Musings
Serendipity
Imran
H. Khan
Life is
full of surprises, be it pleasant or unpleasant. We are so
caught up in the bad surprises that we seldom stop to think
of all the little things that makes living so special. Last
Wednesday, three of my friends decided to stay over at my
place as it was our summer break and all exams were off. We
were all comfortably dressed and one of my friends, taking
comfort to the next level, decided to set off from home with
a really old, 'lived-in' T-shirt that was totally torn in
the front. We were on route to my way home when a pastry shop
caught our attention and we all decided to treat our stomachs
to some sweet delight.
Now this
particular place had a tongue tingling cream éclair
that was totally scrumptious, complete with a crispy layer
at the bottom adding crunch to the cream layer in the centre
and the chocolate topping on top adding the final touch. The
chocolate layer is so creamy that it sticks to the top of
the mouth after every bite, leaving memories long after the
item has been devoured. Moving away from my favourite topic,
we needed something sweet to satisfy our stomachs after dinner.
We were, after all, going to stay up considerably late to
play games on PlayStation 2 and for adda so we had to make
sure that the stomach department was adequately satisfied.
It was
not too hard to spot the éclairs on the shelf and we
helped ourselves to them. We couldn't help notice right by
the éclairs two large cheesecakes. They didn't look
like any normal cheesecake, they were fluffier than the average
cheesecake, and even through the plastic covering, they smelt
really good. The crust was a hue of burnt sienna with the
layers on the cake contrasting with the creamy bottom. It
was a real beauty. My friend with the 'jazzy' T-shirt asked
me if I would buy him the cake. I informed him that I was
broke and that, somewhat, broke his heart. He went outside
for a smoke, trying to fill that empty spot that craved for
cheesecake.
Meanwhile,
a guard came over and told him that a woman was calling him.
He was a little surprised, and wondered if it was really him
that the lady had specified. However, curiosity got the better
of him and he made his way back to the front gate. She was
in her twenties, dressed in sari, wearing a serious but caring
look across her face. She asked my friend if he would like
to try the cheesecake. Now any ordinary person faced with
such a situation would politely decline and thank the person
offering. My friend was no ordinary person. He smiled his
best smile and gleefully agreed and went on a rampage all
over the shop looking for a mini cheesecake. He looked here
and there but to no avail. Pretty soon, his smile ran out
of gas as he came face to face with reality: there was no
'slice' of this particular cake.
At this
point, I noticed my friend back inside the shop, vigilantly
searching for something that he had lost inside the pastry
counters. We had already purchased our delightful cream éclair
and I asked him what he was doing back as he was supposed
to have gone outside to our cab. He then told me about the
generous lady and how she wanted to treat him to a slice of
cheesecake. I finally believed him when the lady came up to
us and asked him if he found what he was looking for, only
to notice that my friend's cheesy endeavour had come to an
unsuccessful end. There were no miniature versions of the
cheese-cake available anywhere. She then offered the whole
cheese-cake, costing about Tk 300, for us four friends. We
were awe struck. Why was a total stranger, whom we had never
seen before, offering to buy us a cake that cost so much?
She smiled and told us to go ahead and take the cake. My friend
with the torn t-shirt was now beaming from ear to ear and
as she went over to the counter to pay, he personally went
over to thank her. He returned with a large packet in his
hands and was uttering something that resembled "natural
charm maaaan..."
We left
the shop with our éclairs and the cheese-cake, my friend
going into overdrive with laughter. Who could ever imagine
that a total stranger would give away such a gift? What was
amazing was that my friend looked neither starved, nor in
dire need of anything. Well maybe it was the torn T-shirt,
but who was I to say. It's funny how fate had presented us
with the cheesy delight and we ended up meeting a person who,
out of the generosity of her heart, had reached out and touched
the hearts of four sweet craving 22-year-olds.
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