Part-Time Devdaas... (24 page)

“And I am quitting the course.”

A full minute of silence later Mom spoke. “Have you lost your mind? Did you even think before you opened your mouth?” Mom said, clearly demeaning what I said.

“I know what I’m saying. I have wanted to say this for three years now,” I semi stammered.

“Who puts these ideas in your mind?” Mom said,

“I am not a child.” I paused looking at her blazing eyes, “I don’t need people to give me ideas to live my life.”

“We are not having this conversation with you.”

She looked at Dad for help but he didn’t respond.

“I can’t allow you to throw your life away.”

“I am not asking you allow me, Aai. I have decided.”

“Arvind you put some sense in this boy before I thrash him,” Mom said.

“I’m sorry to let you down Dad but I can’t bear it anymore. I don’t want to do it. I never wanted to do it.”

“This is the girl speaking, isn’t it? She tells you to do all this, doesn’t she?

“Damn it, Aai...” I pushed the chair back and stood up. “Why can’t you for once keep your conspiracy theories aside and listen to me? I said I cannot bear it anymore. Every passing day in the course makes me feel worthless. Why can’t you simply understand?”

“And what about what I want? What about my plans for you?”

The conversation suddenly transformed into a melodramatic screaming sequence.

“I don’t care what you want!” I screamed back. “I
will
do what I want!”

“Not under my roof Arjun!”

“Fine! I’ll leave then!” I said and stormed out of the house.

The sound of the door echoed in my ear, even as I pulled my bags out of the cab after Rizwan’s thrashing. I was feeling so dirty both physically and mentally that all I could think of was crashing in a hot water tub. I startled my mother as I entered opening the door with my key.

“God! Poncho!” She freaked out seeing me.

“What are you doing here? You were not supposed to return for another fifteen days?”

“Ya, Rizwan fell ill, he is in a hospital.” I wondered if Mom would be happy or sad knowing that I had been fired. Either ways I didn’t want her to experience any one of those emotions, so I lied.

“Where is Baba?”

“Work, where else?”

“Okay,” I began to walk to my room.

“I’m fasting so I didn’t make lunch. Tell me what you’ll have.”

“No, don’t bother. I’ll eat out with Raghu.”

“You sure?”

“Ya, ya.” I disappeared in my room and locked myself.

I watched the ceiling fan go round and round with droopy eyes. I was tired and drained but my brain refused to let my eyes sleep. Every time they dozed, the subconscience mind woke me. The problem was, after getting a job with Rizwan, I was so cautious of not making any mistakes to lose it that in past six months of working for him, I had trained myself to be awake at all hours in case he wanted me. But now the job was gone, leaving me behind with an over chary mind. Since all my attempts to sleep failed, I dragged my feet to the balcony and lit a cigarette to divert my mind. I had a terrible itch to call Hrida but it was her birthday and I had no intention of ruining it. Instead, I called Raghu.

“And the big guy calls after three months!” he said audibly pissed.

“Hey man, sorry I didn’t...”

“Oh don’t bother, I’m not your boyfriend anymore...”

“Yes, and yet you sound irritated.” I said goofily, “ Sorry baby!”

“Bitch...”

“Really sorry man, got buried in work.”

“I understand, how you been?”

“Good.”

“Wait a minute,” he paused, “Why are you calling from your landline?”

“Because my phone conked out.”

“Fucker, you are back!”

“Ya.”

“So why are you at home? Come here and help me plan the party for your girlfriend.”

“Where?”

“My house, man. Raunak is on tour with his wife so it’s a lodge!”

“Why do you call him by name, man?”

“Shit this surprise just couldn’t get any better. Hrida’s going to lose it.” I could almost see the glint in Raghu’s eyes. Organising hit parties gave him kicks.

“She’s been missing you like hell lately. I just can’t wait to see the look on her face.” I smiled, imagining her smiling. “Just come fast, bitch!”

The party rocked as expected. Raghu’s living room was cleared of all the furniture to make way for the dance floor. Since it was Hrida’s birthday, everything from the cake to the menu was vegetarian. There were two separate bars. One served alcohol and fillers while the other provided milkshakes and cold coffees for Hrida and her teetotaler friends. The ambiance created by the rented party lights gave the house the correct look of a club. Raghu had over zealously invited everyone Hrida knew – her friends at school, college, office. The bastard made sure only her girlfriends came and the guys who were present were only there because their girlfriends were invited. The thing was that Raghu was on a dry spell ever since he had dumped Kanya.

Shashank and Neha were supposed pick Hrida up from work and bring her to the party. I, in the meanwhile was gift wrapped with ribbon, and was hiden in a closet in Raghu’s room. I found it amazingly retarded but if all that meant making Hrida smile, then what the hell. I only hoped she wouldn’t freak out. I heard muffled screams and voices wishing her as I stood between the stinking clothes of my beloved friend. It had been more than three months that I had seen her so the excitement of meeting her shot my pulse. Hrida’s giggling got clearer as Raghu brought her in the room.

“What?
y
ou arranged a party but didn’t get a cake for me?” She said giggling.

“Ya, I was kinda short on money so got you a gift instead.” Raghu said.

“Raghu, what are you do...?”

“Shut up... Just close your eyes.” Raghu scolded. “No peeking,
comprende
?”

“
Si
,
Si
,” she goofed.

“Now slowly, walk, one, two, three, enough.” Their voices were very close now “This is the handle, now open the door.”

She opened it and a smile propped my face as I saw her.

“Now your eyes!”

She did and the crowd screamed. Her eyes widened as she saw me. She covered her face with her hands and looked at Raghu, then at me again.

“Happy Birthday...” I said walking out of the closet.

As a response, she threw her arms around and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back. The intensity of the hug said how much she’d missed me. Not that I hadn’t missed her but I had never seen this vulnerable side of hers before. With her breathing going haywire, I could tell she was crying. The best part about best friends is that they understand even slightest of change in your expressions so when I looked at Raghu for help, he shooed everyone away from the room, leaving us alone. A few more minutes later when she released me, there was a huge grin on her face.

“Shit you really
are
here!” She slapped my arm as she wiped her eyes.

“You might need an expert hand at doing that,” I said pulling the handkerchief to straighten her ruined
kajal
.

“Raghu did this to you?” She peeled the bow pasted on my head as I bent down to wipe her eyes.

I looked into her eyes, and that very moment everything else went for a toss. God, she was beautiful. I exhaled heavily as I ran my thumb through her lower lip. She held me by the neck and kissed me. The intensity of it no lesser than the hug, but why would I complain.

For some reason that night I couldn’t take my eyes off her the whole time. Hrida indeed possessed the power to instantly flush all my pains away. I felt like stabbing her hyper enthused friends after the cake cutting when they pulled her away from me to dance. I picked my glass and took the corner of the room to get a better view of her. To me, everybody else in the party was invisible. She caught me looking at her and ordered me to the dance floor. I laughed it off, it wasn’t my day. The party took its patented course of people getting wasted and exhausted from dancing and continued for another three hours after which Raghu, Shashank and I had to parcel the girls to their homes.

“At times like these, I so badly wish I was single,” Shashank said. 

“Dude! Be careful what you wish for,” Raghu said opening the door with his key.

“Hey baby, you still awake? I thought you’d be half dead by now,” Shashank said to Neha as we entered.

“You think I’d miss
the
night
with you for sleep?” She instantly got off the couch and hopped towards the bedroom. Shashank followed her nodding his head in fake embarrassment.

“Behave yourself guys, its my parents’ roo...” The door banged before he completed his sentence.

“Fuck...” Raghu paused dramatically, “Twenty-nine girls I invited... and not one of them looked at me.”

Hrida and I laughed.

“No Hrida, seriously, look at me!” He stood up and turned round and round in front of her. “Do you think there is anything wrong with me?”

“There is nothing wrong with you baby. I told you it’s Kanya. She’s cast a spell on you. Go beg her for her forgiveness and everything will be alright,” Hrida said. I laughed.

“Don’t you guys have some making out to do? Get off my couch. I really need to sleep.” He snapped pulling us from the couch. We hugged and kissed him.

“Thank you, baby,” I said to him before entering his room.

“Have fun kids!” he yelled.

I slid my hand through her waist and hugged her from behind as soon as we entered Raghu’s room. I closed my eyes, rested the lips on the back of her shoulder after nuzzling on it for a while. Her body smelled so soothingly intoxicating that she could have pacified a raging bison if she willed. Ever since I met Hrida, I’d always looked to her for emotional restitution whenever anything went wrong. She had taken care of all my paranoia and ever hurtful life and stood by me. I just wanted to stand there holding her like that forever.

“Thank you, baby,” she ruffled my hair stretching her hand behind.

“Mmm...” I said loosening the grip on her waist for her to turn.

“I never thought I’d be so cheesy but the past three months felt empty without you,” she said impishly and hugged me. “I love you.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

“Thank you?” She raised an eyebrow. I nodded yes and stiffed my lips to control the smile. I felt an excruciating pain as she stamped on my feet, then placing her other foot on me, she ordered, “Walk me around.”

“I hope you understand I’m not Stallone and you are not feather light?”

“I know, it’s a punishment.”

She giggled as I oscillated sideways to rotate around myself. Then three extremely heavy steps later, I crashed on the bed with her in my arms. Even though my feet hurt like hell it was totally worth it.

“I love you...” I said planting a kiss on her cheek.

“And I am sorry.”

“For?”

“For saying thank you which is Hrida’s patented reply.”

“And?”