She

In spite of her unnecessarily serious face sometimes, she had really pleasant smile. Her eyes looked confident and captivating at the same time. I really had no idea, what kind of a person hid behind this beautiful wheatish face. Yes I had already started finding her beautiful! She had little curly dark hair left open and the way they moved with the wind on the terrace was almost hypnotising.
"So what do you enjoy the most?", she asked. May be she noticed I was too busy observing the beauty around me, and just to bring me back to the conversation, asked me this question.
Her parents had arranged for this privacy on the terrace so that we could talk to each other comfortably. Privacy on the terrace! Smart!
Though I had instructed myself not to start the never ending topic about my bike obsession, I somehow ended up saying,"Bikes! I love the experience of floating one feet above the ground and moving anywhere at will!" I ended my line with a smile, and why not? I had managed to finish this topic in one sentence!
"Do you like bikes?", ohh GOD, I should have asked 'What do you like?' instead!
"Yes, we used to go for road trips sometimes... in college days.", she said.
"hmmm...", I was searching for some other topic, which she did and asked,"Where do you plan to settle?"

I was under this foolish impression that boys ask questions and girls answer, in such 'arranged marriage' meets! But this girl seemed to have done her homework well. She didn't give me enough time to think what to ask and went on asking the 'most important questions'.
Now I really don't believe so much in this concept of settling somewhere, but for the 'most important questions' you have to give 'most expected answers'!
So I said,"There is enough scope for our profession in pune and mumbai. And I will be closer to my parents also then." My parents will be so happy for this answer! Somehow even she looked happy. Truth does not possess this quality of making someone happy. Pune is good place for bikers though! But I avoided this topic successfully again.

"You don't like wearing saree?", my first self initiated question! Though it sounded little useless to me also.
"I do, but I thought it will be better to meet you the way usually I am."
Hmmm... this girl was something and her next question just confirmed it.
She asked, "Do you know cooking?"
This was supposed to be my question traditionally! "ummmm.... not really. I mean I can manage to make something edible with eggs & I make good tea, but nothing much beyond that. You also don't cook?" The last question came very naturally and from the bottom of my heart or may be stomach.
She said, "I do, almost everything, but don't get time to cook everyday. You know this work-till-late-culture in offices na? So mom cooks most of the time."
I don't know if I was supposed to suggest any solution, but I said,"hmm I know. Thats why most of the working couples end up employing cook. It's quite convenient."
"Ya but I don't find that idea so interesting. I mean you still have to depend on some third person and their time na? Do you like non-veg? I am vegetarian."
She was really good at asking questions, or atleast making simple questions tricky. I had to think a bit to formulate my answer. " ummm.. I like non-veg, but it's not something I can't live without." 'Like bikes' I wanted to say.

Like an experienced recruiting officer, she went on asking 'the most important questions' and after a while it didn't really matter who asked the question! Behind this straight forward sharp-shooter, I could see a very honest, true-to-herself girl with an urge to plan for nice simple clutter-free life. She was not so much interested in knowing which car I would prefer buying and when, whether an apartment on 10th floor or 15th, whether my dream of owning a design business is little risky or not. May be because this just needs money which even she had her own! What she was more concerned about was, making it clear the way she was and will be, that she takes her work as seriously as I do, that she thinks things like cooking are equal responsibility of both the partners, that she has her own choices no matter how small or big. And most important, that she conveys this clearly to me! Simple!

END.
I had started writing this IMAGINARY story some time back, and what made me finish it today was the new fountain pen Pogo gifted me and this very nice article on 'neeru's corner. Must read for all the boys or rather eligible bachelors.