Saw my best friend.

In a market, after eight years, they crossed each other. In that crowd she didn’t notice him. It was then her six years old daughter who saw him and at once pulled her momma's sari and claimed, "Momma, he looks like the same guy in your college album, your best friend."

                                                She looked down to her child and asked politely, “What is it my dear?” “Momma,” said her excited daughter pointing towards the flower shop, “Over there, that uncle, your best friend!”

                                                                                                                                                The word ‘best friend’ stroked her and at once she lifted her head and hasted her eyes. But at the very moment, she was all blank. She didn’t even know what to look for. So restless she became. That single word made her so impatient. It was such a helpless situation, but then her eyes fell upon the guy in black suit, selecting roses and lilies from the store. A single sight of his presence made her heart shift its pace from beating to pounding. She could feel slight sizzling in her nose and then some perpetual spirit made her eyes moist. She was in the market, standing few steps away from her best friend. Though her eyes got fixed on him, but what she actually seeing was the days when he used to sit by her side in public bus. She could memorize it so well as if it was yesterday when they laughed insanely in the college campus. She lost her sense of sight along with sense of hearing, as the fruit vendor who was shouting the names of fruits of his stall was no longer audible to her.

                                    She was dumbstruck and lost in past. Several days and several events rushed into her mind. Several things and thoughts made her brain to lose all the senses. Memories clutched her so tightly that automatically her lips stretched themselves lifting up those fluffy cheeks and digging deep dimples. It was then her daughter who shook her arm and yelled, “Momma, let’s go home.” That little child, Aisha, didn’t know how merry her mother was right now.

            “We will,” said the mother softly grabbing her daughter’s arm, “first let us meet that uncle.” Her smile didn’t fade a bit. That cheery look had returned to her face after a very long time. She was dancing inside herself. Her heart was playing the beats for her inner-self. Finally she started to walk towards him. While walking she realized that her legs felt so light as if she had no pain left in them; she had already walked for two hours in that market buying domestic items. She walked rapidly along with her little daughter. She would have run and could have punched him like old days. But today, instead of jeans, she was in sari. Today, instead of a bag at back she was holding her daughter by her side. Things have changed and so were her situations. She was so amazed to see him on such an unexpected day. She was confused, what would she say to him today? Should she be angry? After all, he just disappeared from her life eight years ago. Should she be polite? Should she be formal? One by one, with each step, thoughts kept popping into her brain, with each step her thoughts kept changing their theme but she kept her eyes fixed over her best friend. She was staring him so hard. So stiff!

Suddenly, she STOPPED!

She released a deep breath, turned back, hired a rickshaw and headed home. She did not meet him.

In evening, 5'O clock, Sanjeev returned home, little Aisha rushes towards him and father, goes down on his knees, hugs her little princess, picks her up and asked, “What all mischief my princess did today?”

“I went for shopping with Momma.”

“What things did you buy?”

Girl started, “Vegetables, ice-cream, Perfume, Mangoes.” With each item her fingers unlocked themselves from her fist, one by one. “And do you know papa,” continued the little girl, “We also saw Momma’s best friend.” “Momma’s best friend!” said a surprised father gazing at his daughter. “Aisha!” yelled mother entering the room, “Its Kavya, at landline.” Girl jumped out of the lap of her father and ran out of the room. Mother looked down to see her child running towards the land-line. She noticed that how her daughter got excited after listening that her best friend had called her. ‘Best friend’, something said this word so clearly inside her. She then turned towards her husband who was staring at her. He looked serious. Lines at his forehead and his inclined eyebrows revealed that soon she is going to have a serious talk with him.

“You met Deva today?” enquired the husband softly. He had his care doped in his voice and politeness in his tone. “No! Just saw him,” she replied with remorse.

“Just saw him?”

“Yes. He was in market,” she answered. She tried to sound firm and strong but her voice and eyes showed that her emotions had the upper hand. She dipped herself in that market scene. Memorizing how she stood few steps away from him at that flower shop. Seeing her wife lost in thoughts made him to stand and walk towards the door where she was standing still, clutching her fingers into a fist and piercing nails in her palms. She was trying hard to keep herself calm but then the tears came out. She had fought hard with herself to keep those tears inside but it seemed memories made her release that pain through those droplets. Her husband grabbed her shoulders and made her to sit at the nearest sofa. As soon as she sat, she started sobbing. Sanjeev pulled his wife towards him gently and kept her head on his chest. This was the best thing in their life when the man used to put his wife’s head on his chest and then kissed her forehead. With one hand he kept rubbing her left arm and with other hand did a soft patting on her head. They both loved this. They were silent. Everything was calm and quiet. Nothing made a sound except the song of crickets. “Why didn’t you meet him?” he whispered in her ear. That tickled her. Husband continued, “You have told me so many endless stories about him, which had made me enthusiastic to meet him and you being his best friend didn’t met him? You don’t have ego I know my dear. You are not even bounded by any rules. Then why didn’t you meet him? Tell me dear what the matter is?”

                                                                                                                                    Wife lifted herself and looked deep into the eyes of his loving husband. He was the only person who knows exactly how to treat her, how to comfort her and how to love her. She knew it well that her husband never liked to hear the stories or to talks about Deva but for the sake of her smile he always listened to her. But she was now required to answer, so she calmed herself and started telling that why she didn’t met her best friend.

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