Just like everyday, I went to Mocha near my home in the afternoon. It had been my mundane routine for past few months now – ever since I quit a well paying and respectable job of senior journalist with a leading magazine to write my book. Sometimes I wondered if the pledge was worth-taking but that I will save for another story.

So I had barely settled into the corner-most sofa; my regular seat and plugged in the charger when i saw a young group burst inside the cafe. They announced their mood by the noise they made! 6-7 young adults, I think they worked in some office nearby and their boss must have been away or something. “Unfocused grown-ups”, I grumbled to myself and started settling-in.

Worse was they took a table right adjacent to mine, so I mentally prepared myself for a not-so-productive day at work.

Their order was big and their jokes loud so within a few minutes, I succumbed to mindless surfing and only to start typing after they left.

I was looking for a steward when I noticed her, the flamboyant girl from their group. Wearing a dark overcoat and smart boots, she looked chic. Her long hair perfectly accentuated her thin face, and for a second i thought she must be a model. But a look at her colleagues’ faces dispelled my assumption.

Anyways she was standing and looked the most animated. On a particular joke cracked by someone on their boss, i couldn’t stop myself from laughing. Thats when she turned around and noticed me. Seeing me laugh at their lame joke, she returned back a senile smile.

Rest of her group caught on our looking at each other and immediately hooted her. I hoaxed being immersed in my laptop once again, however my ears were glued to their conversation now. I heard one of the guys saying, “Alixa is becoming popular here also haa?”

Another one added, “Alixa also likes him, did you see the way she stared back?”

But the diva, oops Alixa laughed at them to try and change the topic.

A steward who knew I was their regular came to me and asked, “What will you have today Lin sir? Your regular latte?”

Now I am not a flirtatious person- I am actually very shy, but I don’t know what happened to me and I said, “Yes. Actually make it 2. One for that table for Miss Alixa. Tell her its from me.” He winked and went away.

I tried very hard to hear them talk as he served ‘the’ coffee to their table but I couldn’t. However, she accepted the free coffee and their entire group thanked out aloud back to me. I smiled and started sipping mine.

Their stay at the cafe continued for another 40-45 minutes or so and they left. I could see Alixa walking out and turning around a couple of times to see and smile back at me. Not knowing what exactly to do or how to ask her out, I feebly grinned at her. Once they left, I got down to my work and by evening had almost forgotten the incident.

The next day however, as i stepped inside the cafe, I saw Alixa along-with her friend sitting exactly at the same table where her group hung-out yesterday. I passed a smile at the counter and signalled him for 2 lattes today as well, and went to sit on ‘my’ couch. Again no obvious words were exchanged between us, the steward served her and me the same coffee and Alixa returned back her smile. Strangely, neither of us could get up from our seats and walk to the other to start a dialogue. Or maybe we didn’t want to. She had her coffee, stole occasional glances at me (and i too returned favors) and left in about an hour or so.

The routine continued the next day and the day after. It went on for 4 days. My already sky-high coffee bills had now increased but I surely didn’t complain. Infact for the next day, I had decided that I will join her on her table instead of going to mine, and at least have some basic chat. After all, its the guy’s job to make the first step always even if he is too shy.

‘Coffee & Conversations’ written on big, bold letters on the cafe glass-front only increased my confidence, as I approached the main-door. Today however, something was strange. For once Alixa wasn’t sitting on her routine table. She was instead sitting at another corner of the cafeteria. Next she wasn’t sitting with her friend, but a guy instead, a handsome looking one in fact. They didn’t look too cosy to be counted as being in a relationship, but they looked quite engrossed in their discussion. I had to take an immediate call – I decided not to pursue the plan and rather walked to my regular seat. I still smiled at her, and she smiled back. The mindful Mocha staff themselves served me my regular latte and took one to her table, which she again accepted.

I was confused. But I couldn’t do anything. Her random stares and smiles were still there, though I didn’t react too much to them today. After a while, again she left with that guy. That day I couldn’t write anything and kept wondering why that happened.

The next day was a Sunday and I normally didn’t go to the cafe, but decided to make an exception. I didn’t carry my laptop because I knew I couldn’t work anyways. A lot more surprises awaited me. Her friend was back to give her company and even before I could settle down on my seat, she had ordered my regular latte for herself and me. She was also dressed much more impressively today, than any of the previous few days i had been seeing her. My confusions had no answers and so I had to talk to her today but couldn’t decide when…

I picked up my mug and just walked upto her seat and offered, “Hi Alixa, I am Lin. Can I sit with you girls today?” She smiled and looked at her friend who nodded back.

I pulled a chair and sat with them. For the first time I got to look at her from so close and she looked perfect. Infact comparing her features to any of the movie stars would be an understatement. Her complexion was flawless. But the most attractive feature was her eyes – they were so deep and so bright that I could stare in them for years.

Anyway neither of us talked for the next couple of minutes so i broke the ice, “So Alixa do you live nearby? I notice you also come here everyday..” she started smiling again and nodded a yes.

Her friend replied, “Yeah we live quite nearby and our office is also next door. We both are best friends by the way."

‘Great’ I thought. ‘She must be a very shy girl’ I thought again because she didn’t speak anything yet, just quietly sipped her coffee.

So I spoke again, “Well I am Lin, a writer by choice and by profession too.” and offered my hand for a shake. First touch – as she shook my hand. Her friend said, “Well Lin works with **** in admin dept and…”

I cut her short, “Can i talk to her please? This cup isn’t titled coffee and conversations for nothing” and picked the coffee-mug barging at her friend irritatingly.

Alixa touched my hand, as if trying to stop me. I turned to look at her, but she stared down the floor. I turned again to her friend for footnotes. She said, “Well Alixa is mute by birth. She can do everything perfectly but speak. She is leading a team of 4 people at her office, and she topped the entire university during her graduation. You see, she is better than most normal people around. I understand and know everything about her, thats why…”

For a minute I became numb. I gazed at Alixa, she was still looking down as if she was caught guilty of something.

Such a lovely person and she cant speak? Is almighty really that unfair? I mean look at her, she can come across as an eye-stealer, a winner in a group of thousand people easily, yet people would look down upon her because she cant speak?

However it couldn’t affect me the-least, and to the in numerous coffees I had in past few days staring and imagining my conversations with her…

I felt a tear dropping down Alixa cheek and it fell on the table. Her friend moved her hand to her face to wipe it off. I caught her hand in middle and pushed it back, and instead brought mine to wipe her teary face. “I love you” I told her.

She looked up into my eyes. I could sense a little pain being hidden in her eyes too, besides their liveliness. But my intense look startled her and her smile was back.

I announced again, “I really really love you. Don’t worry, I am a writer so I always wanted a companion who likes to read me than just hear me.”Alixa pretty smile widened.

__END__