One Stop Destination

       Exactly a month after our first cup of coffee, we were sipping our coffee in his room. His phone beeped.        "What is the matter? Everything ok at home?"        "Oh yes. Its just that we have an official party this evening."        "Oh, ok. Then I guess, its time for me to get going."        "I did not mean to tell you to go away. There is still time."        "But you have to get ready, right?"        "It is absolutely OK. Sit for some more time. Please."        After an hour I stood up to go; he escorted me till the door (A first again!!!).        " Bye. Enjoy your party."        "These are generally not very interesting. Still I will try."        I heard Athlete, Chow, Brat and him to be loudly calling each other. When the shouts stopped, I understood they had gone. I picked up the latest book I was reading - Margret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind

       The next day was too hectic for me in the office to even exchange messages. My phone too did not beep at regular intervals. When I came back from office I found almost everybody had reached. Seeing me, they all started moving for lunch.        "Shouldn't we wait for Mallu sir and Chow sir? I asked Athlete.        "Oh no, they have gone out on detachment. They will be back only after two days."        I quietly followed with mixed feelings. One part of me felt hurt as to why I was not informed of his going. The other part reasoned it out saying that I was nobody but a junior in his life. Hence, there was no need for him to have  told me.        I reached my room, changed and was about to settle for an afternoon siesta when my phone beeped. Message from Mallu.        "Hi, sorry I could not tell you before I left. It all happened in a hurry."        I cannot tell you how happy I was to have seen that message. I typed.  

       It was a week after the coffee break began that we all decided to go to a temple. The boys were desperate to bribe the gods for passing them in their upcoming exam. For the first time, Mallu signalled me to be his pillion rider. Though we had gone out before, I heard him sing for the first time.        "I did not know you could sing too."        "I am a bathroom singer too. An untrained one at that."        "You really sing well. Why didn't you sing on our earlier trips."        "I had not known you then. Why don't you join me? I am pretty bad when it comes to remembering the lyrics."        Together we sang some of the songs known to us. For the first time I didn't feel the need to clutch on to the side bar and holding it tightly as if my entire life depended on it. I felt relaxed, at ease and comfortable being with him.        By the time we reached back, my heart was almost on the verge of lea

          My phone beeped around six in the evening. It was Mallu.       "I desperately need a coffee break."        I made a cup of coffee and took it across to his room. I handed it to him with a smile.        "Where is yours?" he asked.        I had not made for myself so I just shrugged my shoulders and shook my head as a reply. He got up to fetch a cup from his peg table, divided the coffee into two and handed me a cup.         "Won't I be disturbing you while you are studying if I sit here?"        I was hesitant.        "No ways!!! sit on the bean bag. I could do with some good company for a refreshing break."        My ears pricked up but I pretended not to have heard it and took a sip of my coffee.        "You really make amazing coffee."        "Thanks. I am glad you like it."        "So...what do you do in your free time??"        "Me??? Well..