Musafir Cafe (मुसाफ़िर कैफ़े)

All of us have a list in our lives.

A list of dreams and simple joys.

My list has always been filled with new journeys and new places.

I'm Preeti, and one journey on my list led me to Musafir Cafe.

What is Musafir Cafe?

Ask anyone, and you'll hear a different answer every time.

To me, it's home. Chander's and mine.

Your dark, beautiful eyes

Looked up and met mine

The flowing breeze, the passing scenes

Everything stood still

Hey! Hi!

Wait, one second.

- Hi! - You guys are coming tonight, right?

No.

I can't believe Rajvir planned a trek with his friends today,

and now I'll miss tonight's party.

Well, I have a feeling you're really going to love this trek!

- Is it? - Yeah! Have a great time, you two!

Okay. Bye.

Bye!

What kind of magic

Have you cast on me?

Tell me, haven't you?

Stars fell like jasmine blossoms Upon my rooftop…

For every traveler, the journey truly begins

when they find their true companion.

Sometimes, that companion stays by their side.

And, sometimes, they leave after changing you forever.

What kind of magic

Have you cast on me?

Tell me, haven't you?

Something similar happened to me when I met Chander.

And, perhaps, his life changed in much the same way

when he met Sudha.

Mom, tilt the phone down a bit. You're not in the frame.

- Is this okay? - Yes, I can see you now.

- Have you arrived? - Yes, I'm here.

Early, as usual.

Did you pick a good place?

- She picked it. Look how pretty it is. - Yes, it's beautiful.

I didn't even know about this place.

How would you know?

- You're always busy with work! - Mom…

- Should I hang up now? - Wait, just a minute.

Thank you.

- I know that in your heart, you still-- - Mom.

Please don't start this again.

- Okay, fine. - I'm hanging up.

She'll be here any minute. Bye.

- Where's your coffee from? - From the South, sir.

What do you mean by South? Tamil Nadu? Karnataka? Kerala? Where exactly?

- Sir, that's… - Is it blended or single origin?

- Sir… - Okay, is the grind medium or medium-fine?

It's medium-fine, sir.

I know that for sure, it's medium-fine.

- Are you sure? - Yes, sir.

Then do one thing, Mohan.

Some coffee,

some hot water between 90 and 95 degrees Celsius,

an empty pot, and an Americano cup. Please bring all of this.

- Sir, are you sure the machine coffee-- - No, that won't work.

Don't worry, I'll pay the full amount, and I'll tip you too.

Okay, sir. I'll bring it.

Excuse me! What do you software engineers think?

Is moving to America a career now?

No, no. It's just for two years.

So, you'll go to America for two years,

and I'm supposed to leave my practice and follow you?

- How will I live alone? - Live alone?!

Take your mom with you to take care of you!

Why do you need to get married?

The nerve of some people!

Hello. I just wanted to let you know that I've arrived.

Yes, I'm coming!

What are you looking at?

Are you leaving, or do you need a green card for that too?

How about I roll out a red carpet for you? Get lost!

Hi.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

I'm Sudha.

You spoke very well.

I'm Chander.

Were you eavesdropping?

I wasn't eavesdropping. I could just hear you.

Everyone could.

- Shall we sit? - Please.

- Can you bring another cup of tea, Mohan? - Yeah.

The usual.

Sorry, just give me a minute, please.

You came here to make your own coffee?

I'm a bit particular about my coffee.

Nice cafe, by the way. Do you come here often?

But I don't drink coffee.

I'm a chai lover.

Chai!

And along with my Sunday tea,

I also get samples from matrimonial sites. Free!

Who made your profile? Your mom or your dad?

Excuse me. Oh, man.

HAS SHE ARRIVED? HOW IS SHE?

If you don't mind, can I ask you something?

Do you have another candidate lined up after me?

No. If there is, I'll wrap up accordingly.

So, we don't overlap again.

So, you're a lawyer?

Yes.

Divorce lawyer.

My family usually hides that part.

It frightens the suitor's side away.

But I love my job.

So, you enjoy getting people divorced?

No.

To be honest,

the divorce happens long before it reaches the courtroom.

We just help them

get the official stamp and…

settle the accounts.

Ma'am.

Thanks, Mohan.

You handle divorce cases, and you still want to get married?

Well, about that…

I don't want to get married right now.

I meet suitors to stop my relatives from pestering my mom.

I always find an excuse to reject them.

You should reject software engineers without even meeting them.

- Aren't you a software engineer too? - I was.

I got bored.

I work at DWD Logistics now.

I'm setting up their MP operations.

- Why did you choose that job? - It's far from my family.

From Delhi, that's why.

And from your ex-girlfriend too.

- No. No. - No?

No, it's nothing like that.

You're just assuming that.

Just one of the small perks of being a lawyer.

I've learned how to read people's faces.

Don't you find logistics boring?

A little less than life itself.

So, how are you spending the rest of your Sunday?

My plan was to meet you and then head to the theater to watch a movie.

There's so much to do in Bhopal,

yet you want to sit in the dark and watch someone else's story?

Okay then, tell me, what would you recommend?

Visit Manav Sangrahalaya. Take a long walk through Van Vihar.

Or best of all, enjoy a refreshing lemon soda by the lake.

Feel the heart of Bhopal.

- Shall we? - Where?

You're the one who said there's so much to do in Bhopal.

Why did you leave America?

My heart wasn't in it.

Despite the crowds, there's a strange emptiness there.

I made a few friends at the university.

Learned a little about myself, and time taught me the rest.

Tell me one thing you learned there.

No matter what happens in life, you should never forget your roots.

- And… - And?

And no matter how good the cafe is, you should make your own coffee.

When you get bored with logistics,

you should set up your own cafe.

Mom visits from Ratlam once every two months.

Gargi is hardly just my roommate. She's basically her undercover reporter.

What do you mean?

She's my mom's spy.

By the way, your strategy to extend the date was pretty smart.

Thank you. But it wasn't a strategy.

- No? - No.

I was just following my intuition.

Well, cheers.

Cheers.

Shit.

Chander, I have to go back to the cafe.

Why? What happened? Did you forget something?

Candidate number three!

- What? - Chander.

Make an excuse and reject me, okay?

- Hey! - Thank you.

Why me?

When a girl rejects a guy, his mother takes it even harder, you know?

Hey!

What even are you?

- Hi. - Hello.

Want to know what I wrote on the promise note?

Sure.

You don't have to tell me.