Expectations

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She briefly took the phone wire from her mouth and greeted the receptionist. Then fixed it back again and continued speaking into it.

“Come on, Shyam, Do you expect me to believe such nonsense?”

She pulled out a chair from an unoccupied table and sat down. She was slim and tall, around 5’8”. Her bright red lips matched her red and black tops.

Even Salman who was threatening the waiter with a

 ‘if you had just told me I would have showed the lot of you to make an omelette the right way,’  turned around to see what others were looking at.

And naturally the waiter had to see why Salman had stopped so suddenly.

A small white rabbit peeped out of her right pocket. The girl stroked its head and throat gently and then thrust it inside, all the while continuing on the phone.

“Okay, Shyam, it may be an ordinary matter for you. But it doesn’t suit me one bit, understand?

“What?  

“YES, I agree that I’m traditional in my values, very traditional. In fact I’m surprised you didn’t notice it till now. So let me get it clear once and for all. Its goodbye forever and I don’t want to hear your voice or see your face anymore, got it?”

She pulled the earphones off and buried her face in her hands. The whole place was silent as if to share her loss. “A glass of apple juice first please,” she said to the waiting waiter, uncovering her face briefly.

“You serve this dish to that lady there,” Salman continued in a whisper “and see what happens. Your chef will be fired in ten minutes.”

“Excuse me, Sir, but that lady was so pleased with yesterday’s pudding  that she gave me a 500 rupee note tip.”

“Nonsense! You think I’ll believe that?” Salman said, thumping the table so forcefully that the young girl sitting at the opposite table let out an involuntary cry.

Her big eyes were fixed on the door. She huddled herself like a mouse on hearing a cat’s approaching meows.

“Relax, Rita, they’re not going to search for you here now,” the elderly lady by her side said. “My brother has cleverly diverted them to the north. In fifteen minutes we’ll be travelling south. You must spend the night at Ravi’s house. In the morning he’ll take you to the registrar’s office. Shankar will be waiting there. Just sign the register, pose for a photo and you’ll come out as a married woman, understand? Now show me how you’ll hold Shankar’s arm tomorrow: Ah! That blush will do. Now finish your coffee and let’s go.”

But Rita kept staring at another couple who were happily sharing a drink using two straws. Their eyes were half closed, half admiring as they looked up from their drink to smile at each other now and then.

 Shankar and she never enjoyed such a peaceful moment together. Would things suddenly change after tomorrow?

She stretched out her hands to hold the table but her head was spinning rapidly and she found herself moving closer to the floor…

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