**5 days later**
Sipping coffee and leaning on the balcony railing, I recalled her. We used to do that during our study time.
“I Miss You, not in some cheesy way,
Let’s hold hands and be together forever kind of way,
I just miss you, plain and simple,
I miss your presence in my life,
I miss you always being there for me,
I miss my best friend”
When you are with me, time just flies away. When you are not here, even seconds seem like days. Where are you? Will we ever meet??..
It was dusk, I took my cardigan and went off for a walk. I needed warmth and the burning stove wasn’t enough. I needed a drink. Walking down the lanes, I entered the bar. I took a number drinks and walked back. I stumbled as I walked. May be I drank more.. Who cares?!
“It is the hour to be drunken! to escape being the martyred slaves of time, be ceaselessly drunk. On wine, on poetry, or on virtue, as you wish. Cheers!” I recited and walked back.
Reciting those words again and again, my feet stopped involuntarily as someone called her name, in a British accent. I turned just to find a lady with a perfect figure. I stumbled but reached near her, with every second my heart pounded like a pump that would come out any moment. I put my hand on her shoulder and I stumbled back on watching the person in front of me. Yes it was her!!..
Somewhere I felt happy but then again thinking it to be some hangover I rubbed my eyes. I kept on rubbing.
“It’s really me” she said. Her eyes showed pain with tear stains. In the process to wipe them off, stumbled and darkness engulfed me.
When I woke up in the morning, my head hurt. I took support of the table and got up only to see her coming to me and helping me out. I rubbed my eyes again as she offered me lemon juice.
“Still shocked?” she asked and cupped my face “Is it okay?”
“You are really here?”
“I think you drank too much”
“Indeed. It was so cold, yesterday”
“But not as much as you got drunk” she sighed.
“I’m happy to get you back, my friend” I hugged her from no where. The thing mattered the most was I got her back but we cared more about useless things rather hugging like we used to do then!!..
“I missed you” her voice cracked and I could sense my shirt wet.
“You’re crying?” we parted.
“I missed you so much”
“If you did, you would have returned. You promised to keep contact but disappeared like the perpetual wind” I hugged her again.
Sometimes only a hug does magic. I know that miles and distance don’t matter in friendship. I don’t care whether it is Monday, Wednesday or Sunday, every moment is boring and gloomy when my friend is away. I missed her. Did she forget me away? Did she forget me that she never tried to contact?
“I always order two cups of coffee when I go out. Even the sight of an extra cup lying across the table makes me smile… because it reminds me of the time when you were there” she said “Our selfies are not just pictures that we took together. They are they priceless memories that keep me sane when you’re not here. I missed you”
“Awe! So cute” Nikhil came. He was no more the lean slacky guy, he had abs now.
He hugged Swara and she hugged him back. It did prick my heart but this is no new!!.. Thousands have pricked my heart these two years and I’m getting used to it.
“Mommy” someone hugged Swara from her back and she turned to reach out a small baby.
“Baby” Swara and Nikhil kissed the small child and she kissed them back. Perfect family!!..
I was being a middle men between them. The little girl stood beside me and pulled my cheeks.
“So chubby!!” I widened my eyes in shock and she shied like a teenage girl.
“How old are you?”
“Four” she shied again. Unique!!..
Swara was never this shy. I guess, Nikhil had this problem. After I freshened up we all settled down for breakfast. Swara was the same influencing person, she made me stay there till dinner and leave from there the next day.
I went to the hotel I was staying to pack my clothes with the little girl, Tina. After packing she accompanied me for shopping and then I made her eat ice-cream. We had a quality time together and this little girl was so smart!!.. Like mother like daughter!!.. Both are beauties!!..
She pulled me down before wiping the ice crimps from my face and I bent down as she ordered.
“You know you are handsome!” I guess she remarked or I already knew!!..
“I know, Sweety” I kissed her cheeks and she kissed me back.
“But you don’t know that I love you ?” she husked in my ears. I looked at her in shock, Swara was definitely going to have a tough time with this girl.
“I love you too, baby”
“I am not that kind of baby” her face dulled.
“Then which kind of baby you’re?”
“I love you and will you marry me?” she kissed my cheeks again and I cleared my throat to gain attention. Smarty pants!!..
We moved out without speaking anything. The next morning, Swara, Nikhil and Tina dropped me at the airport and she came back to me again.
“I love you” she kissed my cheek in front of her parents “Mommy, you know Sanky promised he would marry me”
Swara and Nikhil looked up at me in shock and then laughed aloud.
“You’re daughter is more than you too!”
“We know!” both chorused and I left for India again.
The unspoken word never does harm. I never said ‘I love you’ to her. It was not that, that was difficult but sometimes keeping quiet does no harm!!..
What hurts is knowing that I love you, but what’s worse is when you ask me who it is… Life goes on and we have to know what is fate and what is imagination.
I started to die the day my heart started to beat for you….because you were with somebody else..and that you’re not mine. But you’ll be always there in my heart…..
“Because You’re Still The One….”
A/N:
I hope I didn’t bore you guys!!..