the best friend

chapter 12

Dushyant stared at his phone that flashed the contact name Elena, he couldn't believe she gave him her number.
'ek kaam karo, mera number lelo, if you ever feel like you want to talk to someone, just give me a ring, ok?' he remembered her words. He didn't want to text or call all the time, that would make her feel like he's taking advantage of her kindness right, after all for her it wasn't love, it was just..kindness. so he would give her a ring every Sunday afternoon, after a lot of trial and errors, he found out it was the perfect time.
'hey.' He said as he called her on yet another Sunday afternoon.
'hi, so how are you?' she replied just like she always did.
'thik hoon, tumse puchna tha kuch...'
'haan bolo.'
'uhh, if you don't mind, hum kabhi-uhh-coffee pe mil sakte hain..' dushyant asked reluctantly.
'ok, kab milna chahte ho?' her reply came with a sound as if she was smiling, he was shocked yet unbearably happy.
'uhh, jab tum chaho..'
'main abhi zara library jaa rahi hoon, wahan paas mein ek cafe padta hai, cafe Milano, wahan mille kuch do ghante baad?'
'yeah sure.'
'great, see you then.'
she hung up, leaving him with unbearable happiness and excitement screaming inside of him.

he looked at his watch again, it had been two minutes past time she mentioned, and his anxiety had already reached its heights. But when the cafe door opened, and the sight of her coming towards him, caught his eyes, he was at peace.
'hey!'
'hi!'
'so, uhh, kya baat karna chahte the tum?'
'uhh, pehle hum order karle?'
'ok.'
they both ordered cappuchino.
'so, you were saying.'
'elena, mujhe kuch confess karna hai...uhh, i know humein mile hue zyada time nahi hua hai but, i think i'm in love with you.'
Elena who was listening to him carefully, leaned back a little as she moved his gaze away from him and he was pretty sure he was going to have a panick attack until she leaned in with a smile,
'i think i might be in love with you too..' she whispered as shock ran through his body and he froze right there.
'dushyant?'
'huh?'
'kya hua?'
'nahi,-nahi, kuch nahi...i don't think main ek din mein itna panicked aur khush ek saath hua hoon kabhi...'
Elena laughed at him as her fingers brushed the title Anna Karenina of the book rested on the table in front of her.
'do u like this book?' asked dushyant.
' i do, meri mom apne aakhri dinon mein yeh bahaut padha karti thi.'
'if you don't mind, unhe hua kyat ha?'
'actually, mere dad ki death ho gayi thi ek accident mein, she couldn't heal from the trauma, she was in depression for a year after that, and one day, unhone apni nas katli.' She said as she looked down, trying to control her tears, as dushyant just got up from his seat and hugged her. After a while, as she calmed down and he seated himself again, she continued,
'i read this again and again, so that, main samajh paaon ki woh kya feel kar rahi thi, so that i can connect with her again, understand her pain...basically, i want to understand what one feels in pain so that i can help them...i really regret i couldn't help her..'
'well, wherever she is, i'm pretty sure she's happy with a daughter who has managed to do what she set out to do.'
she smiled as she remarked, 'oh really?'
'you have helped me, if it weren't for you i would have never been able to love again..' he said as their eyes were fixed on each others and their hands were in one and anothers, they were both mesmerised in love.

'hum dono bahaut khush the, but the reality was main wahan sirf chutiyon ke liye tha, mujhe ek din ghar aana pada. Hum dono phir bhi manage karte the roz baat karna, main kuch weekends mom ko convince bhi karleta tha mujhe nani ke ghar le jaane ke liye. But, phir ek din Elena ki nani ko cardiac arrest ho gaya, usne kabhi bataya hi nahi kya hua tha. In fact, woh toh itni chup aur udaas rehne lagi thi, jab bhi usse baat karo pata chalta tha kitna royi hai. And fir ek din...

'dushyant, mom, dad, nani, jinn ke bhi kareeb main gayi hoon na, they have ended up dead and depressed...and it's all because of me..'
'nahi Elena, aisa nahi hai..'
'nahi dushyant aisa hi hai, ab kisiko bhi kuch nahi hoga, kyunki main hone nahi dungi.'
'elena, meri baat suno, tum kuch nahi karogi...hello? Elena? Elena!'

'uss din Thursday tha, pure Friday tension mein bitaaya maine ki usne kuch kar na liya hoon aur jab hum Saturday ko nani ke ghar pahaunche, after convincing mom a lot, she was dead...main nahi bacha paaya usse...' dushyant finished as his eyes expressed that his pain had become numb after all the tears he must have flown already.
ishita hugged him as she softly said, 'it's not your fault.' Only for dushyant to nod.
'it's not your fault.' She repeated as she gently rubbed his shoulders.
'it's not your fault..' she repeated again, as he looked at her with a gaze full of guilt, only half believing what he was told.
'it's not your fault.' She told to him with such conviction as her gaze full of trust, was fixed on him sternly, as her hands covered both of his cheeks. He might have never believed he wasn't a criminal for this, but he did today, as he had someone believe that he wasn't so strongly, coming from a place of love. Nobody said anything between them, but the silence wasn't gruelling but comforting. It was the beginning of love that came from acceptance. This was not going to be easy, but they were ready for all that it took, just for each other.