"Hi, Ajay. Where are you? I was thinking about the offer to meet during lunch. Is it still valid?" asked Anjali over the phone, after seeing Ajay having lunch with another girl.
"Yes. I guess validity was something that you defined for things back then, that day." Ajay replied.
"So, what does it mean?" Anjali questioned.
"Must be Reema", she murmured to herself in a very low tone.
"Tell me where are you? I'll come to you." Ajay replied with a question.
"Aww... Aww.. I'll come to the cafeteria." Anjali said after thinking for a bit.
"But you hate coming to the cafeteria, isn't it?" Ajay asked.
"I do. But.. I want to... I want to do this for the sake of those 12 things." Anjali replied this time more confidently than last time.
"Ok. I will wait for you here then. You can come and join us."
"Ok. I am coming."
Anjali took the lunch from the cafeteria and took the seat next to Ajay's. There were two more people who were eating with Ajay. But since they were done with their lunch, they left the place and now Anjali and Ajay were the only people eating there.
"You can eat fast now." Ajay said.
"Usually people tell others to eat slowly." Anjali replied in a low tone.
"Yes, but you have taken only three bites in the last ten minutes."
"Are you counting my bites?"
"Let's leave it. Tell me, how is it, eating with everyone?"
"I still don't like it. It's like, I feel that I might lose everything when I am in the crowd."
"Really?"
"Yes, Like, I totally lost my brain the day I announced we are together." Anjali said.
(Anjali remembering the day they announced they are together.)
"Hey... See those two coming together from there, seems like something is going on", a guy said loudly enough so that it could be heard by everyone.
"Excuse me... I think you should not spread rumors about us. We were just..", Ajay tried to convince that guy.
"We are dating..", Anjali came and announced that she is dating Ajay.
(end of thoughts)
"Ohh... Yeah, that day." Ajay said
"You must have been shocked??" Anjali questioned.
"Shocked, I guess no... But startled, Yes.." Ajay replied in a rather soft tone.
"Same thing, what's the difference between the two??" Anjali asked.
"Well, there is a difference between these two. One is bottle gourd, and another is Paneer (cottage cheese)." Ajay explained.
"I like bottle gourd though." Anjali said jokingly.
"No Wonder. You are weird, when you can call the guy you just met your boyfriend, you can do anything."
"Yup. I guess so. By the way, you didn't call and update me about the thing of the day?"
"I thought, by now you would have gotten bored."
"No... Na yaar, It's like something I look forward to."
"Ohh.."
"Yes... I do, I wish we would have done these things in the last six months."
"Yes, but you chose to threaten me instead."
("Hey... Just tell everybody that you are my boyfriend. But don't you dare think of it as a chance to come near to me. Stay put in your limits. Otherwise, You'll get to know me." Ajay was remembering what Anjali said to him a while back.)
"So, tell me.. do you have anything in your mind?" Anjali asked to pull Ajay back in the present.
"Yup... I do." Ajay replied.
"What?"
"Walk with me."
"Ummm... Hey, that is something we have done before."
"Yes... Only once." Ajay replied
"Nope. Twice" Anjali corrected him.
"The other one doesn't count. That was before your announcement. And, it was actually not a walk. I just asked you the way, and we happened to be on the same way." Ajay explained.
"Yeah. But you know what, I thought you are just a trespasser. And therefore the safest options for such an announcement. But who knew, you were here to stay." Anjali told him what she actually thought.
"Hahaha... It so happened. And by the way, where were you coming from in the middle of that day?" Ajay questioned.
"Me... I actually ran away that day... But since then, there was no place to go. I thought returning to the chemistry lab would be best.."
"Wow... You really love chemistry a lot."
"Yup. I do."
After discussing a bit more about other things, they both parted ways, with Ajay saying, "Let's walk till your home in the evening then."
"Sure. I am obliged by such a kind thought of yours" to which Anjali teasingly agreed.
