“Hey, I don’t usually do this, ask strangers,
I mean,
but can I borrow a cigarette?”
“For a brief second I thought you were going to ask me out.
Embarrassed flush
I’m sorry I don’t smoke.”
Awkward silence. A chance and a seat taken
“You know what? This is good. I really shouldn’t be smoking”
“No one should”
A loud cheer in the background, some team is winning
“No… I mean, I work on air pollution, and a part of me feels like I am just as bad as those corporates”
“Are you?”
“Maybe”
“I also work in the sector, by the way”
“Oh!”
“Waste management”
Bartender asks if a refill is needed. Heads nod
“I work with urban mobility, and everything under that spectrum”
“How is the depression treating you? Didn’t they just invest 1100 crore into new flyover projects?”
A sad smile, unexpected, unplanned
“Should I be honest?”
“By all means”
“I don’t understand what I am doing on most days”
“Is this your way of saying you are bad at your job?”
Another chance taken, it works. A smile
“I probably am, because the people I work with… they really feel that we can change the world
And I feel we are doomed”
Silence
“So what?”
“Huh?”
“So what if we are doomed? What’s the point of anything?”
“No, I mean…”
The dance floor begins to liven up. The DJ turns up the volume
“WHAT? I COULDN’T HEAR YOU”
“I MEAN, THAT IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE. YOU COULD SAY THAT ABOUT ANYTHING!”
A sigh of annoyance. A nudge to step outside
“That’s better. Yeah, so, it’s a slippery slope—”
“Alright, but if you had the chance to be anywhere else, where would you go?”
A thoughtful silence
“Nowhere.”
“Why?”
“‘Cause even if it is a losing battle, it must be fought”
“Same”
“Huh?”
“I feel the same
Sip
Sip
Sip
I wanted to have kids,
you know?
When I was younger.”
“But?”
“But would it be the right thing to do?
Would they hate me for bringing them into this reality?
Sorry, I think I am a bit tipsy
But… I guess
I feel scared”
“This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful”
“That’s Maggie Smith!”
“Yeah. It’s my favourite poem”
“Seriously? Mine too.”
Comfortable silence. Eyes lock
“She doesn’t mean that in a hopeful way, it’s like a deception”
“Oh ho Kavi Sahab, I know that!”
“But?”
“It’s true no?
This place really could be beautiful? We could make it beautiful”
“Are you hitting on me again?”
A snort, a light slap on the shoulder
“I agree”
“So I guess we both don’t believe in what we said earlier”
“And maybe that’s a good thing”
A long silence. A small, almost imperceptible cough
“So… Do you want to dance?”
A beaming nod.