He stared intently into her deep blue eyes. She met his gaze coyly for a split second before turning away. A few minutes later, their eyes met again. Excited chatter, laughter, and bonhomie filled the room at the town’s most talked about Diwali party. They stood at the opposite ends of one of the tables in the large drawing room. Their eyes locked for an unending sixty seconds. A vast blue ocean of truth revealed itself. In this eternal interlude, he peeled away layers of her soul, their past connection, and a magnetic pull toward one another. In those sixty seconds, time stood still. Their quiet conversation was interrupted by an introduction. “Saurabh, meet my niece, Ayesha. She is visiting from the States.,” boomed Mr. Singh’s voice. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he replied warmly. Deep within, he knew they would meet again.
Mr. Singh took his niece to meet other guests. He watched her move elegantly in a sequinned ivory gown. Her perfectly manicured nails painted a deep magenta held onto a tiny clutch bag. A smile on her face revealed dimples on her cheeks. He watched them appear and disappear as she mingled with her uncle’s friends. He studied her face and the contours of her body from afar. Saurabh’s group of friends entered the room. After meeting them, he looked around the room to spot her. She was nowhere to be seen.
To his friend’s surprise, Saurabh walked away frantically. He went from room to room, and finally outside to the courtyard. He could not see her. She was gone. Disappointed, he went back inside to join his friends. A couple of drinks later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ayesha! Much to his dismay, it was someone else. Later that night, he thought of her. He imagined the sequence of events in his head and cursed himself for not asking for her number.
The next day, he went to work with a hangover. At mid-day, he decided to step out for a coffee. As he stood in the queue at Starbucks, someone tapped on his shoulder again. Excitedly, he turned around to see his colleague. He was hoping it would be Ayesha. An uneventful day later, he decided to pick up some kebabs on the way home. He spotted a girl reading cooking instructions in the frozen foods section at the back of the chicken momos. “Excuse me, can I cook these in the microwa–. Oh, my god, it’s you!” she exclaimed. Saurabh was thrilled to bump into her again. He invited Ayesha over for chicken momos and wine. They laughed into the night.