I AM GETTING MARRIED NEXT WEEK! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?” She shouted through the mobile.
“Oh stop yelling Ishu! I know that right?” I said trying to calm her down.
“Then why haven’t you packed up yet?” She said still in a high pitch.
It has been at least half an hour since our argument has begun.
“I’ve already told you Ishu, I can’t make it to your marriage. I am stuck with work. Besides the marriage is nearly a week away and there will be no flight tickets available at this dead end.”
“Rei! I don’t need any goddamn explanations. It’s my marriage next week and I am not doing it without my best friend. You got me?”
“Haha, so your marriage would wait for me? Wow that’s won…”
“ Shut up you moron!” she said cutting me in. “ Let me get this straight, pack up all your shit, catch a bloody flight and get back here you dumbass. Do you understand? Text me when you board your flight. Bye.” She said all this in a single stretch and quickly hung up.
“No, Ishu wait…” The phone beeped.
So adamant you are Ishu! I thought.
Ishitha, my best friend! How could I not attend her marriage? No reason could probably pull me back from it. Because she is my best friend my soul mate and my twin.
I dialed to the travel agency and confirmed my tickets, grabbed the bags which I had already set packed almost a week ago and left for the airport.
As I waited at the airport, my mind filled up with thoughts.
It’s her big day! Your best friend is getting married Reihan!
I wondered what the most appropriate reaction to this situation was.
Ishu was getting married, all set to take the biggest step in her life. And I, her best friend sat there at the airport confused. Should I be happy for her or should I mourn over my probable loneliness.
Marriage changes people. I thought.
Would it change Ishu too?
I couldn’t think of spending a day without talking to her or could I think of not sharing a thing with her.
Would everything change?
Ishitha was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Five years ago, when I first met her, I never thought she would end up being an inevitable, irreplaceable and incomparable part of my life.
FIVE YEARS AGO
Mornings in June have always been rainy. Everything seemed damped and drowned, even the sun. I’ve never really liked rain, anything that’s cold and wet. It just simply seems to imbibe happiness from me.
I woke up to my mobile ringing. It was my wake-up call from mom.
“I’m up Amma.” I said answering the call. It was still raining outside like last night.
“You are late Rei, it’s already seven.” She said. “It’s okay Amma.” I said and put down the mobile
I felt very weak to move. I felt as if something was pulling me back to bed. May be it was the rain. I took my mobile again. I checked for Neha’s message in WhatsApp. She sends me Good Morning text every day without fail. Since the last two years my mornings began with her texts. Her texts were as sweet as she was.
They bought a smile to my sleepy face and made my day. But today was different. It was just a plain text with no decorations at the end. I stared at the message for a while. She was not online. Her last seen showed almost half an hour ago.
She must be angry at me, I thought. For all that happened last night I couldn’t expect any better reaction from her. Last night our WhatsApp chat box witnessed the century’s most belligerent dispute. Messages flew like hundreds in a minute. Unofficially it was the conclusion ceremony of a week-long fuming frustration in us. We were going through the same junky phase every relationship had to face as it ages. Waves of insecurities and trust-issues were slowly rattling us. Though it was quite natural and normal, it was the aftermath that I was afraid of. Arresting my crummy thoughts and hoping for good with all my heart I texted back.
“Good morning love”
I did my morning routine, got dressed up and went downstairs for breakfast.
“Good morning Amma!” I said cuddling my mother from behind.
“Oh sleepy head is finally up.” She said.
“God! Is it still raining?” I said as I pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table.
“It’s June Rei, what else do you expect? Snow?” she countered as she served me with chappathy and vegetable curry.
“Haha, so funny! Should I laugh?”
“No! Try crying then.”
“Funny morning, huh?” It was my father. He came into the dining room carrying the newspaper.
“Good morning Dad.”
“Good morning Rei. It’s raining heavily, I guess you better take the car to college.” He said pouring himself a cup of tea from the flask on the table.
“Yeah dad, I was planning to do so.” I replied. “Amma, I’ll be late today. My gym sessions begins today”
“Okay dear Schwarzenegger.” Amma said giggling and dad joined her.
“You’ll see”
[ to be continued ]
Effulgence 