After they returned home from work and the kids were playing in the park, they decided to spend quality time together. She took her time setting up the kitchen table – two cups of steaming hot coffee and two croissants placed in the centre, some fresh flowers in the vase, and the light above the table switched on to set the mood. Perfect. They sat across from each other, talking, sipping the beverage, crumbs of the deliciously light, layered croissant clinging to the corner of their mouths. He told her about an annoying colleague with time management issues. She described the oatmeal and date healthy cake recipe she had tried out the previous weekend and how the experience ended with the conviction that healthy food could be tasty. As they talked, she became acutely aware of something. She realized she was distracted, her mind anxious as if she had lost something valuable, her eyes darting around the room in near panic. She was also conscious that the panic she felt wasn’t related to any matter of urgency that needed her immediate attention. What she missed was the comfort, sight, and touch that rectangular piece of metal lent her. She found her heart beginning to pound, her palms getting moist. This visceral reaction was like that of a frightened child craving his favoured soft toy or an addict yearning for his daily fix. She could hear him talking –some funny anecdote – but she wasn’t listening. Sure, her eyes were on him, but her mind had ventured a few meters away beneath the pillow on her bed, under which safely tucked, was her phone! “Huh, what?” “Do you remember him from the party a few years ago at Nick’s place?” “Yes,” she nodded. She had no idea who he was talking about. And then, it struck her. Life was happening to her as she sat there, but sadly, she wasn’t present for it. Suddenly, she turned towards him, this time really looking…like she was seeing him for the first time. His skin appeared to have an unusual glow. Was it a new morning skin routine? And she noticed now with perfect clarity -he had the most flawless set of teeth when he smiled. Ignoring the wave of anxiety she felt a moment ago, she chuckled, “Tell me again about that horrendous first local train journey in Mumbai at your first job. I love the way you tell it. You are so are funny…”
Vanilla Hues 