Meera (Part 1)
Disclaimer: Inspired by some true incidents. The Characters portrayed in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance of the characters to an actual person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Today 12.50 hour (UTC +01:00), somewhere in the sky above Vienna
Cabin crew, please be seated for landing, instructed the captain. EK127 A-380 flight was about to land at Vienna shortly. It was Mozart’s classic which entertained me throughout the flight. I must agree that I was not able to focus on the music as my mind was completely distracted by other thoughts. This day is going to be a whole new experience. And so is going to be the next one week. Am I prepared for this?
11th March, 06.30 hours (UTC +05.30), Hotel Woodlands, Royapettah
Appa [Dad], you are a big fraud you know? Nethra teased me when I was slurping the Pongal on my plate.
I looked at her with a question expression on my face and she was like “pinna, [then] you said you are going to run 10 km, instead of running at the beach, you ran towards this place and stopped here to eat breakfast. Fraud dhaane? [Fraud only]”
“Look Nethra, you said you are hungry when we started from home” before me finishing the sentence, Nethra jumped in and said, “Yov appa, chumma Pongal saapdradhukkaaga ponna maatividaadheyya” [Dad, don’t use me as an excuse to eat Pongal].
Nethra is my world and moments like these with her is something I cherish. I have never said a no to her on anything till date. This morning too I came for a run because she wanted me to come along. When we entered the restaurant, Nethra said that she wanted to ask me something. I said her to ask. She asked me to promise her that I will obey whatever she said. I said, of course, I will. Did not realize that Nethra would ask me this!
“Appa, I spoke to Meera Aunty!”
Today 17.00 hour (UTC +01.00), Café Hawelka, Dorotheergasse, Vienna
When I entered the place, the first thing I saw was the bright glowing face of Meera. She has not changed and so were her habits. She smiled at me the moment I entered. I slowly navigated my way through to the table and sat opposite to her. For a moment, I couldn’t believe that this is happening. It must be more than 30 years now!
24th December, 21.00 hour (UTC +01.00), Café Hawelka, Dorotheergasse, Vienna
I just finished my interview with Oskar Werner, one of the finest Austrian stage and cinema actor. His performance was splendid as Prof. Egon Kreisler in the film Voyage of the Damned which released a couple of days back. I was sure that he would win the Golden Globe Award for his performance.
“Meera, look, I finished my interview on time. You came here 10 mins earlier, as usual, it’s not my fault” – I started it. “That’s ok, I didn’t ask you anything”- smiled her.
Meera sat next to me. The waiter got us her favorite Melange.
We both were students at the University of Music and Performing Arts at Vienna. We both lived music and that perhaps brought us closer.
“After Georg Danzer’s Jö schau, this place has got so much crowded Meera” – I said to her.
“ha, you know what, I saw the naked guy hanging around in the Hawelka who inspired Georg Danzer to write Jö schau. I agree that this place is getting more crowd but no other café in Vienna can beat the Melange of Hawelka my sweety”- said Meera.
It’s 15 months since we knew each other. We both shared something beyond friendship but something less than a relationship. I liked it, maybe there was no commitment to it. I did not know where it would head to this day. Meera proposed. For a moment, I thought I am so lucky to have Meera in my life. I should say Yes, my life would be brilliant, but I did not have the guts. I knew that my family will not accept Meera. I said Meera that I never had thought her as my love interest. She kind of knew that I had that feeling for her, but I am refusing to bring it out. She did not want to compel me and left the place. I felt like I am the naked guy in Georg Danzers Jö schau
to be continued.
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