“What if world were to end tomorrow?” I texted her.

“Hmm... interesting way to break the ice. Never thought of it actually. What if I ask same question to you?”

“Well then I hope I'll spend this whole night talking to you”

She just disappeared afterwards. Maybe she got engaged into something. I checked my phone. It was showing 20th December,2012. 09:57 pm. I thought if world is ending tomorrow my biggest regret of life would be not asking her Facebook id the first day I met her in the bus stop. Thinking of her beautiful face, I fell asleep.

Next morning when I checked my phone there was an unread message, from her, sent exactly at midnight. It said “Happy death day, mister!”.

This was all how chatting started between us. I was a huge fan of romance novels. Love to me had just happened in my imagination. And the feeling I had for her was closest feeling that I could imagine about love. I still remember first day I met her or I guess saw her. I was just waiting for my bus to work when she came out of fog, like an angel warming up the cold of February. And every day after that, I used to see her at the bus stop. Damn that's like a year ago. A year without a single conversation. A year, loving her without even knowing her name. I can't express how much I wanted to make a conversation with her. I always wanted yet something I don't know used to stop me. I had never been close to girl before. I didn't know how to talk with them either. So, I never had right guts to talk with her.

It was just some days ago we first talked. I didn't even start a conversation, she did. Okay, that wasn't even a conversation. But who cares? I was madman that day. Mad of love and mad of joy. I really never thought she'd ever talk to me. Never thought an open shoelace could lay foundation to start a conversation. I was just moving towards my bus when she shouted “Hello mister... your laces... they're open”. Not going to lie, I nearly forgot to get into bus because I was shy, shocked and happy at same time.

“An open shoe laces makes you fall. Either in floor or in love” I tried to start conversation next day with a lame joke.

“funny” she said laughing.

I laughed too.

Shortly after she asked, “What shall I call you?”

“You can call me......Mister”, I replied thinking of the other day.

“And what shall I call you pretty lady?”

“Anything you like, Mister”

“Well then I'll call you coffee.”

“May I ask why Mister?”

“Because I love it”

She blushed. That was first when I thought maybe she likes me too. “So coffee, got any time for a cup of coffee tomorrow? It's holiday” I asked. “Sure mister. I'll be waiting here tomorrow” she replied. I really didn't think she'll accept the offer. But she did. “Okay then 5 pm tomorrow” I left saying this much. So I managed a girl I'd loved for a year to go on a coffee date on the very day I made first conversation. “Impressive” I said to myself.

Coffee date on that rainy evening on cafe near 69th Street brought us closer. We exchanged our Facebook id and began talking till late night. Afterwards coffee date became regular too. An hour in her absence used to feel like a year. I used to get sick just for not seeing her. Really maybe when you're in love waiting for someone is not any lesser than being punished for crime. Everything every time I used to think about future, she'd always be there. If that wasn't love I don't know what is. But maybe she had different definition for love or maybe she was too friendly that I mistook her sweet friendship as love.

I used to think she shared everything with me. I was wrong. After 2 years of togetherness, uncountable coffee dates and many winter mornings in the bus stop she said she's going to Belgium with someone special of hers. I thought I was special to her. I was wrong. I don't know where's she been in all these years and how is she and all. Maybe she has started a family. But I'm stuck in same void she left me. Everything reminds me of her. Specially these winter mornings and rainy evenings. No matter what I go to the bus stop where I experienced most beautiful days of my life, at least to refresh memories of her. Even if she doesn't reply my messages anymore, I text her, everyday. I update her with everything that's going on my life and how it feels to be without her hoping that she'll reply someday. Although things aren't same, I go to the café we used to spend time together. But every time I take sip of coffee there, my heart says just one thing,

“Oh! Coffee. Please come back. This coffee doesn't taste good in your absence”

Part 1: Void

From the file signature, It is evident that I wrote this on December 15, 2020. It was supposed to go into Leptons as another audio story but never made it. So yes, I published this almost after Four years of creation.