Nutty friends and all that jazz....

This woman never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think I’ve got her figured out, she goes and does something absolutely crazy and so unlike her. “How could you do that??”

She’s as cool as a cucumber while I am left flabbergasted at the stunt she’s pulled.

She’s at Java City listening to the Sunday evening live jazz, on her own. The place is packed and nobody seems to be in a mood to leave their seats. She spots a quiet, unassuming loner, pretty much like herself, at one of the corner tables. He catches her eye, and slowly picks up his bag from the seat opposite him. He shrugs and nods to the empty seat. She pretends not to notice, looks around and waits for a while. Finally, giving up she walks up to him

“Is this seat taken?”, she asks.

“Nopes”

“Mind if I sit here?”

“Nopes”

She settles down for the evening’s performance and forgets about Mr. Nopes sharing the table with her. In a few minutes as the band takes a break, she steps out for some fresh air. “Hi! I am so-&-so from mumbai”. “Hi. Wts up? Wt brings u to blr?”


As the jazz and the evening progresses so does the conversation.. the weather, politics, music, books, movies.. Finally, its time for the last song and as they pay their bills he asks “Err.. I was just thinking of getting some dinner, and probably a drink. Would you like to join me? I could drop you wherever you wanna go.” Alarmed, all her senses on high alert, she gives him her most icy and disgusted look. “No, I need to get home. Thanks for the seat, gnite”

She steps out and decides to have one last smoke, one for the road.

“Come on yaar.. Get a life….”


“Are you nuts? You went out partying with an unknown stranger? For all you know, he could have mugged you, cut you up into pieces and thrown you somewhere and nobody would have even known you are missing.” I couldn't believe it. I wonder how an almost 30 year old, usually level headed, cautious and responsible woman like her could even think of doing that. I shudder to imagine what her family and friends would say to her, if they so much as got a whiff of this.


But then, concern and fears aside, as I look at her I realize I am looking at the slightly eccentric, carefree, stubborn and crazy girl I knew and haven’t met in years. As I smile and shake my head in disbelief all I can say is “You go girl… May I see more of you in the days to come….”