I had told her earlier that I do not want a cake and she had confirmed that she knew it. She had assured me that it was just the two of us eating out like any other day. But it wasn't just any other day. And I had no idea about it either. Absolutely nothing. Keine Ahnung. Zero. Zilch.
Our final evaluations were already over. AN and RP were already back home by then. MR and I... we were still there in the town - both of us had some additional work. We used to meet up every now and then, but the frequency had reduced a lot even if we were in the same town, just a little over a kilometer's distance away.
So, on my birthday, MR asked me to go out for lunch together. I reminded her again that there can't be any typical celebrations (cake and dessert stuff). She affirmed that it would be just a simple lunch.
There was no reason for me to expect anything anyway - an out of the blue event or any surprise of sorts. I mean, it was just me. In addition, it's always difficult to hide things from me. I kind of had a knack for sensing out things like that. Plus a surprise event for me was even out of imagination.So, unaware of anything, without any clue, I entered the restaurant - one of my preferred places in that town. Oh my, was I wrong? And how?
******
I love planning surprises and/or events, because I know how to do that. Most often than not, I would know everyone's preference: of food, of gift, and how best to execute everything that they would like. It always made sense to me.
Noticing or observing minor details about people's expressions while listening to them, what makes their eyes shine brighter, what makes them smile unknowingly, and thus knowing what they like had always been my thing. I have always believed that being that attentive was my self-assigned duty of sorts.
But you see, I had never been in the receiving. And I never imagined or believed myself to be worthy of that sort of privilege. For starters, others hardly ever knew anything about me or my preferences. I never imagined that someone else too can be attentive towards my jibber jabber and get to know about me from that. But they did.
******
Guess what... MR wasn't alone in the restaurant, AN and RP were there too! For me. For several minutes, I couldn't believe that they had come all the way just for me! Why would anybody?! I mean, it's just me!
RP had travelled some 100+ kms, some 300 kms for AR, and even though MR was in the town, she had taken out of her work to plan this. They repeated it, in a non-chalant yet in an utmost caring way, to make me believe that whatever I was witnessing was actually happening... in this universe ... and it was not some crossover from a different universe where I can be made to feel so special. Till date, I wonder if it was just a beautiful summer fever dream.
We had lunch... together after a month. After lunch, they gave me the gift they got for me. I mean how much more could one expect... this already was far far off from any expectations I could possibly have.
As I unwrapped the gift, I saw that it was something I had passingly mentioned months back, unintentionally. I wasn't even planning to purchase it myself. It was just mentioned in a breezy conversation and that too not explicitly.
It was like somebody mentioning that they used to paint earlier and probably should give painting another chance, and you end up buying them a set of fine brushes and paints. Brushes and paints were never mentioned, it was just a casual conversation about painting. (It wasn't paints and brushes. That's an example to not reveal what the actual gift was.) They observed, remembered, and searched for it: exactly what I would love and use.
Since it was a first for me, I didn't know how to express what I was feeling. And there was so much of it... the emotions. Such gesture was new... towards me. I never knew I was even eligible for such warmth. I kept wondering if it was right.
When you put in effort for someone else, someone you care for, it doesn't even feel like an effort, but when you are the one receiving it, it means the world and more.
After talking for a bit, MR returned to her work, RP to her home, and AN stayed at my place (since returning the same day wasn't an option for her). She left the next day after breakfast.
That was not the last time we met...the four of us together. It was once after that, the same year after a few months. Now, all of us are awaiting for our next meet up. It feels like a distant dream. But you know if something that wasn't even a dream (a non-dream, if you will) could come true, this surely will.
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