It had begun. The familiar signs alarmed
him about the change. Every time when he gets comfortable, he closes his eyes
and counts ten. As the countdown started, a subtle tempo of keys and
strings rang a bell. It was the sound of his heart. It changes according to his
situations. Like a distress call before a disaster, it indicates him about the
change that is yet to come. His tunes are usually melodious, peppy and even
jarring. It's the symphony of his thoughts and dreams.
The countdown stopped! Still he kept his
eyes closed. Not sure of what's going to hit him next, he prepared himself to
face the change. Slowly he opened his eyes to focus on the subject that
appeared before him. It was a coffee mug. Filled with cream, lather and white
fumes over it, it had a heavy dose of caffeine. His nostrils went for the
fragrance and eyes wandered for the wonder, a velvet wonder that left a trail
of its lipstick over the white texture of the coffee mug.
The dose of caffeine and the hues of colors
kindled his curiosity to know who it was. He again closed his eyes and started
his countdown. A quirky jazz number kept him at ease. What does this mean? Now
with more confidence he saw a draping beauty slurping the coffee. As the caffeine
was seeping through her throat, he quickly scanned her till down.
Eyes up! She muttered.
An awkward silence prevailed for few
seconds. To escape from this embarrassment, he closed his eyes and started his
count down again. This time the tempo was fast. High decibels pumped his heart
at 600 horse power. When he opened his eyes, there was no one. The empty coffee
mug indicated emptiness. His curiosity turned into anxiety.
For one last time he closed his eyes and
started his countdown again. There was silence. It was mixed with subtle expectations.
He opened his eyes and moved the coffee cup. A series of number with few alphabets
below it brought a change in his face. (Smile)
It was her phone number. It said "call
me".
