Coincidence...(?)

"Ouch!"

This was the third time she had bumped into the table while arranging her room. Every thing around her reminded of Jake. To cope up with it, she had her headphones on with full volume. She was so pissed off at first when she realised her playlist was full of love songs. Those were her favourites, but not anymore.

"I cried enough yesterday. It's time I forget about him and move on." She spoke those words aloud to convince her mind and finally after a lot of chaos done, she jumped on to her bed completely exhausted. She was surprised to notice it was evening already. Although it did make sense, since she did some extra chaos too which had been piling up on her pending list since a long time.

She was completely worn out but was filled with satisfaction. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as she took off her headphones immediately out of headache for wearing it so long. The sudden silence made her start to feel lonely again.

She remembered the time when they would often go to visit parks and movie theatre on Sunday, but this whole month she never even got the chance to properly greet him in person.

She knew laying down would only make matters worse, so she needed something to keep her mind occupied.

Fortunately, her stomach started roaring aloud, and so she decided to go out in a nearby local restaurant. As it was too much bother to cook and clean up the dishes thereafter.

She dressed up immediately and rushed out, barely missing her wallet and phone on the dining table.

The wind was fresh as usual and the sideways were full of cheerful crowd. Ayana expected to smile like them too, but instead it had an opposite effect on her heart. Seeing couples walking hand in hand with their children made her heart ache even more.

It could've been us, she thought.

She shifted her gaze everywhere she went since the whole street road was filled with lovey-dovey couples.

While avoiding them, she ended up standing near an old van selling tacos. Luckily, there weren't any couples there and the vibes were aesthetic too.

She never had any tacos before, but since she didn't wanted to go through that process again, she hesitantly reached near the counter.

"Buenas noches! What would you like to have?" A Mexican middle aged man popped out from the back of his van with handful of plates having tacos. She struggled to order something right away, but it seemed the man was too busy serving his costumers anyway so it gave some time for her to compose herself.

She noticed a small board with various types of tacos written on it. She checked her wallet real quick and searched it up a little on the internet when suddenly the man emerged in front of her again. She was shocked for a second, but managed to order one small taco afterall.

"You can wait at that seat mam, I'll bring it to you right there." He said before vanishing into thin air again. Ayana followed the direction in which the vendor pointed at and found a table for two, on which one person was already seated. She looked back and forth to look another seat nearby but there wasn't one.

In the end, she nervously approached the man and gently tapped on his back. "Umm..excuse me, is this seat occupied?" She politely asked.

The man flinched upon her touch and turned around, only to get surprised even more.

"Oh! I am sorry for startling you. I didn't mean to do that on purpose. You see, all the seats nearby are taken, so would you mind if I could take this one?" She said with a wavering smile.

The man looked around and did saw some empty seats, but a bunch of man who kinda looked dangerous were sitting right next to them. With no other option left, he simply nodded in silence and turned his gaze swiftly back to his hands resting on his lap.

Ayana felt slightly awkward for a moment but still grabbed the chair since she was already so tired. She looked at her surroundings and observed the crowd was slowly getting lesser. The sky had already turned orange-pink and a distant noise of crows cawing could be heard.

Her eyes finally set upon the man, who too was observing the people passing by. He was wearing a coffee coloured coat with off-white turtle neck loose shirt inside. He had thin round specs along with a long shawl wrapped around his neck. His black hair were slightly overgrown, but it rather looked cute in a bowl cut.

"Are you a writer by any chance?" She asked curiously out of habit.

The man jolted at his seat from her sudden voice, and adjusted his spectacles with struggle in he speaks.

Ayana noticed his restlessness too, and considered her actions rude since it was the second time she had made him uncomfortable.

"Oh no! I am sorry again!" She immediately apologized. She wondered if he was an introvert, since he totally looked like that. Oversized clothes and long hairs, yep! That's definitely gives writer's vibe.

The man glanced at her secretly, and realised he had caused the awkwardness again. Although it was favourable for him if they stayed this way and leave quietly, but his inner thoughts wouldn't stop this urge to start a conversation.

It was rather strange for him to feel so, since till now he always had control over his emotions.

In the end, he ultimately lose the battle with his reasoning and started a conversation, just to timepass for a few minutes, as an excuse.

"Uh..umm.." but he didn't knew what to say.

"Huh? Did you said something?" Ayana looked back at him in surprise and asked desperately since her mind was starting to remember Jake again. 'Oh please tell me you did said something. Please!' she desperately wished internally.

"Uh no. It was nothing." But the man crashed her hopes while rubbing his nape. He was confused at his own self as where did all his conversation skills go?!

But Ayana didn't gave up. She looked around more and found a birthmark on the man's face, which for strange reasons felt as if she had seen it before.

"Is there's a mole under you eyes?" She asked desperately hoping she would succeed.

"?!..Uh yes. I had this since childhood." The man responded immediately while trying to hide it, as if it triggered something within. On the other hand, some blurry flashes of memory began to pop up in Ayana's mind as she listened to the man's voice.

For strange reasons, her heart kept telling her she had met with this guy before. But where?! He kinda looked similar to the guy in her dreams. But that was impossible.

These two looked polar opposite of each other. He looked more like a soft rabbit than the cold but sexy devil of her dreams. But with the little patience she had, her mind couldn't tolerate the suspense.

"By any chance, have we ever met before? You look kinda familar." She asked without giving it much thought, but the man didn't replied anything after that. Even though he was looking straight into her eyes with a poker face, she still couldn't see his as they were hidden behind dazzling sun's reflection. His lips were tight sealed and his muscles seemed more tensed than before.

Is that a yes? She wondered.

Ayana tried to pry even more, but the Mexican guy interrupted their conversation and served them freshly made tacos.

Ayana thanked him from both of their behalf habitually, and the guy leaved immediately after collecting their bill.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked genuinely as it seemed the man had gotten frozen for a long time in his place.

After multiple callings, he finally got pulled into the reality and immediately started stuffing his mouth with taco in front of him.

Ayana was shocked upon seeing his behaviour, and wondered if she touched some sensitive nerve of him. When suddenly she noticed something.

"Uh..that was my order." Ayana whispered to herself in awkwardness, but it seems the man heard it too. He suddenly choked and started coughing badly upon realising it late.

Ayana immediately rushed to the van and bought a pair of water bottles for him. She patted him on the back to subside the coughing, which surprisingly worked!

"Are you okay now?! Seriously, how can you be so inattentive of your surroundings?!" She questioned while returning back to her seat, wondering if she should order something again or simply exchange their tacos.