Page 12 of Musafir Cafe

‘Okay, then, let’s go home.’

‘If you had told me about this earlier, I wouldn’t have told the maid not to come.’

‘So what, you cook something.’

‘I can’t cook anything.’

‘Then learn. Had you had a girlfriend, you would have learnt by now. Anyway, you’ll learn after marriage.’

‘Don’t keep saying “if you had a girlfriend”. I have one. It’s just that I never told anyone that.’

‘I’ll stop believing in God, for heaven’s sake. You have a girlfriend? For real?’

‘For real.’

‘Where does she live, what does she do? I have never seen her.’

‘She doesn’t stay here. Sometimes she visits. I started staying in this flat because of her. She wasn’t comfortable with my previous flatmate.’

‘Then when is she visiting next?’

‘No idea.’

‘Why not? Show me your phone.’

‘Why my phone?’

‘Show me her picture. You must have one in your mobile! What’s her name?’

‘Let’s go home; I will tell you everything.’

‘Show me her photo at least.’

‘I don’t have her photo in my phone.’

‘Then it must be in your wallet. You look like the old-fashioned type.’

‘It’s not there either.’

‘Do you have a girlfriend or are you just bluffing?’

‘I am serious. I have a girlfriend, or you can say I had one. I am not yet used to saying “had a girlfriend”. Let’s go home. I will tell you the whole story.’

‘Yaar, can I say something? You won’t get offended, na?’

‘No, tell me.’

‘Get some booze. Your story sounds like a really sad one. I can’t listen to a love story without booze, be it happy or sad.’

‘If it’s such a problem, then I won’t bother you with it.’

‘No, I want to listen.’

‘All right, I will tell you all once we reach home. And yes, she was really fond of golgappe.’

S for Sad Story

Sudha freshened up after reaching home and changed into comfortable clothes. She put on Jagjit Singh’s ghazals on the laptop, dimmed the lights and said, ‘Make a strong peg, as strong as your love story.’