Episode 01 - Love at first sight

 Bangalore

19th Oct 2018

Shiv asked his driver to stop at a brightly lit cafe on Mysore highway. His driver was surprised at his master’s strange request to stop at the cafe. He has been driving the car for him for the past few days and the only places he has taken him were the office, home and clubs. Anyway, he was supposed to follow orders, not question his master’s request. That was one of the instructions given to him by a man who called himself his master’s right hand.  

Shiv was already in an inebriated state. He took a tiny sip from his stainless steel 8 oz whiskey flask while he almost tripped as he got out of the car. He stared at the string light decoration outside the cafe. It reminded him of fond memories of his mum. She would have loved it if she was here. The cool October breeze and outdoor cafes with lighting like this always made her happy. Tiny things like these made her happy. Only if his dad knew his mum well and never broke her heart, she would have been here with him and they would have been one happy family. But life was unfair. She died by overdosing on dozens of sleeping pills. He never forgave his dad after her death. As years passed, the rage within him intensified, making everyone near him fear him. Alcohol and smoking made him forget pain for a few seconds but it would resurface again and again, making him angry. He had stopped going to cafes for a very long time but today was different. He wanted to spend his time here watching the lights and feeling the cool breeze over his face.

As he walked slowly towards the cafe, he remembered the conversation he had with his stepmother a few minutes back. Her voice pricked his heart and reminded him of his dad’s betrayal. She was asking him when he was coming back to their family home in  London. He had rudely replied to her back saying he was never coming back. She started advising him about family values and that’s when he snapped at her and cut the call before she could say anything. He hated her. Why was she trying hard to win his heart? She was never going to take his mum’s place and he had made this clear so many times. 

He found a corner seat outside the cafe where no one would bother him. A waiter appeared to take his orders. He ordered two coffees and asked him not to disturb him. The waiter was miffed by his strange request but didn’t complain. His shift was about to end and he didn’t want to go home with a dissatisfied customer. He left him alone except when he bought his orders. Shiv didn’t touch his coffee but instead watched his surroundings. There were not too many people - just what he wanted. A couple sitting across from him was engrossed in their world, making tall promises while a family of four was enjoying the cool breeze and each other's company. There was also a gang of friends having a good time. Unlike them, he found his company bearable. He felt most people around him had some selfish motive and his rage protected him from getting away from such people. The only family he knew were Aman whom he treated as his right hand and Nani, his maternal grandmother.  Aman was his childhood bestie and was his only go-to man when he needed someone’s support. Nani calmed him and made him sane when he felt his pain was unbearable. 

His pain resurfaced again and he took out his tiny flask of happiness from his jacket pocket. As he sipped, he watched the waiter staring at him disapprovingly. He twitched his nose in anger. He tossed some notes of 100 rs on the table and got up to leave. He hated when people disapproved of his habits. He was only living his own life without harming anyone. He didn’t put back the flask inside his jacket pocket instead he held it as he walked back to his car. 

He turned back to smirk at the waiter who disapproved of his drinking habit. Suddenly he felt someone trip into him. He turned to see that he had dropped his prized possession - the flask and was holding a woman whose face turned away from him. She lifted her face and his heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. He had never seen such beautiful grey eyes. But they were filled with tears which broke his heart. She stared at his big green eyes and instantly forgot why she was there. 

He wondered why he felt like a love-struck teenager. She was a few inches shorter than him and her arms felt delicate in his hands. He noticed some kind of sadness in her eyes. He wanted to calm her down and make her smile. He also wanted to know her side of the story. But he was struck by a strong emotion that he didn’t find the right words to comfort her. He simply rubbed the tears from her eyes. This melted her heart and she hugged him without any hindrance. His heart beat faster and she felt soft. He brushed her hair gently while she cried. Her tears wet his expensive jacket. But he didn’t mind. He just didn’t want this time to end. 

“Akka !”, a male voice called. She quickly released herself from their hug and saw it was her brother calling her. She didn’t say anything and instead quickly walked towards the cafe. His heart stung. He felt as if he lost something precious. “Sorry! She just lost her fiance in a road accident.”, her brother said. Shiv nodded and got inside the car. He felt tears welling up in his eyes for the first time. He forgot his pain for the first time and felt sad for someone else’s despair for the first time.