"Impossible!" I concluded when I asked myself the question: can a guy and a girl be roommates and maintain a totally platonic relationship? No way I thought and decided to put an end to the fantasy right away. I mean life is not an episode of Friends and even in Friends, didn't someone get pregnant in the end?
What brought up that question was a girl telling me she was looking to sublet a spare room in her apartment. The conversation happened under the most extraordinary of circumstances. I had just moved to the city for my new job. I happened to be having dinner by myself at a Sushi bar one evening when the waitress serving me, perhaps having overheard me talking into my mobile phone, asked "Are you Nepalese?"
"Yes" I replied "Why do you ask?"
"Ma pani Nepali ho" she said smiling and continued in Nepali "Where in Nepal are you from?"
"Kathmandu. And you?"
"Me too. Where abouts in Kathmandu?"
She went on to tell me she was a junior in college and went to school 3 days a week and worked at the restaurant when she didn't have class. She asked me where I was putting up in the city .
"Oh, you live in a hotel?" she seemed a little taken aback when I told her. After a brief silence she continued "It must be expensive, no?"
"Well my company reimburses me for it" I quickly replied lest she think I was some rich snob with expensive spending habits. "and its only for the first 30 days of moving to a new place that I get the benefit , after that I have to find my own place"
"Oh, then in that case it makes sense."
"Yeah" I almost sighed in relief. It felt nice to be thought of as a normal person.
"My roommate moved out." she told me on one of her trips to my table "Rent in this city is so expensive especially when you have to pay the whole thing yourself" she said while filling up my tea cup.
"I know." I empathized "I have been looking for something that's a little decent but not too expensive and I haven't found anything yet. If I like the place I don't like the price and if I like the price the place is not good"
"Ha ha" she laughed politely at my lamentation "Yeah, it's difficult finding a place in the beginning" she added and went off to check on another table.
Funny she should be looking for a roommate I said chuckling to myself. Thats when the question hit me: can a guy and a girl really live under the same roof and be just roommates? Stop fantasizing I immediately told myself - you barely know the girl - why are you even thinking of this? But I wondered where she lived and what her apartment was like. Well, she was a student, I reasoned, so she must not be living anywhere too expensive. Did she, by any chance, live close to downtown where I was looking? I wondered whether I should ask.
I dismissed the idea. What if she thinks I am trying to hit on her, or worse, move in with her ? I had heard stories about Nepalese people coming to a new city and begging other Nepalese to let them stay at their places. Maybe she already thinks my intentions are just that. Why did I have to tell her I was looking for a place?
"Oh well" I sighed to relieve the stress that had just built up. I was done with my meal and saw her approaching my table.
"How was the food?" she asked.
"Oh, perfect, thank you"
"Can I get you anything else? Some dessert, perhaps? More tea?"
I surprised myself by asking for the dessert menu as I normally don't indulge in dessert. Ginger ice cream was the dessert of the day and I asked for it. After I had scooped the last of the ice cream I decided it was time for me to leave and asked for the check.
"If you know of any girls looking to share an apartment, please send them my way" she said as she took the check and credit card away.
"OK, sure" I replied. I dared not ask how I could let her know. I figured she was just making polite small talk and didn't really mean it.
"I've given you a 5% discount" she told me when she came back and asked me to sign the credit card slip. I rarely check the details on restaurant bills and had not noticed the discount.
"Thanks" I said embarrassed "there was no need for that". In fact, I was a little ticked off. I don't like being obliged to anyone for anything and it almost seemed condescending on her part to think I should be given a discount.
My discomfort must have been visible and she seemed must have sensed it. She tried to make up for it my asking me for my number in case she came to know of any apartments that might be available.
Still reeling from my bruised ego I found myself hesitating to give her my card. But then, as is often the case with me, my anger passed away quickly. I scribbled my mobile number on the card and after a few departing pleasantries I was out of the restaurant and on my way to the hotel.
I didn't expect her to call and she was out of my mind soon after as I got bogged down with work. An exciting new job can make you forget a lot of things like paying your bills and doing your laundry on time let alone remembering someone you briefly ran into.
One evening, perhaps a week or so after the dinner at the Sushi bar, I was heading out from a restaurant in downtown with a couple of colleagues when I realized there was a missed call on my cell phone.
I flipped the phone open and hit "Yes" in response to "1 Missed Call. View now?"
"Unknown caller" the cellphone proclaimed. Who in the world could have called me without revealing their ID? Must be the damned tele-marketers I fumed. How the hell do they get people's cell phone numbers I wondered as I flipped the phone shut. The government's do-not-call list doesn't work I concluded. I must call and complain.
