Innocent Love

Time is 9:45AM on Monday.

“Got damn it, time is running like anything”, Balaji muttered by looking at watch.

“I’m always late to office, where is my office tag?” He is searching his drawer...

Then his phone rang.

He got irritated... " Why people call always at the wrong time?”

He tries to keep his voice normal and answered the call, “Hello”.

“Hey, Balaji… how are you? Do you remember me? I’m Kalyan… hey listen… I don’t have much time… I called to say an important matter to you… Maha Lakshmi husband passed away … she is in deep shock… they have admitted her in hospital … she needs your help!”

Though Balaji is in a rush, and hearing in half minded, the name “Maha Lakshmi”draws his attention as he can't forget that name easily.

“Kalyan… yes, I remember you… what are you saying… how that happened?” Balaji asked.

“You know he was a alcoholic … his liver got damaged… and last night he died. I’ve to go now. You come here and call me… she needs you”, Kalyan disconnected the call.

He called his boss and took a leave to visit her. He is visiting her after seven years.

“Maha Lakshmi”… Balaji is mumbling her name.

“If everything could have happened as he expected then she would be his wife now, but she married somebody and he passed away.

Now she is a widow. Whose fault it is?”

Few years back ....

Balaji was on the road with his cycle gaping at the names of the tiffin centers. Usually by that time, he would have completed his breakfast. But he bored to eat breakfast at the same place, so this time he wanted to change it and began the search.

“Here you go… I like the name ‘Maha Lakshmi tiffin center’. Hopefully the food might be good here”, he thought and parked his cycle on road side.

He entered inside; it was a small shed. A medium size table and 6 chairs were arranged for customers. It appeared they extended their house to tiffin center; so he could see a path inside the shed which connects to their home.

However, there was a curtain, which doesn’t allow persons in shed to see inside. A middle aged woman at the front side of shed was preparing tiffin for the customers. Two people were eating. Few left over plates were on the table, seems not yet cleaned.

He sat on a chair. Woman at the front side shouted and said to someone inside curtain to take care of him. Then a girl came out from the curtain and stood in front of him.

Balaji didn’t expect a girl from inside, so he gazed at her with a bit surprise.

“What do you want?” she asked with a local slang tone.

“Hmm… what do you have?” Balaji asked. A question as an answer to a question.

She told the items that they have.

Balaji ordered few items. She went to the front section to get his order.

He was surprised to see a pretty girl in that tiffin center. He was observing her when she was putting items on plate for him.

She was average height, dark thick hair and fair in complexion. Her eyes were bright and warm, very cute baby like nose, slightly plump lips that weren't too big or too wide. However, her outfit doesn’t adequate for the “Modern” style.

“She might be owner daughter and helping during her leisure time”, He thought.

“Here is your order”, she put the plate on the table and took the empty plates inside.

After few minutes, Balaji completed it, “It’s not that great. But I can come here for few days”, he thought.

When he was ready to pay, she came to collect the money.

He observed that she didn’t talk by looking straight at his eyes. He gave few notes first, and then the remaining amount he pulled few coins from his pocket.

When he was trying to put coins on her palm, she bends it, such that there was likely possibility that his finger could tough her palm.

He shocked by her gesture. “Oh… BS… so rigid type”, he felt and left the place.

He continued to have his breakfast every day at that place. Four days passed already. No change in her behavior or gesture. But still Balaji not disappointed. Day by day she appeared more beautiful to him. He tried to know more details by talking with her, but he was not able to do that because of the crowd.

He noticed she had a troublesome younger brother around 10 years old. Sometimes she comes along with him. There were few other engineering students also coming to this place to compete with him. She behaved the same way with them as well. So he got attracted more by her character besides of her beauty.

That day Saturday, he woke up late, so he went late to tiffin center. There were no people, and even the old woman was not there.

“Hello anybody there”, He asked and then she came out.

She smiled at him. Balaji amazed to see her with a smile. She never smiled at him before. Since no one around so he thought of…

(To be continued …)