These days, since the weekend morning Farmers’ Market trip has stopped (due to the season), we have started a new routine of walking to a coffee shop in downtown and having a lazy cappuccino/latte time. My goal during that lazy time is not to touch the phone at all. And just observe all the customers coming in and out. Or talk to Sharmila.

Today was rainy and damp. Sitting at a corner in Warm Waves coffee shop, the environment reminded me of days in London and specially its suburbs. (At one time, I use to go there multiple times a year for work).

Customers were coming in with their umbrellas. It was drizzling outside with totally overcast sky. Even the brick walls of the buildings on the other side reminded me of smaller towns outside London.

As hard as the pandemic was, there were a few things I remember fondly. First is the fact that Natasha was home – so all four of us plus Jay Jay were together. The second is the bubble we had of three couples. Dipanjan, Parijat, Avijit, Shrabani and us. The third was of course the solitude and silence I enjoyed during the quarantine period when I myself had Covid.

The bubble of three couples would come out most every evening (late – to avoid too many people) to go for an adda and drinks. Thru trial and error, we had found our perfect spot – Truck and Tap in Alpharetta downtown. We always sat outside under the heaters they had. Somehow the inside would be crowded but nobody wanted to sit outside. Which suited us just fine. Jay Jay would come with us and lay down on his bed that we would drag with us.

I was the designated drink bearer. Armed with masks, I would fight thru the young crowd teeming inside and get our drinks. Lisa and Payton knew our drinks and I did not even have to bother to order!!

I miss those days.

Today, Sharmila and I went there and sat exactly at the same spot and had drinks. With the heater on. The other couples were not there. And regrettably, Jay Jay was missing too! We missed all of them.