Eric's request received an...

"Awwwww"

And a blush on my cheeks. I wanted to hide. I can't let this happen. Oh! No! Too late. I was already looking at him and dreaming, again.

"Please behave Madhavi. Get a grip on yourself". I scolded myself and quietly got up from there. I came back to my table and observed the view that lay ahead. Sunset was the most transitory phase of the day. The sun was setting, the moon was rising and so were my desires.
The boy whose existence was long forgotten stood in front of me. He never spoke when we were young. Why did he choose to speak now? That too with such fervent emotions that I can't ignore. I looked in his direction for a split second and he was already looking at me.

"Madhavi!"

He called out. It was him. It is confirmed. It is him. "Don't cry! Don't cry! And please don't reply. At least don't do the blunder you did years back, Madhavi." I instructed myself.

"Did you like the story?"

Eric- the writer, stood face to face with me and questioned me earnestly. I knew my answer would affect my future. I was tempted to give in. But, I was scared then, I was scared now.

"I didn't read the story. I just heard an excerpt, which was good." It was true. I needed to read the story to decide was it good or excellent.

"Glad! Bad is not an option." Eric- the writer, put his hand on his heart dramatically.

I looked at him in confusion. When realisation dawned, I covered my mouth like a beauty pageant winner. I cannot say aloud all my thoughts! This is so not me, now. But, I am not the mature 'Madhavi' with him. I am that silly 'Madhavi' around him, I realised.

"I think I should leave. Bye." I wanted to leave the cafe but something hammered in my heart, so, I turned back and said, "see you on, Wattpad".

He flashed his sparkling white teeth and I think I could see his eyes glistening because mine certainly were.

Wattpad downloaded.
Now, make an account.
Find the story.
Add to library.
Chapter one, two, three, four... fifty-four.

I can hear my mother's voice in my subconscious mind, "If only you studied your Science books so seriously, you might have become a doctor." I miss my mother. She was strict and conservative but supported me at all steps of my life. When I first shared my marital problems with her she not for once told me to compromise. She was my strength. If only, I could become a mother. Being a mother was important but it was not the only motive for a woman and since that abusive creature I called husband, did not get the point, I chucked him out of my life.
I am sleepy now. Goodnight.
By the way, Manya does not require any saviour.

"Sure, she doesn't. But, aren't all romance novels "cliches"?"

Eric-the writer defended and I knew he was laughing because after making a few weird faces I was laughing too.

It was a routine now. I used to read books on Wattpad he recommended, which were not erotica or smut and then gave him my feedback. The feedbacks turned to chats and now, after a few weeks, we were good friends. I like to keep it that way. I was still apprehensive about getting into a relationship. Even though I knew him since school days but growing up changes everything. He used to casually flirt and speak openly about having a huge crush on me on those days.

Until one day, when he approached me in the school garden and called out, "Madhavi!"

I was scared and shivered like a leaf. My brain was numb so, I replied, "Yes, Bhaiya."

"I swear, I wanted to jerk you hard for calling me that. My friends laughed endlessly, mocking me, teasing me and I assumed you were not interested else why would you call me "bhaiya"? Therefore, I never approached, again. I was heart-broken. But, when I saw you in the coffee-book shop, I realised I was a fool then. Not anymore though. You still looked like a dream. A dream, I saw in school and a dream which is a reason for my sleepless nights, still."

His honest confession was not answered verbally. He didn't need an answer. However, the frequency of our chit chat via messages increased. It was not just his stories but every other happening in our life we talked about.

When I told him I couldn't recognise him because of his changed looks, he teased me saying I didn't recognise him because probably I didn't see me properly. After all, I was a 'shy girl of the nineties', 'daddy's little princess', 'won't betray my family's trust' kinda girl. The list went on and on. I couldn't believe I joined him and added to the list of those titles.

My smile returned. I was enjoying my job too. In fact, at several instances a goofy smile graced my face, leaving the client wonder if there was a joke they didn't understand. Sad! They were missing out on Eric- the writer's company.

He was busy today. He had another book-reading session. I missed him. So, finally, I decided to meet him after almost three months of our new friendship. Enough of chats Mr. writer, time to see you, again.

"I cannot promise you moon and stars but a friendship that will last till I last."
He finished the last line and same questions popped.
"Please conclude, sir."

Lucky! His avid readers will get a conclusion.

I decided it was 'Day one'.

"Keshav, you were the boy I admired from afar, I was probably the girl you admired from afar. But, I have loved you since forever and I promise we shall together, put effort and never let it get over."

His book received a conclusion and our love-story found it's beginning with my confession. His eyes teared up and so did mine. Don't blame us, we are from the nineties. We don't pounce on each other in public and kiss openly.
Or do we?
Our eyes met and so did our lips.
Yes! In our country, kissing in public is banned. But, I was ready to go to jail for this soul-searing kiss.
The cafe roared with applause and our hearts roared with content.

A waiter came and gave us a cappuccino placed on a coaster which read... 'A lot can happen over a coffee'.

A spectrum of colours and all of the hues,
Are all a part of love that mix together and infuse.

________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Readers
Word meaning-
Bhaiya: someone equivalent to elder brother (with reference here)
ASAP: as soon as possible

Love and it's meaning has transitioned over the years. But, Madhavi and Keshav were always meant to be together no matter which era they belonged.
Let me know if you understood what it means.

Hope you liked the above short story.
Lots of love!