Date Me! | ✓

07 - the one with coincidence

Taara looked at her watch as she walked hurriedly towards her regular spot. She was late thanks to her annoying boss- Winget the witch. She didn't know why it bothered her to be late. This, the evening time she spent at the beach was her a leisure thing. Who was she kidding? She knew she didn't want to not be able to see Aayush. What if he left thinking that she wouldn't turn up? Taara was a mess in her mind. She couldn't understand why it bothered her if he left without meeting her. What if he never turned up? It wasn't a decided meeting that they were supposed to attend. Shaking her head she looked around. After a good two minutes of scanning the crowd around Taara sighed. Maybe he had left. She sat down and brought out the packet of roasted peanuts from her bag. 

Her mood was off now. She looked around in hope that maybe he was here. He wasn't.  She couldn't believe herself. She was so desperate to meet a stranger. He wasn't a stranger, she knew his name! What more than that? That he had beautiful eyes that made him look more handsome. "Shut up, Taara. Don't be stupid." She spoke to herself popping a few peanuts into her mouth. Her phone rang. She smiled. "Hey, Paa."

"Taara, this weekend are you free? There is this party by Roshans. I know you don't like parties. But Raunak Roshan's daughter Vini specially made it a point to request me to bring you along."

Taara put her palm on her forehead." Oh, Paa, she is very annoying.  Oh Taara, you look so pretty." She mimicked Vini's sugarcoated accent. "Taara isn't that color lovely. Taara what do you think about vacations in the Bahamas." Taara continued while her father laughed heartily at the other end. 

"Oh come on, Taara. You need to be in such places. Your going to waste your green days." He said.

"Papa!" Taara chided. 

"Fine. Fine. Girl you really must learn to have some fun. Your mother was more fun-loving and jovial than you are at her age. Girls must have fun too. I don't understand why that old lady is making you ..." His father spoke from the other end.

"Papa!" Taara interjected warning him to not go ahead with his complaints against her mother. "I will be there. See you on Sunday."

"Love you, my sweetheart." She heard him, she could always see him smile. "Love you too!" She spoke smiling, ending the call.

"What did I miss?" 

Taara almost shrieked turning sharply towards the left to find Mr.Stranger in the act of sitting beside her. "You scared me."

"You were talking to your nonexistent boyfriend ?" he asked grinning.

"Shut up. That was my father." Taara spoke as she slipped her phone back into her sling.

"I thought you would have left by now. Isn't this later than your usual hangout time?" He asked glancing at his watch. 

"Yep. I was late."

"Same pinch. I was running late too, today." 

Taara smiled. "Coincidence perhaps."

"Conspired by the universe so that we could meet." Aayush flashed a smile her way. Taara smiled back looking away quickly.  Coincidence, was it? Was, her meeting him, written in fate or a mere coincidence? They say all people that come into your life, come with a purpose, with a part, with a lesson. Did he have one too? 

Taara yawned covering her mouth. She extended her packet of peanuts sideways towards him.  "Not fried." She spoke. 

He smiled taking a few peanuts, "why did you think it was necessary for you to say that?"

"Never know, you might be a fitness freak." Taara shrugged, with a body like his he was definitely a health freak.

Aayush smiled. "I will take that as a compliment. "

Tara held back her smile. "Whatever helps you sleep at night!" After seconds of silence, he chuckled and Taara turned away giggling.  Maybe this stranger wasn't that bad an idea!