Part A
I am back home. After three whole years of studying abroad, I'm back forever. How much I had missed everyone ' my friends and family... Today I'll meet them again after three long years...
I pulled my luggage along out of the airport and breathed in the air of my birth place. I have lived here my whole life so coming back after three years, I felt at home within seconds. I looked around to see if anyone had come to receive me. As expected no one had. They must be busy with the wedding arrangements, I thought as I made my way to the auto stand.
I arrived home and let myself in with the spare key which I still surprisingly had in my purse. I walked inside the empty house and headed straight for my bedroom. My bedroom...it was just as how I left it three years back. The only thing that had changed was the fact that it was kept more neatly than I had ever kept it in my life. Mom must have tidied it, I thought as I made my way to the bathroom to freshen myself. Coming out of the shower, I glanced at the clock. Noticing that I was late I cursed myself and I immediately rummaged through my luggage to find the blue sari which I had bought especially for the wedding and I quickly wore it. After getting ready, I asked the driver to drop me off at the wedding hall.
On my journey there, I felt excited and giddy at the prospect of meeting everyone again. I opened the window and looked out at the surroundings. So much has changed, I thought as I saw the cafe that we used to go to now a grocery shop. With this thought, an unknown fear crept within me. What if everyone else has forgotten me? From what I know, in our group Atul Anjali and Abhi Nikki are married. And I haven't been to both their weddings. But today, it was my twin brother Rahul's wedding to one of my best friends, Muskaan. I couldn't afford to miss this as my parents had forced me to come here. It's not that I didn't want to come back; of course I did, but it was more the sort of fear of seeing HIM again.
Soon I arrived at my destination. With anticipation and fear, I walked inside and searched to see if I could spot any familiar faces. Suddenly I heard a shriek.
"Riddhima!!!" I turned around to see the source of that shout and when I did a smile made its way on my face.
"Mom! I missed you!" I ran to her and hugged her
"Me too dear! Oh my god! You've lost a lot of weight!"
Soon a whole crowd had formed around me consisting of my family and the whole of our gang except him. I wonder where he was, I thought as I answered everyone's questions absent mindedly.
After meeting Muskaan and Rahul, Anjali, Nikki and I made our way to a table to talk and catch up in life. It was so good to be back and I realised Anjali and Nikki were still the same.
"Gotten over him yet," asked Anjie all of a sudden.
"Who?" I asked very well knowing who she was referring to. This was the conversation I was dreading the most...How can I tell them that I could never forget him even if I wanted to...
"You know who,"
"Anjali, I've forgotten everything and I'm happy with life, ok?"
"No Ridz, stop lying, it's obvious from your face!"
"OK, fine! I admit that I still love him as much I did three years ago!"
"Ridz...I am sure he'll realise one day..." Nikki said and they both came and gave me a hug whilst I was sincerely hoping from my heart that whatever Nikki said will come true. But deep down, I knew that it will never happen. He'll never forget HER just like I would never forget him.
I got up to get ourselves a drink and as soon as I did I bumped into someone. I mumbled a sorry and was about to move when I heard a sudden eruption of laughter.
"Oh my god, Ridz! Is that you? You in a sari! Man, you look like a girl, Ridz!"
My head immediately shot up recognizing that voice. I smiled seeing him again but that soon turned into a frown when I heard his comment,
"Armaan! I AM a girl, in case you had forgotten. And yeah, I can wear a sari when you can still make the most stupidest jokes!"
"OK, cool woman! I meant you have seriously changed!"
"Uh no, I haven't!"
"Yes, you have!"
"No, I haven't!"
"Yes, you have!"
"Shut up, guys! You've just met and you've started your bickering already!"
"Nikki, thats our speciality and it's one thing that will never change," Armaan said looking down at me with a smile. I returned the smile and thought that even though he may never love me the way I do, he and his infectious smile will stay etched in my heart forever.
"Whatever," Anjali and Nikki both chanted rolling their eyes whilst Armaan dragged me along with him.
"So Ridz, how is life? Missed me?" He added with a cheeky smile on his face. Little did he know that I missed him the most.
"Life is great and no I didn't miss you as much as you have missed me!"
"Confident, eh? Well, let me get one thing straight. I had better things to do than think about a girl with bunches who wore nothing shorter than a long sleeved top and jeans!"
"Hey! That was ages ago! And I didn't wear long sleeved tops all the time!"
"Well, most of time!"
"But, it was cold!"
"Yeah, it was cold under the boiling sun! We know!"
"Shut up, Armaan! Anyway, what were the "better things" you were talking about?"
"You know the usual, watching cricket without your torture and having the freedom to go out with girls without having a best friend who wanted to drag me along to watch horror movies every Friday night!"
"Shut up, Armaan you love horror movies more than any romantic movie you went to watch with those idiots that you call girlfriends!"
"True, but..."
"But what, Armaan! It's clear that you missed me because you mention me every five seconds."
"OK, I did. But didn't you?" He asked nervously.
"Ya, of course" I replied casually trying to avoid the constant shouts of my brain telling me to tell him the truth.
"Anyway, you've seriously changed loads. I mean, look at yourself. You've loads tonnes of weight!"
"Why is everyone saying that? Was I really that fat before?"
"No, you were chubby and I would always be able to pull your cheeks. Now I can't..." He said pouting.
"Oh so you are saying that I look bad now?" I asked feeling a bit offended.
"Uh, not at all!" He replied quickly looking horrified at my suggestion, "You look amazing! And this sari really looks good on you. Blue suits you the most!"
"I know you told me before. I remembered you when buying this sari," I blurted out and I immediately bit my tongue when I realised my blunder but Armaan was too quick to notice it. He immediately started grinning like a freak.
"So you missed me more than you say you do, right?"
"Uh, no! I just remembered you, there's a difference!"
"Yeah, whatever. So did you finally find the one!"
"What?" I asked confused...
"You know, your dream guy?"
"Uh, yeah!" I blurted out.
"What really?" He looked visibly upset which I didn't quite understand. Seeing me nod he continued.
"When? When you were abroad right?"
"Uh, no, when I was here three years ago."
As soon as I had said that, I saw his face break into a smile and soon after he was laughing his head off whilst I just stood there confused.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Oh my god, Ridz! All those guys you fancied back in college were just crushes! Seriously girl!"
With that, I got annoyed and I shouted at him.
"Shut up, Armaan! I really did love a guy back in college believe it or not. Just because I never showed it or told you, doesn't mean my love was a crush!"
I looked up at his face and I noticed his fallen expression and I heard him say sorry quietly before he left. Was I being a bit rude? But before I could think any further I was pulled by Nikki.
"Hey, Ridz, what happened? I saw Armaan looking a bit upset."
"Yeah, it was my fault. I shouted at him."
"What? Why?" This time it was Anjie.
"He made fun of my love,"
"You told him?" Nikki asked me shocked.
"No, I only told him that I was in love with someone back in college," I said with my voice breaking up. I knew that I would burst into tears any seconds now. Nikki, understanding my discomfort embraced me into a hug whilst I still tried to hold in my tears. No Riddhima, I told myself, you can cry back at home in your own privacy in your bedroom.
Hours past and the wedding was over and I still couldn't avoid Armaan in my thoughts. I had only left him because I wouldn't be able to face him all the time knowing the fact that he didn't love me. It hurt a lot. At one point I even thought of blurting out my feelings about him to him. Even if he didn't love me the same way, he would understand. After all he was my best friend. And that was the worst part of it all; I couldn't even tell about my love to my best friend...
I looked over at him talking to Rahul. I had noticed that he had seemed quite distant from after my little confession. Even when all of us friends were talking, he avoided talking to me. At the same time, I noticed that he seemed apprehensive as to whether to talk to me or not. I knew he had something to tell me.
Edited by HoneyLimeUsha - 14 years ago
203