Chapter 4

3. I'm A Mess

'Acha hua Shruti beta, tum aa gayi,' Karuna opened the door wide to welcome in her granddaughter's friend.

Shruti leaving behind her sandals immediately rushed into Kirti's room.

'Look at this girl,' Karuna was speaking once again. 'She's been continuously crying since she’s returned from work. Every time I ask what's wrong, she would weep even more furiously.'

The dress in which Kirti had looked stunning was lying on the floor, her once ironed and straightened hair was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy and her face swollen. She had not been replying to her texts and Shruti understood what could have gone wrong.

'Maine lakh baar pucha, kuch nahi bata rahi hai'  Karuna's voice trembled and Shruti could feel her agitation.

'Don't worry Dadi. First, get me a glass of water, please?' From the expressions of Karuna, it was evident the older lady didn't wish to leave her granddaughter's side even for a minute.

'Kuch unch neech to nahi ho gayi na, beta. Office mein? Kirti, beta aisa kuch hai toh darne ki jarurat nahi hai. Main tere sath hoon.'

Kirti shook her head, saying 'Aisa kuch nahi hai, Dadi,' between her hiccups. Then hiding her face in the pillow she wept some more. 

'Don't worry, Dadi. She's okay. There was a job for which she had applied. Aaj interview results aane wale the. It seems she did not make it.' Shruti could finally see some color return to the elderly woman’s face.

'Bas itni si baat! Isliye itna ro rahi hai. Betaa...kuch nahi hota.  Iss baar nahi toh agali baar mil jayegi naukri.' When Kirti made no response to this encouragement, a despondent Karuna looked towards Shruti.

'Dadi aap jao. Give us some time alone and main samjhati hoon'

When Karuna left them alone, Shruti moved to Kirti and the latter immediately rushed into her arms.

'What happened sweetie? Did he say no?'

'He's getting married...'

'Who? Tejas?' Kirti nodded into her embrace.

'Shit. SHIT!!! To whom?'

'Sana!' 

'Sana....now who is this?' Shruti was trying to place the name because it seemed she had heard it before. Then it clicked immediately.

'Wait!! Is this the same Sana whom he dated in the initial years? The one who used to be in the same class as Tejas and you.'

Kirti nodded her head.

'When, where, how did this happen? Until last month he was single, right?'

'They met at the airport last month and then remained in contact ever since. The feelings ‘’sort of rekindled’’, these were Tejas words.'

Shruti sighed and remained silent. But in Kirti's heart, a huge storm brewed. Her head, her heart, everything was hurting.

'Shruti, it feels like I can't breathe. I am feeling sick.'

In response to which Shruti smoothed her hair, her back trying to provide whatever support she could. Words, she did not have.

'What will happen to us now? We will drift apart. I have no one other than him. He has always been there. Now, he will no longer be mine. It is hurting, Shruti. Very much.'

'It will pass, sweetie. It will pass.'

'But what an asshole he is! How dare he give you mixed signals!'

'He never gave me any signals. It was all in my head.'

'Bullshit! Those night long talks. What about my luv my luv Kirti! I miss you. You are mine! What's all that nonsense he keeps spewing! That guy is a player, Kirti. He kept you hooked on the side while dating all these girls. Ab toh shadi bhi kar raha hai.'

'Please Shruti. Just because I had feelings for him, you cannot fault him. He fell in love with someone else which is okay. He's not bound to return my feelings. He always considered me only as a friend. I committed the sin of wanting more.'

'But he clearly kept encouraging you and now dropped the bomb.'

'He has asked me to be his best man'

 'What a dick!'

'Aise mat bolo, he's not like that.'

'Haan toh ja ban best man!'

'I can't. But I...I said yes.'

'Kirti...why? WHY??!!'

'What else could I say?'

'NO, Obviously!'

'I couldn't'

'Main toh sari galiyaan dene wali hoon aur tujhe sun na bhi padega.'

For an hour, Kirti just lay there in Shruti's lap, listening and also venting her feelings. Then when Shruti asked, 'Did you eat?'

'No,’ she replied.

'Kha le kuch. Dadi ko tang mat kar.'

When Karuna arrived with food, she at first hugged her child. 

'Job vob jaye bhad mein. Tujh se badh kar mere liye koi nahi hai.'

And her comforting words made the tears that had stopped some time ago, start afresh. That night she hugged her grandmother tightly, weeping herself to sleep, dreaming back the first time she had met Tejas and...Sana.

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]