Chapter XXXV
Café, again?: The Lunch Box Journal

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Story so far: The tattoo was deciphered while the explanation for the same was a bit more fishy. And there seems to be two different explanations given for the same tattoo to two different people. The other explanation is yet to be revealed. Meanwhile, Gautham and Neil are busy with their heads burried deep in their phones. Aryan seems to be struggling with his writing while Sameer is chilling in the other side of the world and Madhav is relishing the new news that he had recently come across. Read on…

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Gautham was busy, busy on the phone. Even though it was almost a done deal, he still had his doubts. Because waiting for over a year is too much of a time and anything could happen over the period of time. And all this while he was still getting calls from the matrimonial sites he had registered on. Meanwhile, Neil was among taking early absences from office and disappearing. It was very much unlike him because he would be the one coming on time and leaving on last, which meant last. But all this change in his timings and schedules had a good happy reason behind it. He was getting married and the marriage was set a few months down the lane. Amidst all this Madhav was preparing himself for his first child. They were expecting in a few months down the lane, but he was busy making trips home every weekend to be there for his significant other. Aryan was busy with his online people whom he hasn’t even met. He appeared to be social without actual meetings. No one seems to understand his problem or train of thought. If only he spoke, the others would come to know. God knows how many times they had tried. Perhaps, making him drinking too much could do the trick. But if only he drank. Him being a teetotaler was another big bummer. It was sort of a mystery to others.

Badminton was going on full-fledged. Gautham, Aryan, Neil, and Siri were the regular players. While Akhil joined occasionally owing to his broken ankle and his super busy schedule. Neil too had to bail out a few times. Thanks to his unexpected work. And then that one day Siri made her entrance in a traditional dress. It was her birthday and she was looking ravishing as always. She had got some sweets and sent out a mail to the colleagues to help themselves with the sweets on the occasion of her birthday. When the badminton group went, she went on a break and they couldn’t wish her but they did treat themselves to a nice piece of sweet. Meanwhile, they had their lunch and were doing their after-lunch-ritual of playing badminton a little after lunch because that was apparently the ideal time when the crowd is less or none at all. And to their surprise, Siri was also there in all her traditional outlook. That was when they had a chance to wish her for the first time. While their surprise was a bit more justified when she played elegantly even in that traditional attire which seemed like the movement might be a bit more restricted. After all, she had the passion for the game and thanks to her comfortable and sleek attire, it made it a lot more easier to play than it seemed.

It was sort of another birthday month with two people’s birthday falling in the same month. First it was Siri and then it was Akhil. The week following Siri’s birthday was Akhil’s birthday. So, the group decided to do something like what they did at Gautham’s birthday. It had been a long time since they hung out. And this seemed like a perfect opportunity for the group to hang out. While they were discussing on what place to pick, they decided to go to Midnight Café, like the last time when they had good fun. It was more of Akhil’s decision to go there because it was suggested by Likhita for the second time. And this time they would be celebrating the birthday there at the Café.

The day finally arrived and as they had decided to go to the Midnight Café on the outskirts of the city. It was middle of a monsoon season and the rains were unexpected and unpredictable at the best. To their luck, it was a dry day that day. The plan was to go to the Café. Likitha was also joining them this time as she didn’t want to miss out on the celebration, more so when it was her beloved’s. And she as always wanted to be a part of everything his. While she had been occupying an awfully huge space in the received calls, another place she wanted to occupy his special place in his heart. She might already have. The plan included the group leaving from office and going to Gautham’s house which was where the car was. Since Likhita’s office ended early, she would have to come neat Gautham’s house. And they would start as soon as possible from the meeting spot where four people would be directly coming from office and Likhita would join them and they just have to drive to the Café before midnight.

It was a great plan but it didn’t go as they had planned it to be.

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(To be Continued …)

What happened to the perfect plan of theirs? How did the celebration go? When was Gautham going to travel? How far along is Akhil’s visa? And more importantly what was the other tatto explanation?
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The Lunch Box Journal

ak, mmxviii