Whiskey Lullaby

Whiskey Lullaby

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She was standing in the coffee bar and staring at me. Her absurd gaze made be uncomfortable so I just turned around to escape from her. She was in no mood to give up. She walked to me with her coffee in her hand.   

“Can I join you”, she asked with ease.

I was in no mood to have a company but how could I refuse a beautiful lady. So I just nodded.

“Are you expecting someone”, she asked, acting like carefree girl

“Not exactly”, I replied. And after a little pause I continued “Actually I was expecting some beautiful lady to turn on me and here you are”. I acted like a nerd and started to sip a coffee. She couldn’t help but smile. Now it was her time to feel uncomfortable. She tried to hide her face but my gazes were so fixed on her that she couldn’t remain without blushing.

“Damn it!! How can a girl be so beautiful when flushed?”  

She tried to start a conversation but I was so busy enjoying her flushed face that her mouth remained open without making any sound. She started to mend her hair but the cool breeze from the lake was not letting her gather them. She tried twice and quickly realized there is someone who is enjoying the splendid combination of cool midnight breeze and the hair so she let it go.

Is every evening on the Lakeside so romantic? Hell no.

I went for a minute or more observing the surprise package in front of me and sipping a coffee without uttering a single word.

She looked around and stood up.

“Yes!! I got you”

A delay of a sec and I might have lost her. But how could I? So I broke the ice.

“Kailash”

“What?” She stopped herself.

“My name”, I smiled.”Kailash, it’s my name”

“Oh”. She just stood there acting like she cares no more. God, these girls are an open can of worms. A moment ago she was desperate to get an attention and now when she has one she’s already finding a way to ask for more.

“You can join me”. I tried to flirt again. “By the way it was you who made my day”

“I think you are better left with your coffee” her sarcasm was no use because she was back on her chair.

“It’s not the coffee”, I gave a shot. “It was pretty lady in front of me who kept me silent” And guess what, I hit the bull’s eye. She smiled, and gushed with the mark of shyness in her face. After the little attempt of patronizing her I was there again sipping my coffee along with my surprise package.

“Okay”, I sighed. ”Do I have to plot another drama or will you let me know with whom am I sitting here in this cozy café “

“Uff”, she puffed. “I’m sorry, I am Shila” she drew her hand toward me.

No Way, I didn’t ask for this but who cares it’s a free scheme, take it boy

I thought I should kiss her hand but I satisfied myself with a hand shake because I realized there are already dozens of bellicose faces snarling at me. After all jealousy is a human nature.

‘What drives you to the city of lake?’ I asked.

‘I’m here with my friends’ she explained. ‘We’ll leave for ABC tomorrow, I’m so excited. Oh, it’s my first trekking; I can’t wait to see the Annapurna Range in front of me, this will be my best spring break’ she finished all her story in a single breath.

I looked around the café to see if there are any of her friends.

‘I’m alone here’ she mumbled.

I frowned.

‘Oh, I thought you’re looking for my friends, they are already dreaming’

I nodded in an agreement and took another sip.

‘You know this sound awkward but you are offbeat’, Shila spoke with confusing look in her face. She was not quite sure what she was trying to say. ‘I mean, it’s hard to find young guys like you on the coffee bar in lakeside, that too in the midnight’

‘Why? What’s wrong in having coffee?’

Shila Flushed mortified. “That’s not what I meant’

‘Don’t worry about it, I was just kidding’, I said. ‘I had too much last night and I’m trying to make up for that’

‘That means you are here for a weeding’

‘Actually not, I’m here for the release of my new book’

‘Wow you’re a writer’ she almost jump in her place.

‘Don’t jump so much, it’s not exciting at all’ I finished my coffee. She was still staring at me without a blink.

‘What?’

‘You’re a writer man’, she was still in shock.

‘I know’, I laughed. ‘You’re staying whole night in the coffee bar or will you head to your hotel for a nap’ ‘Okay, I had to have some sleep’ she followed me out of the café. I walked her to the hotel. She stare me more than a dozen times in the way. I realized her mind telling same sentence over and over ‘Damn, You’re a writer’. Before she closed her door she gently pushed me toward her, leaned around my neck, moved her lips around my chicks while her hair rolled around my neck. Once she finished her twinkle of romance. She whispered in my ears ‘I love writers’ and giggled. Before I could figure out anything else she shut down her door. There was a moment of silence between the slam of door and toc toc toc of my feet. My ear started ringing, my head started spinning and the word ‘I love writers’ started looping around my head. I walked away from there.

Couple of minute later I was in the Café Concerto asking attendant to make Margarita. The DJ mixer was playing Brad Paisly:

“She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette
She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget”

The flashback from the earlier night started to play in my mind. I tried to figure out how my dream day turned in a hellish nightmare. It was just yesterday before the release of my book:

‘Kailash’ Nisha said, her voice raspy, ’I can’t take it anymore, I’m sorry, I’m breaking with you’.

For her my being writer was a stupid thing, I was loose and worn out. It was not that I didn’t try to stop her but not a word of mine matters her. So I let it go. When everybody was drinking tight I was drinking loose.

I asked bar tender to make another shot and Brad Paisly continued:

“We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said, 'I'll love her till I die.'
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby”

 And I thought that made some sense.