China Town :)

I was sitting at the far end, towards the left in that dimly lit Chinese restaurant. One single lantern placed in the center of the room was where all the light came from. The room was bright at the center and grew darker towards the walls. The corners were the darkest. I wasn’t in the corner. I was a trifle bit closer to the light as if I wanted people to be aware of my presence but not know what I was up to.

There was enough light in there to move around without knocking anything down but not enough light to perceive the details of what was served. There was enough light to see the stature and movement of people entering the threshold but not enough to notice any flaws they may have about them. Enough light for me!

There were some eerie paintings in, red and black, on the walls. A huge stone dragon stood at the right most corner of the room, its tail end hidden away in the semi darkness, its fierce eyes shining, presumably with rage and fire gushing out of its nasal cavities every few minutes. Had I been drunk, I would have blanked out at the first sight of this creature.



The music that was being played (of what kind it was, I know not) was very soothing to my ears. Not many people seem to have chosen to enjoy Chinese cuisine on that Thursday evening. They were dispersed with most of them sitting closer to the walls of the room, closer to the darkness…

I was munching my food a little noisily hoping it would be masked by the music. There wasn’t anybody sitting close to where I was anyways. I looked up as I masticated every mouth full, and watched the others in the room. After a while, the door opened for the first time since I got in, and two men stepped in.

One of them was dressed in brown and appeared quiet plain. The other was dressed in white and was considerably good looking. They walked in and occupied a table diagonally opposite to mine. They kept talking to each other in muffled voices. “Must be barely audible even to each other”, I thought. Probably, that’s that they thought too, for in a short while they were both louder.

I had no intention to eves lope, but, I simply couldn’t help listening to their conversation.

Man In White (MIW) -“I told her that I won’t be home for dinner and that I'm planning to go out for dinner with a friend. She wasn’t the least bit annoyed…!”

Man In Brown (MIB)-“OK. So what!!?”

MIW- “You don’t understand. She is never like this. All that she asked was an uninterested ‘where?’ I feel orphaned”

MIB-“I don’t get this man. You bothered because she is letting you do what you want? Funny don’t u think” *laughs

MIW-*Looks irritated* “This is no joke Rakesh. This is my life we are talking about and you are my best buddy. She has been very detached for the past few weeks and I strongly fear that she has found someone more interesting! ”

MIB-*Stops laughing and listens*

MIW-“Perhaps I haven’t been paying her as much attention as I should. I think I made a mistake. I really am ready to mend my ways, if only I’m given a chance”

MIB-“Why don’t you ask her straight? That should help”

MIW-“No. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if she affirms my fears. She is just too dear to me”

MIB-“What’s the point in imagining things and keeping all these thoughts to yourself. Have you done anything to find out what she thinks?”

MIW-“Yes. I finally have. I’ve asked some one to keep track of what she does today. I’ve been away all day and will go home late. I shall give that guy a call before I go to bed. I should get a clear picture of what she is up to”

MIB-“Holyyy shit!!! How could you do something so cheap? Just imagine what she would do if she comes to know of this”

MIW-“Ever imagined what my life is like not knowing the truth?”

There wasn’t a word spoken for a while, just the sounds of cutlery and crockery and my munching. The two men were finished with their dinner and left in silence.

I was finished too. Dinner was good- tasty and entertaining. I gave a moderately loud burp again hoping that it would be masked by the music. “The two men have left and there isn’t anybody sitting anywhere near …m..”before I could finish thinking this thought, I jumped out of my skin. There was something behind me. For a few seconds, the ambiance, the heavy dinner and the huge dragon breathing fire, staring from the other end of the room did havoc.

I composed myself and realized that it was after all someone and not something. There were soft muffled sobs of a woman. She started speaking in a clear crisp voice. “Has a good voice. Must be a tele-marketing person” I thought.

“Hello…hello..Nimmi…” there was a pause presumably because the person at the other end was responding.

“Yes I did as per the plan and I’ve been wrong all along. Oh, how glad I am Nimmi” *sobs*

*Why is she glad because she is wrong* (I thought)

The woman finally was out of the dark corner. She was strikingly beautiful and agile. She walked over to the table that the two men had occupied. It had been cleaned and was ready for occupation. She sat on the very chair that the MIW had occupied a while back and continued talking.

“Would you believe this? He has had the same doubts about me as I had about him and has actually been staying away to check how I react and what I do”..*pause*

Nimmi kept talking for a long time …or so I felt!!!

“I’ve been such a fool. I thought he was away because he was interested in someone else…You were right . I was way too hasty”

*pause* Nimmi talks a lot for sure

“I’m so relieved. Ok, its getting late. I should get home …ok..*Nimmi talks*..ok…*Nimmi talks*.. sure.. cayaa tomorrow “

The lady dropped her phone into her bag and hurried out.

I was amazed and delighted, both at the same time. I paid the bill and stepped out. It was chill outside. I tucked my hands into my pockets to keep myself warm.

As I started walking towards home, I wondered how good a spy this Man would have employed…. I wondered how the man would react if his spy told him that his lady love was actually in that very restaurant on this Thursday evening!!! After all, what better way to entertain oneself - observe the most and imagine the rest. I chuckled to myself and walked on.