As we walked down the street after dinner, we decided to visit the park. The lights were dim, just enough to softly illuminate my face. The wind gently brushed my cheeks as I stood there, while Gaurav went to buy tea for us. There was an old wooden bench nearby, and I sat down on it.
I admired the night. At this hour, the park was nearly empty. It was a public park, so there were no watchmen and the entry gate stayed open for late-night walkers and joggers.
Gaurav returned with two cups of tea. He looked excited, as always, and sat beside me. Slowly, I was beginning to open up to him. He had this way of making me feel comfortable.
"Here, your tea, princess," he said in a dramatic tone.
I smiled. I had a feeling he liked acting—or maybe he once dreamed of becoming an actor. But fate had other plans for him. He became an investor. A rich one.
"Thanks," I whispered softly.
He crossed his right leg over his left and looked toward the other side of the park, where a tall building stood alone. The lights in the building were on. It was an apartment complex—where I lived.
"You live in that apartment, right?" he asked, pointing toward my balcony.
How did he know? Maybe he guessed, but he was absolutely right.
"How did you guess that?" I asked, sipping my tea slowly.
"It was easy-peasy. Look at all the balconies—plants, flowers, clothes, almirahs, some are even decorated. Only one apartment looked quiet… like no one lives there. That one's yours."
This guy... he really was something. In such a short time, he had come to know so much about me. My likes, my dislikes—even where I lived—without me ever telling him.
"You're in the wrong profession," I said quietly.
"Yeah? Aishhh… finally someone gets me. It was my childhood dream to become a detective and solve mystery cases!"
"Not a detective."
"Then what?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "You don't think I'd be good at solving mysteries?"
"Am I a mystery to you?" I asked, looking into his eyes. Maybe I sounded a little hurt.
"No… but you seem like one. So then, what profession suits me best?" he asked in a playful tone.
"The one where you stand on stage, perform, and people clap for you… a stand-up comedian."
"What?! I look like a comedian to you? That's an insult! I'd rather stay an investor. Don't change my character!"
"But I wanted to be one," I admitted.
"Stand-up comedian?" He looked at me in disbelief.
"Yeah… when I was a kid, I'd stand in front of my mom and dad, make them laugh. They smiled… the whole family laughed. And I thought, 'The smile on people's faces makes them more beautiful.' When we become the reason behind someone's smile… we smile too."
He looked at me, studying my face. He saw everything—the silence, the hidden emotions, the desire I'd held in for years. For the first time, I was speaking this much to someone. In my entire adult life.
I looked up at him. He was still looking at me. Our eyes met.