The Roommate Therapy ✓

50 • Festive Vibes

"Oh no, Sir!" I chuckled nervously, "You must know that your experience rules over our naive youth any day."

Turning to Vinay's mother I handed over the festive gift box of soan papdi I'd bought from the sweet store on the way to her and she graciously accepted it.

Apparently everyone above the age of forty loved it according to my mother and was therefore the perfect gift, especially if I wanted to make a good impression.

"You didn't have to bring anything, beta." She smiled warmly as she placed the box on top of a small pile of soan papdi boxes in a corner, "Harsh, why don't you take Akira upstairs until I have the dinner set on the dining table?"

Yikes! I mentally smacked my forehead as Harsh led me out of the sitting room. At least I got the box of chocolate flavoured soan papdi and not plain old besan flavour.

The house was modestly large and designed tastefully, no doubt by Mrs. Karthik. In fact, there were more than a dozen framed canvases of pristine landscapes and abstract art scattered all over the house so I presumed she liked painting. It was probably where Vinay got his artistic gene from.

A small temple made of marble sat opposite to the dining table where small idols of several Hindu gods and goddesses were cleaned and arranged amidst a bed of orange marigolds and yellow chrysanthemums. A big oil lamp made of polished brass burned steadily in front of it like a doorkeeper and a beacon of faith and hope.

"Traditional attire suits you well." Said Harsh with a small smile.

"Thank you!" I chuckled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, "You clean up pretty well too."

He blushed and turned away embarrassedly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"That's Vinay's room." He said, pointing at a closed door at the end of the passageway decorated with tons of family pictures, "And this one's mine."

I glanced in from the doorway and saw that the walls were covered with posters of Steve Jobs quotes and a picture of Jack Ma.

I heard Harsh shuffling on his feet behind me and I sighed.

Turning slowly, I met his reluctant gaze and asked, "Is there any possibility of us forgetting the past and moving on? We can't always have this lingering tension between us whenever we're alone. We've started a freaking company together so there's no question of avoiding being together at all."

"I know," Harsh mumbled, "I probably just need some time. Honestly, I never meant for you to find out. It would have been so much easier then."

I pulled my lips into a sad smile.

Harsh had already lost so much in the short span of his life and I didn't want to cause him any more pain. Breaking someone's heart was a heavy burden to carry if you truly cared for that person.

"I...uh need to use the toilet. Why don't you go check on Vinay until then?" He forced a bright smile that looked surprisingly real. Very real. And I wondered how he managed to. If I didn't already know he was hurting, I would probably never know.

It was true, I suppose. The brightest eyes have cried the most tears.

As he entered his room, I sent up a silent prayer to whichever one of the thirty-three crore gods was available at that moment. Diwali was a time when miracles happened. Maybe one them would listen to my prayer and help ease Harsh's misery.

I knocked on Vinay's door before pushing it open an peeking in.

He was sitting on a low set divan next to his window, a pair of thin rimmed spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose, as he scribbled into his fattening black diary.