With Love, Ophelia

two

There wasn't much Maya could do, it wasn't like she could protest. Sonia, Neha's mother, had been her mother's best friend since childhood. Maya, herself was Neha's best friend. And besides she had no right to turn the girl away because of her own shameful deeds. 

"But why?" Maya slowly looked at her sister

"As in?"

"Why is she coming back? Why now?"

"I...I don't know" Andy replied, uncertainty evident.  "It's not like she has anyone here to visit...except us"

"That's impossible" Maya quickly brushed away that thought and the little hope it carried with it.

"Not entirely"

"Come on Andy, after what happened, I'm sure we are the last people she wants to see" Andy nodded knowingly, it was hard to refute. 

"That's true, and even if she did want to see us, just suppose, why now after 2 years?" Andy sounded her own worry. 

A tense silence hung ominously above their heads, the sisters only stared at each other hoping to make sense of Neha's unprecedented arrival. The evening continued as usual but the slight signs of restlessness was unmistakably there. They didn't say another word of the matter, as if hoping this whole scenario would precipitate into thin air as if it had never happened in the first place. But they knew better.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A petite girl with short brown hair stiffly walked along Maya's room, she momentarily stopped, her finger slightly grazing a photo frame on the shelf. The picture held more joy that one could summon from the entire town. Three little girls held hands by a beach with amused smiles as they faced the vast ocean on the other side of the frame. Her hand suddenly retracted to her side as the door slowly creaked open. Maya entered with two glasses of juice as she threw a small, timid smile at Neha, almost desperate for a similar reciprocation. 

Neha stared at her blankly her fingers nervously clamped together, she took Maya's signal and sat beside her on the bed. After a moment of hesitation, she took the glass Maya handed out and cleared her throat before sipping the juice.

"How...how have you been?" Maya asked, slightly embarrassed at her stutter despite revising this many a times.

"Good, you?"

"Good"

The conversation quickly ended as they both looked away. They seemed like as if they were walking on the edges of a volcano, careful not to fall into the boiling vent. They didn't say another word, Neha quickly gulped the remaining contents of the glass as Maya followed suit. 

"Mum will be back in 20 mins" Maya announced as Neha gave a small nod. 

"I'll keep these back" She quickly added as she collected the glasses and walked out the room seeming as normal as possible. Neha quietly let out a sigh as she stared at the closed door for another moment, she looked more solemn, if it were possible.

Maya entered the kitchen and she hastily dropped the glasses in the sink. "Careful with the glass" Andy's voice echoed from the living room. She followed her sister's voice where she was busily unpacking a makeshift bed. It was dusty and took quite an effort to bring out the storeroom but her mother insisted that three grown girls cannot sleep on a bed meant for two. Maya was inwardly happy as being close to Neha made her anxious. Don't be mistaken, she didn't hate the girl but that's just how things had become.

Maya sat on the sofa watching her sister wipe the metal frame that would hold the cot.

"Geez thanks for helping" Andy threw a quick remark as Maya shrugged letting out a brief chuckle, a very brief one. "Where's she?" Andy asked.

"In the room"

"Did ya'll talk?" Andy asked in a strained voice looking away from Maya.

"Yea, briefly" Andy only nodded in reply still looking away, as if on que her phone tinged. She giggled to herself as she turned on her knees to face Maya who was looking past her head, her mind far away. 

"Matt asked about you, again" Andy added triumphantly as she snapped Maya back to the present. "What?"

"Matt the guy from school" Andy said with a 'duh' tone

"Your science partner"

"Yea"

"For what?"

"What else? He wants me to set you up with him" Maya scowled in reply

"Come on, he's hot"

"I know but"

"But what?" Andy asked, a sudden change of tone surprised Maya. It was as if she already knew what Maya was about to say, and she's wasn't the slightest bit pleased about it.

"I...I just can't"

"Maya, it's been 2 years, for godsake, forget about Rahul!" Maya's eyes widened hearing the name. It was a name they hadn't dared to mention for two years, hearing it again shattered the little part of her she painstakingly built back. Her eyes swelled with tears, and Andy suddenly realized her blunder as she sat silently.

"I can't, I really can't" a broken sob accompanied her pleading voice

"Just try" Andy begged

"That's easy for you to say Andy, I don't deserve it, I don't" Maya tried to muffle the sob threatening to tear out her throat.

"Maya, stop being hard on yourself, It isn't your fault, never was"

"Andy" Maya interrupted as if begging her to stop, but this time Andy wasn't going to. But before she could another voice made its presence known.

"Andy's right" their heads snapped towards her room as Neha stood at the doorway. No one spoke for minutes, Neha slowly made her way into the living room and sat opposite Maya. The uneasiness was still there, but along with it there was a hint of sympathy.

"Move on" Neha said with finality as she looked at Maya, unwavering. Maya took a shaky breath...

"Neha...I don't deserve your forgiveness"

"I can't forgive you..." Maya's breath hitched, it was like the final blow before she would crumble "because it was never your fault" Neha added quickly looking away..

"Neha..."

"Stop beating yourself for what he did " their eyes connected again and Neha finally smiled, the first time since she came here. It wasn't a full hearty smile, if you didn't look closely you would have almost missed her lips slightly twitch upwards.

"Thank you..." Maya was now crying her sobs filled the room. But she cried with relief, she smiled back, grateful.

Clearing her throat Andy looked gleefully at Neha.

"Matt has a few friends, why don't you join us today evening?" She added with a wink, in response Neha laughed, finally. Things seem to be going back to the way the were. Maybe it's true, time does heal.

"I would love to, but I was thinking of going for a hike" The lightheartedness that filled the room was lost instantly.

"To the pond?" Maya questioned knowingly, her voice soft and filled with regret.

"Yea"

"I went there recently, wasn't it her favorite?" 

"It was" Neha replied softly, smiling to herself

"She'll be back, I  know it" Andy added firmly, "I'm certain". Neha let out a small laugh, a laugh laced with longing and sadness.

"I wish"

The silence resumed. The rest of the day went quietly, but it wasn't filled with awkwardness anymore. Though it wasn't completely the way things were 2yrs ago, it was getting better. The atmosphere that cracked under the tension mended slowly as it weighed lightly on Maya's shoulder. She was glad, glad that Neha was back.