Episode 01 – On the House
6 January 2015, Tuesday,
07: 30 pm.
Heart Break Cafe is a cafe recently opened in Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi. The cafe is jointly owned by four school friends Maks, Sats, Buddha, and Leo. While Leo, 27 and Maks, 27 take care of the daily business of the cafe, Sats, 29 and Buddha,28 don’t get much time due to their prior commitments. However, they always avail themselves at important or special occasions. Leo is a writer while Maks is a bank employee. Sats frequently travels abroad due to his work and is committed to a girl from Delhi. Buddha is an engineer working in a multinational company and is the only married person of the gang. The relationship status of Maks is complicated while Leo is waiting for someone special. HBC cafe has a staff of eight, which includes four waiters; Preeti, 22, Pooja, 21 and Shreya, 20 and Kamal, 18. There are two cooks, Sandy, 29 and Santosh, 26 and one caterer Bhao, 34. The café has one security personnel as Rawat ji, 45 who is an ex-serviceman. The cafe opens at 9.30 am in the morning and remains unclosed till 10:30 PM. Leo manages the cafe in the morning while Maks does the overlooking in the evening shift.
Abhishek, 25 waits for someone at the table. The cafe is moderately filled with people. Preeti, Kamal and Shreya are taking orders while Pooja has gone to Chandigarh for a wedding. Maks sits on his manager chair liking and posting comments on Facebook.
Preeti: Do you want to order something?
Abhishek: Abhi nahi, kisi ka wait kar raha hun.
Preeti: Ok.
It’s 8.00 pm now. The cafe has its share of noises and humdrum activities; the usual laughing, chit-chatting and table-chairs screeching. Abhishek looks at his watch for the hundredth time. He is restless but realizes he has to order something.
Abhishek: Excuse me!
Preeti: Yes sir?
Abhishek: Please bring a coffee for me.
Preeti: One minute sir.
One hour and three coffees later he still waits. The dialled list on his mobile shows the same number for the 15th time but there is no reply. Finally, a message arrives. Abhishek opens it. It says,” Just five minutes, I am struck in traffic.” He hits the table in frustration. Maks sees that.
Maks: Bhai table mat tod yaar, abhi furniture ke paise nahi chukaye hain.
Abhishek: Sorry.
Maks: It’s ok. Girlfriend ka issue?
Abhishek: It’s complicated.
Maks(In a sarcastic tone): Don’t say.
It’s 9.30 pm. The crowd is dissipating now. A girl enters. Aditi, 25, beautiful, nattily dressed takes a seat in front of Abhishek.
Aditi: I am really sorry. Wo office mein time lag gaya aur phir traffic mein fans gayi thi.
Abhishek: Par tumhara office toh 7 baje chhut jata hai na?
Aditi: Arey wo aaj project report submit karni thi toh time lag gaya.
Abhishek: Toh phone ka reply kyun nahi kar rahi thi.
Aditi: Wo sorry maine dekha nahi.
Abhishek (Doesn’t believe her): Yeah so convenient.
Aditi: What? Do you think I am lying?
Abhishek doesn’t reply. The anger on his face gives way to sadness.
Aditi: Bolo kya kehna tha tujhe, mere paas jyada time nahi hai. Main 9:45 ko nikal jaungi.
Abhishek: Par tum abhi abhi toh aayi ho.
Aditi: Waise pehle hi late ho gayi hun, ghar se do teen baar phone aa gaye hain. By the way, you know Delhi isn’t safe at night.
Abhishek: Main tumhe ghar chhod dunga.
Aditi: Nahi nahi main apne aap chali jaungi, tum bas batao ki tumne kisliye bulaya tha?
Abhishek looks at her with expectation, as if he wants something he thinks he deserves.
Aditi: What?
Abhishek: Aditi, we have been dating each other for around a year now.
Aditi: So?
Abhishek: So I was thinking…
Aditi: Ek minute I know that expression. Main tumhe pehle bhi keh chuki hun I can’t marry now.
Abhishek: Par kyun, don’t you love me?
Aditi: Baat wo nahi hai, you know na main soch rahi thi ki thoda career bana lun, shaadi toh kabhi bhi kar sakte hain.
Abhishek: Tum shaadi ke baad bhi toh career bana sakti ho.
Aditi: Shaadi ke baad kuch nahi ho pata.
Abhishek: Tum kisi aur ko toh pasand nahi karti?
Aditi: Nahi toh, pagal ho kya? Aur tumne aisa socha kaise?
Abhishek: Jaane do, chhodo.
Aditi: Nahi batao, tumne aisa kaha kyun, tum mujh par shak toh nahi kar rahe ho?
Abhishek: Nahi jaane do, I am sorry.
Aditi: Tu bhi na kuch bhi bolta rehta hai.
Suddenly something piqued Abhishek.
Abhishek: You know what, at least main jhutha nahi hun.
Aditi: Iska kya matlab?
Abhishek: Pichhe haftey jab tu milne aayi thi ghar pe, tab tera mobile check kiya tha maine. Tere naye aashiq ke I love you aur janu wale message padhe the maine.
Aditi is speechless as if somebody has hit her face with a steel chair.
Abhishek: Yahan mujhse shaadi bhi nahi karni aur wahan uske saath bachhon ke naam bhi rakh diye.
Aditi: Tumne mere pichhe mere message padhe, how dare you?
Abhishek: Badi besharam nikli tu, Kam se kam galti maan toh leti.
Aditi: Kaisi galti, jaise tu pichhe pada hai mere wo bhi pichhe pada hua hai.
Abhishek: Dekha maine kitni baar “mela baby” ka haal puchha tune.
Aditi: You know what, I cannot take this shit. Main ja rahi hun.
Abhishek: Yeah that’s what I was expecting.
Aditi leaves with shame redden eyes while trying to put a winning face. Abhishek watches her go; there is a pain in eyes but satisfaction of unloading his disappointment. Maks witnesses it.
It’s 10.00 pm now. The cafe is nearly empty. Preeti and Shreya have left early, as usual, Kamal is staying. He lives in an apartment of a nearby building which he shares with Sandy and Santosh. Abhishek sits quietly staring at the empty coffee cup.
Maks: Bhai sorry for interrupting, may I join you?
Abhishek: Yeah…kyun nahin.
Maks: Suni tumhari kahani maine.
Abhishek: Really, kahin jyada toh nahi ho gaya?
Maks: Nahi mujhe nahi lagta.
Abhishek does want to talk but is not sure what to say. There are too many thoughts to occupy his mind.
Maks: Ab kya karoge tum?
Abhishek: Pata nahi samajh nahi aa raha.
Maks: Samajhna kya hai, wo dhokebaaz nikli, chhod de usko.
Abhishek: I love her so much, Pata nahi usne aisa kyun kiya? It hurts bad.
Maks: I know dude, I have been there.
Abhishek: Really, tumko bhi kisi ne dhoka diya?
Maks: Not exactly meri kahani thodi alag hai.
Abhishek: Kitni alag.
Maks: Mera chhodo. You know dude, I think I have a solution for your situation.
Abhishek: Wo kya?
Maks: Ek minute.
Maks leaves for the kitchen and comes out with something wrapped in the newspaper. He places it on the table and tears the newspaper cover. It’s McDowell’s No. 1 Whisky.
Maks: On the house.
Abhishek is surprised and looks around, he is the last customer of the cafe.
Abhishek: Yahan pe allowed hai?
Maks: Not exactly, but who is complaining?
Abhishek: I am not.
Maks: Kamal! Do glass aur thoda chakna bhi le aa.
Kamal: Ok bhaiyaji.
Maks to Sandy: Oye pee raha hai kya?
Sandy: Na Daajyu (brother) aaj mangalwar hai.
Maks: Iska toh mangalwar somwaar laga rehta hai.
Kamal places three glasses, ice and chakna.
Maks: Ye teesra kiske liye?
Kamal: Bhaiyaji mera.
Maks: Tera mangalwar nahi hai?
Kamal: Mujhko sab chalta hai.
Maks: Ha ha ha sala pahadi.
Maks pours whisky in the glasses and makes three pegs.
Maks: Haan toh bhaisaab abhi shuru se sunao apni kahani, kahan mili ye mohatarama tumhe?
Kamal taking his glass up: Haan bhaiyaji shuru ho jaiye.
Abhishek nodding his head in pleasant surprise: Ajeeb jagah hai ye.
As the three drinkers raise their toasts…
Maks: Welcome to Heart Break Cafe…
-N2S
26012015