Ek Simple Si Coffee

Mahi was sipping her daily cup of black coffee, a routine she had maintained for the past decade since getting married. Apoorva always remembered to buy a jar of it at the beginning of each month. It was a rich Colombian brew—very strong, just the way Mahi liked it. Strangely, she noticed that the jar lasted exactly a month, and she had to open a new one on the day Apoorva bought it. This brand of Colombian brew was available only in a store that came on the way to Apoorva's office, a shop where one gets all varieties of imported grocery items. There were Danish cookies, Swiss and Belgian chocolates, Scottish shortbreads and a wide range of coffee from different parts of the world. Apoorva, well aware of Mahi's fondness for coffee, used to get different types at the beginning. But Mahi got stuck with this one, as it had the aroma and rich flavour that she preferred in her coffee. 

Coffee was more than just a hot beverage for Mahi; it was a collection of emotions and a visual album of her memories throughout her life. Her first taste of coffee came when she was just five years old. Her uncle, a college student and a coffee enthusiast, lived with them at the time. Whenever he had free time, he would play with her and occasionally share a small sip of his coffee. The initial bitter taste gradually transformed into something she longed for, but being so young, she felt she couldn't ask for more. This secret exchange of sips continued unnoticed by her mother.

As a teenager, Mahi was finally allowed to enjoy her daily cup of coffee, which her mother prepared for her—one teaspoon mixed into a full mug of milk. The outcome was a delicious coffee-scented milk. However, everything changed when she left her hometown to attend college in Bengaluru. For the first time, she experienced the rich and flavorful taste of filter coffee, igniting her passion for it. During her engineering studies, her love for filter coffee flourished, and she even began making her own version in the hostel, earning a reputation among her friends for her skills.

While preparing to apply to a university abroad for further studies, Mahi met Apoorva for the first time. Their conversations started with them exchanging study materials and discussing their desired courses, but soon grew into more engaging topics as they got to know each other better. Almost every evening after their tutorial classes, they would visit a nearby shop to buy two cups of coffee. They rarely finished their small glasses of filter coffee, as that would mean they had to part ways for the day. They would talk for so long that the impatient waiter would eventually come over to take their next order, just to nudge them to leave.

Their conversations began to turn into plans for their future together. Everything was going smoothly until that fateful evening. Apoorva was in a hurry to catch a bus to a friend's birthday party, forcing them to cancel their coffee date for the day. After he left on the bus, Mahi had to take an auto-rickshaw to her hostel, which was just across the road. As she was crossing the road, a sudden flash of light momentarily blinded her, and then everything went dark.

Mahi found herself in the hospital with a heavy head and a lighter lower body. Something was wrong—very wrong. She could feel it but wasn't fully convinced. When the reality hit her, it felt like a heavy blow to her heart. Her parents took her back to their hometown. Somehow, Mahi managed to complete her engineering degree at the Open University, but there was no trace of Apoorva afterward. Everything happened so quickly that she lacked the courage and strength to tell her parents about him. She wished that technology had been better at that time, allowing her to connect with Apoorva in some way. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

For five long years, Mahi was confined within the four walls of her house, working as a freelancer from home. Her relationship with coffee developed into an addiction; it seemed to serve as a substitute for Apoorva's memory. Slowly, advancements in technology allowed her to access a mobile phone and a computer. She became aware of social media platforms like Orkut and Facebook. In between her work, she spent her time searching for Apoorva Mittal. 

On Orkut, she found many profiles of people named Apoorva Mittal. Some used their own pictures as profile pictures, while others had images of flowers or birds. How could she find her Apoorva among them? The same situation occurred on Facebook. Mahi nearly lost hope and stopped checking her profiles. She immersed herself in work for longer hours, fueled by an increasing number of cups of coffee. 

Then one late night, while working, she decided to search for Apoorva Mittal again. Various profiles popped up—some with personal pictures, others without. But this time, her eyes were drawn to one particular profile picture: a small filter coffee glass, just like the one they used to share. Without hesitation, she sent a friend request to the owner of that Apoorva Mittal profile. Within seconds, the request was accepted, and a message appeared. Mahi's heart raced as she opened it to find just three words: "Mahi? Venkat Tutorial?" 

Tears streamed down Mahi's face as she replied, "Yes. Apoorva—Venkat Tutorial." 

Things moved quickly after that. They got married within a few months. Now, sitting with a cup of freshly brewed black coffee, Mahi nodded and smiled. Apoorva, amused by her sudden gesture, asked, "Is something wrong with the coffee?" Mahi looked deeply into his eyes and replied, "Coffee can never be the problem. It has brought us together every time. But you tell me, why did you wait for me for so long? You could have married anyone after returning from the U.S. Why me?" 

Apoorva stood up from his chair and began to sing in an animated tone, "Tere Sang Ek Simple Si Coffee Bhi Kick Deti Hai," as he moved toward the living room and gently pushed Mahi's wheelchair forward.

This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop