It’s Not Right…but It’s Okay

by Anuj Tiwari

  He feels he should listen to his mom and get into a relationship. By getting engaged at least someone will be there to pamper him or choose the colour of the shirt he is going to wear or the hairstyle he should keep. However, his mom wants him to get married without getting into an affair or a relationship. Sometimes during these moments he feels alone, but he is courageous enough to deal with it on his own. He is not scared of the future, or of the successes and failures that are headed his way. He has made peace with the possible ups and downs of life.

  After a cab ride, a run through some streets and lanes and crossing the tracks of the historical trams of Kolkata, He finally reaches South City Mall at 4.45 p.m. He crosses the central area of the mall and takes the escalators. He enters a quaint bookstore— the venue for the author’s meet.

  Why don’t they keep it in an open area, like at the centre of the mall? Arjun thinks while stepping inside the bookstore. I think I am not that big yet. I mean, I am not that big an author, but I will be one someday, and then I will interact with my readers in a larger space.

  Everyone settles down as the host announces the commencement of their meet. He takes a sip of water, as his nervousness on meeting new people makes his throat go dry constantly.

  A few girls look inside through the glass windows curiously. He remembers what his Nanu said—Bong girls are beautiful but they are modern and clever too.

  Well, it’s time for me to see how clever these Bong girls are. I hope I have an interesting discussion with them.

  Arjun is not tall but has broad shoulders and the blue blazer he has worn falls perfectly on his frame. His dark hair and solemn brow give him a look of being introspective, observant and analytical, while his boyish grin makes him approachable. He wears square-framed spectacles which keep sliding down his small nose. He has a light beard on his face which gives him that rugged look. His natural charm and friendly disposition make it easier for people to ask him questions and get to know him better.

  I am the best. I am the best. I am the best.

  He is energized and in high spirits and keeps repeating these lines to himself.

  He has been using this trick since his college days when he wasn’t sure of what to say during a presentation.

  Arjun talks about relationships, friendship and life. He reads a few chapters from his book too. The session becomes interactive and interesting with time. It takes forty-five minutes to end the event which is sooner than he expected. Now, it is time to answer some questions from the audience.

  Someone from the crowd asks, ‘What do you think about Indian families and their opinions about love and arranged marriage?’

  Arjun smiles and remembers the discussion he had last night with his family. He answers after taking some time. ‘I’m looking for the answer myself. I am a victim of the same type of family.’

  Everyone starts laughing.

  He doesn’t take much time getting comfortable with the audience and soon everyone is listening to him with rapt attention. Even the host is giggling standing near him.

  ‘You have a good sense of humour,’ the host mutters into Arjun’s ears as he takes another sip before requesting for the last question of the session.

  ‘Credit goes to my family,’ he says with a funny expression.

  Both of them laugh. Arjun realizes that he has answered almost every question well, barring a few.

  ‘Last question, Arjun,’ someone says from the back. ‘What do you think about true love in today’s world? Does it really exist or is it just a term which is used in books and never found in hearts.’

  Arjun follows the voice in order to find who has asked this question. At the extreme end he spots the face and smiles before answering her question.

  She gets up and repeats her question.

  ‘Hi, this is Anushka. Can you tell us something about the similarity between the love you have experienced in your own life and the one you write about in your books?

  Arjun is surprised but does not let it appear on his face. He pretends she is an unknown face.

  ‘Love still exists in hearts, not in books. Books exist to make them live forever. And to answer your question specifically, there is nothing called true or fake love or book-ish love for me. It’s completely about how we feel about someone, and I believe if you love someone you love them forever. So, whatever I have experienced in life I have tried to translate it in my books. I feel lucky to be able to convey them in words. Well, I just want to say, if we have a past that we aren’t particularly proud of, it doesn’t mean that we can’t have a promising future. To those of us who have a great present, let’s cherish these moments and look forward to a wonderful future.’

  The session gets over in the next few minutes and Arjun desperately looks for Anushka in the crowd.

  He is reminded of the first time he met her. It was when she was gorging on a hot dog in a college cafeteria, and he had accidentally laughed at her loudly. Though he had to pay a price for it later, it was all worth it because he got a friend like her.

  ‘Are you looking for me, Arjun?’

  He turns back and notices the wide stunning smile and the adorable dimples that have become more prominent over the last couple of years. Anushka looks beautiful. The innocent yet playful expression in her eyes; the pronounced cheekbones and her long eye lashes; her shiny long honey-coloured hair, red luscious lips, a heart-shaped face and her luminous black eyes; her understated beauty is enough to make many men go weak in their knees. Arjun smiles and gives her a hug.

  ‘If you have come here just for me, it is the nicest surprise anyone has ever given me. Though I doubt that you had it in mind to surprise me,’ he says.

  He takes out a chocolate from the inner pocket of his blazer. He usually carries one, especially if he’s going for an event.

  ‘I know surprising people is not your thing. So are you going out of your way just to show that you care for me?’ He gives her the chocolate. ‘This is for you. And why don’t you start wearing blue lenses. You’s look smoking hot in them.’

  ‘Shut up. I look pretty anyway. By the way, since when did you start keeping chocolates in your pocket? Is there someone special in your life?’ she asks.

  ‘These help when people ask tough questions and I can’t answer them,’ he says, taking out a piece of chocolate and popping it into his mouth.

  They both have a hearty laugh.

  ‘So you didn’t tell me yet. What is the reason you are in Kolkata? You were supposed to come with me, right?’

  ‘Yes, I am on vacations with family. I have come with my chacha and chachi. Just to spend time with my family. Moreover, I was following your updates on Facebook, so thought it would be fun to give you a surprise. I extended my stay here by one more day and have come to meet you. By the way that was a nice line you read earlier—if we have a past that we aren’t particularly proud of, it doesn’t mean that we can’t have a promising future. To those of us who have a great present, let’s cherish these moments and look forward to a wonderful future. That’s so true. You have learnt so many things from me in the last couple of years.’

  ‘Yes, you are responsible for my good and bad habits.’ Arjun smiles looking at her.

  ‘Oh please, not your bad ones,’ she says, still eating the piece of chocolate.

  Sometimes, you just need a shoulder to cry on or someone to laugh with, and that is what best friends are for. Anushka has always been that friend to Arjun.

  ‘So how’s Aunty?’ Arjun asks.

  They both come out of the bookstore and walk towards Coffee World.

  ‘Mom is fine.’

  ‘And how’s Angira. I got your message but didn’t reply because I wanted to talk about it over the phone instead of doing it over messages. Now that you are here, we should talk.’

  Karaoke Night

  Angira is Anuhska’s younger sister. She always wanted to start a venture of her own but she was confused. Left with no other choice, she joined Delhi College of Engineering.
She stayed in the hostel with her friends, which was a big transition from living with her parents. She became a gutsy, outgoing girl. After spending four years in college, she wants to take the risk of studying fashion designing in Mumbai in order to start her own business. She believes Punjabis are meant to do business.

  Few days ago, he got a message from Anushka that Angira is going through a difficult phase, one that everyone goes through in life—Love. The foundation of every problem, and sometimes, a solution too.

  Arjun and Anushka enter Coffee World. He takes his blazer off and they both sit in a cozy corner of the coffee shop.

  ‘She wants to go to Mumbai, says Anushka.’

  ‘So what’s the problem if she wants to come to Mumbai?’ Arjun asks

  ‘There is no problem but after what happened in the past, Mom won’t allow her to go out of town in this situation.’ She looks worried and fiddles with the menu card as Arjun places an order for two cold coffees.

  ‘Which situation?’ he asks.

  The waiter places two cups of coffee on the table.

  ‘She is taking sleeping pills and Mom is worried about her. She doesn’t listen to us. Everyone goes through a break up, but it doesn’t mean that one has to ruin one’s life over it. Now she says she wants to do fashion designing.’

  Arjun pushes a cup of coffee on her side of the table. It’s obvious that he cares for her and gets worried when she is in trouble.

  ‘If she’s so interested, she can just study from a good college in Delhi itself. There are so many good institutes in Delhi. She doesn’t have to go to Mumbai,’ he advises.

  Anushka tears the sugar pouch and pours it into her cup. ‘You want some sugar, too?’

  Mulling over something, Arjun politely says no.

  ‘Don’t worry, things will be fine. I’ll talk to her if you want,’ he says.

  ‘Yeah, sure. That might help.’

  She continues taking long sips of the cold coffee. ‘You know what, last week, at the dinner table we were talking about random things and then Angira started teasing me, saying that if I don’t get married to you, she will.’ They both burst out laughing, forgetting that they were at a coffee shop.

  ‘What she needs is a good college,’ he says, trying his best to digress. ‘That should distract her from these random thoughts.’

  ‘No, I am sure she likes you. Should I bring her to Mumbai?’ she teases him.

  ‘She’s mad. You guys getting together will be the perfect combination—one will love me and the other will care for me.’ he replies in jest.

  ‘Shut up and listen,’ she cuts him short but is herself filled with a sense of uncertainty over how Arjun will respond to what she’s about to tell him.

  ‘Yes, sure,’ he replies with enthusiasm.

  ‘Why don’t you come to Delhi with me?’ she says in one go. Before Arjun can say anything, she adds, ‘And you are coming to Delhi next week anyhow. So prepone your schedule if you have any. You can meet Mom as well and tell her that you live in Mumbai. That will help Angira get her permission to go to Mumbai.’

  ‘I am coming to Delhi next month, so we’ll surely meet then,’ he responds.

  ‘I am talking about this week, Arjun,’ she presses him.

  He is utterly confused now. Why is she insisting on him meeting her mom so suddenly? Girls never tell everything at once, their secrets unfurl like in a game of cards. He knows that by the end of this, he is going to be either one of them—a Jack or a Joker.

  ‘But what’s the matter?’ he asks, putting aside the cup which is not yet empty.

  ‘Nothing. And it’s not difficult for you to come with me tomorrow. You know Mom, she gives weight to your words. I just want to help Angira start a new life,’ she says as she stirs her coffee.

  ‘Anushka, my flight tickets are booked,’ Arjun pleads, clasping his hands, still trying to figure out why she’s so insistent.

  When you are in trouble, you just need one person to pull you out of it. In his case, it was Anushka. He can’t find a reason to say no to her. In fact, he doesn’t even want to because in his worst days, it was she who stood by him when there was no one else. He decides to go to Delhi next week. Managing his itinerary should not be a problem.

  ‘I expect you can afford cancelation charges and don’t worry, I’ll book the tickets for you,’ she says.

  ‘It’s not about the ticket, it’s…’

  ‘Then you are coming to Delhi with me. I’ll cancel your ticket and get the other one with me,’ she says, grinning at him.

  ‘Heads you win and tails I lose. Nicely played, Miss Anushka.’

  ‘Yes, I have been smart since our college days.’

  ‘That I am sure of, because in childhood you must have been really dumb!’

  ‘Shut up! I was always smarter than you at least. And don’t forget that I know all the naughty things you tried on your girlfriends during our college days.’

  ‘I was immature at that time,’ he says, trying to avoid having that discussion. ‘Okay, I’ll be coming with you. Over and out.’

  ‘By the way, it’s only you and me travelling together this time, so you can be sure you’ll have a good time with me.’

  ‘You are so smart,’ he says

  ‘Since the day I was born,’ she winks while sipping her coffee.

  After spending some time exploring the streets of Kolkata, they head back. The next day, they travel to Delhi.

  Arjun feels ignored as Anushka constantly texts someone on their way to the arrival terminal at the New Delhi airport. He finds this behaviour a little discourteous. After trying to ignore it for a while, he can’t take it anymore and speaks up.

  ‘Who is messaging you continuously?’

  They are both walking in the lobby of the airport.

  ‘Oh! Somebody is feeling jealous, is it?’ she mocks him.

  ‘I am not feeling jealous, I am feeling ignored. There is a difference, isn’t there?’ He looks at her faking the expression of being in pain.

  She starts laughing. ‘You haven’t changed in all these years. I think you still feel jealous.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I am not messaging any guy,’ she added after a while.

  Despite their differences, the two have developed a platonic relationship that Arjun won’t risk for anything. It’s a universal fact of friendship—that you can’t see your best friend with anyone else.

  ‘I am not saying that,’ he says, trying to cover up his blunder.

  ‘I’m sorry. I was texting Angira. She’s just about to reach the airport to receive us. I think she’s running late.’

  She types out her last message and keeps her cellphone in the back pocket of her denim.

  ‘Now, what are you trying to find down there?’ she teases him for staring at her butt. ‘Nice, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, very much, now let’s go,’ he says, ignoring her words.

  Her cellphone rings.

  ‘Where are you?’ she asks the person on the other side who he assumes must be Angira.

  He starts setting his hair and licking his lips to make them look fresh and lively. He calls them the natural and instant make-up tool for guys. He cannot pinch his cheeks in public to make them blush. Fortunately, he is never conscious in front of Anushka, who knows everything about him—from his waist size to his snoring.

  ‘By the time you get ready, I will be there. So no need to come, Angy. I will be there in thirty minutes.’ She looks at him and continues, ‘Yes, he is with me, we both are coming.’ She disconnects the call and keeps the phone back in her pocket.

  They walk to Aerocity metro station to take the Airport Express to New Delhi metro station. Once in the cab, they gossip all the way to Anushka’s home in Daryaganj.

  Anushka rings the bell. Standing at the door, a little girl smiles looking at her and says hello.

  ‘Hi, how are you?’ Anushka waves at her and smirks.

  ‘I am good. Bye!’ The young girl paddles her cycle away while giving her a
flying kiss.

  ‘Even kids are quite impressed by your jolly nature,’ Arjun says, raising his eyebrows.

  ‘That’s in my blood,’ she says with a certain amount of smugness.

  As usual Arjun rearranges his clothes and sets his hair again.

  ‘This sweet behaviour of yours doesn’t work on me.’ Arjun flashes a smile.

  ‘You need to go to the doctor then,’ she sniggers.

  Creaking and groaning at the hinges, the door opens.

  Dimpy aunty greets them. Arjun greets her by touching her feet.

  ‘Where is Angy?’ Anushka asks, throwing her bag on the sofa.

  Arjun notices things have changed in Anushka’s home since he was last there.

  ‘She left to pick you up at the airport. But once you said you will come on your own, she decided to stop over at a friend’s home. She should be home soon,’ Dimpy aunty says with a smile, having seen Arjun after a long while.

  She considers him to be her own son and Arjun has always been close to her.

  ‘So you got a pug,’ Arjun says while playing with the dog.

  ‘These girls don’t listen to me, so I needed someone at home who will listen to me,’ she says.

  Arjun laughs out loud.

  ‘That was a pathetic joke, Mamma,’ Anushka says while sitting on the sofa. ‘Angira has been so careless. She left my hair dryer on in the room.’

  ‘That’s why I need this,’ Dimpy aunty says, pointing at the pug.

  ‘Mom, how does this pug help you switch off the hair dryer?’ Anushka asks defiantly.

  ‘Of course, he barks whenever something wrong happens.’

  ‘Okay, Mom, we got it.’

  Dimpy aunty winks at Arjun before asking, ‘So how was the journey?’

  ‘It was bound to be great because I came with her.’

  ‘Well, actually Arjun wanted to meet you, that’s why he has come with me,’ Anushka says, looking at him.

  He feels a little weird for a moment but he has to smile in front of Aunty. He enquires about what’s going on in their household. Anushka says ‘sorry’ to him by holding her ears when her mom is not looking.