It’s Not Right…but It’s Okay

by Anuj Tiwari

  Iona starts crying. Anushka comes closer to her as she is standing alone. Ved warns Anushka.

  ‘Anushka. No, Arjun leave me. I have a few questions to ask her,’ Ved releases himself from Arjun’s grip.

  ‘Ved, you are drunk,’ Arjun knows things are getting worse.

  ‘Arjun!!’ Ved shouts and continues, ‘No, I am not drunk. I was drunk that day. I was drunk at the garba night when she ruined everything in my life.’

  ‘Ved, whatever has happened was my mistake. Now please don’t make a scene over here. We can talk calmly,’ Iona feels alone, though Anushka is standing by her side.

  ‘Calmly? What’s that,’ Ved asks her, maintaining the same pitch.

  He looks at her like never before. ‘Do you remember what happened four years ago in college? It was me who had fallen for you and left everything for you. I loved you, but you filed a case against me. Look at them. These were my friends who saved me from that situation. I fought with them because I never wanted to leave you. I begged you but you still ruined my life. You never cared for me. Why did you do that? I always treated you well and yet again you have tried to ruin things for me.’

  Iona is afraid. ‘But we had resolved that it was in the past. We were in college that time. I have apologized to you several times for that. How many times do I have to say sorry to you?’

  ‘Sorry? Oh really. Should I leave her and come along with you? You who never cared about friendship and couldn’t respect love. Do you even know what love is? Do you really know what friendship is? Do you even care about them? These are my friends, my world. Iona, it has taken years for me to come to this place where I’m finally happy. Don’t try to create any problems for us.’

  ‘Ved, it’s enough. Let’s go,’ Arjun holds his hand.

  Arjun is in tears. He does not know what to say anymore. He understands what Ved has gone through over the years. He comes to Ved, who hugs him tightly, ‘I am sorry.’

  He bursts into tears.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Arjun says, breaking down.

  Anushka reaches for them and puts her hand on Ved’s shoulder.

  ‘Because of me, you both have suffered in college and even after college,’ Ved hugs both of them tightly.

  ‘I am always with you, Ved,’ Arjun doesn’t want to speak any further because then he too would not be able to stop his tears.

  ‘Please don’t cry. We are with you.’ Anushka holds Arjun’s hand tightly and closes her eyes.

  ‘Everyone left me in college. I was alone. Nobody talked to me. I wanted to tell people that I wasn’t wrong, but nobody trusted me. Even my juniors were not talking to me,’ Ved is crying because he has suffered for years for no fault of his own.

  ‘I know, Ved. Please don’t cry,’ Arjun pats him.

  ‘It’s okay.’ Anushka keeps her hand on his head.

  ‘Don’t cry.’ Arjun pulls his chin up and looks at him and says, ‘You are a football player. They don’t cry, hmm…now you have said what you wanted to say,’ Arjun can’t stop his tears anymore.

  Arjun hugs him back tightly and says, with tears in his eyes, ‘Everyone has to pay their dues. Let’s forget whatever happened.’

  ‘Now everything is fine. No more tears. We are with you,’ Anushka says.

  Angira comes from the back, and trying to join the group hug, says, ‘Please include me in your circle. I am the newcomer in this group.’

  Ved hugs her, ‘I love you. Thanks for coming into my life.’

  ‘I love you too. Now, don’t cry. So, are you guys including me in your group?’

  Arjun and Anushka look at each other and then at them, smiling. They are happy as they hold eachother’s hands.

  ‘Yes, welcome to The AAVA Group!’

  The friendship which was broken four years ago in college is renewed now with a lot more trust and love.

  When the cabs arrive, Charu decides to drop Iona off.

  Suddenly, Arjun receives a call from his mom.

  ‘Mom, what happened? Why have you called so late?’

  ‘Arjun, actually your dad and I went to a marriage party thrown by Mishra uncle.’

  ‘Who is Mishra uncle?’ Arjun asks confused.

  ‘The one who works with your dad. His brother’s daughter is pursuing BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and is looking for a good match. So he asked me if you can come during Diwali holidays and meet her. I saw her picture and she looks beautiful. I’ll WhatsApp you the details.’

  ‘Mom, do you know what time it is. It’s 12.55 in the night and you’re calling me…’

  ‘I thought you would be awake,’ she says.

  Angira, Anushka and Ved laugh together.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Arjun says and then they leave. While in the cab, Angira, Ved and Anushka write something on a sticky note and give it to Arjun.

  It says:

  The past is not our future.

  I believe.

  I believe.

  I believe.

  Epilogue

  I smile as I look at the sticky note Angira had given me the night we settled everything between us. I have kept it in my wallet since then and read it several times a day. It makes me smile and the simplicity of the lines always makes me wonder about life.

  The past is not our future.

  I am lucky to have friends like them who mean the world to me. I can call them in the middle of the night. They fight with me for the last bits of food. They demand a huge bribe when I ask them for help and they make me laugh when I am low and distressed. They make me realize that not everything has to be perfect, that I will make mistakes and whatever has happened has happened for the best.

  Over the last few days I have wondered about the mysteries of life. There is always this urge to make things happen. To work hard in order to achieve our dreams. Sometimes when these dreams come true, we feel as if it was not us who achieved them. This disbelief turns into courage to make other dreams come true, thanks to the people in our lives. For me my friends, family and well-wishers are everything.

  I wonder sometimes why I keep the note with me. Though all the answers are yet to be found, one must be grateful for what one has.

  I message Anushka.

  ‘Can you please call her soon?’ I ask the lady at the reception of The Publication’s office.

  ‘Sir, Neha is on the way.’

  Anushka enters the reception and smiles as she sits by my side. Anushka and Neha are people who have helped me grow and have seen every dimension of me. Ved rightly says that one should never leave people who know your secrets.

  ‘You are late, Anushka.’

  ‘You can wait for me, right?’

  I will always wait for her. She has stood up for me every time.

  ‘I am a little nervous, Anushka,’ I say.

  ‘This is not an interview. Relax.’

  Neha finally arrives at the reception.

  ‘Sorry to have kept you guys waiting. Ready?’

  ‘I won’t say I’m alright with it,’ I smile indulgently.

  ‘Would you like some coffee or tea?’ she asks us with a smile.

  ‘Nah! We’re good,’ I reply.

  ‘Then should we begin?’ she asks, looking at the bunch of printouts in my hand.

  ‘Looking good,’ I say.

  ‘Pretty is the right word,’ Neha laughs at her own words.

  ‘Never marry a girl who is an editor. She’ll keep finding mistakes in your words,’ I declare with satisfaction.

  ‘Every girl has this quality. By the way, when will you marry Anushka? You guys are so cute together.’

  ‘We’re just good friends,’ I reply, a little embarrassed.

  ‘Ah! Alright.’

  While I am writing for the third time, I will tell the story to a bunch of unknown faces first and then submit it to my editor. At the cafeteria, we are welcomed by seven people which makes me feel nervous and excited at the same time. They form a semi- circle around me and listen to me with rapt attention. Anushka, Angira and V
ed stand behind me. Charu is running late. Quite normal for her.

  ‘Firstly, I would like to introduce the people who have made it possible for me to be here,’ I smile looking at everyone. ‘These are the people who pushed me hard to help me become who I am today.’

  ‘Who is your favourite in the story?’ Ved asks me.

  ‘Each one of us is incomplete without the other. I am not answering that question.’

  Before I began, Ved, Angira and Charu leave me after wishing me luck with Charu. Angira is introducing Ved to her mom. It is their big day. Anushka stays with me to listen to the story one more time.

  ‘We need to wish this man some luck. He is going to ask for his girlfriend’s hand.’

  While Ved and Angira blush, they are flooded with enthusiastic wishes. Once they leave, I continue with my story of love, friendship, affection and a little infatuation.

  Once the story is done, I realize I was in a trance. Neha sits next to me and keeps staring at me.

  ‘I am done,’ I smile.

  After she gives me her inputs on the story, we eat lunch at the cafeteria.

  ‘So when do I need to submit the book?’ I ask Neha.

  ‘Tell me something about the character Arjun,’ Neha asks me.

  ‘Do you really want to know? You’ll laugh at him.’

  ‘Whatever, now go ahead…’

  ‘Well, Arjun…he is someone who believes in love and thinks it exists. He believes that the best things take time to come in one’s life. He has come from nothing and now he has something. One day he’ll have everything and that will be because of his friends and the relationships he has built over the years. He stands up for his friends through thick and thin; that’s what makes him special,’ I say proudly. ‘Those are the people who helped him overcome so much in his past. They taught him that the future has little to do with the past.’

  ‘I could easily guess that that Arjun is you, but why don’t you reveal it to your readers,’ Neha probes further.

  ‘Because I don’t want people to read my story. I want them to read a story of love, commitment and friendship that fits together in one sheath.’

  ‘That’s a nice thought.’

  ‘I’ll send the manuscript next week.’

  ‘Thanks Anuj, it was nice meeting you. Keep coming back.’ Neha waves us goodbye outside The Publication’s office.

  Nanu and Ma surprise me at the exit.

  ‘What are you guys doing here?’

  ‘Hello Nanu, hello Aunty,’ Anushka greets them.

  ‘Angira called me and informed that you guys are here,’ Nanu says.

  Anushka and I look at each other in confusion.

  ‘Now you’ll surely get your answer,’ I whisper to Neha, who is still standing at the exit.

  ‘Let’s go,’ my mom says.

  ‘Where?’ I ask her.

  ‘Anushka’s home,’ Nanu responds to my question happily and continues muttering into my ears, ‘Let the friendship become something a little more long-lasting.’

  ‘Mom…okay, meet Anushka. Anushka this is my mom and Nanu,’ I introduce them.

  Neha smiles as we leave. She has got the answer she was looking for.

  Acknowledgements

  This is the last, but one of my favourite sections, where I can write anything I feel like. Here, I get a chance to speak for those who mean a lot to me.

  I never went to playschool. I didn’t study in a convent school because my education mostly comprised the values, culture and tradition that our forefathers passed onto the next generation. These teachings were modified with time by my supportive family and imparted to me throughout my life. My grandfather used to say that the biggest success is to make people happy with your presence, to understand them and listen to them when nobody is there for them. To stand with them when the rest of the world is against them, is what’s most important. That is when you will not need monetary happiness because you will have more than what you ever dreamed of in your life. That time will give you immense pleasure to live life.

  He was right.

  Writing was not part of my life. It just happened in my life because when something burns inside, it leaves some smoke and perhaps a fire to prove oneself. In college, before giving my first corporate interview, I was told, look at your weaknesses as your strength and then see the magic. My weakness was my past. I lived and then found my strength through my writing, which I always wanted to convey to others, that true love and friendship still exists if you have good people around.

  Before I become any more sentimental, my heartfelt and genuine thanks to all the names I’ve mentioned here. I’ll forever be grateful to you all for taking me ahead in the journey of writing this tale of my life. This time the list has become a little longer.

  Thanks to the whole team of Rupa Publications for discussing and answering my crazy questions.

  Ved and Angira, the craziest couple I have ever seen in my life, who made it possible and gave me the spark to write their story, which surely changed my view of how to live my life. Charu, thanks for being a part of it and for the support.

  Iona, I don’t know what she is doing these days as she has changed her number and does not appear on social media either. I hope she will be back on time to wish Ved and Angira before they become parents.

  To all those classmates and college students, who left us because Ved was involved in a rape attempt case. For your information, no, he wasn’t.

  To my corporate team of Bay46, Mumbai. Their presence has been absolutely fabulous. I am the craziest person when I am with them.

  Mayank, Ankit and Ankur, thanks for being with me from the day I used to ring your doorbell to go for tuition classes.

  Sneha Panday, for standing by me, with whom I spent the most wonderful time.

  I am not mentioning any more names because everyone who is connected to me, whether on Facebook, Twitter or offline, is precious for me. So I thank them, as they all are my extended family.

  I love my family for watching over me and for listening to me always—for the support that went beyond this book. Moreover, thanks to all those who unflinchingly gave me their hand to hold. They are the ones who read the book, sitting together like school kids.

  In addition, those who criticized me, pulled me back and kicked me out of their lives in my toughest times, I want to say thanks to them. Somewhere they gave me the courage and passion to go ahead in life.

  A lot of love to the cities I spent a few years of my life in—

  Bareilly: For bringing me up with affection and helping me learn how to be happy with the small things in life.

  Lucknow: For always treating me like its own son and giving me so much love.

  Kanpur: Where I spent a year of my life and learnt about friendship.

  Guna: The place that made me an engineer and a narrator of my own life, and for those treasured memories of college days.

  Delhi: This place gave me memories to remember for the rest of my life.

  Mumbai: It is known as the city where people come to fulfil their dreams, and I know it to be true.

  Bangalore: The city of lovely, romantic weather and wonderful people. I thank you for the lovely time.

  Kolkata: Last, but definitely not the least, thanks to Kolkata for appreciating my writing and giving me so much love.

  I intentionally write about my readers in the end so that I can end the book with my appreciation for them. You were always my strength. I always intend to write true stories which happen around me and inspire me to write. After all, why should I write fiction when there are so many real stories around me. Warm thanks to all my readers, those who are connected to me on social media, as well as those who are not. You all mean a lot to me; I try my best to answer your messages and mails. So, stay connected. Keep smiling. Love you all.

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/anujtiwari.official

  Email: anujtiwari.official@gmail.com

  Twitter: @AnujOfficial

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  Anuj Tiwari, It’s Not Right…but It’s Okay