It must have been a minute or so, and I already started zoning out. It’s not like I had to really strive a lot to forge a connection, she was cordial with her smile but I have this thing for thinking while I….and her eyes- did I mention? Oh, I should before I zone out to the…..anyway, those are beautiful. I don’t need to use better adjectives to justify. You all have your own definition of beautiful eyes so just imagine that. Black, Brown, Pale, Blue, Deep, Dreamy does not matter now; or so I think you don’t need to know because- ah a Mandala sketchbook, these things are in trend now and there is mauve curtains, mauve bed, mauve fairylight or so it seems, and a mauve or maybe purple human size mirror- that she uses to click those sensuous pictures and a violet paperboat- wait? Wasn’t that on my bookshelf?- what-now a cat? Why?
“that’s—there. A cat.”
“well it looks like one- I didn’t know you had one?”
“are you allergic?”
“how does it matter this way? is it white?”
“no, mauve. Come on Atish.”
“my bad. Just get a bit nervous around animals”
“around? Really? How?”
I started feeling a bit dizzy, maybe a bit lovesick around her. You should not make eye contacts on dates. No matter how many girls you dated, you can still get stuck on the eyes. Not that I could make one.
“I got him last sunday. Didn’t really bring him but he seemed to choose us as home”
I didn’t know what that meant, I still nodded as but eyes kept glued to the cat’s activities as it finally meowed his way into her lap.
“but Sunday was yesterday…”
“ummm ya. I don’t know. It was doing rounds for more than a week now. I guess officially it is his first day today”
I didn’t know what to talk to. I was always apprehensive about us dating as she seemed very different- now even mysterious- a cat momma. It felt like my first date with the cat, or her first date with the cat or us together- the cat blinked open his eyes and stared at might- it looked sadder than how cats usually look- not that I noticed too many or too much of them.
“The Cat will leave the house in a few months and never come back. Don’t worry. MEN.” She sighed.
“women.”, I hissed back.
“Don’t worry, 6-8months ideally. You won’t have to tolerate it much. I have had them before. They never come back. But only if you survive till then”.
I felt uneasy with such sarcastic onslaught. I historically get abandoned faster than you getting the second dose of Covishield. What does cats do when they go though heartbreaks? I bet they eat cakes.
“Does it have a name?”
“No, why name it? It won’t stay”
“Don’t you have to call it every now and then? You can’t call a cat, a cat- you study Zoology, not Physics”
“haha. I might use a scientific name then. Do you have any name?”
“Ghalib”
“Okay. Ghalib”
“Meow”
The cat protested in disdain. But his fate was sealed. Nothing can force a change. And thus Atish, Ghalib and Ishq had their fates sealed on the first date. I won’t name her today. Maybe in future. I fail to see a point. These writings would just be my ramblings about my dates, my love, my partner. Faces change. Traits change. Names change. But Ishq doesn’t. So they are only Ishq. And She is Ishq for me too. Just Ishq. Take Note whoever it may concern.
Ghalib is now comfortably resting his head on her breast as Atish and Ishq looked at each other through a computer screen unable to locate the exact point to look at for an eye contact and nervously wait for the silent reciprocation of each other’s love because they know they can not force the flame to be lit nor can they forcefully extinguish it. (To be Continued)
(Picture reworked and Edited by: Atmadeep Das
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