A Short Story

I had participated in a short story competition organized by Times of India. I did not bag any awards but still wanted to share the story with you. Here it is....

I hadn’t seen him for seven years. I was not sure what was more exciting: the fact that he was coming back from Sweden or I was the first one he called in India to give this news. We had been close friends since our college days. Driving was our passion. We used to flee in my SUV on weekends. Driving through the valleys and woods would give us a crazy level of high that we both craved for. We were kind of getting addicted to it. We were enough for each other until life happened. Once we were out of college, his work took him to different corners of India while I stayed in the same city looking after my dad’s business. It was becoming difficult to see each other, in fact, even talk to each other. We had moved on. Daily talks on the phone eventually reduced to pinging on WhatsApp. I didn’t regret it as we both had chosen that life for us. Yes, I did miss him. The kind of insanity we indulged in, I don’t think anybody could match it.

That day he mailed his itinerary. He even called me. It took me a couple of seconds to find my voice.

“Hello”, I said not quite sounding like myself.

“Ria, what happened?” he asked with a tinge of concern in his voice.

“Nothing”, I replied in a better tone.

“What happened to your voice?”

I tried to chuckle. “Nothing Rohan.”

“Ok. Anyway, I have mailed my itinerary to you. I will be landing at 11 pm tomorrow. See you at the airport!”

“Wait a minute,” I paused and then continued, “Are you expecting me to receive you at the airport?”

“Obviously! Why would I send you my flight details, you fool?”

“You remember how far the airport is from my place Rohan?” I complained in a tired tone.

“So what! You have to drive. You should be jumping with excitement!” He makes me feel like nothing has changed in these years.

“Rohan, driving used to be fun before. Now it is sheer pain. You have no idea how much the city has changed! So much traffic…”

“Stop cribbing! You are coming and we are not going home after that. I want to drive around aimlessly like we used to in the good old days.”

I chuckled, “What has got into you?”

“I miss you Ria. I miss those days”, his tone changed as he uttered those words.

“Me too Rohan,” I said softly

“Then, let us relive those days now. What say?”

I smiled and replied “Yes, but how did…”

“No more questions, Ria. I am done with my life over here. I want my life back with you.”

“And you realize this after 7 years?”

“Ria, we both would be turning 30 this month. You haven’t forgotten our pact, have you?”

It struck me then and I was completely dumbstruck. I stood still gripping my phone tightly fearful that it might slip from my hand, the way the years had. Silently.

“Ria? Are you there?”

“Uh…” I couldn’t find any words. Words don’t always stand by me.

“Ten, nine, eight…” he started counting in reverse. It was one of his old tricks. He always used to do that when I couldn’t find words or when I would be too angry or anxious to say anything. His trick would always make me relax or at least made me chuckle. It worked this time as well.

“Shut up Rohan! You idiot! You couldn’t tell me before?” Suddenly, I felt a strong current flowing through my body.

“I thought you remember our pact.”

“I thought you were just kidding then,” I said trying hard to sound normal.

“I wasn’t,” he paused and continued, “I waited for you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Well, because even you didn’t tell me earlier.”

I chuckled and shook my head. Were we back in time or some things never change?

“I thought…”

“Since when did you start thinking?” he teased.

“Shut up Rohan! You are making this sound so simple.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be simple?”

“No… You were away for 7 years! I thought you have moved on and you even made me feel that I should move on.”

“Have you moved on?”

I thought for a while and replied.

 “No.”

“Good. So, I am doing my web check-in. See you tomorrow.” He clicked off the call after saying that while I stayed in my place in disbelief.

He had loved me all these years but he didn’t say anything. The pact that we had made when he was leaving for Sweden was something I didn’t take seriously.

“If we both are single till 30^th July 2015, we will get married,” he had said at the airport when I was sobbing. I had hit him when he had said that and at the same time laughed.

“I promise. I am serious. Let’s make a pact,” he said in a way that I thought he was trying to pacify me so that I stop crying. He held out his hand for the pact while I stood there still not sure why is he doing it.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven… “, he started with his stupid countdown.

“Stop it!” I cried and hugged him tightly.

All these years, he said nothing. We chatted for all these years, but never in my life had I thought that he was waiting for me. I think he was still enough for me. I never had the urge to have a relationship because he was there even when he was not there. Although the world thinks I am a successful and strong entrepreneur, I had my insecurities and fears which I always shared with him. Cribbing about everything in front of him without the thought that he would get bugged, somehow used to make me feel good. I never thought he would come back. I had assumed we will end up chatting all through our life. He had become my personal journal where I would put in all my honest thoughts without fearing about being judged. He had become a part of my subconscious. Whenever something would happen or I would get the urge of sharing it with someone, I would look for my mobile. It had become my instinct to share it with him.

How could I have thought he has moved on when he was just a click away from me? How could I have thought distances would have made this relationship end when the distances were just an illusion? He always loved me and I like an idiot never saw it!

I cried for being so stupid. He was always there and so much close to me that I was actually blinded by it. I had always loved him, but never thought we would be together ever. He is coming back for me. Tomorrow is 29^th July. It’s his birthday. 30^th July is my birthday. That’s why, he had mentioned 30^th July.

Oh my God! What am I doing here? I need to go out for shopping. I need to look my best! He is coming for me! Yayy! At once I left my work and went for shopping!

It was 9pm when I left for the airport in our favorite SUV. It would take me another one and a half hour approximately to reach the airport. I adjusted the rear view mirror and smiled before starting to drive. I couldn’t stop smiling after that call. I would get so anxious that I had to count reverse in order to relax myself. His stupid trick has become my habit too! I couldn’t remember the last time I was this happy. I was enjoying the traffic too! What’s happening to me? Suddenly life is perfect for me! Everything is awesome! I will meet the love of my life today. He was there all along but today I would see him in person. I would hug him tightly. I would first hit him. I am angry with him. Yes, I am angry. Why didn’t he say anything before? Why did he make me believe that he is just my friend? It’s his fault. I know, even I was stupid to not understand the signs. Those signs were there all this time. But still I want to fight with him. He is stupid. Such a gone case! I sat in my car suddenly realizing to look at my watch. It’s 10.15pm! I am still one hour away from the airport. I don’t want to be late! I started cursing the traffic. The trucks had jammed all the lanes. I started honking and made way through the trucks. The queue was endless. I stepped out of the car to get a perspective of how bad the traffic was. I could see the queue till the horizon and not one truck moving from its place. I should have left one hour early so that I could have reached before trucks jamming the lanes. Suddenly, I saw few cars overtaking the trucks from the opposite lane. I smiled looking at the view. You don’t feel guilty when everyone is breaking the rules. At once I got into my SUV and drove off to change the lane. I followed other cars and felt relieved that my car at least started moving ahead. When I crossed the trucks queue, I felt like I have won some car race. I was on the highway lane now. It’s now a straight road to airport! I accelerated and drove in full speed and then suddenly a truck came from nowhere and hit the car which was ahead of me and before I could step on the brake, I turned my car to the sideway reflexively where I saw flashlight that blinded me.

That’s the last memory I had before closing my eyes. I opened my eyes to white ceiling. I could hear my breathing. I looked around and in no time I could realize that I was in a hospital with windows on my left side and glass wall on my right side. There were so many people rushing on the other side of the glass wall but I could see one image standing still and watching me. It took me a while to recognize who he is.

I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. He had landed. What is the time? I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I couldn’t feel my hands though. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath. "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

He entered through the door with moist eyes. I could see him clearly now. He looks the same but I had never seen this expression on his face before. He had a pained look on his face which made me all the more helpless. I had definitely not imagined this way we would meet. He was right in front of me but I couldn’t even get up. How helpless a person could be! I had imagined every possible conversation since the moment he made that call. Never had I imagined that I wouldn’t be able to speak and I would be given only few moments to tell him what I felt about him since my entire life. My soul had left my entire body except my eyes. I couldn’t feel my body. There was no pain or maybe all this time I had borne so much pain that now it didn’t matter to me. My eyes were dying to see him. I wanted to fight with him and then I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me. I couldn’t even claim he was mine and I was losing him before that. I saw my life standing in front of me before I closed my eyes.