It was a very happy day for me. After all I was finally visiting my aunt’s place after almost four years. We were in contact through phone calls and messages over these years but the excitement of seeing her made my heart flutter with happiness. My aunt has always been my secret sharer. Whatever happened in my life, I could share it to her without any hesitation. And she never scolded me for my mistakes, rather, she made me understand it in the politest ever way.

My eyes shone bright as her big house came into my view. Our car slid under the car shade and we, I and my parents, got down. I hurriedly went inside to meet her to only see her talking to someone whom I have never seen before. I stopped at the door step and kept looking at the man and my aunt from some distance. Mother came from back and as I turned to see her, I could see a big smile over her face.

“Paarijaat?” my mother called aloud in excitement.

Aunt and that man turned towards us listening to my mother and a warm smile got spread over their face.

“Candy sister? How are you?” that man smilingly came forward and asked.

“I am good, what about you?” mom asked.

“As always, very good”

“How is Leena?” was my mother’s next question.

“She is good too”

The questionnaire round kept on extending and I started to get bored. Moreover, I was feeling hungry but I wasn’t sure about sharing the feeling at that moment. Probably aunt understood it and came forward and held my hand.

“Little doll, come here” she said as she took me inside the room “how are you?” she asked next.

“Aunt” I went near my aunt’s ear and whispered, she gave a nod and kept listening “who is this man?”

She then looked straight into my eyes and smiled.

“I would tell you about him but at first come get freshened up and have something. You came from far so you might be hungry. Come with me” saying so, aunt took me inside to a room that she has set up for me.

I hurriedly took bath and changed my clothes as my curiosity only increased as the time passed. After getting dressed up in relaxing clothes I went out to see that aunt has made my favourite mixed vegetable roll and seeing that my curiosity ran away from my mind for some time. I happily started to savour the best vegetable roll available on the earth and aunt started to narrate about that man.

“That man has been my best friend, all my life” without saying anything I only kept on listening to aunt and she kept on saying “he and I, we met in college. I was very much famous in my college because of my presence in every programs held by our college. I used to either take part or become a part of organizer team. And he was the part of student leader team of our college. He was that rowdy kind of boy, who only listened to himself, hardly attended any class and always stayed ready for protests of any issue. The cultural committee and members of student leader team always worked together so all of us grew close as time passed. I and Paarijaat, that man” she pointed towards the man who was still talking to my mother and continued saying “became very close friends. Since we both were in the same class, our friendship was forever discussed off. Many thought us to be in relationship but I understood the meaning of pure friendship only after meeting him”

I looked into my aunt’s eyes. Her eyes were shining as she narrated rest of the story that I never heard before.

“TWENTY YEARS AGO

It was the annual day of our college and the last annual day celebration for me in which I took part in the drama and welcome dance. I was getting ready along with all other girls when suddenly Paari came in inside the class, which has become makeup room for the girls that day. All other girls grew uncomfortable and kept on looking at both of us until I walked out with Paari. My makeup was half done.

“Looking like some crazy psycho witch” he commented and started to laugh after pulling my cheeks.

“Paari this was wrong, you shouldn’t have barged in like that”

“Ohho Adu I wanted to inform you about something”

“And that is?”

“We are going for a long bike ride after this program gets over. I just want some break from this hustle and bustle. You know, my father is forcing me to get married already”

“What?”

“Yeah, he is saying this since a month now. I thought he would eventually stop saying about my marriage after seeing my disinterest but today morning things went out of control. He called some girl’s father and that old man questioned me like some police officer. It felt suffocating” listening to all of it, I laughed aloud “what’s so funny in this?” Paari asked.

“Until today I have heard about girls saying all these but you saying it, is what I least expected”

“Adu I know this is not at all normal but from the day my father got to know about his growing cancer he could only think about getting me married to someone”

Paarijat have always been the strongest boy I have seen. Few months back his family got to know about his father’s growing cancer but I have never seen him falling weak, rather, he consulted all the doctors’ in our city and talked to them. Doctors’ were positive about his father getting completely cured but being the patient, his father always thought that he might die any day.

“Adu just take me somewhere far, all these chaoses in life is getting on my nerves now”

“Okay fine, relax now. We would go to the hill side after this program is done. Now go and help the organizer committee if they need something and let me get ready”

“That’s like my friend, well you are looking very beautiful” he said and ran away from there that day.

After the program ended, both of us went to our own personal visiting spot. Not many people knew about the place but we both discovered it as we enjoyed roaming around the city at times by bunking college and that became the worst mistake of our life.

Paari’s father got to know about us being close and thought of us being in any relationship and straightaway came to my house with the proposal of marriage. My parents had no problem because Paari’s family was well off. They had their family business and Paari was the only heir of their family. So, without informing both of us, our marriage got fixed.

Paari got to know about this at first and hurriedly came to my house and explained the situation. I got angry as I heard everything, the person whom I forever thought of as a friend only was going to be my husband in a month. I couldn’t digest the fact and decided to talk to my parents. I did as thought but everyone had only one question, if I and Paari were just friends then why did I went with him in his bike and why did everyone from college thought of us as girl friend and boy friend? Both of us couldn’t make them understand at that time that friendship could be of that sort as well and owing to all these my friendship with Paari ended. Our marriage was called off and I went away to another city to ignore everyone’s question about why my marriage got cancelled.

Our college friends made it a huge issue and slowly all the connections got cut. Years passed, Paari’s father got well and he got married to a girl named Leena. When my marriage discussions begun with your uncle I came back to my own city and coincidently clashed with Paari again. By that time, we have grown older; he even had a girl child. I shared about my marriage with him and invited his family. All the misunderstandings got sorted between both of our family and we became friends again.”

Aunt took a pause after seeing me not eating as I was completely concentrating on the story. She took hold of my hand that was holding a roll and stuffed it inside my mouth.

“Eat and listen” she scolded and I nodded.

After completely eating the roll, I asked “aunt, did you both never felt that you might be in love”

“Maira, love and friendship are completely different feelings. At times we get confused between both and that leads to complications. Me and Paari never felt love for each other. We both cared for each other a lot but the exact feeling of love was never present between us. Maybe, that’s why we still bond so strongly. At times we even gossip about our partners with each other in funny way but that is all what is friendship. His wife is now my gossip partner against him just like your uncle and Paari gossip about their wives with each other. This is life and this is how it should be, simple and happy.”

“That means I probably do not love Advait, it is just my extra care about him” I suddenly said aloud my thoughts and by the time I realized the damage was already done.

“Well well my little princess, it depends but for now just concentrate over studies. No love or relationships okay?” aunt said.

“Can’t promise though” I winked and both of us laughed aloud in unison.

___________

Story of someone very close to my heart that really taught me the meaning of friendship. Hope everyone would love it.

Much love always
Nilanjana ❤️