Their first conversation went awry.

‘I love pomegranate juice’, Sagar had casually mentioned over the phone.

‘Yeah, that is sweet and a little too tart for me’, Aliya had started getting irritated of the conversation that had commenced magically well.

‘Do you like Soft Toys?’, he tried to divert her attention to something she may like, sensing her discomfort.

‘I adore them in the hands of kids and kids, I like them at a distance’, she jumped in an outstretched coarse tone before he could finish.

‘Ah, okay, there is an important call on the line, I cannot miss. Am.. See you..later..Nice talking! And he suspended.

Aliya was taken aback. Her head was raised all along the conversation. Now, she was disconnected at someone else’s will.  She sat up on her bed and switched on the television.  She was not paying attention. She muted it and traversed the conversation they had, trying to find a precise link where she picked at him.

‘He said he did not like pets:  dogs. I love them. How could he find them filthy? We all were born filthy!  We were taught not to be.  

But, did he mention it was just him?

He loves Dasvadaniya. He has even seen ‘Kya Dilli Kya Lahore’! I loved him instantly when he hunted the entire supermarket for old Miss Mary’s eyeglasses. I loved the creases his cheeks formed as he asked me my phone number the other day.

 He hung up on me. I flared up and they were frivolous things. I shouldn’t have judged him.

 It was natural. I did not deliberately do it. He knows my temper now.’

She fetched her mobile from under the pillow and typed:

‘It was a lovely conversation and …

‘It was lovely talking ..

‘I am sorry, can we meet…

‘I am sorry.’ And she threw the phone back without sending.

'It was just the start, Can we ever be compatible?', she thought.

Pic credits: hdwallpapersnew.net