Jiaplays...: Over Cookies and Coffee

They barely met, barely spoke, barely texted, barely browsed the social media and with no extra efforts their friendship had somehow managed to survive over several years. It always stayed distinct, like stardust sprinkled around, however, with a few unanswered questions. Meetings were uncalled but certain universal factors brought them together, usually for work which sometimes ended up with cookies, coffee and naughty glances. Every meeting kept getting better, it encapsulated them in those little moments which carried utter joy and consummated everything around them.

So a meeting, one of its kind, happened on a summer evening, which changed their lives. ‘Forever’ seems a distant word because life knocks at your door, in little surprise packages but indeed, undeniably, it was something to stay in their hearts, for infinity and beyond.

They were the last ones to leave the office post wrapping up the documentation of a huge deal. After a quick exchange of pleasantries at the parking area, they realized how tired they were, so a glass of wine accompanied by a grab of bite, would make up for a relaxed weekend. They headed together to her place, who lived all by herself, away from her family settled in The States. He instantly found his comfort zone, upon entering, her neat, little studio apartment and rested himself beside the corner table. She immediately went to the kitchen, took out the wine glasses and poured her homemade wine into it, tossed the leftover chilli chicken from last night onto the pan, arranged her favourite tortillas and in no time, had spread the little platter, right in front of his cozy space.

Sipping on their wine, crunching on tortillas, biting and devouring hungrily into those chicken pieces, they spoke about everything under the sun, from how she enjoyed baking for her loved ones to going to the gym and her craziness to shop for antique pieces. He spoke on how he enjoyed going on long drives during monsoon and having masala chai at the kitli, they also discussed their past lives, young heartbreaks, surpassing everything with his witty, candid, naughty remarks dedicated to her and his amazing comic timings broke them into hysterical spells of laughter. Time progressed, and they had no clue about it until the clock struck 1 past midnight. She wanted him to stop for a little while more, but his gentleman traits restricted him. For courtesy sake, he texted her as soon as he reached home but time, so they say, had other plans. The chat didn’t end there, it brought them closer than ever before, their kittenish remarks had somewhere materialized into pure emotions which made him come back to her the very same night. They hugged as if there’s no tomorrow, he kissed her on her forehead, stole her breath away and enveloped her in his strong, abled arms. She had found the calming to her storming heart. He had found the rainbow beyond his massive mountain array. Neither of them, knew what this meant but all that they knew was, it was their world. Nobody could take those moments away, it was theirs, only theirs, all rights reserved. It was like a surreal dream, so good to be true.

They were not hypnotized nor did they walkover their priorities. But there was a childlike happiness and getting up every morning for a new chapter of 'life in love' was all worth it. They never even made it look sinful because they were starstruck to each other in a hurricane world where time demands everything but for them time was late. He was 65 and she was 56, working at an NGO, selflessly rendering services to the society.