Chance and Chaayos!

The hall was more or less empty. Morning shows usually have a very small audience, and that is precisely why Lavi preferred them. She wanted to be spared the noise of wrappers being opened, and the glare of mobile screens in the darkness, and not to mention wailing babies.

The few seats that were occupied had couples who Lavi knew would have no interest in the film. At that hour, the seats were occupied by desperate love bird who would even buy a ticket to a documentary on World War II, as long as they got two seats to themselves and a cozy corner. All they did was wait for the lights to go off.

Lavi slowly made her way up to her seat, which was in the back row. She did not mind watching films alone. She had learned to ignore the judgemental looks she got from the twosomes and quartets that she passed on her way to her seat.

She found it amusing that others should be bothered about her lack of company to watch a film. If only she could scream and tell them “I am not lonely”. “I have friends too”! 

But did she really? If they were friends, why was she here watching a film on her own? Not that any one of them would have refused to accompany her had she asked. But why hadn’t she asked?

She knew they wouldn’t approve of such a serious film. The guys would have preferred a day of cricket while the girls would have preferred to try out a new restaurant and may be even talked her into going shopping for cosmetics. None of which were activities she would care to waste a precious Sunday on. She’d rather soak in the sun and listen to some music, just like the kind she heard playing in one of the rooms a couple of buildings away.  There were days when she went out into the balcony at night just to catch the strains of an old number and try and remember the name of the film and the lyrics. It was a guessing game she loved to play. This musicophile sure stayed up late, which worked well for Lavi. The melodies helped her drift off into a dreamy sleep.  

Her friends were people who visited her almost every weekend, but did she really know them well enough? She knew their favourite colours, and their food preferences. Some of them had strong opinions and loved to engage in debates. They all managed to have a good time whenever they met, over drinks and pot luck. But whenever she put on some music, they would rue about her outdated taste.  If she dragged them to the Book Fair, they’d only head for the stationery stalls and eventually she would get separated from the group and be on her own. Would any of them know from her tone what mood she was in? Probably not. Then, how could they be her friends? She yearned for a like-minded person to hang out with.

The movie was about to begin and Lavi realised she wasn’t the only one in her row. There was one other person at the other end. Wow! He was seated alone too. So, there were others like her in this world. The thought comforted her somehow and brought a smile to her face. She was normal after all.

When the lights came on during the interval, she noticed the no-nonsense leather satchel that sat in the seat next to the only other occupant of the row.  It was quite similar to the one she was carrying. She had picked it up at an exhibition years ago. The owner of the bag seemed to have noticed her looking in his direction. He gave a quarter of a nod and a fifth of a smile, acknowledging her presence before going back to rummaging through the contents of his satchel. 

A pleasant face, no doubt. Not the gym-going variety for sure, but certainly someone who watched his diet, for he fished out an apple from his bag. Before he bit into it, he awkwardly threw a glance in Lavi’s direction. Not wanting to let on that he had been the subject of scrutiny, she looked away just in time to notice that he was beginning to offer the fruit to her but had retracted when she turned away. How cute, she thought, looking his way once again even while reaching for her own apple in her favourite satchel. She held up both for him to see, making him laugh at the coincidence.

After the show was over, Lavi found herself right behind the satchel guy on the escalator. He seemed to be headed towards the food court and so was she. She was curious to know what he would do next, but didn’t want to miss out on her favourite cup of ginger and cardamom tea from the Chaayos kiosk, where she was headed. To her utmost surprise, she was following him without actually doing so.

Unbelievable! He was headed for Chaayos too. And yes, they both blurted out the same order. Of course, it made complete sense to just move towards the nearest table for a chai pe charcha then. 

Ravi turned out to be an avid reader. His bag contained three books, all of which Lavi had read and thoroughly enjoyed.  He took out a brochure from his treasure trove of a satchel and held it out for her to see. It was about the Film Festival which was to commence the following week. Lavi had been planning to watch a few foreign language films that were scheduled for screening there.  She clicked the schedule on her phone and returned the brochure to him. They talked about all the foreign films they had watched recently without realising that an hour had just flown by.

When Lavi looked at her watch and started to get up, Ravi said, “Why don’t you note down my number? May be we could go for the screenings together”.

“I would love that, but where do you stay?” asked Lavi in her usual practical fashion. “Not far from here. In fact, it is just a ten-minute walk away,” he replied. “Really? I came walking too. I live on 5^th Street,” said Lavi excitedly.

“What a coincidence. Which building?” he asked. “Right on the corner. No. 24” said Lavi.

“Don’t tell me you have a hand-crafted bird house in your balcony,” he said, his voice full of anticipation.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” said Lavi, unable to contain her excitement now. “Have you seen the house?”

“Of course I have. I pass by it every morning on my way to the park. Have even stopped to admire the succulents you’ve grown in those little pots. I live on the terrace of no. 27,” he said.  “I go to the park too, but only in the evening,” said Lavi.

No wonder they had missed seeing each other. Ravi had been living on the same street for almost a year, while Lavi had moved in just a few months ago, so that she could be closer to her workplace.

Ravi was a writer and a photographer. He worked for a travel magazine and was fluent in French as well as Spanish. Lavi had been struggling to find time to complete her Spanish lessons, and Ravi was quick to offer his support.  She liked the sound of it all. Their names rhymed too -- Ravi and Lavi! 

They managed to learn a lot about each other over the next two days, thanks to WhatsApp.

One night, when Lavi was out on the balcony and she heard the familiar music from afar, she decided to text Ravi. “Do you hear that song? It is one of my favourites”.

“Just come over. We will listen to it together,” he replied.

“What? You are playing it?” she queried.

“Oh yes! I can’t sleep without music in the background.”

What are the odds, huh? Things sure were looking up!!