by vidit chopra
Chapter 8: Was it going to be fun?
In a week’s time Simran’s summer break started off as well and so it was time for us to do what we did every year and that was to visit Ayesha and Kabir but I was still in a dilemma that was it going to be fun or yet another miserable visit. Simran planned it all, the tickets were booked and we were to leave in a week’s time.
“It’s going to be fun. Just like last time.” Simran said remembering the past moments that she enjoyed and I hated.
“For you, yeah, for me, I am not too sure.” I said.
“Why do you say that?” She asked.
“Will Tanya be there?” I counter questioned.
“I don’t know but the last time I spoke to her she was going to visit her grandparent’s and would be staying there for a week. That’s what she told me. Why do you ask?” She said.
“Just like that.” I said heaving a sigh of relief. Given the fact that she won’t be there meant there won’t be any awkward silence moments nor ‘below the belt’ and ‘above bearing limit’ pranks.
“Seriously, what happened between the two of you?” Simran asked getting serious all of a sudden.
“Nothing happened. Was something supposed to happen ‘between’ us? We ‘slept’ together that doesn’t mean we need to take it to the next level.” I said and winked.
“Very funny. It was so funny my stomach will ache if I will try to laugh anymore. Now tell me what happened.” She asked not giving up.
“Nothing happened. Did she say anything to you?” I asked.
“No she didn’t. That’s the problem neither you talk about her nor she does. Something sure has happened. Ever since that wave thing happened at school, you deactivated your account the same night, the next morning you came to me and asked me not to tell anyone what happened at school. Since then Tanya never spoke of you.” Simran said trying to link things up.
“As if she spoke about me before that.” I said.
“Yes she did.” She replied.
“Would be all words of hatred I suppose.” I said.
“Well I wouldn’t say that. In fact you were our favourite topic of discussion. We discussed you for hours.” She said.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I asked startled.
“How many times will I have to tell you no abuses, at least not in front of me.” She said.
“Okay okay. I am sorry but what do you mean by what you just said?” I asked.
“We spoke about you. That’s it. What’s the big problem in that?” She said.
“No. Nothing really. So in what context did you talk about me?” I asked.
“I am not telling you that.” She said and laughed.
“Why not?” I asked.
“It was girls talk. Let it stay that way and as it is we rarely talk about you now, in fact we just don’t talk about you now. That reminds me, interestingly, the day that wave thing happened which wasn’t as big a thing as you made it, she sent me a message on facebook. The message read, ‘I like your brother’ with a wink emoticon and a broad smile one too but I just fail to understand what conspired that nothing eventually happened between the two of you.” She said and was lost in thought for a couple of moments.
“I too feel sad for you people. All the pep talk about me and Tanya, you just couldn’t have any of that anymore so it would have been tough.” I said.
“Oh shut up, women always have enough to gossip about. If I want I can frustrate you to a point that you will be tearing your hair out. Do you want me to try that?” She said.
“Oh please, I don’t want to. I have complete faith in your abilities I know you can do that to me. You have come pretty close to making me do that a couple of times before as well and now I think my immune system is breaking so I might eventually tear my hair out this time so just let it be!” I said.
“Get lost Vishal.” She said.
“Okay.” I said.
“FYI I am for sure going to find out what happened between the two of you!” She said.
“Leave it alone. You are never going to know!” I said.
“Only time will tell that!” She replied and smiled. The same wicked smile which she had on her face whenever she was going to do something that was going to be fun for her and not for me!
The week passed by rather slowly so I had to resort to opening up the disease again to kill time. I had already removed Tanya so I could use it freely. Most time of the day I was on it chatting with someone or the other, as if it was the only means of entertainment left.
Sometimes I fail to understand why men are always after women, I mean why can’t one be self-sufficient. I sometimes feel that since the day boys realised the difference between a boy and a girl, they started running after girls. I even fail to understand what they want. If you like a girl, fine you spend time with her but no, a boy likes a girl, begs her to spend more time with him, bears all the miseries of having a ‘girlfriend’ and then, then one fine day he goes out with her again to find another person from the women race much more attractive and much more intriguing than the person standing next to him. He learns about that woman’s whereabouts, relationship status (these two words kind of reminded me of something but more on that later), finally, ditching the person for whom he spent days and days only to make her talk to him, to meet that person. It’s as if they are longing for something that women have which most probably is the reason they are all the time running after them. I know what you are thinking, well it can be that as well, but let’s face it, fact is a fact, men can just never be self-sufficient.
Meanwhile my addiction towards facebook was increasing by the day. It was as if I was a vampire and facebook was blood. I believe all of you might be able to understand what happens when a vampire doesn’t drink blood for a long time and then he is supplied with surplus of it. It just wouldn’t want to get off it! (For all those facebook fans out there, I know you would have been upset with me for calling your lovely site a disease but now I am calling it blood as well. Blood, without which you just wouldn’t be able to survive and wouldn’t have been able to open the site ever again!)
That week went with most of the time being occupied by the computer screen, either playing a game, chatting with friends from school, finding old friends from different places and talking to them. I felt complete after a long time. The hole that Tanya dug was somehow filled by facebook! (There you have it; I compared it to a woman as well!)
The day finally came and we were on the train again and there I was analysing the people around again. It wasn’t like the previous return trip, this time we were suffocated by a family of eight who occupied six seats. With the children amongst the mix, four adults and four evil souls! I knew it was going to be a misery till these people were around. There was a lot of jibber jabber from the kids and I could rarely understand what they spoke. Simran, on the other hand was enjoying their company, joking and playing with them.
“It’s fun to be around kids. It kind of brings back that kid in me.” She said.
“Wake up! You still are a kid.” I said mocking her.
“Shut up kiddo! But seriously, I do miss being a kid.” She said and smiled.
“Well given the fact it was the only time life was simple and there wasn’t any sort of worry in the world. In that aspect I miss it too.” I said.
“True. I like that thought!” She replied.
The train was scheduled to reach around 9 P.M. at Dehradun railway station and I was already starting to enjoy the trip, the scenery outside, the only thing I didn’t like were the kids in the compartment. They were just too nosy! I didn’t really care of what they were doing and kept looking outside enjoying the scenery till it was dark. It was around 7 and so we decided to have a cup of coffee. I went to the pantry to bring two cups while Simran took out the biscuits. Given the fact that I still had to bear the jibber jabber for more than two hours (taking into account the condition of Indian Railways as I described in my previous trip) I needed some ai
r where there was no snatching, no throwing of food, no changing of diapers, no shouting and crying. I went to the pantry and came out with two cups coffee and marched back to my compartment.
“Arrey Vishal beta!” I heard a voice calling my name from the compartment behind me. I turned to see who it was. I just couldn’t understand what to say when I saw who it was.
It was Tanya’s mom.
“Hello aunty.” I said.
“What a pleasant coincidence.” She said.
“Yes aunty. What a pleasant coincidence.” I repeated even though I was more shocked rather than surprised on seeing her.
“So you are on your way to Dehradun?” She asked.
“Yes aunty. Simran’s exam just got over and I too was free so we decided on paying a visit them.” I said.
“Oh Simran has also come. Where is she?” She asked.
“We are just a couple of compartments away. I will just go and call her. Will you like some coffee?” I asked.
“Oh thank you beta. Call Simran as well. Let’s sit together. That way we will be able to pass time quickly.” She said.
“Oh sure aunty. I will just call her.” I approved of her idea, for I will no longer have to bear dirty diapers and smell of shit mixed with Johnson’s baby powder anymore.
“Call her and look Tanya is here as well.” She said her eyes left to me. When I heard that I was already regretting approving her idea. It was going to be miserable two hours or so. Shit and baby powder was any day better. At least baby powder smelled good.
I turned to look at her. She was standing there, a couple of feet away from me. She was wearing purple tank top with blue jeans and was looking as usual beautiful, the term I have always associated her with, but the only thing different from the last time we met was I didn’t care. I would be rude if I deny that she didn’t smell good because she did. I smiled and gave a nod so as to say “hi”
She reciprocated what I just did. She was feeling as uncomfortable as I was.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“Ya. Thanks.” She said, smiled and took her seat next to her mom.
“Where is Simran di…….Didi?” She asked and smiled.
“I will just go and call her.” I said and moved towards my compartment. On my way I was trying to analyse that which compartment was better, ours, with shit and nice smelling baby powder plus the idiotic kids or, the other one with shit which smelled nice minus the kids.
‘Minus the kids’ factor made her compartment better than ours, so I thought it would be better spending the remaining journey in their coach doing the same thing as I was doing there, keeping quiet and waiting for the journey to end.
“What took you so long and where is the coffee?” Simran asked as soon as she saw me.
“I met Tanya’s mom on the way. They have their seats three compartments from here.” I said.
“Oh that’s a pleasant coincidence.” She said.
“Ya it is. They were calling you and moreover I think it would be better if we spend rest of the journey in their compartment as aunty had asked me so and I agreed.” I said.
“Is Tanya there as well?” she asked getting up from her seat.
“Yes, she is.” I replied.
“It’s going to be fun then.” She said with a broad smile on her face.
“You bet.” I said with a lot of sarcasm.
We moved to their coach and took a seat.
Simran met them and they all had a good laugh about the coincidence.
“It’s so nice to meet you di.” Tanya said hugging Simran and had a broad smile on her face. Her smile still had some effect on me and soon that feeling of emptiness that facebook had temporarily filled was back. I quietly took the corner seat and tried to look out of the window but just wasn’t able to do so as it was pretty dark.
“Oh I am so sorry we took your coffee.” Tanya’s mom said while she took a sip.
“Oh no problem aunty. Vishal will bring another cup.” Simran said.
“Ya. I will just do so.” I said and started walking again. I had made a plan to cut down sitting down in the coach time by standing near the gate for ten minutes, standing in the queue for washroom which, given the number of passengers (blame sex for it) is pretty long and then go to the pantry to bring coffee and on the way back walk as slowly as possible. This would have consumed at least half an hour which meant the misery of sitting would have cut down to around an hour but Tanya’s mom had other plans.
“Wait Vishal.” She said.
“Yes aunty.” I said.
“Take Tanya along. Who knows how much time these people might take and it’s always good to have company when someone is making you wait!” She said.
“No aunty it’s fine. I will go. It doesn’t take much time. Took me two minutes to bring this one.” I said.
“I too think Tanya should go with you. It’s been a long time since you two have met. Catch up a bit.” Simran said.
“Yes. She is right.” Aunty supported her.
“Okay.” I said as I wasn’t left with any other option. The only way this could be prevented was if Tanya declined to come but on the contrary she simply stood up and walked up to stand right next to me.
“Let’s go.” She said.
“Okay.” I said.
We moved towards the pantry and reached there in a minute or so. None of us uttered a word nor did we look at each other. I ordered two coffees and he instantly started making it. We waited patiently, still not talking, the awkward silence still existing. In a couple of minutes he handed me two cups of coffee and I held them in my hand. They were pretty hot. We started walking back but half way through the thumb of my left hand started to burn as it touched the hot coffee in the cup. I just couldn’t bear the heat and was on verge of dropping the cup.
“Give it to me.” Tanya said and took the cup from my hand.
“Thanks.” I said.
“Okay.” She replied.
The silence persisted again after that brief conversation as we reached the coach and took our seats again. I handed over the coffee to Simran and Tanya handed over a cup to me.
Simran and aunty got busy talking about something which neither Tanya nor I could understand maybe because we missed the initial part of it. That left us with no choice but to sit quietly in our corners for we had nothing to say in what the ‘women’ were talking about nor were we interested in talking to each other. With time the awkwardness started to fade but by the time it was complete gone, we had already reached the station and it was finally time to get off. It was a good practice though for now that she was back, it meant she was going to be part of the group again so I needed to try and be normal whenever she was around if I had to enjoy this trip! I knew it was going to be difficult but this practice session aka the train trip did make me a bit immune to her.
We all got off at the Dehradun railway station and walked out. We bid farewell to Tanya and her mom as they followed their driver to the parking lot. Kabir’s parents were out of town to attend someone’s marriage and were supposed to return after two days which meant the house would belong to us for the next two days. They wanted Kabir & Ayesha to come along as well but as our plan was already made beforehand Kabir and Ayesha decided to stay back. Their parents being out of town was in a way awesome but in a way sad given that we would have to search for a ride to take us to their house and finding one at around quarter to ten in the night is not that difficult yet today it was turning out to be a pain in the ass. We asked a couple of drivers but no one was willing to go that way. After a while, a black colour Scorpio, the car I mean, stopped right in front of us. I wanted to ask for a ride but there was something fishy about that car so I decided to give it a pass. I searched around to see if there was any possibility of finding a taxi but the probability now appeared to be close to zero. While I was looking around, the window of the back seat opened and someone said, “Vishal beta come with us. We will drop you home.” It was Tanya’s mom. No wonder I found that
car fishy, Tanya was sitting in it after all!
At that moment, I didn’t want to accept her offer nor did I want to deny because if I did we might have had to walk all the way to the house and chances of survival while doing that were pretty bleak.
“No aunty it’s fine. We will manage.” I said.
“Shut up Vishal. Let’s go. Thank you for the lift aunty.” Simran said, opened the door and hopped in. I gave in as there was no point denying that it was logical.
I took the seat in the front next to the driver and we started moving. The three of them were sitting on the back end and soon the chattering started off.
“Ayesha just texted me that her parents are out of town so you people might find it difficult reaching home. I thought we should rather give you a ride.” Tanya said.
“That’s so sweet of you. Thanks. Isn’t that sweet Vishal.” Simran said. I just failed to understand why she had dragged me in the conversation.
“Yeah. Very sweet. Thanks.” I said my tone rather sarcastic still a bit genuine given the fact that if they hadn’t given us a lift we would sure have been stranded.
I took this car trip to be yet another practice session of getting immune to Tanya. We reached their house in about twenty minutes and bid adieu to both of them yet again.
“I hope that you are coming tonight Tanya.” Simran said after I had smiled as a remark that I generally used to say ‘bye’ and had already started to walk towards Kabir’s place.
“I don’t know. Aren’t you people tired? You should take some rest.” Tanya said.
“Shut up grandma. We are not sixty that we need to ‘take some rest’ after a train journey.” Simran said.
“I don’t know.” She replied and looked at her mom.
“I hope aunty it won’t be a problem if she comes over tonight?” Simran asked Tanya’s mom after being able to pick up what Tanya was pointing at.
“No beta, no problem at all. If she wants to go, she can. We are kind of a family now. You too are just like my kids and since Ayesha’s parents are not here you people are my responsibility. I won’t say much. Enjoy the night.” Tanya’s mom said. I was amazed by her open mindedness. It was kind of a good thing given that the people from her generation rarely understand how the gen x feels.
“Do you have a problem Tanya?” Simran asked.
“Um, No problem. I will meet you people in half an hour. You people also freshen up till then.” Tanya said.
“Okay . You too freshen up and see you in half an hour. Bye aunty. Good night.” Simran said and we started to walk towards Kabir’s house which was just a couple of yards away.
“Why did you invite her?” I asked pretty much pissed at her for inviting Tanya over.
“What’s the problem? She is kind of family now. Isn’t she?” Simran said and winked.
“Seriously what happens to you once you are out of Delhi? What makes you talk so much crap?” I said.
“Shut up grandpa.” She said again and smiled.
“What did I do that you are calling me grandpa?” I asked.
“Well you qualified for that position around five minutes back.” She said.
“Shut up.” I replied.
We reached their house and after the hugging and rejoicing of seeing each other after a year was over we went off to freshen up for dinner. I was ready for dinner in fifteen minutes as it is I was starving and could have even eaten an empty plate but sadly I wasn’t provided with that either. Tanya was supposed to join us for dinner which meant we couldn’t start before she arrived. I hated her so much. After around twenty minutes she arrived. Even though she was just a couple of minutes late as soon as she entered I said, “Ah look who is here! What took you so long?”
“I was supposed to arrive after half an hour I guess. That’s what I told Simran di if you remember.” She replied. She was right. I was over reacting.
“Oh forgive him Tanya. He just can’t stay away from you for long when he is here that’s why he is over reacting. Come let’s have dinner.” Ayesha said mocking yet again.
“Shut up Ayesha.” I said.
“Okay big bro now come and have dinner or you will have to starve for the remaining night and tomorrow morning as well!” She replied.
I did want to reply but I thought having food was a better option at the moment.