Reporters aberrant 26

It was Arman!! I shouted in surprise. The last time I called my mom she said, ‘Arman has gone to Bangalore to complete his MBA’. And then, here he was… Standing in his brand new tuxedo and coat and grinning at me. His looks symbolized an early businessman. I hugged him happily. It felt like I had not seen him for centuries. He said, ‘Surprise di’. I replied, ‘Your
surprise worked!’. Suddenly someone was speaking on the other part of my phone. Oops.. I had forgotten to hung up Kabir’s call. He was still terrified. He asked me, ‘Ananya! Thank God! Are you alright? I am coming home right now’. I replied, ‘No no u don’t have to. It’s Arman. I was just WAY too thrilled to see him after so long’.

Kabir said, ‘Fine then. See you later honey. Bye, love you’. I replied back and hung up. I ushered Arman in and gave him his favorite mango juice. He said, ‘Didi how u panicked!’. He started laughing uncontrollably. I replied, ‘Very funny Arman. First tell me everything. How is mom? Did u get any job? What are your plans later on?’. He replied, ‘Calm down di. I’ ll tell you everything ‘. He narrated that he had completed his MBA and got a very nice job that offered him 10 lakhs for month. Well.. That really made my jaw drop. He continued,’ But the job has only one disadvantage: I have to leave Delhi ‘. I squealed,’ What!?! ‘. He nodded sadly,’ Indeed yes’. I enquired, ‘Then what about Ma?’. He replied, ‘I’ll take her to Mumbai too’. I asked, ‘So u have your job in Mumbai?’. He nodded. I said, ‘If u r going to Mumbai then let Ma stay with me. This way she can live in Delhi itself’. He shook his head and replied, ‘No di. I have already spoken to Ma and she has agreed to come with me to Mumbai’. I asked, ‘So u all will stay in Mumbai… forever?’. He… nodded. No!!!!!. That was much for me to take in. So if I wanted to meet my family, I would have to travel to Mumbai?.

I argued, ‘But why can’t you let Ma stay here, with me?’. He said, ‘She didn’t want to interfere in your married life di. Plus, I would be all alone in a 3 bhk flat that the company has offered me. And u know how loneliness haunts me’. When Arman was a child, me and Ma had gone out for shopping, leaving him alone at home. He was so panicked that he threw all the things here and there and fled to his room. But that’s not the reason that I would expect him to give. I said, ‘Oh please Arman! U are grown up’. He replied, ‘I don’t know di but mom agrees to come too. So..’. He got up and I said, ‘I never thought that you a believe in those stereotypes’. Arman looked at me and replied, ‘What stereotypes?’. I said, ‘The stereotype that the girl’ ‘s mother can’t stay with her after she is married’. He now got angry and replied, ‘Stop it di!! She is not stereotypical. She wants good for u, always. Please.. I just came here to meet you and share this news with you’. He left leaving me mugged up in thoughts.

Kabir reached early that day, eager to see his bestie back. He came in through the door and asked me, ‘Where’s Arman?’. I replied him sadly, ‘He left’. Kabir studied my sad face and sat next to me on the sofa. He kept his hand on mine and asked, ‘What happened?’. I narrated him the entire incident and Kabir listened patiently. He finally said, ‘Look Ananya. U don’t have to worry. If u miss them, u can go to Mumbai. I mean, we can. I myself will join you’. I looked at him and replied, ‘How will you do that?’. He replied with a smile, ‘We don’t have to take any appointments or applications to leave Mumbai for some days, do we?’. I threw my hands around him happily, tears of happiness filling up slowly. My Mr. Perfect,.. I thought. He got up and started a silent romantic song and offered a hand. I accepted it and the next minute I was dancing, with my Prince Charming. The more slowly we danced, more the romance soared, between us. I placed my head on his shoulder, and soon I was engulfed in a warm hug, soothing all my pain, worries. This medicine worked for the whole night. I am so so so lucky to have Kabir