Swiping for Shaadi: Episode 13 - Asking a Guy Out

Anjali observed Varun and his colleagues minutely while having her lunch in the cafeteria. Indeed, he was surrounded by a flock of men and ladies, but he wasn’t the one who took the initiative. It was his charm that attracted women (including her) to him. She broke her stare as she noticed Varun glancing at her twice, and tried to concentrate on her food. Sid was right, yeah, he was always right about her. 👦

After lunch, she approached Varun when he was still hanging around in the cafeteria.

“Hi!” She exclaimed chirpily even though a hundred butterflies rolled in her stomach.

“Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t message you the other day. I was working late in the office. So, what’s up?” He asked her merrily and her grudges over his non-answering attitude on WhatsApp plummeted down instantly.

“Hey, no problem! Anyways, I had been to Agra, my hometown recently. But I was more of a photographer while roaming in the city and not a native. I have clicked several pictures, would you like to take a look at them?” She waited for his answer, hoping that he would agree to meet her outside the office.

“Sure, you can forward them to me or share them on Google Drive. I guess you have my email address.” He dismissed instantly.

“Of course,” she said with a nod but with a grumpy expression on her face. “karte.” She added. (karte in Marathi means I will do it)

“Oh wow, you can speak Marathi?” He turned over to her again excitedly and jumped. “Are you learning our language?”

“Not really. But I catch up a few words. After all, I am a Mumbaikar now.” She answered with an unwavering ease in her tone and voice.

He gazed at her for a while and suggested, “Maybe, I can teach you. Let’s meet somewhere outside the office.”

She nodded again, this time it was a happy nod.                  

                                                  -x-

“He is going to teach me Marathi after office and on weekends.” She said in a happy tone to Sid on the phone. 😍

“Dekha, Sis. My one tip helped you find a date.”

The first part of what Anjali shared was certainly true, but the second part of the sentence was something that she made up. Again, she had to be the one to initiate the conversation.

“I had never thought that I would be the one to ask a guy out. I mean he did, but I actually led him to the conversation.” Anjali added with a dejected face that Sid could read easily without looking at her.

“It is okay. But at least, he agreed to meet you on weekends. And it was not you who mentioned that.”

She didn’t utter a single word, so Sid sensed something was wrong and tried to make a guess, “I hope he said that or it was you who assumed it.”

“Yeah, it was me who assumed it. Gosh, I have become so desperate!” A frustrated Anjali was easy to be spotted those days.

“You are not desperate. You are of marriageable age.” He grinned and tried to mock her harmlessly. 😆

Anjali shook her head and said dreamily, “You know when I was in college, I thought that I would find love easily. I always had a picture of a life partner in my mind. I would step into college or I would get a first job, and I would find someone, become great friends, fall for each other, and then, get married. But what is happening right now? It is completely disassociated with the dream I had in my life.” She narrated her every-girl-has-a-story to Sid who listened to her carefully.

“It is not your fault, Sis. It is the fault of the rom-com producers who create an unrealistic picture in the minds of youngsters. You belong to the 90s and there is nothing wrong with your thinking. Go ahead.”

Anjali opened her mouth to oppose him, but she continued something that had been lingering in her mind. “What if Varun is the dream guy or is my dream man supposed to be some of the Prem Uncle’s 🤠 proposals?”

It was a tough question to answer, but Sid suggested something, “Why don’t you and Uncle approach an astrologer? They might predict where you can find the right guy.”

“Hey, no! Don’t feed such weird ideas into Papa’s mind. He might even take me to the astrologers around Agra. As of now, he still believes our family astrologer who has mentioned confidently that I will get married this year. I don’t know whether it is the astrologer’s prediction or is it my Papa who forced him to make such a prediction?” She felt amused and laughed out.

“Go ahead with the Varun guy. No worries even if he rejects you. Even if nothing happens between both of you, you will not regret after marriage that you never asked him out.”

Anjali was speechless; she didn’t know how to react to such what-if scenarios in her life. She had always imagined a lovey-dovey story in her life and the then situation wasn’t something she had dreamed of.

“Anyways, sis, I am joining you the next month. I have got intimation from my parents that they will be searching for girls for me.”

“What?” She sprang from her bed; her phone was still in her hands. “You are only….”

“I will turn 26 next month, sis. It is the right time to search for girls since I have not found my dream girl. Even I wanted someone who matched my vibes and personality, but I am sure I can find a really good girl in our social circle.” 😎

Anjali was dumbfounded at her friend-cum-brother’s confidence. He was two years younger than her, but still, he had the maturity and confidence of dealing with such matters. Really, rom-com movies make a huge impact on a person’s mind, she inferred from her own experiences.

At night, after a long chat with Sid, she gathered courage and messaged Varun, 🥰

So, when are you teaching me Marathi? Is Sunday okay for you?

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