"Oh come on."
"No you come on."
"Where to?"
"Will you stop being so difficult?"
"Will you stop being so difficult?"
"I am being difficult?"
"I am being difficult?"
"What is this?"
"What?"
"Why are you repeating whatever I say?"
"It's easy that's why. Or else, I'll have to think to talk you know."
"Oh? So I make for senseless conversation."
"Oh oh! We haven't touched upon sense, but yes, if you insist, this is a senseless conversation."
"Of course! Difficult people always deserve such talk."
"I am difficult? In what way?"
"You've not been talking to me properly ever since - ever since-"
"-ever since you dumped me."
Usually, at 6:50 pm, that road insists on solitude. It never quite breaks the rule. Even if you insist on a little noise, the sea that rests by the road and the clouds flying across almost always convince you to shut up. But this day, or this evening rather, neither the clouds nor the sea nor the setting Sun that unfurled a silky orange on the waters below could do anything to stop the storm that these two were brewing into a tornado.
"I did not dump you."
"Oh really? Then what was that? You told me to back off."
"Did I say that?"
"No no, you didn't. I was daydreaming."
"Come on, I didn't say you were daydreaming."
"For once, I can agree with you on that."
"No see, I never told you to back off, really."
"Then what did you tell me?"
"See I don't think I am looking for that now you know."
"Okay, does that mean I can get lost?"
"Oh I am not saying that."
"Then what are you saying?"
"Well, see I - I well, I cannot explain."
"You cannot explain. You do not accept my explanation. You don't want me to get lost. Then what is it that you want?"
"I don't know. "
"That is not an answer you know. Even answers refuse to accept that line as part of them.Oh alright, alright, okay tell me something: Is it okay if I go date others?"
"Date others?"
"Yes, as in meet them on Saturdays and Sundays and spend time with them the way I spend time with you."
"Oh oh! That!," she said adjusting her kameez, and trying not to hear what she just had.
"Yes yes that."
"Well, I am fine," she said as she tried to sound fine.
"What fine? I can see how fine you are with it."
"No really," she insisted, "I am."
"You sure are?"
"Of course of course," she said, as her hand tried to stay calm and her legs pretended to relax and not shake in anxiety.
"Of course what now?"
"Of course I am okay with that."
"Alright then. I need to go now." He had stood up and was all set to hail a rickshaw.
"Alright then. I too need to go." She too was all set to do so.
"You wanna take a rickshaw to the station?"
"Yes."
So they walked to the end of the road, hailed a rickshaw, and for one last time, he said goodbye.
"No you come on."
"Where to?"
"Will you stop being so difficult?"
"Will you stop being so difficult?"
"I am being difficult?"
"I am being difficult?"
"What is this?"
"What?"
"Why are you repeating whatever I say?"
"It's easy that's why. Or else, I'll have to think to talk you know."
"Oh? So I make for senseless conversation."
"Oh oh! We haven't touched upon sense, but yes, if you insist, this is a senseless conversation."
"Of course! Difficult people always deserve such talk."
"I am difficult? In what way?"
"You've not been talking to me properly ever since - ever since-"
"-ever since you dumped me."
Usually, at 6:50 pm, that road insists on solitude. It never quite breaks the rule. Even if you insist on a little noise, the sea that rests by the road and the clouds flying across almost always convince you to shut up. But this day, or this evening rather, neither the clouds nor the sea nor the setting Sun that unfurled a silky orange on the waters below could do anything to stop the storm that these two were brewing into a tornado.
"I did not dump you."
"Oh really? Then what was that? You told me to back off."
"Did I say that?"
"No no, you didn't. I was daydreaming."
"Come on, I didn't say you were daydreaming."
"For once, I can agree with you on that."
"No see, I never told you to back off, really."
"Then what did you tell me?"
"See I don't think I am looking for that now you know."
"Okay, does that mean I can get lost?"
"Oh I am not saying that."
"Then what are you saying?"
"Well, see I - I well, I cannot explain."
"You cannot explain. You do not accept my explanation. You don't want me to get lost. Then what is it that you want?"
"I don't know. "
"That is not an answer you know. Even answers refuse to accept that line as part of them.Oh alright, alright, okay tell me something: Is it okay if I go date others?"
"Date others?"
"Yes, as in meet them on Saturdays and Sundays and spend time with them the way I spend time with you."
"Oh oh! That!," she said adjusting her kameez, and trying not to hear what she just had.
"Yes yes that."
"Well, I am fine," she said as she tried to sound fine.
"What fine? I can see how fine you are with it."
"No really," she insisted, "I am."
"You sure are?"
"Of course of course," she said, as her hand tried to stay calm and her legs pretended to relax and not shake in anxiety.
"Of course what now?"
"Of course I am okay with that."
"Alright then. I need to go now." He had stood up and was all set to hail a rickshaw.
"Alright then. I too need to go." She too was all set to do so.
"You wanna take a rickshaw to the station?"
"Yes."
So they walked to the end of the road, hailed a rickshaw, and for one last time, he said goodbye.
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