A Pickup!

That morning I decided to visit the courier people finally. After days of laziness and pushing things away, it was high time to send across the mobile telephone I had bought for as a secret gift for my brother on his birthday a month back. This one event makes me realize the importance of the art of gifting. The items (bought as gifts) which are already with the one you are going to gift, hardly feel like getting gifted! Or so I thought. So on that tuesday moening, I enlightened myself about how the earlier I sent it the earlier it would reach! A breakfast with Sanju and my usual mug of coffee (after he left for work) after, I walked towards the neasrest courier office. Sanju, on hearing about the programme had already given his piece of advice, "Mom, the day seems good, you should go for a walk. But do you think you really want to gift Uncle that thing?" Not to blame him, my gifting sense is really horrible!

And three hours hence, there I was roaming on the roads, like a complete loser, seemingly oblivious of everything happening around me, walking towards the post office as my final try, as couriers of mobile phones was banned, since God knows when. And a few minutes after I was in the queue waiting for my turn for the speed post. It was then I saw him - dressed up in formals with that odd strapped bag, the untied hair falling all over his face (quite long and well maintained, I should say), sweat trickling over his forehead even in that cool weather (which indicated he has been roaming a lot like me too) and holding a perfectly parcel-wrapped box in his hand. He got immediate next to me in the queue.

"Ma'am do you know if they mail a mobile telephone?"
"I have no idea, but hey even I have the same question."
"Tell me about it, I have been roaming all over for hours for packing this thing up and then from one courier office to another!"
"The same thing here ... this is the last time I am going to try"
"Madam, could you suggest me what else can I tell them this pack in my hand is?"
"Wow! thats a nice idea ... hmmm ... we may not reveal that these are phones and just tell them they are some handicraft!"
"seems nice. As gifts. Great! Thank you!"

Everything about him was quite different, appealingly different. I immediately had this urge to ask him if he had any girlfriend. But I rather settled with something more formal.

"Are you from Bangalore?"
"No ma'am, but I am here for work since last two years. I am into IT."
"Alright ... you do not live nearby though is it?"
"Oh I do ... very close ... in fact I have shifted to this area recently. It's just that I had not ventured into this part. Where do you live?"
"I live pretty closeby too, With my son. He too works in IT."
"Thats nice. I was really bugged up with my schedule and so took a half day today just to relax. Watch a movie may be."
"Good, with freinds?"
"No, they are all working. I will be all alone."
"Sigh ... I can give you company."
"You would? That will be such an honor! Thank you!"

Having gone through the Speed-post (which was successfully done at last), the lunch (he had surprisingly good taste for dining), the movie (the kind of homework he had done to watch this one for the first time was appreciable - we dont usually hope such things from some engineer), a little window shopping hence, it was time to part. A beautiful day spent with a wondeful kid. We hardly come any closer than this to strangers on the first day we meet them. Right then this sudden idea of being with him a bit more and knowing him a bit more cropped up in me and I decided and convinced him for a dinner. sitting on a table for three, the time that we chatted away gave me the rapid-fire knowledge about him and his background. He felt so close now. I just wished ... and then Sanju arrived too.

"Sorry mom the work got just to much to the end of the day and then the traffic."
"Poor you, son meet my new friend."

That was their first introduction. That was their first date. Sanju had always told me how he could not be arranged with anyone and somehow I had always wondered why not! It utterly stupid to spend a day with some random stranger, I never did that again. Eighteen years later, having kissed both of them good-bye for work, I think about a pickup from the post-office and I believe couples are made in heaven!

Song: Dream, Dream, Dream ...