Yash
That one single outing with Reshu had left me all charged up. I felt as if walking on clouds. I came back after seeing her off to airport and found my parents waiting for me with the biggest grin on their faces. ''Yash , come sit with us'' I did , I know they want a details on my date with Reshu. I just shook my head; ''So how was it, give us all the details'' Mom chirped enthusiastically
''Mom!!! Please you can't be serious'' I was little embarrassed . ''Why? What's wrong in sharing with us. We have been friends to you all your life. So what's deal sharing with us'' The retired Judge suddenly appeared more like a lawyer giving arguments in favour of his over enthusiastic wife. ''Not you dad.'' There faces fell, I know it's their drama. But I can't see them this way, 6 years they have patiently waited for me to smile more and come back home. ''Ok, we roamed, watched movie had dinner ,chatted that's it'' . ''No kiss!! '' that was my dad. I blinked and shook my head lowering my eyes.
Pin drop silence, dad slapped his head and Mom shrugged her arm in my direction intending that I was useless. ''You didn't even Kiss her, let alone proposing her?'' Mom questioned me with an accusing expression. Seriously, who is younger here? I feel like 1940 soul born to over advanced couple
''Mom I want to take this slow, I don't want to screw it like last ones''. I replied trying to sound little mature. Mom rolled her eyes at my response. ''6 years! How much more slower you want to go Yash'' I opened my mouth to reply but then decided against it, turning to dad I gestured for little help, but he refused blankly. ''Yash are you serious about this one'' I heard a doubt in Mom's voice
''More than anything Mom. But I met her after 6 yrs, there is so much to talk, know and discuss. I want to know her thoughts about life. Mom, Reshu is the one I want to spend my life with and I am planning to visit her in Goa for few days '' Mom clapped; ''Why few days? Go for a month and come back with a good news. Anyways you are working from here, you can work from there too. '' Turning to the door towards the interiors my mom spoke; ''Pravesh bhai, bring the cake. My son made a mili-meter of progress.'' Pravesh kaka suddenly emerged from nowhere, I guess he had been standing near the door , waiting for Mom's command. Later in the evening we celebrated my mili meter progress with amazing banana cake that Pravesh Bhai made. By the time I retired for night, I had all the information required to woo a girl. Courtesy my parents, I just kept nodding not wanting to interfere and hear another long list of dos and don'ts about having happy steady relationship.
It was my time to work, switching on my laptop , I waited for my mails to sync. My phone pinged with a message; 'you didn't even take my number Yash, here it is save it well I took yours from Shikha . By the way, I am home and looking forward to your visit' . Now I am smiling ear to ear, she is expecting me . My mood reflected in my work, after finishing a part of it, I walked out into the balcony . The night was quite and so were the surroundings. I soaked the silence in, it echoed our moments a day before. Her threat, anger smile and that unexpected hug all came back in flashes, making my smile go wider. ''I was expecting you'' My eyes snapped in the direction of voice, why can't she just leave me alone. Frowning I turned my eyes away; ''Yash I know you still have a soft corner for me'' Namrata's voice had a kind of surety in it
''You should go back to your husband and for the record, I am committed to someone better than you'' She just spoiled my little moment before walking in I warned; ''and about having feelings for you, stop living in the bubble and come back to reality'' I stormed in without waiting for her to say another word. My disgust for Namrata grew by leaps and bounds, first I thought she made a mistake being young and fell for the attention she received , but now I feel it's a habit for her. She wants all she can grab. But not me, just not me. Leaning on the headrest I tried calming down when my cell pinged again; 'what's up Yash !!!' So even Reshu can't sleep
'Working' I replied.
'Am I disturbing?' She replied quick.
'No, I needed a distraction' I was honest
'Yash is something bothering you?' I hugged my phone, she knows me so well . 'Are you there' Impatient girl
'yes I am, aren't you tired ?' I replied
She replied after good 5 minutes ' Junk head... just say that you don't want to talk and I will stop messaging. Why so much drama. Fine Goodnight, you must be dying to talk to your girl'
I face palmed myself; 'Sorry Resh I didn't mean to hurt you. Yeah, I was dying to talk to my girl. In fact I so want to be with her and guess what I am chatting with her now' there I said it. My heart started running wild with anticipation. What will she do now ? Will she cut all her ties or she will just curse me for spoiling the friendship or who knows she might just accept me. I kept staring at the phone for next half an hour , then my phone pinged; 'I didn't knew you that working from remote location meant chatting with two girls simultaneously . Bad Yash! Go back to work'
Now I feel like banging my head on the wall, Literally spoke my heart but her logic just killed it. I started typing a message; 'I missed you bad Resh and I am sorry for 6 yrs'
She replied in 5 min; 'And I forgive you Yash. Now go and work, GOOD NIGHT!!!!' That increased my productivity by 10 folds.
I slept around early morning after finishing my calls. Around 11 , Mom woke me up and dropped the bomb happily. The effect was worse than that of an atomic explosion . I was scared to shit. Mom wanted me accompany her and dad to a wedding reception in the evening. Mom looked too happy to show her US returned son off . What scared me was the mention of Sweety Aunty , who seemed too eager to meet me. She was sweet only in name, fair plum and short, Sweety Aunty was a typical high class lady who had all the time to meddle with others affairs. She enjoyed gloating about her status and her connections , which were nothing but a list of marriageable girls . She had taken the responsibility of getting every bachelor in the neighbourhood married. Don't know how but she always had a list of girls ready with her. Even when I was in US , almost every week I received bios of prospective brides and they were directly from Sweety Aunty. I gulped as I recalled the torture . Another reason for avoiding this wedding was Namrata, our parents shared the same group . When things fell apart , people never took one side. They sympathised with both hiding from other. All they were interested in was some fodder to gossip for weeks
Coming back to present,I tried dissuading Mom but she didn't budge and then she used her ace weapon; ''Ýash you came after 6 years, people kept talking and showing their children off and I had no answer as to why my son never visited . Can't you do so much for me''
That was end of all arguments, Mom was right I can do so much for her. With heavy heart and scared legs I boarded the car with my parents. But before leaving I messaged my ordeal to Resh. In reply I got just got 'RFOL' .The venue was a big five star hotel. I met many old faces , some smiled and many ignored. Well, I am not complaining. I picked up a glass of soft drink and moved to a corner where I would be least visible. Pulling out my mobile I started doing random things with it. ''Hi! Are you Yash?'' came a saccharine sweet voice, well any idiot could make out it was enacted. After a moment I lifted my eyes up, there stood a girl in her early twenties . She was dressed in ethnic which had nothing ethical keeping in mind the occasion. Her lips painted in red screaming attention; ''Yes, That I am '' No I didn't ask her name, I wanted her to leave. But she wouldn't, because I have NRI tag with me and I have license to be rude so she decided to ignore it. ''I am Esha! '' she chirped jumping on the chair next to me. My eyes searched for mom and I found her, she was smirking at me. Just Great! My Mom was punishing me for 6 yrs. ''it must me too cold in Canada right''
''I live in US'' I replied with a smile. ''Yeah, I meant the same'' She spoke shrugging her shoulders. I had no words to argue so I gave her a tight smile before going back to my mobile. ''So what kind of girls you like''
''Kind??? '' I really didn't understand the meaning of that word. I thought its just males and females and partnership dependent upon compatibility. Esha flipped her hair back; ''Yes, I mean you like fair tall thin beautiful or ok ordinary types '' She made a face while mentioning the second choice. I am already disgusted , this time I gave her a smile. Hope she reads pity in that; ''Well Esha, I like smart intelligent girls and for the record I have a girl friend.'' Her face paled, she immediately left without any sweet greeting. But that was just the beginning. Sweety Aunty decided to hunt me down and she did, she pulled my cheeks and nose before placing a peck on the right one. All I wanted was to vanish. She dragged me from one corner to the other gloating about my achievement and career as if it were her doing. I lost the count of eligible girls I met, I repeated the same line of having a girl friend but Sweety aunty proved she was a veteran and I was born just yesterday. She spoke one of the girl's mom; ''Boys change girl friend every day. They will keep them till they are married. So girl friend should never be an issue , you can get rid of them easily''
''Will you say that even if your own girl would have been my girl friend'' That bought a pause to all the giggles. ''Don't compare some random girl to our girls'' Sweety Aunty was bossy now
''She isn't some random girl, she is my choice and I am going to marry her. You can throw your net on other available guys'' With that I walked off , some how I couldn't take a word against my girl. Though her name was not being mentioned, but I hated the way they spoke. After good search I found dad gossiping with his friends. I really wanted to get out of here.
I started walking towards dad when I heard few sounds. Seemed like a couple was quarrelling , just for the sake of curiosity I turned my eyes there. Of all it had to be Namrata, she had an angry expression and was poking her finger into the chest of that guy. The guy shook her holding her by her shoulder. I decided to ignore but then her eyes met mine and she started crying. The man was hurling accusation at her. Had it been another girl I would have intervened. But then I recalled a lesson Reshu taught me.
One of the evenings me and Vivek came back all bruised . We kept hiding our faces on our way to hostel entrance, but before that CID caught me. Reshu removed my hand from my face , her eyes widened then narrowed and she punched my face. ''How?'' that came after the punch
''We went to support our friend'' I replied little embarrassed. ''Which friend?'' she asked. Looking at her body language I felt she knew I didn't knew my own so called friend . My eyes turned to Vivek for rescue. Vivek gulped ; ''Actually , my friend's friend's younger brother was bullied by his seniors . So we went there...'' Rest of the words died in his throat.
Neha giggled and Reshu folded her arms to chest facing me; ''Yash, you don't even know the name of the person you fought for. Why? '' I had no answer. ''Yash helping standing and standing by your friends in good but for people who are worth, not everyone'' That day I just nodded, but those words stayed with me. I became conscious in choosing friends and people around me . ''Yash we are leaving'' Dad waved at me , I nodded smiling at him. My mobile beeped ; 'So how was the stint with Sweety Aunty' I smiled wide reading her message; 'knocked her off' punching send I left to join my parents.
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Done with one more . Do let me know your views and comments.