Am I still @lone?

‘Bas bhaia yahin drop kardo…’ I say to the auto rickshaw driver as I approach the sec-17 market.
‘How much?’…I asked.
‘Rs.5…’He replied.
‘There you go…’ I said as I passed on a 5 rupee coin to him and started my walk towards the main market.

‘What an amazing city Chandigarh is! But even more amazing are the gals!’ These are the obvious thoughts that would creep into your mind as you enter the city beautiful…Chandigarh.

And I was here 10 o’ clock in the morning for no special reason.
‘How times change…’ I concluded as I acknowledge the fact that I was all alone.
Just 2 months back I was here with a friend (read crush) of mine… We had taken a bus together to Chandigarh to go to our college as our mid-semester breaks got over. Coming back from home is always painful, but not this time… I had woken up at 6 to take the first bus to Chandigarh as she had agreed to accompany me on this ‘take the first bus’ condition.
Anyways, I had (happily) agreed. And then, for the first time I understood the merits of being ‘early to bed and especially early to rise!’ because we reached this beautiful city well before schedule. God bless the officials who have built the bus stand in the sec-17 itself! What sec-17 is for Chandigarh is what 'cp' is for Delhi! So I asked this ‘friend’ of mine if she would like to visit this very special market of the city. And to my surprise, she obliged.
People who have experienced this would tell you better, I can just say that roaming about in the market with a girl who looked awesome is…er awesome. Every second guy looks at you enviously (read jealously)!

‘How did this stupid guy managed to get his hands on such a cute girl?’ was the question everybody seemed to be asking.
Anyways I had taken this very special friend of mine to ‘Indian coffee house’. Now those who don’t know about this place, for those, I want to tell that it is a really special coffee house. Firstly, though they are not as flashy as today’s CCDs and Baristas, but these have a class of their own. Everything seems to be so traditional and classic. (Secondly they are not as ridiculously expensive).
So there we were and had our first (and last) ‘date’. (I know she would kill me for calling it a ‘date’, but that’s how we boys are!). So that was the situation 2 months back.
Things had changed quite a lot in these 2 months. At first we came closer, and then farther than what we were when we hadn’t even met each other… Times change, I told you!

And so I was there today in the same ‘Indian coffee house’, early at 10. I don’t know I did it intentionally, or it just happened, I just went and sat at the same table where we I and that girl (I told you, She’s my friend no longer) sat. This was the second time I realized that I WAS ALONE while I glared at the chair where she sat! Anyways, I was greeted by the same (waiter) uncle who took our order 2 months back. (I can tell you, you would remember even the slimmest and the smallest detail of your ‘first date’.)
And I then looked around for my surroundings… Same ‘respected’ old uncles sat and discussed all sorts of topics ranging from government elections to terrorism...
Hey! Wait, there’s one sweet and cute girl sitting at the other end of the coffee house busy reading some novel or something… I kept looking at her till I realized that she too was staring at me…
I (automatically) shied away my eyes as if nothing happened…I tried to look her back…What? is she laughing at me?
No she is actually smiling!... I realized.
‘What should I do?’ I asked myself.
‘Should I approach her?’… well, maybe.
‘What would she think?’…I don’t know.
‘Should I too smile back?’
I was just busy in answering my own questions when a sweet voice shook me…Oh my God! It was her!
‘Excuse me, you seem to be alone.’
Yes I was, but my voice was unable to convey this simple message as it was choked.
‘Can I… sit here……?’ she said as she pointed to the chair where my ‘ex-friend’ once sat.

Chandigarh gals….I tell you….AMAZING!