“There is a thin line between friendship and love. Add a little magic into friendship, and watch how it turns into a perfect romance! Best friends know one another in and out and they never let each other down. Could there be a better way to love someone?” These were her thoughts before she broke up with Niroop. She had considered herself lucky because her best friend was the man she loved. An immaculate relationship terminated because of time, distance and her over-ambitious/extra-responsible boyfriend Niroop.
She was sitting on “the rock”. That very rock where she had found her true friend, who turned out to be the love of her life, where she had spent uncountable hours together with him, where she had first kissed him and it was also where she had last seen him exactly before three years. She sat there and saw the sun descend into the Arabian Sea. She was trying to write something for her blog. There were very few people on that side of the beach so there was no one to interrupt her doleful thoughts.
She could not believe even after 3 years that he had left her in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, she didn’t want to believe. She wanted to turn around and find him beside her, but she knew the harsh truth that he was gone and never coming back. She remembered every bit of that fateful day. The day he had left her.
He had told her that they were breaking up. She could not infer why. She tried calling him, she texted him and left so many audio messages for him. But there was no response. She could not stop herself from crying. She was desperately waiting for his reply from two days. She consoled herself telling her heart, “how could I be so vulnerable and naïve? Niroop is the most responsible guy I have ever known. There will be a reason if he is breaking up. And he will justify himself. Maybe he needs more time to tell it to me…” She stifled her agony, but she was not sure if she could hold up anymore.
It was a Saturday afternoon and she was stuck to her phone like it was her life. It had been about four days then. She hated that she was constantly checking his ‘last seen at’ status which just pulled her deeper into the abyss because he was online. She couldn’t stop herself. The sinking feeling that he had cut her off his life was becoming unbearable, almost torturous.
And then, her phone vibrated just as she sat down in her chair to watch T.V. With her heart thudding in her ear, she had unlocked her phone and stared at the screen. Finally! It was his message.
But when she read it, she had nearly stopped breathing. She didn’t know if he was joking or not. “Will u come on a date with me?” was certainly not what she expected from Niroop. She was shocked. The guy told that they are breaking up, and now suddenly he wants a date? How senseless is that?
“Yes I want to meet you” she replied.
“Dress up nice. Meet me at 4 in food court in the city centre. Bi” and he was offline even before she read his text.
She felt nervous as she dressed up. She always felt nervous around him. The feeling was equally mutual. But that was not the kind of nervousness she was feeling that day.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a vehicle stop nearby. She tried to forget everything and concentrate on the poem she was writing. But she just could not. Everything there reminded of him. She could feel his presence on the rock. She wiped her welled up eyes.
She remembered the first time she talked to him. He was sitting on the rock and playing something in his guitar. She went to him and complimented him with a complete nervous look on her face. They talked for hours that day. They met every day after that. He lived in a rented house with his friends near the beach, and she lived with her parents in the nearby apartment so meeting everyday was not a problem. Soon she had realized that “life without this idiot is impossible!” and they were “besties” who told each other everything. They didn’t realize the budding romance in their friendship and they didn’t understand how their relationship status changed from “best friends” to “crazily in love”.God! What happened to such a perfect relationship?
He felt the freedom in the air as he was riding on his scooty to his favorite place in the world. K’naan was singing “waving flag” somewhere in his head. “This day cannot get any better” he thought and he was going to be proved wrong soon.
Mangalore had welcomed him with drizzles that morning when he came back after 3 years. He had signed his job contract with a reputed CA firm in the afternoon. And now in the evening he was going to the rock. It was a crazy time for him in Bangalore. He never got used to the hectic lifestyle. 3 years of his article ship there had disturbed him deeply! He could not understand how people there would waste hours in traffic. Mangalore was way better. He felt placid around serene and sane people who did not poke their nose into other people’s business.
It is funny how we bond with inane objects and feel possessive about them. He stifled his ire when he saw someone already sitting on his rock. That rock meant a lot to him. He was sitting on it when he saw Arpitha for the first time.
She was not a girl who boasted her beauty by makeup. She was simple, craziness in her black sparkling eyes, radiance in her face and nonchalance in her looks. Simply beautiful. “Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga” was playing in the background for him. He was electrified the next day when she came and talked to him. Chills ran through his spine. She never recognized his subtle inclination for her. He always liked her but like every other boy, he was afraid that he would lose her friendship if he told about his feelings. By the virtue of his patience he came to know she was in love with him too. There was nothing to stop him then. They were a happy couple. They used to sit on the rock and spend many hours talking to each other, laughing, and sharing their feelings. That is why he was taken aback and a little enraged when he saw someone sitting there.
He recognized the figure sitting there as he approached. It was his own Arpitha! He started sweating all over! He was equally excited and anxious at the moment. “Arpitha?” he called her. She turned back and was surprised too. “Niroop? I… err… I’m surprised to see you here…” she stammered completing the sentence.
She was wearing specs. It didn’t depreciate the glow of her eyes but just added to her beauty. Her face enchanting as ever. Her lips… her lips reminded him of their first and last kiss…
Read my science fiction short story the 7th dimension
He had ordered a pizza and was waiting for her. She formally smiled at him. He understood that she had been crying the instant he saw her swollen eyes. He just held her hands and gave an affirming smile. She did not ask him anything. He did not speak anything. Meaningless thoughts engulfed her mind as she could not interpret his silence. At last he broke the ice and said “I’m moving to Bangalore for my article ship.”
She just gave him a stern look and asked “so?”
“So this relationship has to end here”
“What are you talking? Are you even listening to yourself? It is something else. What is it Niroop? Please don’t play with me”
“Arpitha, please listen. I have responsibilities to my family. I have to study. I have to be well settled. That was my priority. But with you around I don’t think I am accomplishing them.”
“But we can do a long distance thing. I’ll make sure I do not disturb you often”
“Do you remember what we used to say? That we will respect what the other feels. That you will let me go when I say? Now you need to let go…”
“But that was when we were friends and when I thought I was imposing on you. Doesn’t that change now? Won’t I get a say in your life now?”
“You are a part of my decision. I don’t want to hurt you by not paying attention to you. I have so much to achieve in my life Arpitha. Please try to understand.”
“If you had decided everything, then why did you call me here?”
“I wanted to have a proper break up. I believe in happy endings. I believe that two people can part ways happily. I wanted you to support me in my decision, not curse me for leaving you alone…”
She had always compromised for him, and he had always supported her. He encouraged her when she said she wanted to be a beautician, he was there when she had a fight with her family.
He was there for her always. And she could not imagine letting him go. But then his words made some sense. How could she be the burden that is not allowing him to fly? How could he love her like she did, if she was not his first priority? She would always love him in the core of her heart but for a moment, she felt sacrificing her love would be in his best interests.
After an hour they were sitting on the rock. With her head on his shoulder she was crying as silently as possible. The sound of the waves and the breeze did not let the sound of her silent sobbing’s reach his ears. Or maybe, he had heard them, and yet didn’t say anything. He ran his hands through her open hair and asked “why didn’t you ever kiss me in these two years?”
She looked at him, their eyes met and there was a different spark between them. She leaned forward and they kissed. Not passionately, but that kiss meant many things. One of which was “goodbye”. She paused and asked “why does your mouth smell like mint?” and giggled even though she was crying inside. He smiled. And that was it. She could not control her tears anymore. She did not let the smile in face fade away, because she did not want to cry with him in sight. She said “all the best Niroop” and walked towards her home as fast as she could.
Niroop had regretted his decision the moment he made it. He loved her way too much but his love was turning him weak and he could not afford that. He was helpless. His parents had worked very hard to make him something; it was his time to support them. So he had to let her go. Time and fate had separated them and if they were meant to be together, the same factors would bring them together.
She did not sleep that night. Neither did he. He was on the bus to Bangalore. Somewhere back in his head, Mohith Chauhan was singing, “tujhe bhula diya”.
The reason he found a job in Mangalore was to get back to her. But this meeting came completely unexpected to him. “So writing poems ha?” he pointed to her book while he sat down with her.
“Yeah” she said. She was feeling nervous. And this nervousness was not the one which she had felt, the last time she met him.
“Do you mind if I read them?”
“Sure” she said and handed the book to him.
How hard is it to stop my heart from beating for you?
For you are as beautiful as a petal embroidered with moist dew.
Your memories are soothing and pleasant,
Like the post-rains soil’s scent.
You give me the endurance to bear the storm,
Even at chilliest times you keep me warm.
Those intense eyes are heavier than the rains,
Break the ice and let go of the past pains.
“It isn’t complete yet” she said as he finished reading it.
“It’s beautiful. May I ask who the inspiration is?” he asked, just to know if there was someone else in her life now. His heartbeat was skyrocketing and he became very anxious.
She was silent for a brief moment, and said, “No one, just something I’m writing for my blog”
He sighed and asked, “Would you be interested in writing songs for this old friend?”
Her thoughts were this, “Am I just an old friend now? The two years of our life, didn’t it mean anything to him? Even if it meant something then, does he feel the same about me now or is there someone else about whom he feels that way?”
“So you started composing songs?” she asked.
“Yes, but just for my satisfaction. I haven’t made them public yet. I’ve written a few jingles for radio.”“So how is that beautician dream going?”
“I own a beauty parlor near city centre and I have purchased an apartment near my parlor from the money I earned” she said with a tinge of ego.
“Oh wow! That’s great.” he said.
“Do you still love me like you did?” he wanted to ask, but instead he stuck to the meaningless small talk. Looking at her and talking to her he asked himself, “was I right to break up with her?” somewhere in his head, Deepika’s dialogue from Yeh jawaani hai deewani was repeatedly playing. “mujhe tumse pyaar ho jayega… phir se…”
They continued talking for about an hour or so. The moon was settling in his position in the star studded night when she realized, that her parents would be waiting for her.
She hurriedly said bye to him, boarded scooty and left, even if her heart wanted to stay there.
Soon after she left, he also sat in his scooty, and started for his home, thinking about her. “Tum hi ho” was playing in his i-pod which he had plugged to his ears. That’s when it struck him; her new house was 15 kms away from that beach. Why else would she be there if not because she loved him?
Arpitha reached home and switched the WiFi on. There were hundreds of new messages which did not matter. Because there was one from Niroop which read “I still haven’t changed my number”.
If you liked that, read “The Affair” a short story about a heartbreak
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