"The restaurant Odyssey: Part 4

Time:01:03pm

" I don't like You ! "
"Excuse me??"
" yeah...U heard it correctly....I don't like U at all !!"
"You talking to me, Mister??"
"yeah...Very much to you !! " I was speaking...A faint smile on my lips.
" U are Bad ! Since last 10 minutes, I have been thinking of talking to U, but I could not muster enough courage ! So all I can say is....That YOU are bad !! "
"Are U crazy??"
" What do U think"?
"I think You are nuts"
"Being frank means U R nuts?....Then I am nuts"
" U mean U REALLY waited 10 minutes to talk to me??"
"No, I was joking"
" That was a bad joke"
"M sorry then....My sense of humour needs a better company"
"Don't go too far"
" I am just standing here"
(The second visibly amused n famished girl gets a call from GOD and she leaves the drrama in between....That was GOD helping me on his part)
" What exactly do U want...I am getting late"
"A chance to talk to you"
"What if I say No.."
"I will go straight back out of this building"
*A Pause*
"U hitting on me?"
"Nope...Just want to have a good time in talking"
"But I don't know U"
"Me too: N i especially don't like talking while standing"
"Ohh soo sorry...Please have a seat!"

I could'nt believe what was happening ! I had come totally unprepared ! I just had a faint idea how I wud proceed. The approach was novel, but immature. It was weird.It suited me becoz I was a guy who never took things to heart, n spoke my mind. I did this here as well. N LO...!! I got a seat....Instead of a slap !!! It was worth the effort as of now. Even if I lost 100 bucks, I had made a good start in my PR. But this was not a time for self appreciation.

TIME:01:15

"So what do U want to talk abt. I want to tell U that I already have a boyfriend, who is due to come in here anytime now. Please make it fast, before he sees you and thrashes you.

I had thanked GOD a lot earlier....This was a blow out of the wild. I was let flabbergasted. I still did'nt let it show on my face.
" He won't mind his girl talking to a friend...Would he?"
"If HE thinks that YOU are a friend"
"Why won't he: Don't I look like one??"
"its not like that...."
"Ankit"
"Its not like that Ankit ! U seem a nice guy at first look"
"First impressions can be deceptive, and I think U should not trust them. World around us is cruel U know"
"So I shud'nt trust U , right??"
(Blunder.....Log Paanv pe kulhaadi maarte hain...Maine Kulhaadi pe paanv maar liya..Shit..Shit!!)

"Err....I did'nt mean that...I meant that U MAY trust me if Your heart says so !!"
"Lets not talk abt mushy stuff now...I hate that"
"I don't especially like it either"
" So what do U do Ankit, besides flirting with girls?"
(So much sarcasm??? U R my first prey; I thought)

" I do NOT flirt with girls ! I just wanted to have a time to tell you that you are one of the prettiest girls I have ever seen in my life. Not that you don't know of it ! Still telling U this"
" I am flattered...Tell me something new !! "
( I did'nt know what to speak !! Momentary confusion ! I th8 girls liked flattery.But it was getting me nowhere !!!! 2 minutes were over long back....What to speak now??)

" Your Name is Nivedita !! "
"Nope....My name is Shruti"
"I told U somethin new...Which U asked for"

*Laughter*

Her laugh was like chiming bells.For a second, I almost lost touch with reality.This was the first time she smiled n my heart lost a beat. Was she beautiful..!! Cool breeze that blew over her hairs came to my face with a moist sensation. I wondered if I was lying on the beaches of Kerala...

"I don't know Ankit weather I should talk to U or not...but I think I will take a chance with this MEAN world"
She smiled again..

"The pleasure shall be all mine..Btway, what do U do??"
" I am an interior designer !!"
"Which firm??"
"Reynolds Associates"
"ohh..I see, are'nt they the ones who just had a merger with Rascolo Ltd. this saturday?"
"ya...Haf you been researching on my company?"
"Naah....Just preparing for a few exams"
"You, exams??"
"Ya...U know, Interior designing was my first love...My mom is an interior designer too"
"That's good !! Is she a professional"
"No...She decorates our home..."
(That beautiful laugh once again.....I was elated with myslef....But this time I did'nt thank GOD..)

" U R funny....I like that"
"Gee...thanks !!"
(Now was the tough part ! I knew I could'nt retain her interest for very long ! N even her BF might come.I have accomplished my purpose. If I hafto meet her the next time, I hafto play my cards perfect right now.This is the big exam of Ur grit buddy !! )

"hey, I should be leaving now ! It was really a pleasure talking to U."
"Y ankit...What happened??"
"No...Nothing Shruti.I haveto catch a class, and my friends are waiting for me too, over there"She glanced at them, and they flashed their beatific smile that would have put a baby to shame !She waved at them too !!I had won the bet !
"ohk...Never mind !! We shall bump into each other someday"
"I sure hope that this someday comes tomorrow ! Had it not been for this damn class..."
"It was nice to know U Ankit"
"Well, it would be nicer if U can take down my phone number, and call me whenever U feel like having a talk with a friend. Maybe Ur BF won't mind MUCH"
" We split !! I lied that time to scare U off...But U were too persistent"
"I am sorry !! U would find a better guy someday"
"I am not looking"
"I know Shruti....U are a sweet girl and I would be very lucky to have you as a good friend"
" same here Ankit"
"My number is 098985 xxxxx"
"ohk..U want my number??"
"Can I say Yes?"

Same smile again !! Same flashing of bells !!
"Yes, U can ! It is 098988 xxxxx"
"AIRTEL!"
"yeah!"
"Don't worry, I would call U only 10,000 times a day"
"Lets C, how much patience do U have"
"I seem to have lots of it ! Okay Shruti..I will take leave of U now.I hope U won't mind chatting to me once a while over a cup of coffee !"
"No Ankit...It would be great ! Good and decent conversations are difficult nowadays"
"That I can bet upon, C you soon Shruti"

Time: 01:37

I reached at my frnd's table.They were staring at me with mouth Wide agape.
Amber showed me the watch.
"35 mints !!!!!! What were u telling her???? Fairy tales????"
"Shut up n lets go"I said slowly.

They all were quiet....And then we left in a hurry.The rest of the story ends with Swami getting a good verbal thrashing for having ridiculed me, and his shelling out 100/-But it was long past money ! I began dreaming of tomorrow...