I came to Mandi House after three
months but it seemed three years. Generally i used to come here to visit some
galleries but later i stopped visiting galleries because the things they put
there stink. So now i come here to watch theatre. Sometimes i come here to sit
at the circle next to Shri Ram Centre and watch moving traffic while having
coffee. This day I came to watch a play titled 'look back in anger'. I reached
early. I was to spend about forty minutes somewhere so I bought a coffee and
some cigarettes and reached to circle. I sit at my place. I took a deep breath
and released. This always relaxes me. It was very soothing to be there, my
space with my time. I was trying to avoid first sip of coffee as it always
burns some part in my mouth. But to take second sip first has to be done so I
took first sip and “fuck”, again. But there was something else also. I felt
vacuum around me. It was a weird feeling. I stopped drinking coffee. I saw in
the direction of vacuum. It was 40 degrees right from front. There was nothing
until my eye sight hit a guy across the road who was standing next to circle,
beside Ficci’s building. He was in black. Black pants, black shirt, black
aviators and pointed black shoes. He was clean shaved, all this was making him
very handsome. While standing there he was checking something on the screen of
his cell phone. I noticed myself, I was putting on off white Non Denim, almost
pink T-Shirt, black blazer, black boots and black wayfarer. I again saw at him,
he put his cell phone in pants’ left pocket and saw to his right almost
directly to me and then to his left where a Tea Wala was making tea. He asked
him something then smiled. He started crossing the road towards my side. He
walk was very impressive, his every step is holds ground well, and interval
between steps is precise. His walk catched the attention of girls buying
something from Turant. He crossed the road and kept walking when he was exactly
at right almost fifteen feet away I caught a clear sight of his face. He was of
mid-twenties having a manly face. ‘Well, interesting guy’ I said to myself. I
have this skill to know people by their appearance and body language. I lit a
cigarette and started seeing at moving traffic again. ‘Coffee with cigarette
humm… do chai ek cigarette…’* I recalled something smiled. As I finished
cigarette I listened a voice, ‘excuse me, is it okay for you if I sit here?’.
Same guy was standing In front of me pointing to my left side with his left
hand while holding coffee in his right hand. ‘Sure’ I said. He sit next to me.
We started taking. He is an artist and teaches same time. I told him that I am
a poet with interest in visual arts. We talked about ‘art scene in India’ and
‘girls’. He possessed good knowledge about art and girls also. While talking I
saw at his eye brows. He had chiselled eye brows. He took out packet of
cigarettes from his pants’ right pocket. He smokes chhoti gold flake which used
to be my brand five years ago, now I smoke classic ultra-mild. He took one
cigarette and put it between his lips, almost hanging. Now I know boys looks
handsome like this. I noticed his, well-shaped lips, ‘beautiful lips’ I
thought. I am not a gay but I had an inclination for this guy. Maybe he noticed
this, so to shatter the situation he offered me cigarette. I thanked him for
this and took mine out from my blazer’s
pocket. I lit mine and his cigarette. I
realized that we had been talking for almost forty minutes. I was already late
for the play. I got up and told him that I am to go. I expressed that I was a
good talk. He expressed the same and gave me his card. ‘Mohit Kant Mishra’, his
card says his name. well I don’t give my card who don’t need it and won’t need
it, he was from ‘won’t’, so I didn’t give him my card. He asked my name. ‘you
have a very handsome name….i like it….you can call me by your name….’ I said
and moved to theatre.
By
Mohit Kant Mishra
Nov 24, 2014 Delhi.
Nov 24, 2014 Delhi.
