Post # 6 A Formal Call, the First of many to come..... #atozchallenge

So he had seen her that day, at the aquarium.

Then why hadn’t he spoken to her at that time ? What had stopped him from confronting her then ?

She buried herself in these questions and many more, as she spent her next few days at work and home.

She could finally name the feeling that she’d been nagged with ever since the first day she saw him at the aquarium.

Restlessness. The unsettling feeling that arises in you when you know your goal is getting closer day by day, yet something stops you from going ahead and conquering it.

She had so much to do. To accomplish, rather. But she felt she had to wait. The time wasn’t ripe yet.

In the meantime, he had found her out, spoken to her and written to her.

She had shown the letter to Roshni that evening after returning from the Church, and she’d read it silently, before asking, “ So, what next ? ”

“ Destiny shall play again,” Shreyasi had answered, “ I have faith.”

And it did.

As a phone call.

Shreyasi rarely got personal calls while at work. Most of the calls were from her patients, or their relatives, who sought her advice. That was on the separate helpline they operated. Dr Mathew hardly spoke to her on phone. All their conversation happened in the mornings, when they met before Dr Mathew began his work. 

Roshni usually messaged her; she never called her on the phone as she knew her nature of work.

And there was no one now at ‘Aashraya’, who would call her , even though that was the only place she called ‘home’.

The only other person she spoke to, from either her clinic or from the Kids’ Home was Fr Varghese. That was usually in the afternoons , when she felt threatened by laziness. So it was a surprise for her when Ruby, her helper at the Clinic , brought her the cordless, signaling that it was call for her.

“Hello, Shreyasi here.”

“Hi , Shrey”.

She froze for a moment. She recognised the way of addressing. Only one person called her Shrey now.

“Hey, chill. How are you?”, he spoke again.

She swallowed her shock, and replied, “ I’m fine, Aagney. How about you?”

“ Fine. Shrey, relax. I just wanted to speak to you. I know you’ve read that note which I sent you. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk much that day at the Mall. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you there. And believe me, I was nervous too, seeing you after a long time. ”

She remained silent. Yes, he hadn’t spoken much that day. But he had conveyed much in the few words he said.

Pretty girl. Big blue eyes. Delicious lips.

“What is it that you wanted to speak about, Aagney?”, she asked, her tone not giving away the tremors she felt inside. You have so much to know and learn.

“ I want to meet you again, Shrey. And talk to you. Like how we used to. I want the spark back,” he said.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes to stop them from burning more.

 “ Shrey, will you join me for dinner ? Tomorrow ? Please ?”, he asked, his tone smooth, anxious.

“ Why, Aagney ? What do you think it is going to change?”, she asked, her voice firm this time.

“ There’s nothing that time can’t heal, Shrey. I told you, I want the good times back”, he replied.

She knew she had to answer. She waited for a few seconds before speaking.

“ Yes, Aagney. We can talk. We’ll meet. Where are you taking me for dinner this time ?”, she spoke, calmly.

“ Thank you, Shrey. Thanks a lot. I’ll pick you up from your Clinic tomorrow. At 6 p.m. We’ll go to Fusion, at Al Jaddaf ”, he said.

“ Ok, Aagney. I’m disconnecting the line here. I have patients waiting,” she said, and hung up, without waiting for him to mouth a ‘bye’.

“ He wants to dine  with me . Tomorrow. Details later,” she messaged Roshni ,as she walked into her washroom, his voice ringing in her ears.

A date. With him. After a long time.

She flushed her face with cold water, and looked at herself in the mirror.

At those big blue eyes and delicious lips  he had spoken of.

And the scar that ran from her temple on the right side of her face, down her cheeks, right to her chin.

Faint, yet visible.

Like all those memories.

Fading away is never a choice,

Stay bright and speak out  your voice….

Faith works wonders, they always say

All that happens is just God’s play

Fate brings us together again,

I still feel it’s a boon, not bane

Fills me with hope to conquer the goal

That’s the way I can soothe my soul !

To be contd....

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This post has been written for the A to Z Challenge 2015.