No matter where you are in your life, you may regret choosing the wrong love.
You may repent of some bitter deeds you committed in the past.
What is it like if life luckily gave us a second chance? Can those issues be resolved at least then for a better life?
For instance, what about love in middle age?!?!
"Dr.Alok Sharma, why? What's the issue?", asked one of the other speakers who stood up from the first row. "Sir, please tell us where we went wrong. We can't spare to lose any of our knowledgeable guests coming here to share their valuable insights from years of experience. Please tell me why", asked the lady in formals having the light blue badge having 'Facilitator' written in white on it and pinned on her left chest.
"No, that's not the reason. The venue is highly organized and comfortable with the push-back cushioned seats and the central air-conditioner", replied Dr.Alok. He pointed his right hand straight to point out Nisha sitting in the middle of the auditorium. "I envy the other speakers sitting with their spouses. My wife isn't agreeing to accompany me. That's why!"
"What!", exclaimed Nisha, shrugging at the love of her life smiling at her from the stage. All the attendees turned their faces towards her.
"Excuse me, please sit with him. In fact, you must be proud to be the great researcher's wife. Aren't you?", asked a young girl, a Chinese scholar. The others too nodded along as a gentleman stood up from the last row and spoke out, "I have come all the way from Nagpur to attend the conference espescially for Alok sir's seminar. I badly want his inputs on the topic for my thesis. I can't complete my Master's degree without his help. I hope you understand and cooperate at least for the sake of others, if not yourself."
"Sexy!", whispered Alok, massaging his beard and winking at Nisha who was busy raising her eyebrows at him. Her teammates sitting beside her enquired,"Hey, didn't you say you were unmarried? How is he calling you his wife?...When did you get married? Why didn't you invite us?..." Nisha put her finger on the lip and gestured for them to stop. "No, he is my friend since college", she denied.
"Perhaps he isn't in terms with Payal, his wife. So, he wants me to play her role just for the day. What a self-centered man! Does he think he is damn smart enough to achieve everything he wants in the universe?", she guessed. As the audience surrounding her began requesting, she nodded and walked towards the stage.
"Nisha medam, you are my family not only for the day but also...", Alok began whispering in Nisha's ears. She interrupted, announcing on the mike, "Guys, we are sorry for the chaos at the summit. I know how unprofessional of us you must have felt when Alok shared our personal matters of conflict." She faked a smile at Alok. She wrapped her left hand around his right. She stood as close as possible to him. She blushed at the audience. "I assure to not let our personal issues hamper a professional engagement. Nothing should obstruct the act of knowledge sharing."
She looked back at him, concluding, "So, Dr.Alok is mine-only mine today", as she pulled him even closer. Alok grinned and walked along as she headed towards the steps, walking him along with her. While in the second step, she tilted her head at him, whispering, "Saar, your stupid wife...I meant your real wife is a complete stranger to you today. Understood?"He blushed, looking down and nodding. "Medam, Payal became a stranger to me around twenty years ago! What now?", he thought. She pinched his hand.
"Yes yes. I am clear", he responded. Nisha blushed and winked at him. She was about to stumble at the last step that he wrapped his arms around her waist. With her right hand on his left shoulder and his right hand around her waist, their eyes rolled hither and thither at each other's. She blushed noticing his light brown pupils embedded in his meek and hesitant eyes through his glasses. "Professor in love is always reluctant to accept the changing shade of his eye whenever his heart beats with a true love for me...only me!", thought she, chuckling to herself.
"Aww!", cheered the audience, in chorus. Alok and Nisha looked around. They chuckled and released each other. "Come, lets have a seat", offered Alok. He held Nisha's hands. She moved her feet as he led her to the corner seat of the second row.
Doors closed. Lights were turned off except for three yellow lamps having a capacity of not more than a street light at night. It was hard to distinguish the auditorium from a movie theatre. The facilitator took onto the mike. Speakers after speakers were called upon the stage after a quick and brief introduction. PowerPoint slides played along as they uttered a few words regarding their research. A few listeners raised their hands up after every session to raise a handful of questions and illustrate their curiosity. The clock struck four that evening. The lights were on, at last.
"Dear all, lets meet after a fifteen-minute break", announced the facilitator. She pointed outside as the automatic glass doors opened on either side. "Comfort yourself with the refreshments outside", added she, smiling at the exhausted faces whose eyes were on the verge of shutting or mouths busy throwing themselves wide open and in some cases, letting drops of water flow out as a stream. Alok and Nisha walked outside. There were two coffee welding machines crowded with people around.
"Fuck!", exclaimed Alok. "Lets have something else, saar. Don't worry!", suggested Nisha. She looked around and spotted a shop saying 'Your--Burger' in red color and cursive handwriting on a white background. "Saar, come. Lets have a cheese burger!", expressed Nisha, pointing at the shop. "Sexy!", Alok commented. They chuckled at each other and began heading towards the inn.
They let their fingers through the yellow laminated menu card which the Nepali shopkeeper smiled and handed over to Alok. It showcased a variety of burgers and beverages too, all written in dark green on the yellow background. The two types of food were in bold brown inside a rectangular header box, white in color.
"American cheese burger!", they exclaimed, in chorus. The shopkeeper wore another smile and nodded. As he walked inside to prepare the yummy snack, Alok and Nisha's eyes were entangled in each other's. He noticed her lips widening which she struggled to narrow. "Medam, why do you conceal your love deep inside your heart? Let it out, no?", he asked. She turned away from him and gazed at the coffee machines in the other corner. afar "Okiey! No problem at all! One fine day, I'm sure your love will overflow and burst out like a volcano from your heart. I will wait for the day."
"What's wrong with you?", she raised her voice, turning back at him. She leaned forward and rested her hands on the white table in front. "I wanted to question you the very moment you referred to me as your wife when you have Payal by your side. But, I stayed quiet only for the intellectual audience inside. How dare you call me your wife just because Payal would have been too busy to accompany you today? You are married and as I said the last night, at Ishitha's place, don't you dare take me for granted." She concluded, "Why should you wait for my love-some random woman's love when you are already married and have a family? Aren't you bagging all the love of the world from your dear wife?..."
"Wait!", he interrupted her. She shrugged, raising her eyebrows at him. "This is where I wanted to add. Enough is enough. The point is that...", began Alok.
"Sir, two plates of burgers", the shopkeeper entered the scene. Alok looked away and sighed. "Fuck! Couldn't the burgers come a little later?It was the perfect timing to confess. I was all set, with a proper flow, and this guy popped in!", he thought. Alok faked a smile and paid for the snack. He carried the plates towards the small circular white table with crossed brown legs. Nisha sat opposite him. She took out two hundred-rupee notes and handed over to him.
"No", he refused, having the first bite of the burger. "I don't want to owe you anything...", said she, taking her first bite. "But, I owe you loads and loads of the costly love. The bill was a piece of cake. Don't be formal with me..." he said, interrupting, as they continued to hog the burger with both hands. A while later, as Nisha cleaned her hands with the tissue papers, Alok pointed at the traces of cheese constituting the border of her lips. She had no tissue left to wipe it out. He got up from his seat. He blushed as he walked towards her whose eyes continued to roam hither and thither to check if there was another tissue paper on the table.
He knelt in front of her. She turned towards him and shrugged. He leaned forward and extended his right index finger towards her lips. She closed her eyes. Her pretty curvish eyelashes bent to stand closeby the skin below the eyes. She swallowed her own saliva as he wiped away the cheese on her lips. She then opened her eyes slowly only to witness him lick his finger to taste her cheese.
"Saar!My spit...", she reacted. He neared her face and kissed her lips. Nisha's heartbeat was struck for the next couple of seconds as if she had seen an anconda in front of her when stuck all alone in the midst of the dense woods. Alok began his confession, "All I wanted to tell you..."
"Welcome back! Now, Dr.Alok Sharma will be presenting about 'How can the Augmented Reality(AR) used in gaming be applied for chemotherapy?'. He is a professor and the research lead...", they heard the facilitator's commanding voice on the mikes from inside.
Why does everyone interrupt one only while the one is in the most important scene of one's life? Will Dr.Alok ever succeed to confess?
Dear readers,
Thank you for following my series and reading the episode. Rate it and write your review, give it a heart and share it in your circle whenever you are free. Your voice matters a lot to me.
