The Coffee Shoppe

Short Story Love – The Coffee Shoppe

A relationship is like a rose,

How long it lasts, no one knows;

Love can erase an awful past,

Love can be yours, you’ll see at last;

— Rob Cella

Diya stood in front of the ‘Coffee Shoppe’. It had seen it all. It had been an evidence to her saga, right from the beginning till the end. So she owed it something. She was here after four long years. Now she had to go in. She took a deep breath and entered though the glass doors. The warm familiar smell of Coffee welcomed her, making her feel nostalgic. She looked around. Nothing here had changed. The same glass window overlooking the bustling street, the same ‘Modern art’ paintings adorning the walls, the same chocolate brown furniture, the same comfortable sofas…so unlike her life, which had changed completely since the last time she was here…

She and Jay were the best of friends’ right from the time they were toddlers. They went to play group together, went to school together, went to college together, went to picnics together, studied together, played together, fought together…did practically everything together. The Coffee Shoppe was their ‘adda’, their favourite place to hang out. They would come here whenever they bunked classes, whenever one of them had a fight with a sibling or parents, whenever they were tired of studying during exam periods, and even when they had fought with each other.

This place was the one place that had seen it all, all the ups and down, all the highs and lows of their relationship. By the time they were out of school and into college, people around them had come to believe they were soul mates. But Diya and Jay differed. Diya was a hard core Bollywood fan, and she always believed that she would meet her Mr.Right, her Prince Charming, when it was time. So she and Jay made a promise to each other, just like Raj and Tina did in Kuch Kuch Hota hai, that they would get married if they didn’t find a life partner by 30 years of age. But just like Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota hai, entered Nishka, in Jay’s life, and Jay apparently fell head over heels in love with her, while Diya kept waiting for her Raj, like Simran does in Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge. She even helped Jay win over Nishka. But it was when Jay and Nishka began dating that Diya realized how lonely she felt. She had no close friend other than Jay, and Jay was not available anymore. Their parting made her realize how much she longed for him and that, she was in love with him. The year 2008, Jay got engaged to Nishka. It was the same year that ‘Jaane tu ya jaane naa’ released. Diya hoped against all hope that  like Jay in the movie finally realizes his love for Aditi and leaves Meghna heart broken, her Jay would eventually realize his love for her. But unfortunately, unlike reel life, there are no happily-ever-afters in real life. Jay soon announced his wedding date and Diya was crushed. She decided to run away. Away from this life, from Jay and from everything that would remind her of him.

The last time they met, they had met here, in the Coffee Shoppe. That was four years back, but now seemed like ages before. Jay was surprised to hear that she was so hurriedly getting married to a stranger.

“What’s the hurry Diya? Why are you doing this? Do you even know him? Hell, have you even seen him?” he was worried for his best friend.

Diya had put on a fake brave smile. “Of course I am marrying him because I like him”.

“You haven’t answered my question. Have you even met him?” he knew her in and out, and hence couldn’t be fooled by the fake smile.

“I have spoken to him..umm, a few times…we even did a video chat..” she stammered. She felt his strong gaze that threatened to analyse every emotion her face was trying so hard to mask.

“And you cant wait till my marriage?”

Of course she could but she didn’t want to, she couldn’t see him getting married to someone else.

“You know how it is Jay. He is an NRI and has only one week in India. We will get married in Jaipur and next day we are flying to USA. It’s the same day as your marriage. So you also won’t be attending mine. But I don’t mind, do I?”

“Don’t you?”

He was clearly not convinced. But he couldn’t do much to hold her back. Diya had made her mind up. She wanted to run away, and this arranged marriage proposal from an NRI seemed to be the perfect opportunity. It was a different matter that she had neither seen nor spoken to the groom she was supposed to marry. That was the last time they met. Both promised to stay in touch, but Diya knew they wouldn’t, she wouldn’t.

Marrying Sudip blindly had been the biggest mistake of her life. Life with Sudip made all her other woes seem trivial. He had married her for his parents sake, who were unaware that he was already living in with his girl friend back in USA. It took her two years to fight a bitter case of divorce. Finally when she was free from the meaningless marriage, she found herself a job in Mumbai. Now, two years later, life seemed far better than what it had been a couple of years back. She was emotionally stable and financially independent. The scars hadn’t healed, but they had certainly stopped hurting now and then. Whenever she would come to visit her parents back in her home town, she was tempted to visit the Coffee Shoppe, but something had always stopped her. But today, she decided to overcome that feeling. She had to visit it.

Now as she sat on her favorite table, their favourite table, everything came back to her like a bolt of lightening, making her wish that nothing had happened, making her wish that this was just another day in the Coffee Shoppe, like it always used to be, and she was waiting for Jay to arrive.

“Diya”.

Diya was startled. Had she started imagining things? Was she hallucinating? She turned around, to find Jay standing right behind her. She kept looking at him, utterly confused, wondering if this too was a figment of her imagination.

“Diya?”

He came and sat in front of her when she did not respond.

“How have you been?” he asked.

Suddenly she felt warm tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Jay…I missed you so much…” she managed.

Jay took her hands in his. “Hey, why are you crying? Everything alright? Why are you alone, here?” he bombarded her with questions.

It took her a few minutes to compose herself, but she finally put on a brave smile, just like the last time.

“Forget about me. You tell me, how are you and Nishka? And how come you are here? I never expected you to be here? I was told you were in Delhi? Did you finally find the perfect job you always wanted? And what about…?”

“Diya…if you take a pause in between your questions, only then can I answer them” Jay smiled.

Diya smiled too, inspite of herself. It really felt so good sitting in this Coffee Shoppe, with Jay.

“I and Nishka are no longer together. Life didn’t turn out as rosy as it seemed to be. We had different priorities, different expectations from life. But we are still in touch. She stays in Delhi while I stay in Mumbai.” Jay said.

Diya did not know whether she felt good or bad that Jay and Nishka had parted ways. Good probably.

“I stay in Mumbai too. Where in Mumbai did you say?”

“Fort, you?”

“Near CST”.

“That’s close. We can meet often now” Jay said.

“Did your husband get his job transferred here?” Jay asked tentatively.

“No, we are divorced”.

Both didn’t speak for a while.

“So finally we are thirty and still single. Remember our Kuch Kuch Hota hai deal?” Jay said.

Diya smiled.

“You know what, let’s forget all the bad times, and celebrate the good times we have had here, and the better days to come. Coffee?” Jay asked.

Diya smiled again. This Coffee Shoppe had witnessed it all. This place was the one place that had seen all the ups and down, all the highs and lows of their relationship. It had been this very place when they had bade each other adieu. And it was this very place that they were beginning a new chapter in their lives, probably together…

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