Oblivion
The newspapers said that the once-famous dancing star had tragically died of a broken spine. But everyone who knew Kria Ghai knew that she had died of a broken heart.
And though none of them would admit it, even to themselves, deep inside they were glad that whatever bit of life had persisted on living on in her was finally gone. She had finally found peace.
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Vicky could never crack jokes again. It wasn't like he couldn't think of them. But even when an amusing remark or a witty wisecrack presented itself in his mind, he couldn't get himself to say it out. He couldn't ever take anything lightly again. He would always blame himself for Reyaansh's death.
He had been feeling jealous. It seemed to him that only Kria, Swayam and Sharon mattered to Rey. He had been best friends with Rey first. He was there before Kria and Swayam; even beforeSharon! But no matter how many times Rey assured him that they were still best friends, he felt left out.
And so when Kria, Swayam and Sharon had ganged up against Rey and demanded that he get himself checked by a doctor, Vicky stood by Rey as he told them repeatedly that he was fine, there was nothing to worry about. Vicky remembered every detail of that conversation vividly. Rey told them that he had fallen sick due to eating roadside food before and he asked Vicky to testify for him which Vicky did, smugly telling them that when they were kids, before any one of them had known Rey, they both used to eat pani puri and masala puri quite often and it would cause Rey to fall sick but he would still eat them because he loved the roadside chats so much. He had given up eating them when his parents had figured out what was causing the problem. But he had joined the gang in their roadside picnic last week and that was what had undoubtedly caused this sickness.
Kria had not been reassured. She'd said, with an air of someone trying to explain something to a pair of five-year-olds, "But that was years ago. This could be something different. Or even if it is due to the chats, you should still go to a doctor Rey! You've already vomited three times!"
That was when Vicky had turned to Kria and said, looking serious, "Kria we have to tell you something. We shouldn't have waited this long. Please, please forgive us."
Despite knowing Vicky pretty well, Kria had looked fearful.
"Rey is pregnant. I'm the father."
Sharon and Kria had whacked him pretty hard with pillows and whatever else they could find and Swayam had just rolled his eyes. Rey, however, had laughed his head off and that was all that mattered to Vicky.
Rey had stubbornly refused to go to a doctor and had also continued dance rehearsals and teaching at the dance academy until he collapsed a week later.
The doctors at the hospital said he had to be operated on instantly or else things could get serious. He could die. They performed the surgery the same day. He still died.
It wasn't your fault Vicky.
Yes it was.
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Kria had been in New York the day Rey was taken to the hospital. She had booked the first available flight back to India. She considered herself quiet lucky to have got a ticket for just two days later. Her friends mourned about how she wasn't going to be able to see Rey one last time. For those two days, Kria called her friends hundreds of time asking for Rey. They told her he was okay but couldn't talk to her just yet. She believed them.
On looking back, they all realized that it had been so unlike Kria to have been satisfied with their weak answers to her questions, to not have probed deeper. They wondered if she had sensed the truth and been in denial of it.
They wouldn't have to wonder if they knew that before Kria had boarded her flight, she had watched an Indian news channel broadcast Rey's death as their breaking news. She had seen it with her eyes and heard it with her ears but had chosen not to believe it and she had blocked away the memory very securely. She slept for most of the flight. When she reached Mumbai the next day, she had completely forgotten about the news. She thought Nilesh and Simmi acted very weirdly at the airport, but she was too tired to think about it; she fell asleep on the way home.
They woke her up when they reached her house. She demanded to know why they were there instead of the hospital. They exchanged worried looks and finally Simmi told her that Rey had been discharged.
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Swayam had never backed away from a duty, task or favor. He was the one person everyone could rely on to do everything that was needed, and to do it perfectly.
Sharon, his friends, Rey's father- they had all thought it best to wait till Kria was with them to tell her about Rey's death. They had all also wanted Swayam to do it as he was the person closest to her after Rey.
That was the one time Swayam did back away. He refused to do it. He was incapable of it. All he could do was cry. He cried for Rey. He cried for Kria. He cried for himself.
You can do it Swayam.
No I can't.
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