Crush at Library
A short story originally published in Aarash 11th Edition
Here, I am in the central library, that’s what you do when you are an avid reader. Checking all the books shelved there and entangled in picking up a book.
“Are you going to keep that?” I heard a voice from behind when I was holding my all-time favourite ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coehlo. I turned to see who it was and saw her. She had sparkle in her eyes and looked as graceful as her soft voice. My heart skipped a beat.
“Hello, are you going to keep it?” she asked waving her hand in front of my frozen face. “Huh? No.” I said trying not to look lost in my own thoughts. “Do you want it?”
“Well yes, if you’re not going to keep it”.
“Here you go; I have read it couple of times”, I said while handing over the book. “Do you come here often?” I asked. “Not really”. “Do you usually speak so little or is there something special today?” I asked with a little smile on my face, trying not to look dumb. “I have visited the library only a couple times and I am not much of a reader either. I took membership out of insistence of a friend” she answered sheepishly.
Finally, she giggled that’s a good sign I thought.
“What about you?”
“Oh! I don’t have much to do on weekends so rather than spending my day watching the lizards cross the walls, I prefer coming to the library” We both laughed.
“Well, I have been trying to complete this book since long. I had to submit the book back due to deadlines. But I did not think this book will still be here”, she said.
“Well, if what you find is of pure matter you can always find it when you return unless it was just a moment of light like the explosion of the star”, I quoted a line from ‘The Alchemist’.
“Are you trying to impress me by using the quotes from the book?”
“Ah! You got impressed”, I figured she already read that part. “didn’t you heard the word try?” she mocked and looked away towards the shelf.
“Anyway, I am Varun”, realising, we hadn’t introduced ourselves yet.
“Well, pleasure to meet you Varun.” she chuckled.
“May I know yours?”
“Well since you quoted, this book also quotes ‘when you want something from all of your heart the world conspires will help you to achieve it.’ So if you want to know my name you’ll figure out a way.”
“But it also talks about omens. Give me a hint, at least or you could give a hint at coffee shop today in the evening?” I asked with a grin on my face. “Well, I am sorry to say but you will have to spend your evening looking at the lizards crossing the walls.” She said turning her back towards me to look at another shelf.
“I would prefer looking at you rather than lizards” I said, trying to sound funny.
“Your sense of humour is terrible” she laughed and handed me ‘Three men in a boat’ by Jerome K. Jerome, “try this” and she left.
“What about the omens? I mean hints?” I started as she was leaving.
“That is your thing to figure out!” she responded without turning back and I stood there holding the book in my hand.
It had been a week now to it, I was thinking, why I got this book issued despite it being not from my genre. Probably, she handed it to me wanting me to read it? Though I met her for not even five minutes but I could not get her out of my head. All I could see was her, whenever I looked at the book and so I finally decided to read it. I opened the book and I was surprised to see a card on the first page, it said Shonali Verma and her number.
For a moment I thought, it must be her but it also could be someone else. Plenty of people borrow books from the library. But my inner self wanted me to believe that it was her and I jumped from the bed towards my phone and dialled the number hoping it to be hers.
“Hello”, came from other-side. It’s her I thought but I had to confirm.
“Hello ma’am, I am calling from Dinner Bell restaurant. There is a table for two booked in your name. So should I confirm your booking?
“Yes, but you did not tell me you work at the restaurant, Varun?”
Bingo! It’s her I jumped with happiness.
“Thank god, it’s you” I said with a relief.
“Indeed. But it took you six days to figure out and you booked the table. What if it was not me?” she asked teasingly.
“Actually there is no table booked, I was just checking.”
“Ahan!” and there was a pause.
“So..coffee?” I asked breaking the silence.
“Is it a date?” “Well, it’s up to you.”
“How about we meet and decide that later?”
“Great so CCD, near St. Xavier’s at 5 o’clock.”
“Sounds good!”
“Great. See you there. Bye.”
