[Short Story] “Things we do” (Part 1)

After I moved to pursuing my career goals, rarely do I meet friends from my childhood. With time I have realized that get together with old friends is not merely a tryst of the right timings out of our busy lives, but the rendezvous of our varied life circumstances. It is a melting pot of our past , a point where life is a full circle. When I left them last time I was single, found a love in their absence. She was my love throughout. Now when I met them again after seven years, she is gone, I am single, a full circle. We are starting from where we left.

The Kabir I remember from school was, innocent , sincere and righteous. Life must have been hard on him, such that he had to switch to smoking and alcohol to escape from his reality. As I sat on the back seat of the car, I looked at Kabir, who was driving. The same innocent sincerity still twinkled in his eyes. His face and the dark circle under his eyes however were a contradiction. Beside him sat Dhruv, struggling to choose a song to play next. He has always been the confused one among three of us. But his confusion about life made him explore dimensions that we never dared to. He started as an engineer then banker, but then left everything to pursue his passion for dance. Now the Dhruv I was with, has become a Teach for India fellow, teaching kids across rural India. Dhruv had once said “Bro, Life is a rainbow, you gotta try all colors”. Never expected young immature Dhruv to live up to his words, to abide by his perspectives on life. Yet he did!

I was the third – the lost one, weaving stories from moments and memories. I was at the rock bottom of my life. Lost my job, exhausted savings, got cheated in love  and now walking towards an uncertain path to become a story teller, a writer. My rainbow of life had only black as its colour. It was at this juncture of life that we three were meant to meet again.

They said it was a long drive to cheer me up, but I knew it was more than that. A long drive to cheer up our friendship, to rejuvenate ourselves from the struggles of life. ” Why did she leave you? ” Kabir broke the silence. Dhruv couldn’t find the ‘right song’ and gave up. He joined in “What happened? “. I replied “I don’t know. She said the relationship was too much for her to handle”. Both struggled to resolve my love life. I could sense it. “Lets not make it a gloomy ride on my failed love life. Dhruv ! One job bro, one song and you failed. Pass me the phone, I will choose a song”  I tried to lighten up the mood with a peppy bollywood song. “Oh God! Your taste of music!” Dhruv exclaimed in disappointment. “chill!” Kabir calmed him down. “There is a nice place on the city outskirts. I heard they sell excellent pork. Let’s go?” An unanimous yes echoed the car. 

 

 

” You were there at the start,

Now that the road ends,

I am glad that you are still here.

Winter or spring, storm or calm,

All these times. “

 

 

To be continued …