A whiskey story....

It was nine past five in the middle of summer 2020.

As usual he was reading a book, the book authored by Kamla Das, she was one of the female cult writers in Malayalam.

There was a message notification from an unknown number.Five minutes went on, he was least bothered to know who had sent him the text.Lately there was no one who dedicates time to talk or chat with an old rotting rat like him and he assumed that was the natural death for many intelligent people.

He was pushing a morsel of dosa into his mouth while his left hand was quickly scanning his text messages. One message read like this....

"Hi, sir."!

This is Aarathi.The double "A" was an unusual way to write that name.He thought it could probably have some numerological values.

The message continued....

At present I am posted for internship in an IT firm and I specialize in AI.

I have certain doubts related to my career and I would like to discuss it with you!

I would like to see you in person and get some clarity in it.

I hardly have two days left for my internship to complete and after that I am leaving to my native.What would be the right time to meet you, sir? he read the  message from her.

He replied back saying Hi...to her.

The next thing he saw was her display photograph.

She hadn't posted her photograph.He usually had two opinions about people who hide their identity.It is either lack of confidence in their looks or the fear of some one downloading their photograph.He was not really in a mood to judge her personality.

He promised to meet her at his work place.He had least expectation of that meeting, he didn't know what was in his kitty.

The next day he was busy starting the day organizing things for a client meeting.

There were too many training students in his firm.Everyone was wearing a face mask to protect themselves from the corona virus infection.With the mask every one looked beautiful and he thought that the brain was hard wired to perceive every face to be beautiful.

Most often perception may not be the  reality.He has been dissapointed with the distortion of his perception  by seeing some faces which he had perceived to be the most beautiful.

It was very hot because of the early summer.His firm was on the eighth floor and it was sea facing.He always relaxes by seeing the sea and the busy harbor in the distance.That day the local electricity board maintenance power shut down.He was sweating a lot.He was trying to get some cool breeze and he stood near a glass window trying to fetch some breeze to evade his sweat. 

He turned around to witness a  gust in yellow color outfit.He never knew who she was.She was well groomed and she knew how to carry herself.Her black eyes were sparkling above the crimson color printed face mask and it was a kind of weapon she possessed with which she could pulverize any man's heart.

She had a folder on her fore arm  and her dupatta modestly covered one side of her bosom.She looked like a celluloid heroine for a moment.

She walked towards him, until that instant  he never knew who she was.

He asked her, "What do you want?"it was an ill mannered way of asking someone.

"Sir, it was me who messaged you last evening", came a nuanced voice.He expected an unconventional looking person, but she was conservative and trying to explore kind of women.His mind  hypothetically characterized her personality.

As he wanted her to feel comfortable, he gestured her to take a seat.Her eyes were stealing the show.He didn't know whether her heart beat was racing, but it would not be a surprise if his heart would miss a beat and the missing spaces would be filled with her beautiful image.

She sat down and bowed and looked into her feminine pride.He was not able to figure out that cryptic gesture.He sat in front of her and she lowered her face mask.His eyes popped out of his head with astonishment when he saw her innocent unadulterated beauty.He was cursing himself for not being a portrait photographer.He wanted to freeze that moment and preserve it with perseverance.

She was not articulate to start with.Even he fumbled when he started the conversation with her, "Tell me then" he uttered 

He guessed she had rehearsed what she was supposed to talk.She spoke about her career and her future plans.He was naive in answering her queries, but he did give suggestions  with his limited knowledge.

That day was just like a miracle.

Few days  passed.Now she was chatting with him when her time permits .Initially he was unable to comprehend her complex personality.He couldn't figure out if she was an aficionado or a friend.She used to send him lengthy mails and shared all good things which happened in her life.She always invited him to come to her native Kolkata.

Once it was a dull Sunday afternoon, she was chatting with him and out of the blue the conversation turned steamy.He didn't have time to comprehend what really  happened.Things were  out of control.Her message read "I am feeling wet on my vulva".He was equally wet .He begged her to call him on his phone.But she declined.She said, it is better this way.Texting continued for a while and suddenly there was a silence on both ends. The silence loudly moaned  in his head. Both of them experienced biological orgasms through virtual medium.

There were multiple oragasms on multiple occasions through phone sex.

They both cleanly had a dirty relationship third wheeled by 4G network 

Days passed by and it was almost two years since he first met her.

For reason not well understood he lost contact with her.She seldom invaded him in his dreams.His heart longed to chat and share some good moments with her.It was the sixth wave of covid pandemic, though things were much more in control, people were forced to stay inside their home due to strict lock down.It was late night, he was watching a few years old Malayalam film called kumbalani  nights.His whisky glass was half full, he often gets weird courage when he was drunk.He started searching for her name on Facebook.After hours of struggle he found her.Her profile stated that she was living in New york.He gained courage to message her on Facebook.For a while there was no response.All of a sudden he found her typing the reply.He was eagerly waiting to chat with her.His heart was thumping.He was not able to comprehend his emotions.He didn't understand why tears were rolling on his cheeks.It was a kind of tricky feeling, he started feeling as though he is going to have a panic attack.

The reply came.

Hi, this is aarathi's husband.She's no more interested in talking to you and it would be appreciated if you don't attempt to get in touch with her hereafter.

For a moment he felt his brain sucked into a vacuum bubble. He felt like he had cotard syndrome..

Tears started rolling.

What else can an helpless emotion do?

He poured two large neat and chugged it.