Really it was an unexplainable feeling in my heart which developed like a cancer in my soul. There should be a new research to find out the mode of transmission and proliferation of this tumour which suddenly develops and attacks the various parts of the body simultaneously.

When she accepted for the date, it was like winning a casino to me. The enchantment spread all over my body without following any regularized pattern. It almost spoilt at the stray dog on the road and said, “Hai, sweetie, good morning!”

Maybe for a month from the date of our first meet in an elegant mall, where I got her mobile number in an indirect way. Even though I was not sure about her commitment with others, I just tried to get her number as she was pretty and elegant amongst of her friends in that crew in that evening.

I was sure about my feelings whether my soul tried to tease her or greet her, still, I wanted to have a chat with her, I was not sure whether I listened to her voice or not, but I wanted to. Actually, I was accompanied by four of my friends to that mall on that day, for just a visit.

I had a plan to detach myself from my friends saying that I was going to engage the restroom for a while, giving assurance that I would be joining with them soon, I escaped.

I quickly went to the upper floor and was waiting for her to take the escalator. As my soul prayed, she finally took the escalator to move down, which enabled me to meet her in the face. I had a final rehearsal of what I was going to say and how in my mind and took a long breath.

When she approached, I said louder to her, “Hei, tell your mom, that I’ve landed in India today!” and smiled.

I noticed her confused eyes, and I wanted it. But I did not look back down till I reached the upper floor.

I immediately took the same escalator in which she was moving down, but by that time she reached the next floor.

I was sure that she would have got confused about what I said. She would enquire to her friends whether I had told the message to any of her friends. Finding out that I was not so, she would develop the anxiety to ask me, why I said to her so.

I started my second phase of the plan and took an elevator to that floor where she was now moving on. She was in blue jeans and a yellow T-shirt. It was a very common combination for the girls, so I was searching for the pretty face among the crowd. I saw her coming out of the nail polish cabin wiping her thumbnail with a piece of cotton. I went and stood in front of her, facing her.

I had my rehearsal just for a second earlier in my soul to talk to her. I now started performing the second scene.

“Sorry miss, I misrecognized you as you were my cousin Reshma, and I had confused you. Sorry,” I said and smiled gently.

As I expected, she also smiled at me. I continued, “’cause, she was always wearing this costume and roaming around this mall very often”

She changed her face from soft to somewhat harder, and replied in stern voice, “Mister, I am not roaming, we came for a purchase!” Her voice was so sweet, and tender but the stress on each word had some strength.

I said immediately, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that! I said Reshma would usually… now I came back to you to reveal the confusion to allow you to sleep well. Otherwise, you will go to bed with this confusion and you will curse me for this!” I said and laughed as I planned.

She also laughed and her friends too laughed a bit.

‘Yes’ – I self-appreciated myself for this performance. I moved on to the third phase of my plan.

“If you want to scold me, call this number 9992229922, and scold me as you like. If you forget this number, come tomorrow to this nail polish shop to slap me hard!” and I laughed again.

She held up my fourth phase saying, “Can we have a cup of coffee?”

Before I said ‘yes’, her friends said it. I felt it was a bonus to my efforts, but I was a bit nervous that my friends should not come by that side till the phase was completed.

She continued with a giggle, “Do you expect this from me? If so, you are wrong!” she said and moved away with her friends.

Actually, it was in my plan that I should call her for ‘a cup of coffee’, but she had an advanced prediction and escaped so.

I then ran to my friends and joined with them.

The next day I met her at the same place, same time. She was alone. I asked her whether she tried the number which I had given on the previous day. She asked,

“So, you had given a fake number?”

“You tried to scold me? “ I asked with a smile.

“Now I’ve come to slap you hard!” she showed a false anger.

“With a cup of coffee?”

“And it was your plan?” she pierced me with her eyes.

We walked towards the café.

The next day and the next day, we met there and shared a lot. I told all the ins and outs of mine and she too did the same, I believe. She was Nikitha, one of the two daughters of a middle-class family, working in an IT company and so on. We then continued our chat through mobile almost every day. We met at times in between. Finally, she accepted for a date! Our first date!

Where to go? The whole day to be spent with her. It should be a pleasant place to stay or we can roam all the day to many places. I sat quit and recalled the places she had already visited and prepared another list to make her feel astonished when visiting the places for the first time.

I gave her a note that our first date would be unforgettable. I told her to have a pause for at least two days to get the thunder of happiness on the date. She accepted and the days gone. It was the date! I was waiting for her in front of the same mall. She came! My darl! Nikitha, with a bandage on her left hand and left ankle!

What an unforgettable date!

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