On the last day of the course, Manoj confirmed the plan as if I had already agreed to go with him. He informed me that he would be waiting for me at the coffee shop beside the computer centre the next day, at the same time we were supposed to go for the computer course. He even messaged me a couple of times that evening to confirm and said that he was really looking forward to spending some time with me. My heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nerves, and I couldn’t sleep properly that night, constantly thinking about him. While the fear of being seen with a guy outside by someone known to my family made me nervous, the desire to spend time with Manoj kept growing, and I was eager to see how things would turn out if I managed to go with him.
The next morning, I woke up early despite not sleeping well and decided to try my luck by going with Manoj. I lied to my parents during breakfast, saying I was visiting a friend’s house and would return home only in the evening. Surprisingly, they didn’t question me about anything, which usually doesn’t happen, and I felt excited at the thought of meeting my crush. After lunch, I dressed in a beautiful churidar and kurta set with its shawl that my parents had gifted me for my recent birthday. I felt a flutter of anticipation in my chest while applying makeup, and my nerves sharpened as I stepped out of my house.
My mind was racing in all directions, and I kept looking around in search of prying eyes while walking toward the coffee shop, where I could see Manoj from afar. He was standing outside the coffee shop, leaning casually against his motorbike, and his eyes widened with a smile upon seeing me, which made my heart race again. As soon as I stood in front of him, he had a good glance at me and my attire from top to bottom and then beamed at me.
“I knew you’d show up,” he said softly, his voice low and smooth, like honey dripping from a spoon.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as he gestured toward the coffee shop, silently inviting me to join him. Inside, the scent of coffee and baked goods wrapped around us as we found a quiet corner table. My fingers tapped nervously on the tabletop, and I was looking around the room to see if I recognised someone, or if someone recognised me. Manoj understood what was going through my mind and comforted me with a simple smile.
“Relax, Anju,” he murmured, gently putting his hand on mine across the table. “Don’t worry, nobody will notice us here.”
Even though Manoj’s words grounded me, my heart was still racing, since I had never been the type to sneak away and had never lied to my parents about where I was going. A small part of me couldn’t believe I was actually doing all this, and those thoughts made me feel that I was in a dangerous situation, yet exhilarated. Manoj figured out the battle that was happening in my mind, and he gestured to leave the shop as soon as we finished having our coffee. He led, and I followed him, heading straight to his motorbike, where he handed me his helmet. I hesitated for just a second, looked at him, unsure of what lay ahead, and then grabbed his helmet from his hand.