FOR EVER, maybe...
Chapter 2
"Hi Momo, what u doing?" Khushi called out in a sing song voice
M: "No Khushi no..I can't manage a change in plans now, just no."
Khushi smiled at herself. This was another person in her life who knew her like a transparent sheet. No amount of feigned cheerfulness has ever helped her against her bestie Dr. Mrinalini Mohini Bannerjee aka Momo. She belonged to one of those royal Bengali families where lineage was VERY important. So after 8 boys of the Bannerjee family she was welcomed like a princess. She had been name-less for the first 6 months of her life while her grandmothers fought over the right name before finally being named after both of them. So Mrinalini Mohini Bannerjee adorned the position of the 'only daughter of the Bannerjee clan'. Pampered, suffocated and smothered with love, she had threatened to kill Khushi the first time they met. The white lanky girl with long black hair to her waist hardly seemed the type who could kill; but Khushi had asked 'why'. 'My name is Momo; everyone knows that, so if I hear you call me Mrinalini Mohini once more, you are dead, new girl'. She seemed feisty albeit a little scary but a month later the mask had peeled off and she had been Khushi's best friend ever since.
K: "Please Momo, I can't make it at 8 at home, and neither can Arnav, please please come to my office at 7.30, I will treat you to dinner at True Blue'promise"
M: "you know Khushi, you are a dead woman" and she saw the call getting dis connected.
Getting death threats from Momo was as much a part of her life as going for a jog or preparing breakfast. They made her feel secure. It was 6.30 already and she had comfortably forgotten to inform Momo about the changed plans in the morning. She remembered only after getting Arnav's text which said something about 'old cows, dung heads, making me tear my hair out' etc.
At 7.30 she heard the click clock of the stilettos and she knew it was time. Momo was standing in the door frame and she was a vision in blue. God know how the woman managed to look like a diva with 10 hour shifts at the hospital, surgeries and seminars, not to mention her 'Hippocrates' obligation to rush to a patient anytime of the day. Today she had on a blue silk top, black trousers and turquoise stilettos. The neck was bare but danglers adorned her ears, the white handbag completed the look. She was sexy in a classy way, after all class was in her blood.
There was a smile of genuine happiness on her face as she hugged Khushi, but that was just for a moment.
M: "Do you really think you are going to sit beside me tonight looking like that"
K: "like what?"
M: "Like someone who has been slaving away in Afghanistan"
K: "Afghanistan?"
M: "Yeah, that's where the Talibs are you know, and showing your cleavage earns you a death penalty."
Khushi laughed aloud at this. The woman had wit that could put anyone in this world to shame. She looked down at her charcoal grey pant suit and made a face.
M: "Do you always have to wear pant suits? And button them up to your face?"
K: "It's not buttoned up to my face, you see, it an inch below that" and she laughed aloud.
M: "Cut the crap, Khushi, come with me to the ladies room."
15 minutes later they came out after Momo was convinced that Khushi looked nothing like a 'slave in Afghanistan'. She was in a white tube top over her charcoal grey pants, with a cropped grey jacket. Hair let loose, she truly felt the week was over. Momo switched on the stereo and played her favorite playlist, which always consisted of the latest in Bollywood. The woman never ceased to surprise Khushi. She was her sense organ to the world outside architecture.
True Blue was very true to its name. Everything here made you feel alive and pure. The music was amazing and so was the ambience. It was Friday, so it was a 'no limit' drinking night for Khushi. She ordered a Gin; well it was always Gin for her while Momo ragged the waiter on cocktails before ordering the most colorful one. This was so Momo, she pretended to be this hard-assed bitch but was really a child inside, who couldn't wait to see the color of her tongue after sucking a colored candy.
M: "Arnav's coming directly?"
K: "Yeah, he had texted me an hour back about 'old cows and pig heads'..I hope he makes it on time.
M: "Not that his coming late is going to make a difference, you are anyways going to wait up for him, as you always do. Tell me Khushi; have you guys gotten married or something without telling me?"
K: "Momo!!!!"
M: "Don't 'Momo!!' me; I have never seen such devotion among friends you know, seriously' I mean I am as good a friend of that idiot as you are but he is an ass, how do you tolerate his uselessness I have no idea"
Khushi smiled at this. This was Momo after one drink. And she knew she was looking forward to more of this tonight.
M: "ok, I get it; I am not as good a friend of him as you are, but seriously Khushi don't you think you people are living in a world of false happiness. You have been 'FRIENDS' now, like forever. You had a crush on him that I hoped would turn into something different. But it never did. He is such an idiot he would never recognize love if it came and danced naked in front of him. You on the other hand have buried your feelings, God knows where. You even "fell in love" with that bas***d Rahul, what good did that do? You were the one left heartbroken."
Yes that was true, she had been heartbroken and that's when she had decided to switch cities. New job, new place, she thought would erase all the bad memories. She couldn't bear the idea of seeing Rahul with his wife, after all they moved in the same circles. Her decision was supported by Arnav, without much vocal ado, though. She had found him with his bags on the same flight as her. She was grateful and a little surprised. He had always been a good friend but she never expected this. She had not had the courage to ask him anything. She was too hurt and alone and she felt her asking questions might lead to the loss of this last strand of happiness in her life'having Arnav by her side. They had moved into their present two bed room flat and things had been surprisingly smooth ever since. Momo had been shocked to say the least when Khushi had chosen Arnav over her as a roommate but she understood the fragile condition of her friend and had decided against being her usual demanding self. It has been two years now, and till date neither Arnav nor Khushi had breached the subject of 'why'.
She didn't know how long this could go on, but she hoped forever, maybe'.
She snapped out of her reverie and Arnav came and hugged her from behind.
LINK TO CHAPTER 3:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/2961742/ss-forever-maybe
Arjun
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