“You can’t
play with us.”
“Why not?”
“You’re too
young, that’s why.”
“Please, Aryan,”
the little girl whined.
“Go. Home. We don’t want to play with babies,”
said Radhika, wrinkling her nose at the last word.
That was
the last straw. Anu turned around and fled from the garden. She scrubbed her
cheeks roughly, making them muddy. Running as fast as her little legs could
take her; she went to the only place where she knew she would find comfort.
“Mommy,”
Anu sobbed as a woman with a heart shaped face and curly black hair opened the
door. She had an apron tied around her waist and her hands were white with
flour. Anu hugged her around the legs and began to cry in her skirt.
“Anu?” she
said anxiously. “Are you hurt?”
Anu’s sobs
were the only response she got.
She walked
to the washbasin, which was a difficult task with a four-year-old hanging on to
her legs for dear life. She quickly washed her hands and picked up her
daughter.
“What
happened?” She asked as she walked to the sofa. She sat down with Anu on her
lap. Anu’s head was on her shoulder.
“A-a-ryan.”
“What did
he do?”
“W-why am I
only four years old?”
“Because
you were born four years ago.” She laughed.
But Anu
only cried harder.
“What did
Aryan do, baby?” She wiped Anu’s tears.
“H-he s-said
I was too young to play with him and his friends.”
“What were
they playing?”
“G.I. Joe
Saves Barbie.”
“How about
we play the same game right here?”
“I want to
play with him!”
Anu’s
mother rubbed her back soothingly
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
“Hi,” he
said, awkwardly. He was standing in the doorway of her room.
She looked
up at him. Her lips were turned upside down. She didn’t respond.
“I’m sorry.”
“Go away!”
“You can
play with us, Anu.”
“I don’t
want to play with you.”
He looked
at her pleadingly.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“But, I’m
still only four years old.”
“Its OK.
We’re not going to play G.I Joe Saves Barbie, anyway. Its stupid.”
“Oh.”
“We are
playing Hide and Seek with walkie talkies in the evening,” he said brightly.
“Will you come?”
“How will
we play with walkie talkies?”
“Its
simple. Whoever hides can have the walkie talkies and they can talk while
they’re hiding.”
“I don’t
have walkie talkies.”
“You can
play with mine.”
“Who all
are going to be there?”
“Sarthak,
Tanay, Sneha, Radhika, you and I.”
“I don’t
like her.”
“Who?”
“Radhika.”
“Neither do
I. She threw my G.I. Joe yesterday. He was about to die.”
“Really?”
“Yup. We’ll
make her Seek first if you come today.”
“OK.”
“OK.” He
grinned.
“Do you
want to comb my doll’s hair with me?”
“Fine,” he
said, grudgingly.
5 years
later
“I haven’t
seen Aryan for a while now,” her mother said. Anu was entranced by how her
mother ironed her uniform. There was not even a single crease left.
“I hate
boys.”
“You do?”
Her mother snorted.
“I do.”
“OK, where
is this coming from?”
“Kripa told
me that boys are stupid. And they stink.” Anu wrinkled her nose.
“No, they
don’t.”
“They do. Kripa
said I’d have to hate boys if I want to be friends with her.”
“Sweetheart,
those people who become your friends with conditions laid out aren’t real
friends.”
Anu stared
at her mother with a blank face.
“OK, let’s
put it this way: what if Aryan started ignoring you because his friends asked
him to?”
“He already
did. He didn’t call me for his birthday party, remember?”
“And you
felt terrible, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“He did
apologize.”
“I can’t be
friends with Kripa then.”
“You don’t
forget your old friends for new ones, Anu.”
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
“Do you
want to go to the beach tomorrow?” she spoke into the receiver.
“Why don’t
you go with Kripa?”
“She and I
aren’t friends anymore.”
“Hmph.”
“She said I
can’t be her friend if I be friends with you so I broke my friendship with
her.”
“Why didn’t
you choose her over me, then?”
“Causeshe’skindofboring.”
“What?”
“Cause.
She’s. Kind. Of. Boring.”
“How?” He
smiled.
“She kept
going on and on about how many babies she wanted to have and what their names
were going to be. And then she asked me how many babies I wanted to have and I
said, ‘I don’t know how many babies I want to have.’”
“So what
did she say?” said Aryan, clearly enjoying this.
“She called
me stupid,” she said morosely, while fidgeting with the telephone wire.
“She called
you stupid?”
“Yes.”
“She’s not
wrong there, at least.”
“Shut up,
Aryan.”
He just
laughed.
“So
tomorrow? Beach?”
“I’m in.
Call the others.”
“OK. Bye”
“Bye.”
4 years
later
“So, are
you prepared?”
“Preparth
bor bhot?”
“Finish
eating first. I didn’t understand a word.”
“Prepared
for what?” he said, swallowing the last of his sandwhich.
“Your 10th
standard board exams,” she said, taking smaller bites from hers.
“Don’t be
stupid. School’s not even started yet.”
“I heard you
have three different textbooks for Chemistry, Physics and Biology.”
“Yup.”
“And that
you have to study Shakespeare.”
“That’s
right.”
“So are you
scared?”
“Nope.” He
reached for her sandwhich.
“Stay away
from my sandwhich. Don’t finish yours so early next time.”
“Share and care. OK, a little, I guess.”
“Huh?”
“I am a
little worried about my exams.”
“You are?”
“Well, you’re
making me by telling me how much I have to study.”
“Sorry.”
“Its OK.”
He sighed. “What if I don’t get good marks?”
“That’s
impossible. You top everytime. I wouldn’t be passing in Math at all if it
weren’t for you.”
“I don’t
top everytime. Radhika beat me in History and Science last year actually.”
“Oh. So do
you talk to Radhika?”
“Yeah,
she’s cool,” he said nonchalantly. “We study together after school sometimes.”
“But…”
Aryan
looked at Anu quizzically.
“But she
threw your G.I. Joe.”
“She did?”
“Of course.
Don’t you remember?”
“Not
really.”
“I don’t
like her.”
“Cause she threw
my G.I. Joe when I was a kid?” He laughed. “That was so long ago, Anu.”
“So, what
she’s your girlfriend now?”
“Huh?”
“Have you
kissed her?”
“No! It’s
not like that. We’re just friends.” His face was warm.
“Hmph.”
“Where did
that come from?” He bumped her shoulder with his.
She
continued to eat her sandwhich.
“So do you
like someone?”
She didn’t
answer.
“Do you?
Come on. You can tell me.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I can’t
tell you.”
“What! Why
not?”
“Whom do
you like?”
“I asked
first.”
“I’m not
telling you.”
“Then I’m
not either.”
“OK.”
“OK.”
2 years
later
“So, you’re
dating Omar, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Is he the
same guy you liked two years ago?”
“No.” She
paused for a beat. “He didn’t like me back.”
“Oh.”
She just
smiled.
“What’s it
like?”
“Its OK, I
guess.”
“Hmmm.”
“Do you
like someone?”
“You’ve met
Poorvi, right?”
“Yup.”
“She’s kind
of cool. But…”
“Radhika will be shattered.” Anu snorted.
“For the
millionth time: Radhika and I-”
“Are just
friends. I get it.”
“Finally.”
“I like
Poorvi. She’s funny.”
“Yeah. Maybe
her. I don’t know.”
“Maybe.”
“So how are
you coping with Shakespeare?”
“I love
it!”
“Comes from
the girl who was terrified of even opening the textbook.”
“Yeah. But,
it’s not that tough.”
“Its not.”
1 year
later
“I dumped
him.”
“Why?”
“He was
annoying the shit out of me.”
“How?”
“He got
pissed when I even spoke about another guy, let alone spoke to one. And, he
would fight on the lamest of things like, ‘Why didn’t you call me back?’ or
‘Why can’t you come for an action movie?’ I mean give me a break. I’m just your
girlfriend. I’m not married to you, douchebag. It just got on my nerves after
awhile.”
Loud,
raucous laughter was the only response she got to her ramblings. Everytime
Aryan tried to speak he would be overcome by laughter.
“I’m the
worst girlfriend ever.” Her voice was muffled because her face as buried in her
hands.
“No, you’re
not.” He put his arm around he
shoulders, squeezing lightly. “He really was a, what was the word you used?”
“Douchebag.”
“Right.
Douchebag.” He gazed at the ocean. The sun was setting now, disappearing into
the water, tainting the sky with a beautiful orange. He loved coming to Nariman
Point. And visits with Anu made it all the more entertaining.
“So what’s
up with you? How’s college?”
“Its OK for
now. But, my seniors tell me that it’ll get tougher.”
“Did you
get ragged on your first day?”
“No.”
“No?”
“OK. A
little.”
“What did
they make you do? Dance in your underwear?”
“No.” He
snorted. “Its not like how they show in the movies.”
“What
subjects do you have?”
“Um. Well,
in the first semester we have History of Architecture, Graphics and all that.
We first have to learn the basics of Architecture.”
“You’re
lucky you know what you want to do. Mom keeps telling me to finally decide.”
“I thought
you had it narrowed it down to Business.”
“Yeah. But,
I really do like English.”
“You could
get a BA in English or something.”
“I know.
But, Mom wants me to do something more professional.”
“You should
do what you like.”
“Do you get
everything that you like?”
“No. Nobody
does.” He paused. “But I do try.”
One Week
Later
“I told you
that I try to get everything that I like.”
“Yes?”
“Well, I
lied.”
“How?”
“I haven’t
tried to get one thing that I liked.”
“Get to the
point, Aryan.”
“I like
you.”
“W-what?”
“I wanted
to tell you when you told me you started dating Omar. I wanted to tell you when
you asked me if I was kissing Radhika. I wanted to tell you when you thought I
was into Poorvi. ”
“Why didn’t
you?”
“I thought
you weren’t interested in me. And I didn’t have the nerve.”
“And, now
you’re saying this…this…profound thing over the phone? Whatever happened to
romance?” She sighed.
“Come one,
Anu. Don’t leave me hanging here.”
Her body
shook with silent laughter. She was barely holding on to the phone.
“I get it
if you don’t like me. Its completely-”
“Aryan.”
“-cool.
Really. We can go back to how things were before and put this-”
“Aryan!”
“What?”
“You want
to know who I have liked all along?”
“Who?”
“You.”
“What do
you mean by ‘all along’?”
“I mean-all
along.”
“Why didn’t
you tell me, then?”
“I thought
you weren’t interested in me. And I didn’t have the nerve.”
He laughed.
