The Indomitable Heart - S1 E6
Confessions
by Himayath Khan
6 min read
"Coffee?"
"Yes, a Latte Macchiato," she replied as she sat down.
Arhan sprung out from his seat, startling Priyanka momentarily. Surprised, she laughed as he ran up to the counter to place the order.
At the table, Priyanka couldn't help but sniff to find the source of the stale odour. Her gold nosepin kept reflecting the overhead spotlights in the cafe as her nose homed into the source of the smell. Finding the ashtray kept close to her side of the table; she reached for it to move it away when she saw the half-crumpled tissue Arhan was using to doodle his FLAME game on. With disgust on her face and using only the tips of her thumb and index fingers, she pushed the ashtray away from her. She picked up the tissue to toss it but paused after noticing scribbles resembling her name.
"All you have to do is be truthful to her," Arhan said to himself, repeating Avaneesh's words from earlier. "And, pray," he added, nervously smiling at the barista who stepped up with his long glass of Macchiato. Arhan walked back slowly, his heart pounding. "Courage, Courage, Courage," he whispered repeatedly with every step back.
Priyanka could only notice her name capitalised and struck out letter by letter when Arhan returned with her Macchiato. She placed the tissue by her purse on the chair next to hers.
"Er, so, how did you get here? He asked.
"Shree dropped me. He's meeting his friends at Pub World," she said, taking the smallest of sips of her Latte, the rich aroma of coffee filling the air as she spoke.
"And, er, how are you going to get back home?" he asked again.
"What are you, Jake? A cop? Or a taxi driver?" She asked bemused.
"No, No, I mean, I was only…"
"I know, Jake. Relax! I'm sorry I put you on the spot there." She continued giggling.
"Eh, er, yes. That's alright." He joined her, smiling nervously. He was beginning to sweat by his temples, tiny drops of it making their way past his trim little sidelocks.
"God, man. Look at you! You've got to lighten up. I'm feeling your odd nervousness from the moment I got here."
"Ah, yes, sorry. What? But, no, I'm not nervous. Eh…”
"It feels like you are going to propose or something," she said jokingly, continuing to laugh.
"Er, eh?" He stopped laughing.
"Eh, How did you know? Eh, Who told you?"
It was her turn to freeze.
"Wait, what?" she said, sitting up. "Are you seriously going to propose?" she asked again.
"I mean, no." He paused. "I mean, I would only say I liked you." He paused again, looking at her flushed face. She stood up.
"Wait, please, I wasn't going to propose or anything like that." He added, sitting up.
She turned to go, but only just. Then she turned back to look at Arhan again, still hesitant to decide her next move. Her eyes darted, searching for a step forward.
Arhan stood up, reaching for her hand.
"Hey, Priyanka, wait," he said.
"Sit, Jake," she said, slowly sitting down.
"So, what did you want to say? That you liked me?" She asked calmly.
"Yes, I like you," Arhan confessed, nodding as relief came over his face.
"And, then?" she leaned in, "then what, Jake?"
"Then," he paused, rolling his eyes back, "then, it's left to you to decide," he replied, referencing Avaneesh's words back into the conversation to support his short confession.
"Why do you think I sat down?" she asked him.
"Er, I don't know. Is it because? Er, no. I don't know. Is it because you care about me as a friend?" he asked.
"Well, there's that, too," she paused, sipping on her Latte.
"There's also…" she paused, hesitating.
"Also, what, Priyanka?" Arhan asked. The suspense made him tense again as he sat up in his chair.
"I like you too, Jake," she confessed.
"What? Eh, Wow!" he smiled gleefully. "I don't know what to say. Wow! I didn't expect that, Priyanka. Wow!" he exclaimed.
"But," she continued.
"Yes, yes. There's always a 'but' these days, isn't there?" he half-asked. Priyanka ignored Arhan's words, lost, staring into the distance.
"I like you too, Jake," she repeated herself. "However, Pradeep and I have been in this relationship for many years."
"Then why do you look so sad when you mention your relationship with him?" Asked Arhan.
"I don't know. I will have to marry Pradeep after he gets his trainer's licence."
"You don't have to decide what to do right now, Priyanka," Arhan said, holding her hands. "Look," she turned to look at his face. All I can say is," he smiled, "we like each other. Nothing has to happen. No decisions. No consequences. Can we simply decide to leave this to time?"
"You just said no decisions, didn't you, and we now have to decide to leave it to time?" Gripping his hand tightly, she continued, "What would this decision have us do?"
"I don't know, Priyanka. All this is as new to me as it is to you. But I can promise you this—I'll be there for you at the end of this. I will," he nodded, once at her and the second time to his reflection in the golden mirror behind her. "I will."
She pulled at his hand, bringing him closer, and smiled at him.
"So, you like me, do you?" she asked, biting her lower lip as she continued to smile.
Arhan smiled back sheepishly, "Yes, I like you. I've liked you since I first saw you, seeing me fall off the chair after I saw you."
"Hmm," she continued smiling, now with a nasal tone. "So you are saying you fell for me?" she asked teasingly.
"You could say that," he replied, attempting to caress the back of her hand. She looked at her hand in his, suddenly conscious of his touch. She rested back in her chair, letting go of Arhan's hands.
"So, Mr Jake Steele, we've put ourselves in a weird situation," she heaved a heavy sigh, "and now I have to think of what happens next."
"Yes, I guess so," he replied.
"Enough for today," she said. "I will take an auto back home as Shree may not come home tonight."
"Shall I drop you?" asked Arhan.
"No, my friend. Let's not bother you just yet. I'll take a rickshaw this evening, okay?"
"Okay." He agreed.
Arhan went to the counter to pay for their coffees while Priyanka gathered her scarf and handbag. She saw the half-crumpled tissue Arhan had used to doodle on. She placed it inside her bag, smiling.
Arhan walked her to the auto stand by the corner of Brigades. The street lights, the light from vehicles passing them as they walked down the footpath, and the lights from the stores and their nameboards could be pale compared to the shine Arhan carried on his face this evening.
On his way back, amidst the rickety pattering sound of his borrowed Kinetic Honda, he broke into a Hindi song—"Ho, Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga..."—the wind on his face drowning out half the words.
Priyanka, halfway home, was more pitiful than Arhan's glee from earlier. She removed the doodled tissue from her purse. Priyanka studied it carefully under the passing lights, noticing her name with Arhan's and M for Marriage circled as the result of this FLAME game. She placed it on the flat side of her handbag and began working on the other set of names– PRIYANKA and PRADEEP. She stared at the tissue for a few minutes at the result– she had arrived at L for Love. Finally, she let go of the tissue as it slipped away, disappearing in the evening traffic as the rickshaw cut through the cool breeze taking her home.
If you liked what you read, please consider buying me a coffee. :)
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