The First Date

The mid summer sun was almost into the horizon of the mountain. From the opened window, Dorji could feel the warm and a gentle evening  wind. He nervously got himself dressed-A black jeans and red shirt. He looked at the mirror and said himself: "You can do it; come on! you are matured now". Just at that moment, the Nokia tune of his mobile phone rang. It was his love- Karma inquiring whereabouts him. He replied in attentive voice; 'I am on my way'
'Where are you going Kota (brother) in the evening?' Asked his sister from the other room, where she is weaving kira. Dorji pretended to be normal and causal. 'A high school friend is calling me; I will be back by dusk Ana (sister), it has been for sometime since we met.' Lied Dorji confidently.
With some kind of excitement mixed with nervousness, he walked hurriedly towards the Memorial chorten; the meeting point discussed before in the call. It was first time Dorji is going to meet karma after he expressed how he felt and what she meant to him some six months ago.That was why Dorji was nervous; it was his first date! He doesn't wanted to screw it.

Before college, Dorji and Karma were good friends. They would joke and make fun each other, which neither of them mind. But secretly for Dorji, she was more than just a good friend; he wanted to tell her that, yet he never had the guts, for it was his first experience. Despite the same kinda course after XII standard, they were placed into different college, but Dorji never gave up and, a glass of Vodka one day helped him.
He walked through the pedestrian path, passed kelki high school and reached the chorten. There she was,at the gate of chorten. She looked stunning in her best attire; navy blue jeans with black flats, grayish shirt with a thin blue scarf around the neck. Her hair was tied to the back.
'Hi karma, I am sorry, I made you wait'
'It's OK, I just reached a while ago'
'So, where shall we? Buddha Point?'
'That's fine'
Then a gap of silence followed. Dorji was out of words! His brain seemed empty.That was it! He scanned for words but was useless. Smiling each other and hiding-ly seeing one's face, they passed JDWNRH towards the Dr. Tobgay's school.
'Where do you exactly stay in Thimphu?' asked karma breaking the long silence.
'I stay in RICB colony above the youth center. You stay in Changzamtok right?'
'Yeah, I live with my sister'
This helped Dorji to bring some stuffs to talk like their college days and their experiences, but still he was short of words and most of the time, it was just the silence and smile that accompanied them.
It was Dorji's first visit to Buddha point. He had just seen that magnificent Statue only from the distant place or from the bus while travelling. He began to feel guilty on the way to sacred place, although it was only a plain evening walk like any normal people. But soon he was rather surprised, in fact very much by the scenes along the way. They were both blushed. Every young couples seemed to stare at them. The aged on their evening walk seemed to execrate their walk.
Dorji realized that Kuensel Phodrang (Buddha Point), rather than a sacred place where people pay obeisance and prayers under the very presence of huge statue, it is a popular dating site for lovers. He felt sorry for himself.
After not reaching even the mid way, it was getting dark, Dorji and karma turned back, he reached karma till the Hospital to her house and himself back home uneasy with guilt. He kept asking why did he choose Buddha point after all for his first date?
"Did you meet your friend?"asked his sister, still weaving the kira as Dorji entered the door.
"Yeah, it was a refreshing moment" replied Dorji heavy heartily realizing himself the number of lies he told that evening.