A new beginning

Rajesh Koothrappali woke up to the sound of an annoying alarm, a sound he didn't immediately recognize.

"Where am I?" he wondered, confused.

A sharp headache made him squint his eyes. It felt like someone was hammering inside his mind. Memories started to flood in, but they didn't seem like his own. Who was David? The name sounded familiar now, but it didn't make sense. An American, full of charm and self-confidence… everything Raj never was.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he muttered, slowly getting up, clumsily.

Looking in the mirror, he saw Rajesh Koothrappali, but something was different. The reflection was the same as always, but the eyes… the eyes had a confidence he had never felt before. A strange feeling washed over him. He was Raj, yes, but he was also something more. A new strength was there, as if he had transformed.

Suddenly, he remembered something: he had plans with Howard. Of course, how could he forget? They were supposed to grab coffee and probably talk about the usual nonsense. But now, with all this happening, he wasn't sure how to act. Should he tell Howard? No, better keep it to himself for now. This "other person's memories" thing would sound like something he made up after watching a sci-fi movie.

Raj picked up his phone and checked the time. He still had time to get ready. He looked at his old clothes, those plaid shirts and pants he found comfortable, but now… it didn't make sense to wear that.

"How did I ever leave the house like this?" he muttered, grabbing a leather jacket from the back of his closet, one he never had the courage to wear.

Raj stood in front of the mirror, trying to fix his hair. He used gel, slicked it back, but nothing seemed to look right. He tried different styles, but his hair seemed to be mocking him.

"Why is this so hard?" he muttered, frustrated, staring at his reflection.

Finally, tired of trying, he sighed and decided to leave his hair as it was. "I need to get a haircut when I have time," he said to himself, giving one last look in the mirror.

He left the house and headed to the café where he always met Howard. Upon arriving, he saw his friend already seated, playing on his phone, probably one of those space games he loved. Raj smiled. Even with all the changes he felt inside, seeing Howard there brought a sense of normality.

"Dude, you're early," Raj said, pulling out a chair.

Howard looked up and blinked a few times. "Whoa, Raj, you… look different. Is it the jacket? Since when do you wear that?"

Raj shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Oh, just felt like it was time for a change."

Howard raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "A change? You? Hold on, are you wearing boots? What happened? Got tired of being the 'guy who only wears comfy sneakers'?"

Raj laughed, but not as much as he used to. There was a new calm in him. "Life's short, Howard. I can't spend the rest of my days being the same shy guy forever."

Howard took a sip of his coffee and eyed him curiously. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Raj?"

Raj laughed for real this time. "Relax, it's me. I just… woke up with a new perspective today."

Howard stared at him for another second before smirking. "Alright. But just so you know, if you start speaking French out of nowhere, I'm out."

Raj shook his head, still smiling. "Relax, Howard. I'm just trying to be a better version of myself."

Howard chuckled. "Well, it won't be hard to beat the old version. I mean, the old Raj would run from a conversation with a woman like she could kill him with just a 'hello.'"

"I won't deny that," Raj said, recalling his many social failures. "But, who knows… maybe today things will be different."

Howard looked at him, surprised at Raj's confidence. "Dude, if you actually talk to a woman without freaking out, I'll pay for your coffee for the rest of your life."

Howard discreetly glanced to the side and spotted a blonde woman sitting alone at a nearby table. She had long wavy hair, was wearing a red top, and had sunglasses on. Howard nudged Raj and pointed toward the woman.

"Look, Raj! Your chance is right there. That blonde seems to be alone. Go introduce yourself," Howard said with a grin, clearly enjoying this.

Raj, now with newfound confidence, got up and started walking toward the woman's table. Howard, excited, pulled out his phone and began recording.

Raj approached the woman's table and, with a smile, said, "Hello! My name is Raj. May I sit here?"

The woman looked up at him and replied with a friendly smile, speaking rapidly in French. "Bonjour! Je m'appelle Céline. Vous parlez français?" (Hello! My name is Céline. Do you speak French?)

Raj froze for a moment, trying to process what he had just heard. His French was extremely limited, and he tried to keep his composure.

"Ah, um… je… parle un peu…" Raj began, but quickly realized he wasn't managing.

Céline, noticing his struggle, tried to help, but continued in French. "D'accord, je peux essayer. Mais je ne parle pas très bien anglais." (Alright, I can try. But I don't speak English very well.)

Raj, unsure of how to respond, stammered something even he didn't understand. "Oui, très… um… bon. Vous… comme café?" (Yes, very… um… good. Do you… like coffee?)

Céline looked confused, but with a kind smile. "Désolée, je ne comprends pas bien." (Sorry, I don't understand very well.)

Raj, trying to maintain his cool, picked up the menu and gave an exaggerated cough to compose himself. He looked at Céline and, trying to sound natural, said, "Ah, well, I… I'd recommend the… croissant… yeah, definitely the croissant!"

He paused, his eyes skimming the menu without really focusing on anything. "Or maybe… crème brûlée? Always a good choice!" He nodded, agreeing with himself.

Céline, looking at Raj with a mix of confusion and politeness, tilted her head slightly and said in French: "Pardon? Croissant? Crème brûlée?" She smiled politely, still trying to understand but clearly lost. "Je… ne comprends pas bien." (I… don't understand very well.)

Raj, even more flustered, gave another cough to try to hide his embarrassment. "Ah, no… croissant… bon? Très bien… or, maybe merci… ah, I meant… oui…" He stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Céline continued smiling, confused but trying to be kind. "Ah… d'accord… um… merci?" She laughed softly, clearly unsure of what was happening. "Vous voulez dire quelque chose?" (Do you want to say something?)

Raj nodded frantically and said, "Ah, no, it's okay, it's okay… bon appétit!" He made a quick exit, leaving Céline even more perplexed.

He returned to the table with Howard, who was now laughing uncontrollably, clearly amused by the whole situation.

"So, Raj? How was your French lesson?" Howard teased, still recording.

Raj sat back down, visibly rattled. "Changes take time, Howard. Damn."

Howard kept laughing, while Raj stared at his coffee, thinking that he might need to absorb more of David's memories.