Maya

I sat in the Coffee Cafe waiting for him. My heartbeat raced with every single second passing by. I arrived earlier than the scheduled time. I gazed at the menu card but nothing went past my head because of my nervousness.

When I looked up from the card in my hand, I saw a man in his black jeans with a white and blue check shirt. I stood up in shock. Four years has changed him so much.

Soon, Akash noticed me when I reluctantly waved my hands. We both took our seats and the awkward silence filled the air. We had no idea where to start from.

Four years is a really long time.

" What would you like to have, sir?" A waiter asked Akash and looked at me when Akash turned towards me.

" One Cappuccino for me. You?" I asked Akash, hardly looking at him.

" Same for me too." His words triggered the memories of the good old days. I controlled my emotions.

It felt too much but still I was trying my best to not have a breakdown in public.

" Ok, sir." The waiter left and we were left alone in an awkward kind of situation.

" Maya, how are you?"

" What do you think?" My reply made his lips part for a second and he sighed a little later as if understanding the meaning behind my words.

" Akash, I want to know everything. Please tell me. Please. Whatever happened that day, I need to know. You need to tell me every single thing. " My eyes moistened though my face represented anger.

After a pause, he said, " Can you go back to the past once again and see everything without judging? Can you forget every alleged statement against me and think it fresh? Can you, Maya?"

His eyes had pain and suffering which were reflected in his words. My mind went blank and while gulping, I simply nodded.

" Can you believe in my words, once again, Maya?"

" I will," I shouted. Or at least I thought I had shouted but in reality, I hardly made those words out of my mouth.

" What if I say I wasn't involved in it in any way and everything was just a misunderstanding?" My eyes went wide. I looked at him and asked him to explain when he continued from the day of the programme.

" I was excited to perform in front of Rahul and Rajiv sir but more than that, I was excited to perform next to you as a partner. The next day when I went to the theatre, I met Priya and others. I was talking to them when I saw Shreya with sir. I was waiting for you but when I saw you were getting late, I approached Shreya. She didn't tell me the complete thing but somewhere I knew something bad happened.

" Then Priya came in and said that she will be the lead actress. I asked the sir and when I got to know that you are seriously injured. I told them to put someone else in my role and that I can't do this but sir requested me to perform with Priya because there was no other option left." I felt choked but still I kept listening to him. He took a deep breath.

He then continued," Priya and I were selected but I had no wish to perform anymore. I was already tense about you not picking up my calls. I tried to meet you even but with no luck. I just found out that Shreya got the whole thing wrong. I heard a few days later from sir that you had come to the theatre but you left... without meeting me." His last words faded as his eyes wavered.

" Your order, madam." I nodded at the waiter without looking up. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I wiped them off silently. You shouldn't cry in a public place. Stop Maya.

" You could have called me." I choked out my words. He looked up at my tearful face and soon worriedly handed me a tissue.

" Don't cry, Maya. I didn't tell you all this to see you crying. I waited for 4 years because I didn't want you to cry. Please don't cry." I looked at him only to find his worried and painful pair of eyes.

" Why didn't you call me, Akash? Why are you telling me all this after four years? Why?" I asked in my hoarse voice.

" I had called you but you never picked up. Later, Pranav told me that my calls disturb your state. It only makes your condition deteriorate whenever they feel that you are recovering. I gave up on calls and stayed away from you, not because your brother threatened me but because I didn't want to make you upset even if it meant for me to stay away. I can take all the pain but I know you the best." He gave out a smile and leaned forward to wipe off my tears.

" I know even if you act all tough when it comes to friends and family, you become too emotional. You care for them a lot."

I looked up and couldn't help but chuckle at his cute smile. After all, my days were turning to be happy.

Once again.

★★★

" The moon is now finally back with the star."

" What?" I asked, confused at his words.

He turned to me and made a serious face as he said," There was this article which I read once, The moon is always seen with the star, they can never part because of their friendship and bond. But the time came when the moon had to part with the star when she went to the Sun with her parents." He turned to the sky above.

" Star which shined brightly with the Moon by her side, couldn't shine with the Sun. But she decided to wait. Moon and star both waited for each other, crying and hoping for the best. And when they met again, this time, they promised each other to stay together forever." My lips curved up by the end of the story.

" So are you assuming that I had been crying without you and couldn't shine like that star with the Sun?" I asked with a pout.

He looked at me in horror as he tried to frame his words. " I...I didn't...mean that way. Like... That is a story."

" Oh really?" I hardly kept a straight face. " To tell you, I was not crying for you, okay?" I blew my hair off my face.

This time he caught my joking tone as he replied, " This little boy feels hurt." He presses his chest in a dramatic manner as we laughed out.

" Maya, thank you for believing in me. And for everything," Akash said as he looked at me with those sincere eyes.

We started walking towards the alley to my home. I told him to not worry but he insisted on dropping me home. All those beautiful days and also those painful memories slowly crept my head but it only made me smile. I was back again with my best friend just like the story of the moon and star.

Suddenly remembering the keyring, I pulled it out from my bag and shoved it in front of his eyes. He immediately halted and realised his gift as he gave me a wide smile.

" You have been carrying this all along?" I shrugged and ruffled his hair as I always did. It felt weirdly satisfying.

Feeling awkward and embarrassed, I hopped and went a little ahead of him to avoid him reading through my thoughts.

He soon caught up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders to make me stand still.

" What?"

He then came near and put the ring on the chain of my bag. " This will always protect you at times when I am not present. "

" Wow... but you said it will bring luck and fate. Did it change its job? " I joked.

" No, but it has got one more responsibility to handle." Soon we were laughing our hearts out.

I have never laughed so much in these few days. Life is so tough at times that you forget to even laugh and enjoy. I am happy now that we solved the differences.

★★★

Ajay

This is so hard. Managing two flats. But it was worth it to see her annoyed face. Anger and confusion were written clearly on her face. I was in the Parvati building, scrolling down my phone when it buzzed loudly. It was my sister, Lina.

I picked the call. " Tell baby. What's up?"

" Bhai, I am not a baby," she said in a fake angry voice and soon chuckled and said with extra sweetness, " What are you doing?"

" Playing with spiders. You want to?"

" Bhai," she shouted and heaved a deep breath as if trying to control her anger and continued with her extra sweet voice," Bhai, you are so good. You are amazing. You are fabulous. You are the best brother."

I knew immediately that she wants something from me and is now trying to butter me up. "Cut it out. What do you want?"

" You are so smart," she said in another attempt to butter me up.

" Lina, come to the point and talk in a normal way." She cleared her throat at the other end.

" Then listen, bring Maya didi home. We want to meet her. " She demanded while I could hear mom talking to my father. So this was what she wanted.

" Oh, that is the matter. Forget about that in this life. Ask me in the next life."

She soon protested," Why? Come on Bhai, what is your problem with her? She is a sociable and considerate girl so why do you hate her so much?" I heard some indistinct noise and realized she must have gone somewhere else to talk.

" That is the very reason. She talks too much and for her, mom made me socialize with people as well. Also, she is so stubborn that even if a bull comes her way she won't budge. "

She laughed at the other end of the line and replied, " What an excuse! Well, you have to give her phone number to me. You can have a problem with her but I don't. So do that favour for me. Also, mom is angry with you. Talk to her." She handed the phone to mom.

" Yes? I know what you are going to tell me now but listen to me. Maya is a sweet girl. You two have spent your three years of childhood together. Now that you are meeting again, why don't you shake hands and become friends? What is your problem?" Her low voice suddenly grew loud and my phone almost fell out of my hand.

I held my phone tight, avoiding it to fall and break. Then I brought it back to my ears and replied, " Calm down mom, listen to me. First of all, just shaking hands doesn't make us friends and secondly, as you wanted me to take care of her so I shifted just next to her flat. I even told her the password to unlock my flat. So don't worry about Maya. "

The line went silent and soon enough, I heard my mom and Lina gasping as if it was unbelievable for them. I played with the TV remote in front of me when I heard, " Oh my God, Bhai you seriously did that? Yes! Proud of you, my boy." She mimics the dialogue, Papa often used to tell me whenever I behaved well.

" Who is trying to mimic me?" I heard the intense voice of my father from a distance.

" Now mom, worry about me instead of her."

" Why should I worry about you? You are a young boy with a lot of energy and you are a celeb as well, " she says with an unbearable amount of excitement for what I told her about shifting.

" What if your dear daughter kicks me out of this flat?"

" She won't do that even if she hates you. She is not that type of person."

" Yeah yeah I know," I rolled my eyes.

" Don't roll your eyes." She again got her assumption right. How did she know that I was rolling my eyes? God knows. " You did a good job today. Good night and don't stress out yourself. Sleep tight."

" Good night, mom. Good night, Lina."

" Good night, Bhai. Don't forget what I told you."

" Hmm... I will send and also focus on your studies. Bye." I ended the call and went to the balcony, wearing a full black hoodie, taking care of the privacy rules after giving Lina her phone number. First I thought of telling her that I gave her number to Lina but then I knew, talking to her about anything only leads to unnecessary fights.

I looked down the alley when under the dim street light I saw Maya hopping around, twirling her bag and holding someone's hand and curiously talking. I couldn't notice that someone and what they were up to.

I turned to go inside and found the gift placed on my desk. I have to return this.

I looked at the gift-wrapped box. I still didn't forget the words secretly hidden in that gift. I will just return this and end the interview as fast as possible. Then we can part our ways.

I somewhere felt uneasy, a tingling feeling in my heart but whatever it was, I don't know. Or maybe, I just don't want to know.

~•~

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