Friends but not friends

Chapter 12

Airport, Mumbai

Hridyansh was already waiting for them. Arnav asked Yashwardhan and Neeraj to wait for sometime as he wanted to talk with Hridyansh alone.

Aranv- "Ho gaya tera kaam?"

Hridyansh- "Haan. Time thoda jyda lag gaya to ghar nahi aa paya."

Arnav- "It's okay. I know you are avoiding Yashwardhan."

Hridyansh- "Aisa kuch nahi hai. Abhi baat karunga to ladai hogi, bas isiliye baat nahi kar raha. Usse bhi ye baat pata hai."
Arnav- "You both need to talk, especially him. He shared it with me but he need a friend to talk and not elder brother. You are that friend. Listen to him calmly and tell him what you felt. Solve it before I come back. I want to see happy faces.

Arnav went to Jaipur. He thought that he could solve the problem within one week but it took one more week. When one week passed, it became daily routine for Arnav to hear the rant that he is doing wrong by not coming back. Arnav used to smile hearing such rant. Soon the day came, when Arnav has to return to Mumbai. Previously when he boarded flight, he was remembering incidents of his life. This time during journey he was thinking how Ravish found him, Yashwardhan's reaction at first, Neeraj's sorry rant and the final confrontation. A smile appeared on his face when he remembered some funny conversation. He reached Mumbai and booked cab for final destination, his home. Initially he thought to travel through train to avoid unnecessary traffic but his phobia of so many people around him surfaced. When he was about to enter in the lift, Hridyansh and Neeraj dragged him away from there.

Arnav- "kya hua?"

Hridyansh – "yaha paas hi cafe hai, last month hi open hua hai. Mujhe aapke sath vaha chalna hai."

Arnav- "Kal chale? Abhi ghar chale?"

Neeraj – "Itni jaldi kya hai? Kisse milna hai aapko?

Arnav – "Stupid, mein travel karke aaya hu. Rest karna hai mujhe."

Hridyansh- "Phir vo Yash muh fula kar baith jayega."

They dragged Arnav with them. When Arnav asked about the story they are cooking between themselves, they both gave excuse that they want to enjoy food with him. Arnav saw that Hridyansh was checking his phone again and again. On being asked, Hridyansh replied that he is waiting for his friends's message.

Hridyansh- "mein kuch puch sakta hu aapse?"

Arnav- "Haan puch, tujhe permission ki jarurat nahi hai?"

Hridyansh took hold of Arnav's hand and asked him, what next?

Arnav – "matlab?"

Hridyansh – "aap Ravish bhai se mile, phir humse. Ab aage ka kya socha?"

Arnav – "Sochna kya hai? It's happy reunion. That's all."

Hridyansh – "what about others?"

Arnav- "I don't want to meet them. For so called closure a good bye is sufficient for them."

Hridyansh – "Nothing else other than good bye? "

Arnav – "No. For me, a good bye is more than enough."

Neeraj – "Your eyes are speaking different. They are full of emotions which need to be recognized."

Arnav – "Mein phir se bol raha hu, mujhe un logo se koi matlab nahi hai."

Hridyansh – "so you are again in denial mode. We know that all you need is apology from them."