28.Change

Things are never so easy to handle until and unless you have some sound support to tackle with the consequences. Every day we have choices. And every night we must sleep with the consequence of these choices. The fabric of our life is sewn by the cumulative consequence of our choices; all of it engineers our existence. And it’s all about choices what makes us different. Change can be frightening...but sometimes the consequences of remaining stagnant are far more terrifying.

Things were not at all the same after Aanya returned from her Brother’s marriage. Everyone in the girl’s camp was behaving erratically. It was hard to say whether it was on the bad way or good. All were liked to be silent all the time. No talks no chit chat. Vir was all oriented towards studies. After Nikita’s accident, Vir’s rank was running all time low. He couldn't able to manage his time for studies as well as for the new group. Boys had been shifted to new house.  Many a times Vir went to Ritesh’s Home for study .Nikita and Ronak were all along with their sweet intimacy and they really didn’t want any kind of disturbance. Nikita had been fully recovered from her burn injury though scar was remaining there but emotionally as well as psychologically the injuries had been the past time talks... Shikha was busy in her medical preparation. Vir used to accompany her on the way to her coaching Center  They have reformed a good relationship; it was more of a sibling than of just friends. Vir used to wear a Red Jacket that was the only Jacket he had and he loved it... but Shikha hated that Jacket. She had a good taste of fashion. Vir is like a model for her, a downgraded model to be precise. What to wear what not to, the whole sole agency of decision making was with Shikha. SJ (Ronak) was happened to be an elder brother for Jiya, and lots of admiration are reflecting back from Jiya’s side. Things are happening with a very strange and lighter note. Jiya was Mamma’s girl for Nikita…Whenever Nikita treats her the same…Vir and Vidish are the one who were just on their laughing stick and that went for long.. Sometimes Jiya seemed understanding things but overall acceptance of situation was beyond her capabilities. Day By Day Things were going very pleasant but behavioral understandings were changing. For Vir, it was like full on refreshers .It enriched him whenever with them. He didn’t care about any kind of strange happenings. He was happy not only because of them but also because his ranking was going up.

Whatever was happening they wanted to make it stagnant, they didn’t want to step on the change drive.

Although Ronak was meeting with Nikita every day and night, still on weekends he had to call her and had to stayed with phone for 20 minutes at least. It was the time when 3 minutes of pulse cost 2 rupee. Vir and Vidish also shared some minutes of call but only Ronak had the privilege to waste most of those 2o minutes.

After a mild start of winter, everyone welcomed the bone chilling temperatures as well as cold winds flowing all around. Ronak and Nikita were also on the same flight .No weather, no constraints could make them apart. Sometimes because of landlord’s restrictions or too busy public phone booth, they couldn't talk when they returned back to their residing place .Even Vidish and Vir were also flying in the same air of happiness. It was different kindda good feeling. They were in an adulthood mesmerisation. Everyone wants a good friend circle outside the home where they can feel free and happy. Same was happening with the boys as well as girls. Everyone wanted to be with each other ir-respective of time and rules.

So once phone problem came .Boys decided to buy a Cell Phone, It was the time when mobile was not an easy affordable item. Price was too high, bulky in shape. Rental charges were Very high for both incoming and outgoing. But what could anyone do if you are living on the pinnacle of pleasure and mere a highly priced bulky phone is obstructing your path. Finally a MOTOROLA with OASIS network operator was bought. A silver coin of 10 gm also comes along with as a gift. It was a time when having a cell phone was the great tag in status and they were having it, though they didn’t have the minimum capital to last for the whole month but they have gained the status.

The day Aanya arrived, everything was normal. Whole group went to station to welcome her. They reached hostel at 10 pm. boys took leave from there.

While returning

“Is everything normal” asked Vidish without addressing anyone.

“Why are you asking this?” asked Ronak

“No I was just wondering, something is going on about which I am unaware of.” Vidish replied

“Aha! I don’t think so.”

Ronak continued

“What say Vir?”

“Yeah! Everything is normal. However the scenario in the Taxi (auto) was different but everything is normal” Vir was busy in singing the song which was playing in the auto. It was old song but Vir can’t remember the lyrics so he was just murmuring and was flowing with the tune.

“To whom you are asking, he doesn’t have such kind of capability to understand things” Vidish carelessly said”

But Vir Heard that

“What did you say?”

“What?”

“What did you just say?”
“I said that you are hopeless as well as brainless” Vir’s indifference and the present complicated situation caused Vidish to spurt out his anger.

“Hmmm” Vir took time to reply and finally the bomb fussed

“I think you are right”

The next day a trip to nearby garden was planned.

It was Sunday evening. Weather was too good to walk, especially in the garden. Garden was beautifully fabricated for the walkers with walking tracks.  Various lamp poles in the park were also having speakers fixed, were playing soothing music. Children, family, and couples everyone was there in enormous amount though park was too big to accommodate many more with very handsome amount space for each one.

 Among the walkers there was also a group of 7 with a sub group of 3 or 4, that was sometimes 3 or sometimes 4.

Ronak & Nikita

Jiya, Vidish & Shikha

And

Vir & Aanya

Or

Ronak & Nikita,

Jiya, Vidish & Shikha,

Vir

And Aanya

“So how was the marriage” Vir asked

“It was good”

“You haven’t invited us?” Vir teased

“Because I knew, you wouldn’t come” a bit rude she was but tone was equally soft to left the rudeness

“Hmm, you know everything na!”

“Yeah! Sometimes I know everything, sometimes nothing”

Ananya continued

“And that hurts”

“Things change, you can’t be on the same earth every time.” Said Vir

“Yeah! Things are not the same every time not even people”

“So what do you think of now?” Vir tried to change the topic as it was going somewhere in the deep sea of desolation.

“I just want to go home” Kind of frustration that wanted to come out but somehow she prevented it.

“And why so?” hard try but with a very soft voice Vir asked.

“I am not feeling good here, something is biting here”
“I have been trying so much, but it seems that everything goes in vein.”

“Well, I can’t say that I know what you are feeling now coj I don’t but ….”

“Yeah! You are right .you don’t know and please don’t try to…I am perfectly OK and I can manage myself…I expected much earlier but not now …..It was my fault and I have to solve it”

Vir stopped there, wait for a while to check whether she was talking with him or she was showing him his irrelevancy there or she was just with herself only.

There are sometimes when you have to decide who is important: the person, whom you are with or simply yourself.

Vir simply took the former and stepped towards the other group of Vidish.

“What Happened to her?”

“Who?”

“What happened to Geli?”

“Don’t know” said Vidish indifferently.

“Do you guys know anything on that respect?” Vir asked to the girls.

“Naah!” though synch came up from both the girls still the voice contained uncertainty and was wobbled.

Everyone went silent for a while….

“That means there is really something”.

“How can you say that?”

“Coj your eyes can't hide what you feel inside.”

“If she is upset, then you should console her” said Jiya.

“And what if she don’t want to?” asked Vir.

“Inside every confident girl is a fragile princess waiting to be saved. And for that you can help her...” Jiya tried to divert the topic.

“The same sentence I have heard earlier”

Vir continued his irritation

“But Why me? Look guys! I don’t want to disappoint you but I have a manufacturing defect, I really don’t know how to cajole her or any girl and especially when I really don’t know why someone is disturbed”

“You are such an idiot…too much opportunity lost will cost you someday” Shikha continued

“So now if she is angry or disturbed then means either you guys are not working well or you are not good enough to make her happy” Shikha teased him

“Well then I would prefer to leave as it’s not a good time to have any kind of ir-relevant sweet-talk with her… ”.

Next Day:

Day start was little different, Ronak was acting weird. Phone was continuously ringing. Vidish was also a bit tensed. Vir was behaving a bit strange for the others two as he was acting normal as a usual day, but the day was not as usual as it was supposed to be. In afternoon they got a call from Jiya to meet up in a coffee shop.

In the coffee shop.

“Listen guys, we have called you to make an important decision…” so frustrated Aanya was looking on them to gather the attention of the boys.

Jiya was almost keeping mum, she was disturbed but on the verge of understanding something.

 “We have been tolerating many things for so long, now it’s time to make up our mind.

Aanya continued.

“They are trying to dominate us in everything and on every step.”

While the discussion was going on Ronak was trying very hard to persuade them. Vidish and Vir were fighting with each other for the cricket match they had played in the morning. They were not interested at all in those so called Girl’s matters. Their discussion was irritating Aanya more. It seemed that there has been a bifunctional or   board discussion between Aanya and Ronak

And other three were just there to listen ultimate verdict which gonna come up.

Meanwhile waiter came and distributed the Menu.

Vidish and Vir took the menu rest other were given back to him.

“Yes Sir, what would you like to take?” asked waiter.

“What do you have here?” Vidish just reflected

“Sir we have different shades of coffee here, espresso, Irish, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, or americano….and many else” waiter was on the way to open the whole bunch of categories of coffee before he stopped by Aanya

“One espresso for me”

“What is in expresso, what kind of expression it contains….?” Very innocently Vir asked

“Sir it’s just a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.”Waiter gave the technical definition.

“Wow! So nice to hear…ok,make that five…as we all here to intensify the buried expressions….” Vir ordered but avoided the weird stare from Aanya.

“Sure sir, will that be all?” Waiter asked.

“Haan yaar! We don’t have resources more than that” Vir’s mocking was real fun but the time was not good.

Meanwhile with all break ups and hic ups Ronak and Aanya were still busy in reaching some kind of judgment but seemed lost somewhere.

Coffee came and drank but no additional expression comes up. Things were so deep and heavy at that time that not even espresso was any help to dig out some laughter from them…..

Espresso is basically base of other coffee; it was a bit bitter in taste. Whole discussion and unpleasant ness was transferred into the coffee.

As Point of discussion diverted, Vidish and Vir took leave from there.

“yaar! Need to leak somewhere, com’on fast!” Vidish was in hurry, he was frightened from getting wet.

“What somewhere? We are in INDIA…it’s our birth right to leak anywhere we want” they went to near under constructed building.

“The happiest time in the world is when you are leaking under the blue sky” Vidish’s bladder pain was converting into the melodious tone of philosophy.

Suddenly their attention was grabbed by some shouting nearby…the land lady of the building was shouting, both the leaker raised the pressure to finish up early. When no result came out of shout, she suddenly started throwing stones on them...Vir and Vidish were just about to injure if they didn’t run from there.

“Ye accha hain…inside we can’t understand anything, outside people can’t understand anything,”

“What would happen to her building, if we sprayed there?”

“Can’t even make us to get relax” when they reached the restrau, Aanya, Ronak and Jiya were waiting for them outside.

“Where have you been guys...?” Ronak asked

“Nowhere we were just checking out, how soothing this place is…?” Vidish tried to avoid the case.

Finally girls took an auto and left

“Bhai what the hell is happening here? What point was Ananya trying to drive?”

“Nothing, just wait for a while; everything will get cleared by today evening”

Ronak continued.

“Ok guys, I have to meet Nikita.You guys go home, I will call you later.”

To be continued…………………….