SEEING RED

 You..

Every time I see you, my heart skips a beat.

It wasn’t any different this evening too.

I was one among the many who formed a winding river of red taillights looking east. An unusually long wait for drivers who seem to spawn from each other forms an unending supply of traffic as if in a video game you can’t play to win. The familiar patch of gravel spun under the tires as I pulled into the main street. It wasn’t easy when you had to manage a call on one hand and a stubborn steering in another, compounded by the fact that your right elbow is only 25 % useful, thanks to a misadventure.

Finally, I emerge victorious onto the road….and there you are.

Those are the moments that take you back to a similar day from years ago.

Days when you wondered if you stepped out on the wrong foot. Were you in a hurry to meet someone or was it purely out of habit? How important was the call you just made? Did that text message make you smile? Was it a movie date or just a cup of tea with someone special? Were you heading out for some banter and beer pong? Was it all unplanned?

Do you remember what you wore that evening? Were there coffee stains on your sleeve? Did you share a cigarette, or split a samosa into two unequal halves?

You decided to go Dutch, paid for everyone and till date no one remembers a damn thing? Have you given your share for a rather expensive birthday gift?

Do you still owe a few dirham to the tea shop chettan who never forgets to serve paper tissues with his samovar chai?

Is there an unfinished text message waiting for you on Instagram?

All these thoughts in an instant.

That’s what happens when I see you through my windscreen. In a flash. And I slam on the brakes.

Hey red light, that’s what happens when I see you while I am on the phone.

Note: I am not in a relationship with red lights. But we meet very often.