Page 180 of One Indian Girl

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‘Sure.’

‘My next stop is San Francisco. I am there in three days.’

‘Oh, cool.’

‘Yeah. Was wondering if you want to meet for a coffee?’

He didn’t respond for a few minutes. I had a sinking feeling about this. I sent him another message anyway.

‘I totally understand if you can’t or if you don’t want to.’

‘Sorry, my boss had called me. Yeah sure, would love to have coffee.’

‘Really? Great.’

‘Yeah, can we do it in Menlo Park? Easier for me.’

‘Of course. Whatever is closest to your office. How’s Wednesday?’

‘Sure, Philz Coffee at Menlo Park. 4 p.m.’

Philz Coffee

Menlo Park

I arrived five minutes early. Philz Coffee is located just outside the sprawling Facebook campus. I took a seat by the window, looking at the offices of a company that connected a billion and a half people around the world. I wore a blue-and-white checked dress, which seemed to reflect the Californian sunshine.

‘Hi,’ Brijesh said as he came up to my table. I stood up. We hugged cursorily.

‘Thanks for meeting me,’ I said, a little self-conscious.

‘No issues. Welcome to my city,’ he said. He wore a black hoodie and blue jeans. His shoulders seemed broader, as if he had bulked up. He wore a Facebook corporate ID badge around his neck.

‘Strange to see you like this, at work,’ I said.

‘Yeah, without any relatives. I see you and feel an aunt is going to pop in any minute,’ he said.

‘Totally. I am like, where are the buas and the masis?’ I said.

‘Yeah, I feel this urge to touch someone’s feet,’ he said.

Both of us laughed.

He went up to the counter and came back with two cappuccinos. I spoke after he sat down.

‘I can never apologize enough, but again, sorry,’ I said, ‘The one Indian girl whom you finally came down to marry created such a drama.’

He waved his hand.

‘You don’t need to anymore. I am mostly over it. Life goes on. I reflected in the past three months too. On why you did what you did, and said no to the wedding that morning.’

‘What did you infer?’

‘That frankly you, or for that matter, any girl, doesn’t need a man to define her. You need a man to support, inspire...understand you. Help you be the best person you can be, banker, mother, both, whatever. And until you find a man you trust enough to do that, why settle?’

I looked at Brijesh, admiring his wisdom.

‘You think so?’ I said.