Forgetting The Ex

Not Hard Enough

I glance at the clock anxiously.

Twenty minutes.

My leg bounces up and down ridiculously,as though I have restless leg syndrome.

I do.

But that's not the point.

Eighteen minutes.

Why the heck are people never punctual!?

Maybe because you came an hour early? It's slightly an overexpectation if you want the other person to jump into your head and come an hour quickly as well.

I glare at the menu in front of me.

Thirteen minutes.

Uggh. Why is time not moving?

As I sip on the water,my mind goes back to the conversation I had two weeks back.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Can...can we meet?"

"What?",I hear his surprised tone,"I'm not in Mumbai."

"I know Nikhil. But how about we meet after you shift?"

"What's the matter?"

"Umm...",The palpitations I was experiencing were more severe than the ones I usually had during my University exams,"My parents want me to think about the wedding. And my mom is pestering me to meet you and then come to a decision."

"I see. But it's going to take at least ten days for me to shift. And I don't think it's a good idea. Because the longer we prolong this...thing,our parents will be more hopeful."

"Yeah. I know. What do we do then?"

"You could tell your parents that we are on constant touch on phone, and that you don't like me?"

My eyes water,as I sigh helplessly,"My mother...knows about you Nikhil."

A very long pause.

"What?"

"I mean,she knows you were my senior."

"And?"

"That's it. She just knows that I knew you prior."

"Like an acquaintance",Nikhil snaps,making me flinch.

"Okay. Let's meet when I shift. And we can close this issue once and for all",he snaps, cutting the call.

Had I said anything wrong?

My heart jumps when I see the familiar face among stranger ones.

"Hi",I give a tight lipped smile.

He merely stares at me,taking a seat.

No words were exchanged between us for the next few minutes as we ordered the food.

I sigh in relief when his mobile rings. The silence was getting to me.

"Yeah man. Come to the Green Park hotel",he looks up,"I'm seated on the right side of the entrance, second last couch."

"I had invited Dhruv", Nikhil says after the call.

"What?"

"He'll be her in ten."

"What on Earth is wrong with you?"