Weekend is for watching Manga, eating blackcurrent icecream, lazing around and very very minimal outdoor exposure. I was happily eating icecream and was watching "
Girl from Hell" on Animax when she came. I know why my cousin was here. I had brought about an argument between her and her husbabd about valentines day. She was here for payback. I knew that from one, she was my cousin and two, she always has this evil glint in her eyes when she is plotting something. I sighed. My weekend was screwed. In 5 minutes my mom came to me and ordered to get dressed. My cousin had set up a dinner meeting with a guy and the guy was expecting me at some restaurant. Knowing that this was a payback to me, the guy would be everything I was not looking for. Not to mention a person who can easily ignite my temper. I hate my cousin from the bottom of my socks. In thirty minutes I was sitting in front of that guy. He had this bored expression on his face as though it was a great burden to tolerate my sight.
"Red or White?"
"Huh?" Not very intelligent of me right? But these were the first words from him after the basic pleasantries.
"Red wine or white wine?" He had this tone of a person who explains to a question asked by a 5 year old.
"Neither. Orange juice."
"Dont tell me you dont drink champagne either."
"Fine. I wont." Whats with the arrogance? Idiot.
"So you dont drink. Do you go clubbing?"Useless bugger would have learnt this word after going to US.
"No."
"Pubbing?" Is there even a word like that? I wondered.
"I said, I dont drink."
"Latenight partys? Atleast?"
"No. I am home always by 7 PM. Girls should not stay out of the house after dark. Its unorthodox and its not safe either." I knew this would throw him off.
"But you are in IT right? What about the times when you have project deadlines? Times when your managers have asked you to stay back?"
"I will not stay even if my manager asks me or begs me to stay. Only one day I stayed till 9 PM. In last 5 years, thats the latest I have come home. It was so bad." I think I will be a fantastic actor. I mean look at this - lying through teeth, not even flinching and flawless performance of a timid girl. A girl, everything I am not. He is surprised; I can tell.
"Thats very....different. So, you dont go to project partys at all?"
"I do. Only when they go to an all vegetarian hotel and when I can be back home by 7 PM."
"But your outlook says otherwise you know. You have this short hair, ears piercing, blue nail polish, silver chains and rings. Sort of a different outlook." Damn! Why does he have to be an annoying little observant? I blurted out a bigger lie.
"I really like long hair. You know I had hair till my waist. I used to apply oil it regularly and wear flowers that had fragrance everyday. My cousin convinced my mom that most guys like short hair so I had to get it cut. And she dressed me up today." For a second I felt awful for lying about me outrightly. But, I was lost in my own enjoyment to give it a second thought.
"Thats interesting. So what are your hobbies?"
"Watching serials in the evening and sleeping." God I am pathetic. I almost laughed at this.
"Umm...sleeping is your hobby?"
"Ummm....aahh....yes." I had the grace to blush. Thank god!
"Do you read anything?"
"I read the extra segment that we get with regular kannada paper on friday. It has movies section." I am good at script writing too. Multi talented!
"So, you read newspaper. Thats good. But any books?"
"No." He sighed.
"Do you watch movies?" There was so much of hope in his voice, I almost wanted to tell him that I was a movie addict. But then again, show must go on!!
"Only mythological ones. If I watch other movies, I will get
Papa"
"Boy or a girl?" He laughed.
Papa in kannada means "baby". I managed to give him a blank look as though not understanding his dumb PJ. He shook his head. Our food had arrived at this point and I nibbled on my food and even I was getting bored by this point.
"Is your life interesting?" No one had ever asked me this question before. Even in my all honest self, I could't have answered this I suppose.
"I dont know." I answered truthfully.
"Are you a spiritual person?" Suddenly the directions of questions are changed. Whats going on?
"Yes. Very spiritual infact. I have faith in certain things. And I belive my faith can help bringing out the best in me." Shit. I was not supposed to answer like that. I was supposed to give him a dumb answer. Little twerp is upto something.
"What do you speak about when you meet up with your friends." Aah...safe question again.
"I have couple of friends only. Both are girls. I don't talk to boys at all. I listen to them talk."
"Why is that? Why is that you have to be a listener all the time? Why not initiate a conversation?" I had to avoid the question. Answering that would give away too much of me and that currently is not acceptable.
I just shrugged for an answer.
"Is there anything you want to ask me? You are awfully shy by the way. Kind of rare these days." Fine. My Oscar performance is making me guilty. So sue me!!
"No. I have nothing to ask."
"Come on. I will give you a lift home. Its 8 PM already and now I know you dont like to be out so late." The drive was quiet and I had to stop myself from humming to
Audioslave; my entire show would have been a waste then. Once we neared my home, he stopped and give me a small pot with a sapling of honeysuckle. I wonder where he got this plant. Its awfully rare in India.
"A small gift for you."
"Thank You." I really meant it. I felt a little guilty for playing him along the evening. He was a nice guy afterall.
But the next three words that he said had me staring at the dust of the exhaust of his car and even after it was away from my vision for about 10 minutes.
"Good night, Sookie"