(Series) Chapter 1: Meeting my Ex. . . When I was on a date

‘So, I will pick you up at 8?’

‘Okay, I will be waiting’

And I clicked to disconnect the call, her voice was pleasant, something I could get used to. I was a little nervous, this was the first date after my breakup, and not just any break up; this breakup was with the girl who I thought was my soul-mate, my dream girl, with whom I had spent countless days just loving her and making plans for my future, our future.

4 months and I was still wallowing in self-pity; I had developed a relationship with food which also added few kg to an already average looking body. I only wanted to be with her, and her presence which eluded was a feeling which pained me like walking barefoot on molten lava, somehow that feeling of pain would have been better than what I felt each time, I thought about her. My friends were worried about me; I had stopped picking up their calls, lonesomeness made me even dismal, but I was addicted to the pain and crying few nights to sleep. Not particularly crying but bloodshot eyes with warm tears ready to make their way, in any moment, when I thought of how beautiful she was and how happy she made me.

My concerned friends loved and cared for me even though I was not a very good friend, and had also deserted them when I was with my love. They set me up on a blind date with Lara. Lara was a cute/intelligent girl who was doing engineering and wanted to do MBA afterwards, she use to have a boyfriend, but they broke up on mutual grounds. This was the description given to me. I had my doubts, when your friends say cute it’s always something suspicious. I was always described cute, I knew I was average, but being called cute is the new way of saying ‘you are ugly, but as we are your friends with manners, we won’t say it to your face, we are just going to call you cute’.

I was getting ready though with little dubiety. I had a bit of excitement too, as I had never been on a blind date before and I wasn’t being allowed to stalk her Facebook profile too. Picking out clothes was a big struggle; my jeans had shrunk smaller or my waist had grown bigger (same difference), I found an old cargo pants which always had some extra room for me. Fully dressed, standing in front of the mirror, I felt ugly like a baboon in a shirt and a cargo pants. I combed my hair a million times more, changed shirts, finally deciding on the one I first wore, and I was ready to go or was I? Thoughts came to my mind to cancel the date, but then my friends would had killed me, but I also had to move out of the house, I had started to forget what roads looked like.

I took her to my favourite restaurant; best pasta I ever ate was served there. I was actually happy that during the drive to the restaurant, we were not able to see each other’s face, it was a moonless night and broken street lights added to ill- lighted roads, or she wouldn’t had even sat with me in the car, let alone talk to an awkward stranger for two whole hours. She looked 5 foot 5, and wore a red sleeveless, well fitted top which highlighted her maintained figure, blue jeans and red stilettos. I opened the door for her, like a gentleman, she walked as she was a model on a runway, she swayed her hips left and right as she walked in, I thought to myself; she looks even better from behind.

She smiled at me, as we sat at our table. I was wrong about the definition of cute, as she was a live example of it. In a picture dictionary, I would believe her picture would be pasted next to it, and mine would be I guess in sad and also in pathetic. I was actually fortunate that I didn’t listened to myself, mental note I am always wrong, never listen to myself. She had a round face with small eyes; her skin was white as snow which made her lips looked the darkest shade of pink. Only thing wrong with her was that she was dumb, she had to be, why else she would come on a blind date with me. Or she might have owed my friends some favour and I was the charity case she had to fix.

She knew I was going through a bad breakup and we decided to avoid the topics of girlfriends/boyfriends all together. I was actually able to make her laugh, but I still thought she was insane as she laughed at all my jokes, hell I am a hilarious, she had no option than to laugh. We ordered red-pasta; I told her it would be the best pasta she would ever taste. While we waited for our order, I also made her play my game ‘fuck, kill or marry’ but I asked for the other guys sitting there and not for myself. I knew her answer would be ‘kill’ if I had asked about me. My answer on the other hand would have been fuck then marry at that point. We were having a great time, and I even had the confidence to ask her for another date.

I knew this was too good to be true, how is it possible that my luck could be any better today!

And I was right. Lara had gone to the wash room to freshen up, while I scanned the restaurant. My wandering eyes went towards to the entrance, and to my horror; she walks in with a guy. My jaw fell to the floor and dug its way to the other side of the world. How was this possible? The girl I was trying to contact for so long, who had rejected/blocked me from all the social networking sites and would reject my calls happened to be here at the exact same Saturday that I decided to go out, and to a restaurant which I showed her. I didn’t know if she had seen me, as my eyes were glued to them as they made their way and seated themselves.

How dare she come to my favourite place that too with a guy, was she trying to get in contact with me so as to show off her new boyfriend, who looked like someone spoiled rich brat, my mind fiddled with these thoughts as I didn’t noticed Lara had already came back and seated herself. I was angry and also confused, I wanted to know, whether this guy was her boyfriend or just a friend. I sat there in silence grinding my teeth, thinking of all the times I was so depressed that I used to wish that I would be dead so she might finally realize that she will always miss me. And all the while she was out there partying around making new boyfriends, soul mate or not, I hated her at that moment. The food was nicely placed on the table. We began to eat silently. She asked ‘what happened to you all of a sudden’ I wanted to tell her that I lost hope of ever falling in love again, but she was beautiful, I will give her a chance to change my mind. ‘I know we decided that we won’t talk about our ex’s, but mine is here, I guess on a date with another guy’.

I lowered my head, I wanted to hide under the table so I didn’t have to face this situation, but somewhere deep inside I also wanted to tell her how much of a bitch she was. Lara started to laugh hysterically at me, I was puzzled, hence proved she is a psycho. ‘You are on a date too, are you not?’ Lara said and started to giggle again. She was right even though she looked fabulous in that blue dress and her perfect hair, I was also on a date with an incredible girl, who was way out of my league, yet she got my jokes and I was actually having a good time.

We finished our food, while I was paying the bill; Lara said ‘introduce me to your ex’. ‘Are you crazy, let’s just get out of here’ I was dumbstruck with her request; frankly I was afraid that I would throw up the amazing food I just ate, if I talk to her. ‘Oh common on, you wuss’ her voice shrieked. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my seat; we locked our elbows together like a couple and walked towards my ex and her boyfriend. My heart started to pound out of my chest, my palms started to sweat, but Lara didn’t mind, she held my hand, as if her life depend on it. We walked over to their table, she was surprised to see me; her beautiful big brown eyes were wide open. I guess she didn’t expect me to be there, or be with another girl. I enjoyed that look; I wanted to take a picture of that look.

 ‘Hey I am Lara, his girlfriend, he has told me so much about you, frankly, I am glad that you broke up with him, or I wouldn’t have ever found him. I just wanted to meet you, have a great night enjoy’ she pulled me as we walked away, I took a look back, now this was the look I wanted to take a picture of.

I was happy, Lara just did what I could have never imagined, she was definitely insane, but I just think she was my kind of insane. We did go on another date and another and now I thank my friends for making me go out with such a lovely angel.