Episode 3

A girl about 12 years old, sat on a bench swing in a backyard, still as a statue. The biting cold stung her face, She's not even wearing a sweater. Arms crossed, digging her finger into her cheek, sulking. Hiding away from him.

But he, a boy the same age as her, always knows where to find her. It's like he has a Chidiya locator. Smiling broadly, as he sat by her. But she turned away from the boy, whose hair is now gelled back, wearing a collared uniform, all set to leave.

"Main jaa raha hoon, Chidiya tum mujhe bye bhi nahi karogi?" The little boy- Ranbir asked. The little girl- Riya shakes her head no.

Silent.

Everyone knows when the ever talkative Riya goes silent, she is upset beyond words. So the boy does what he always does and kissed the girl on her cheek. The girl's balloon-like cheeks deflate, and she smiled slightly, but with tears in her eyes.

"Bhalu tum mat jao na. Jo bhi tumhare peeche para hai na, unhe main dara ke bhaga doongi." Riya said, determinedly raising a fist in the air, and the boy laughed, tears in his eyes too. Leaving his best friend, who was always ready to go to war for him. The girl laughed too, then suddenly they're both crying, hugging each other.

"Chidiya rona band karo!"

"Bhalu, pehle tum rona band karo!"

Forthwith the children start laughing again, wiping one another's tears away, heavy-hearted, but needing to be strong for each other.

"Acha Chidiya jab main chala jaunga, tum mujhe bhoolungi toh nahi?" Ranbir asked, raising a brow.

"Bhalu, tu na budhu hai, main tujhe kabhi nahi bhoolungi, ulta tum mujhe bhul jaoge. Canada ke school mein tere new new friends ban jayenge, tujhe meri yaad bhi nahi aayegi." Riya pouted cutely, crossing her arms again.

"Ab kaun budhu hai? Tu hai budhu. Mere jitne bhi friends bane, main tujhe hamesha yaad rakhuga. Tu hi toh meri first dost hai, aur sirf meri Chidiya ke paas yeh hai, jo kisi aur friend ke paas nahi." Smiling, Ranbir reached into his shirt pocket and put a ring in the little girl's palm. A ring almost as big as their hands.

"Par Bhalu yeh toh teri hai." Riya said, confused.

"Nahi, jab tak main wapas na aa jaun, yeh teri hai... haan! Socha jaise- ek return vaada." Ranbir's eyes lit up as he came up with a name for it.

"Return vaada?" Riya asked, confused, her palm open between them, looking at the ring, a woman's ring, unable to take it, knowing how important it is to him. So why is he giving it to her?

"Haan, vaada karo ke iss ring ko safe rakhongi. Aur maine vaada kiya ke main wapas aa jaunga isse lene. Meri sabse jyada important ring, meri sabse jyada important best friend ke paas. Iss tarah na tum mujhe bhoolungi, na main tujhe bhoolunga." Ranbir explained, smiling broadly, relieved to leave something of his behind so he wouldn't be forgotten.

"Vaada kiya Bhalu, main har waqt isse safe rakhungi. Tum bas jaldi se wapas aa jaane." Riya smiled happily, grateful to have something of his to remember him by.

But Ranbir scratched his forehead. "Par ek problem toh hai Chidiya."

Riya tilted her head. "Kaun se problem?"

"Jab main aaunga wapas, tum mujhe pehchanogi kaise?" Ranbir asked genuinely worried.

"Kya tu Canada se naya face bhi lekar aayega?" Riya giggled.

Ranbir pouted cutely. "Chidiya mazak mat karo, yeh serious hai. Jab hum phir milenge, toh bade ho jayenge, toh different dekhenge na. Toh tujhe pata kaise chalega ke main, main hi hoon?"

Riya scrunched up her nose, her thinking face. Then smiled, having an answer. "Pata chal jayega."

"Kaise?"

"Simple, tere jaisa koi aur Bhalu hai hi nahi, main tujhe dekhte hi pehchan loongi, kyun ki sirf tu sabse special hai." Riya flicked Ranbir's nose, and he flicked hers' back, smiling as they hugged each other, while rocking slightly in the swing under the tree, together in what time was left.

"Chidiya, tum na sabse best ho." Ranbir kissed her cheek.

***

Now tears roll down her cheek, as she- present day Riya- fiddles with the same ring on her wedding finger, a perfect fit, at first a return promise, then a forever promise, but now only a broken promise.

"Return vaada- Hamesha promise... humara vaada saang- jeene ka- ab kya-."

"Sorry, aapne kuch kaha?" Asked Vihaan as he took off his headphones. He had been watching movies to pass time, while Riya slept.

He finds it rude that when he wanted to talk she ignored him, and now she's talking to him, but she isn't really talking to him.

"Kuch bhi- toh nahi- kaha mujhe- pata tha usse- Girgit-."

"Kidhar?!" Yelled Vihaan, hastily lifting his legs, squatting on his seat. Thinking she's talking about a chameleon- the animal. She isn't.

Her temple resting against the planes' window, her back to him, he can't see the tears roll down her face, or her glassy hazed, unfocused eyes. Only her drawn out, whispered words, an insight on her condition. But words, not broken fragments. How come she's freely speaking her heart?

"Kahin bhi toh nahi- woh khush hoga? Sabse zyada wohi khush- ho- hota... Mom- ne bulaya hai- uski sagai par-." Riya took a deep breath in, ragged and painful. A hand clutching her bleeding heart, a smile- a grimace on her face. She has forgotten how to smile.

Happiness without him feels like a sin.

Her tears become silent sobs. Her bones rattling at the force of them. Vihaan can't see Riya but realizes she's crying. In strange situations his default is humor.

"Aap bhi koi sagai rokne jaa rahi hain kya? Don't worry, mujhe experience toh nahi hai magar hum-."

"Woh khush hoge- Mom aur Di?... B- Bhalu?" A nauseating feeling swamped her senses, as the plane begun its slow descent.

Vihaan observed her closely, something is wrong- the way her clenched hand slightly tremors, the drawn out words- the random animal names.... The pills he saw her take- is she- no way.

"Aap thik toh hain?" Vihaan's question went unanswered, her world turned to dark. Peacefulness, numbness, nonexistence.

***

"Maa shant ho jao, mein already idhar hoon toh late kaise hoonga?"

"Tumhari aadat hai yeh, humein maloom hai, isliye keh rahe hai."

In his Lamborghini, the reflection of a boy's smile shines in the side mirror, the smile she would kill to see.

"Yeh toh hai, aap mujhe kitni achi tarah se jaati hai Maa."

"Humein makhan lagana band karo, jao humari bahu ko lekar aao."

"Usiko toh lene aaya hoon-." The boy slides his car door open-.

His feet touch the airport grounds, her plane lands, theirs does too.

A return vaada waiting to be fulfilled again. But they have new promises to keep.

***

Please like and comment if you enjoyed reading and want me to upload Episode 4.

Sincerely,

Mahi