Yet another tale of friendship.

2011, Sat Oct 29 9:30pm

The rain had relaxed a bit, giving some time for people to reach their home before it can unleash the biggest downpour yet. He locked the door, turned off all the lights except the one at the front door. Turned his head towards the sky, took a quick gaze. He shook his head dis-approvingly. He thoughtfully sat on his pulsar. slightly pressed the red button and pulled the accelerator, vrrom sounded the engine.

2009, Wed Jan 28 10:30pm

They shared a  table that can accommodate just two in the posh, veggi hotel. Both of contrasting size, weight, color, temper and likes sat across the table. They had known each other for the past 6yrs, and yet only the last couple of yrs had brought them closer than they had ever been. While each shared there story for the week, which had become a habit and a ritual they practiced religiously over the past few months, the sense of humor prevailed through out the narration, making even the lean patches sound wonderful.

They talked about anything and everything that either concerned them or otherwise . A plan was laid out to rent a house somewhere near their office and do self cooking and enjoy life like their hostel days.

2011, Sat Oct 29, 10:00 pm

He parked the vehicle and looked around. A hand waved towards him. “I would have never come here, and am here only coz u insisted”, said the excited voice as he neared the waving hand.

“Nah, neither am interested to take u here…but since u told u have a liking for ghee dosa, I thought I should make u come here. Otherwise, its been long since I have been to this place”, he gave a assuring reply with a genuine smile adoring his lips.

“Should we eat at the ground level or u want to go upstairs?”, his companion asked with a blank on his face. Starring at the stairs for a few mins, “lets go upstairs” came the reply from him towards his new companion. They both climbed the stairs. The waiter immediately recognized him.

“How are u sir? Table for two?Long time since we met.”.

“Me good, have been out of town all the while. Yes table for two. U have not changed a bit. Hope things are fine at your end!!” came the reply from him towards the waiter.

2009, Sat Feb 21 9:30pm

They both sat exactly at the same table and ordered the same dish as their previous visit.

“So finally we have the house as planned”, grinned the fatty lad.

They have finalized on the new home and the deposit had been paid.

“Ya so how have u been?”, replied his friend, a friend of 6yrs now.

For the past two weeks, there had been just occasional, important phone calls and both worked on different shifts, which made, meeting really impossible. They made sure, they would meet on this night, since both had something to share with the other.

“Good. So u wanted to tell me something…", the fatty lad gave a pause.

“well, its just that I am likely to shift base to Bangalore from Chennai. Have got a good opportunity, so I might move in two to three weeks…”,his friend paused and looked at the fatty lad’s eyes with no expression on his face.

“Wow!!! Happy for u buddy. I guess I too will have to leave for US in a couple of weeks…”, came a spontaneous reply and he gave the same look as his friend.

Both grinned and laughed, made all sort of comments. They both knew they had to vacate the new home and will have to part ways for good, which might make them meet never again probably.

2011, Sat Oct 29, 10:50 pm

“So what took u so long to eat just one meal? I have never seen u eat so slowly?” asked his friend. As though pulled out of a dizzy, he looked up at the staring friend, gesture him that everything his normal. He quickly ate everything that he could lay his eyes on. His friend had never seen him so calm in any of their previous meetings, atleast not on the dining table. Today he rarely spoke, and if at all he spoke it was about ordering food.

They paid and as they came out to the parking lot, he opened his mouth after a long gaze at the top floor.

“This was our frequent tea shop. A place where we met every other day, when we earned really less. We ate here more so for the sake of spending time in other’s company than for the taste. We talked and joked, life then seemed simple. Today we both are in great position, yet the phone calls have become a rarity. Neither of us know what is happening in other’s life. Not that we do not care, somehow we have got ourselves engrossed in our day to day life, we did not notice that gap. It was in this same place couple of yrs ago, we stood for a long time talking about our future plans before we wished all the luck to us and departed on our journey. After that life has never been the same and our friendship too. We both went outside the borders of India. Though we do care a lot for each other, I have never tried to make  it up for the gap……”, with remorse taking a center stage in his eyes he continued, “all the while since I decided to come over here, the thoughts and the sense of missing someone has been hovering at the back of my mind intensely. No offence meant to u…but sorry…today was not the day meant to be here….I was happy for finding a true friend in him, but strangely…..”

They wished good night and parted, he was still lost somewhere and the other unable to comprehend whom his friend was talking about.

 

Disclaimer: All characters, incidents and place are purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to living or dead is not my botheration that it has come across my creativity!!!

Let glory be with Kalyan.