Page 40 of Musafir Cafe

Chandar would always refuse this offer with a smile. Meanwhile, he told his parents that he was at a Vipassana camp. His phone would be switched off for a few days and there was nothing to worry about.

Chandar didn’t try to reach Sudha. When anger reaches a dangerous level, it becomes difficult to bear this world. When it goes beyond those limits, it becomes difficult to bear one’s own self. The interesting thing is, no matter how mad we get at ourselves, one morning everything falls into place. Chandar’s anger, directed at himself, was beginning to calm down, bit by bit. Mussoorie had made it easy for him to bear with himself.

As the books’ pages turned, the days, too, turned themselves. One fine day, Chandar was strolling when he crossed Pummy’s shop. This time, he went inside.

‘When are you buying that café? I don’t feel like paying for my tea there now.’

‘I wish I could. That deal isn’t happening.’

‘Why?’

‘The owner is asking for Rs 12 lakh.’

‘The café is really good.’

‘Yeah, that’s true. I don’t want to miss this deal.’

Chandar fell silent after hearing this. Pummy asked if he wanted tea. He immediately said yes; he never could refuse tea. Chandar asked Pummy if he could use her computer and checked his email. The mailbox was full of new messages. There was everything from Dr Batra’s to home loans, but there was not a single email from Sudha.

After checking his email, Chandar took a piece of paper, did some calculations and said, ‘Don’t miss out on the café deal.’

‘I don’t want to but I don’t have any other option. However, I have asked for some time. The bank wouldn’t give me a loan. I have spoken to a guy who is saying he’ll take Rs 2 lakh as commission and would get a loan of Rs 12 lakh approved. But that guy seems fishy to me.’

‘Coming to the café?’

‘You’re saying it like we’re going to buy it.’

‘I don’t have enough money to buy the café, but I do have enough to buy parathas for both of us. Let’s go.’

‘Okay. Chalo.’

G for Gobhi ka Paratha

Chandar ordered two gobhi parathas at the café. The terrace in the café had a clear view of the mountains and from it, they could see the sky, take in the scene and also enjoy the sunshine.

Chandar rubbed his hands together for warmth and asked Pummy: ‘What name did you have in mind for the café? Don’t tell me it would have been “Pummy Café and Snacks”!’

‘No, yaar! Musafir Café is what I had in mind.’

‘Why Musafir Café?’

‘Just like that. No specific reason. Whenever I travel somewhere, I feel all of us are mere travellers in this world.’

‘You talk about serious stuff also?’

‘I don’t do it, just learnt a lesson after travelling so much.’

‘What else did you learn?’

‘What our future is going to be like.’

‘What is it going to be like? Tell me.’

‘We’ll either turn into smoke or into soil.’

After saying this, Pummy sipped her tea. The sunrays went ahead and touched her face. A few locks on her forehead went ecstatic at the breeze and started to play with the sunlight.

Looking at those fluttering locks, Chandar was transported to a different world. A world in which he could see Sudha, the window back home, the morning sunlight and himself. Chandar was stroking Sudha’s forehead, playing with her locks and trying to wake her up by blowing in her ear.