“Hey honey, would you come with me for dinner tomorrow? I have something important to discuss” Sameer said. The soft voice on the other side said”Oh honey, I would love to, but I can’t miss the TV serials. Can’t we meet for breakfast or lunch?” Leena said. Leena’s voice would have made anybody fall in love. But it was her deep blue eyes that made Sameer lose his sanity.
Yeah, I will propose her on a tea-stall with a Wada Pav and a filthy cup of tea in hand.’ Tere chai me mere biscuit ko panah mil jaaye…Tere ishq me meri jaan fanaa ho jaaye’ Sameer thought.
“Lee, can’t you spare one day for me?” Sameer argued.
“Would Saturday or Sunday be fine for you?” Leena countered.
“But today is Monday. Saturday is four days away.” said Sameer not ready to let go. “Patience always pays Uncle Sam. Wait till Sunday” she teased.
“Don’t you dare call me uncle, you Bruce Lee!!!” Sameer snapped.
“Ok. We can have dinner the next Sunday!! Good night”
“No wait. HOLD. Lee!!!”
The DDLJ ring tone rang again and Lee picked up her phone.
“Can we have lunch tomorrow?” Sameer said with a defeated tone.
“That’s like a good boy. Tomorrow 12:30 PM Hotel Abhishek…VEG” Leena said stressing on ‘veg’.
No hitch this time. It’s “perform or perish” for me tomorrow. Sameer thought.
Sameer bent down on his knees and spreading his arms said “Lee, would you like to spend the rest of your life with me?” The dress rehearsal made him forget that he was still in his office and was jolted to reality when he opened his eyes and saw his manager instead of Leena.
“Well, well, well. We have a Romeo here going to propose his Juliet. Just make sure your girlfriend doesn’t call you Uncle SAM!!” The manager sneered loudly raising few heads around and found Sameer on his knees and thought he was begging for his life or job.
“Anyways Romeo, you have won yourself a free stay here tonight for your splendid performance. The client has an urgent requirement for support. You can rehearse your balcony scene the whole day tomorrow.”
Oh wow!! What next? Sameer thought. Spending the entire night in office, Sameer was exhausted and returned home like soldier bruised from battle. I need sleep .He thought.
He tried but could not sleep. Only one thought was in his mind, Leena. Soon it was 11 in the morning and he was getting ready for the final act. He went to the ATM to get money for buying her a gift and his card stuck in the machine. Everything has to happen today only!!! Why always me?? Sameer thought.
So he decided to start the inning with the ‘old and faithful’ flowers.
Finally it was 12:00 when he reached the arena, the HOTEL that would determine his fate. The waiter on the door said “How many people Sir?”
“2. Special seats” replied Sameer
“Sir, your waiting number is 45. You will have to wait for one and half hour.” Waiter said with a polite smile.
“WHAT???1 and ½ hour? That’s too much.” Sameer said. Uncle Sam had now reached point of frustration.
Then was the moment, Leena entered the arena. She was mesmerizing. Beautiful blue eyes, glowing face and gait like a swan. She seemed like an angel.
The situation was perfect, both were there. The eternal LATA-RAFI duet ‘Waada karle saajna’ was being played in the background. The waiting passage was dimly lit.
He presented her the flowers and she blushed pink. Then he told that they had to wait for another 75 minutes to make it to the table. At this moment, the pink colour was converted to red. Her annoyance was accompanied with power cut and all was dark. This lead to an argument over shifting of the venue but in the end truce was sought by keeping the venue unchanged. Sameer was thinking of kneeling down in front of her and asking her then and there itself but he was reminded of his boss and shrugged the idea.
The waiter by now had silently declared that generator had failed and candles were to run the show.
Finally after 30 minutes, they made it to the table. Power cut was a blessing in disguise since many people had left.
She ordered food and the waiter left. He gazed into her eyes and forgot the entire world.
He gazed deeper and she yawned as widely as she could.
Neither of them was speaking for a moment when Sameer gave first try.
“Lee, we know each other for so long. We’ve had great time together.”
“Yes, so ? I’ve had wonderful times with lot many of my friends. Some of them are real sweethearts” Leena said.
Sameer looked like he was hit square in the face.
“Yes, but I can claim that I know them better than you” Sameer said shakily.
“What?” asked apparently confused Leena.
Sameer: I mean I know you better than they do. I understand you better.
Leena: Yeah. You can say that, though that might not be always true. You see I was always the center of attraction of all the groups and events. So lot of people claimed to be my best friends and Blah! Blah! Blah!
Sameer was now on verge of defeat.
Sameer: So you have lot many of such fools sorry friends on your fooling list?? Where am I in this list? At the top?
Leena: Shut up Sameer!! You are better then those.
Sameer: Until you find next one.
Leena: I’m disgusted with you.
There was deafening silence for a minute. Leena’s anger was now on top floor.
“Ma’am” finally Sameer decided to open up. “W- W-Would you please; should you please? I mean, will you marry me?”
Leena roared in laughter. She had tears in her eyes and said “W-w-would you? Sh-sh -should you? You are so funny. I just can’t control my laughter.”
Sameer had lost it now. He said in absolutely disappointed tone “I knew it. I was never made for you. You don’t even consider it seriously. I should not have thought this in first place”
He was about to get up and leave when she held his hand and said “Everybody makes mistakes. I would be proud to make this one.”
She got up and knelt down and said “Sameer, will you marry me?”
The author Kartik Kulkarni blogs at Devil's Kitchen
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