Location: “cilantro” restaurant.
Andrew is on a date, a long awaited one with his only love, veena. Actually, he’s waiting for her. She’s yet to arrive. Andrew had planned for this evening for many days and nights, to have the perfect date, most people talk about. He’s spent quite a good amount of his money into it arranging for the best. He’s been waiting for about a half hour now, the girl she’s been waiting for… is usually late for anything be the work and has an apt reason for it. Hence, he’s bit patient about her being ‘usual’.
His love, Veena. She’s quite a lovely woman, bubbly and full of energy. Any guy would fall for her, just by seeing her antics from a distance. As Andrew describes her as “a baby in disguise of a babe”. He knows her for about a year now, both works together as HR managers in a big biotech company. Andrew fell in love with her at first sight. His first meet was a very strange one. He had been talking to her in an official meeting for about an hour and as no one would expect such a question, veena asks him “what’s your name”; “do you work here”. Then realizes that she had been off all the time during the talk, and gives this dumb smile, but for Andrew, that was the moment of his life, he fell in love with her. The smile struck him with a spear in his heart. More like an arrow through a heart, and he still remembers it.
From that day onwards, Andrew did whatever he could do to get her attention, be it being stupid or a star. He would just do it, for a glance or a smile from her. But Andrew wasn’t bold enough to ask her out. He was shy from inside and thought she’s too much for him. Though he considered himself an attractive man, he thought Veena was out of his range, and she would definitely prefer a macho, handsome Greek god. Andrew then gathered up some courage and asked her out. He had thought of an immediate “yes or no”. But it went into something which he never expected at all. Veena said she would give it a thought and also that she was busy. So it made it a complex situation, and confused him, if she was interested at all or said something not to hurt his feelings. So he just thought, let it cool for some time, give her space to think and then let her make the move.
Two weeks passed; there was no reply from her, so Andrew asked her again about it. She again said she’s busy. But said would take out time to come out with him. This made him very happy, and he started to dream about the actual outing even before it had been planned. His dreams intensified the love for veena in him. As he dreamt. Days passed, she would be busy all the time, even though they both worked on same projects, he would be free and she busy.
Andrew, then decided to ask her out whenever he finds an opportunity and hope she gives a yes for any of his attempts. So she started to ask her out for anything, starting with coffee, lunch, dinner, snack, breakfast. Whenever he met her or had thought of it. But always her reply was a NO, sometimes she would say OK, but something would come in the way and she can’t make it. He felt it was becoming more of a nagging/stalking than an approach. But he started feeling frustrated about this.
Then, came along his Birthday, he thought to himself, this is my perfect chance, if it doesn’t work out this time. He would drop the idea completely. But his wish was granted this time. She agreed for a dinner with him on his birthday, so he had to plan everything in a few hours time and to test his patience, the day was busy with meetings and presentations. But he did manage to make a few calls and arranged for dinner in the finest restaurant possible.
Why did Andrew take so long and so much time into asking her out for dinner? Can’t he have tried to woo her in the workplace itself, where he had lots of opportunity to move with her and talk things? Its coz of Andrew’s fear of the public, he always thought of himself being the center of all embarrassment. He would assume everyone are watching him all the time, his each move and gossiping about it. So he decided to keep his love away from his co workers, friends and approach her in private, without anyone knowing anything about it.
He was also Atychiphobic, meaning he had a fear of failure. He couldn’t stand the thought that he faced failure in all his attempts, and was determined that he wouldn’t have a failure in love. This made him pursue it, even though Veena didn’t even seem to care about his attempts. she all the while, saw him as a good friend and team member, who had been attracted to her like all others, but never thought it would be a deep love, so she assumed his attempts of asking him out was a mere flirting done by all guys towards her. So she just ignored him every time and avoided dispute by using her lame reasons, with her pleasing smile, which Andrew fell for, immediately. So she had accepted the dinner date, only because it was Andrew’s birthday and there was no interest in him.
Back to present time…
Andrew lost in thoughts about veena, had been waiting in the restaurant for about an hour and waiting patiently, trying to reach her by phone. Meanwhile, Veena had completely forgotten about her dinner date with Andrew and had gone out with her friends to a movie…!
