A Second Chance?

She exclaimed, "What are you saying?" He watched for her expressions carefully & refrained from responding. She leaned forward & whispered, "Are you under the influence? Substance or alcohol?" He was offended & cried, "No!" She inquired with raised eyebrows & concern, "Untreated concussion?" He sipped coffee & stared angrily. She leaned back & declared, "Then you must be crazy!" He shifted restlessly in his chair & said, "I know how it sounds." She shot back, "Oh really! Do you?" He requested, "Just hear me out." Her eyes glared as though she wanted to burn him into ashes. He calmly stated with conviction, "I know you still feel for me." She replied, "Oh, please!" He added, "Are you telling me, in all these years, you could not find a guy who fits your criteria?" She responded, "I did have one such guy in mind. Unfortunately, he married years ago & had twins." He was intrigued, "Who?" She smirked, "George Clooney."

He stated, "Be serious!" She responded, "If I were stuck on you, I wouldn't have ventured into other relationships. Would I?" He confidently declared, "Either you are bluffing, or they were rebounds." She rolled her eyes & sipped some coffee. He continued with the interrogation, "Why else would you not get married & settle down?" She raised her shoulders & responded, "There is no hard & fast rule for every person to be married." He shot back, "That is one of your word games to hide your feelings." She slapped her left hand to her forehead & stated, "Give me a break!" He voiced, "During campus recruitment, you weren't willing to relocate to another city, let alone the country. Yet you chose a career in international travel. Why would you do that?" She responded, "I was naive in college & no idea what the world had to offer. Later on, an opportunity came up, my boss coaxed me & I took it."

He ground his teeth, "Why are you being so difficult?" She raised her shoulders & stated, "What is the matter with you?" He breathed heavily & expressed, "I know when I am right." She reacted, "Oh dear Lord, help me!" He was furious & determined to get what his heart craved. He sat calmly across her & did not break eye contact. She knew the calm before the storm. Neither could she understand the situation nor respond plausibly. Her mind wandered & raced at the same time. She rested her elbows on the table & hands cradled her heavy head. She sat with closed eyes & pressed the pulsating temples. The chatter in the café, the stressful conversation & overdose of coffee was perfect recipe for a severe migraine. She calmed herself & enquired, "So when was the Eureka moment?" He carefully recited the rehearsed answer, "I was under the impression that I had moved on until I met you at the mall." She carefully thought & remarked with narrowed eyes, "So it only took you a decade, a marriage, a daughter & 30mins in an ice cream parlour?" He had prepared for a brutal assault yet cringed at the summarisation.

He let out a deep breath, stuck to his course, "From that day on, I have been in turmoil." She didn't seem to care & he continued, "After a lot of deliberation, I decided to share my feelings with you." She sighed, "Now, what am I to do with it?" He eagerly said, "I'm certain that I want you back in my life." She replied with sarcasm, "I must say, a very enticing offer, but no thank you." He persuaded, "I will do anything to be with you." She leaned forward & responded with a smile, "Honey, there was a time I would have fallen head over heels for that line. Unfortunately, that ship sailed long ago."

His frustration built rapidly & expressed, "I am pouring my heart out." She shrugged, "It was a good sales pitch. You must be outstanding at your job!" He snapped, "My emotions & feelings sound like a sales pitch to you?" She snarled, "Have you forgotten you have a wife & child?" He tried to explain, "You do not understand my plight. For last one year, my wife & I have had issues." She said, "That's not my problem! It's your marriage. Go figure." He said, "That's the part I want to figure out with you in my life." She almost screamed, "Are you for real?" He said, "Listen..." She interrupted, "For a moment, set aside what happens to your marriage & child. Say we do get back together at the cost of your marriage, ignore the family & society factor. What is the guarantee that you won't leave me in the future? You may have another Eureka moment for someone else or your wife?" He struck back with vigour, "It is you! Not someone else." After a devilish laugh followed her response, "It was the same me back then. Yet, you had moved on. Only to discover that isn't the case now. Isn't it?"

She added, "You are an escapist. When we broke up, you did not attempt to make up. Now, you…" He interrupted, "Neither did you." She revealed with a smile, "Well, I'm not the one to look through the attic, find an old diary for the phone number & send a message. Then track my arrival through a child & request to meet up. Only to say 'I have feelings for you' & ask to get back together. Am I?" He ground his teeth & sipped coffee. She continued, "Where was I? Ah… now you repeat the same. Put effort & make your marriage work." He enunciated, "But I have strong feelings for you." She shook her head, "When will you learn to do the right thing at the right time?" He sternly conveyed, "What I am trying to say is..." She interrupted, "Stop right there. I don't wish to entertain this conversation anymore. Do not contact me."

He reached across to her hand, "But..." She retreated, slammed her share of the bill on the table & stormed off the cafe. Though her steps were steady, it felt like a truck had run over her. Mechanically, she boarded an elevator & pushed the button on the elevator panel. The chiming of the elevator & chatter of the other occupants irked her. She felt claustrophobic & breathed heavily. She navigated through the parking space to reach the car. She occupied the driver's seat & slammed the car door shut. She inserted the key & held the steering but could not come to terms to step on the clutch pedal & turn the key.

The stronghold on the wheel turned the knuckles white. Eyes were blank & looked straight ahead. The purest form of outrage filled the heart & mind. A marathon of questions fogged the mind, 'How dare... How could... Why did...' A decade-old heartache surfaced & an old wound bled. Deeply buried feelings, thoughts, broken dreams & emotions broke the threshold & flooded the heart. Slowly, the heavy head rested on the steering wheel & tears flowed. She cried inconsolably, alone in the car. She cursed her silly heart to be so madly in love with him.

Take Away: Seize the moment, grab an opportunity with both hands & step up the game when the occasion arises, for it is hard to live with regrets.

P.S: The story is a sequel to "Dating & Doughnuts".