Dharm

I drop my mobile on the counter and look at the person who was standing in front of me, Josh. He took a sip of his coffee which he ordered and looked at me waiting for me to speak.

“He said he will drop by at 8.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

“Don’t you think he will be mad, at me at least that I called him because you wanted to meet him. When clearly how the things turned out last time?”

“Do you think he would have met me if I called him?”

Well, he wouldn’t. For sure. That much I know at least.

“Would you tell me why you want to meet him?”

“Well, it’s a small thing, but I would like to speak with him first regarding this. And as you look close to each other, eventually you will get to know about it.”

“Cool, no problem, so you are back in here, how long are you planning to be here?”

“Well till around my winter break, which will end around a month.”

“That long? Aren’t winter break a little short?”

“Well, I myself going a late a little. I want to be here for a while.”

He almost finished his coffee.

“Do you need another one?”

“Hmm?”

I pointed his coffee.

“Oh yeah sure, same by the way.”

I asked Ananya to make another for him. And this time he started the conversation.

“I am thinking of moving back here.”

“Here as in in A?”

“Yeah, I moved out of college to experience new place. I liked it, no doubt and I thought I will go another place for my job. But as my last semester is about to begin, I want to move back.”

“Feeling homesick? That’s a Josh I don’t know.” Ananya came with two coffee instead of one.

“The other one for?”

“You, it’s your break.” And she handed me a cup and put the next one in front of Josh.

Continuing our conversation after Ananya left,

“I won’t say homesick or you can say homesick but I don’t want to go, at least for now. And I am in luck, I think. Our school is still having that temporary PE teacher post vacant. If that doesn’t get filled by end of my semester, which I am sure will not, I will apply there. I will be employed at least.”

“I like this about you Josh. You have things quite planned. It may or may not work, but at least you jot the points down.”

“Well, that’s one of the things I am quite good at.” We both laughed at it.

“And listen I just want you to know that night, when we all met was the time, I came to know that you and Aisha aren't couple anymore.” Josh started the conversation.

“Leave, me and her are history, not old but at least history.” I took another sip of my coffee.

“And I was surprised to see you with Neel.”

“Because?” I was waiting for his answer. I had no problem of him knowing my sexuality, but I wanted to hear whether he came to know about Aisha or not.

“Because you two weren’t that close to each other. You two had a totally different friend circle in school. That’s why I wasn’t expecting that.”

“We came in touch when he moved back.”

“I did come to know about his father’s demise, but I wasn’t aware that he moved back here.”

Our coffees were finished, he paid his bill. Taking his shrug in hand he turned and said, “Well I will see you in evening then.”

“Sure.”

By the time he left, my break was over and it was my time to resume my shift.