With Mangoes And Chocolates | ✓

24. Yours.

Fine.

I was really doing this. Trying to empty my thoughts in front of Bhavuk. I wasn't so sure why, mostly because Vihaan asked me to. He said that if I didn't do this on this day, I would be regretting all my life. And something told me that he was speaking from experience. You can't be so certain about such intense things if you haven't felt them yourself.

I pressed the doorbell for the second time that day. My heart hammered in my throat. I tapped my feet to calm myself down.

"Namaste auntie," I blurted out as soon as I saw his mother.
"Manasvi, come inside," she smiled at me.

I stepped in. It had been so long since I last came here, but nothing had changed.
"You don't visit anymore," she told me. "Is everything fine?"

"Hm," I curled up my toes. "It's just that. . .exams. I and Bhavuk both got so busy; couldn't hang out much. How is he doing now?"

"He's fine, but doesn't listen much to me. Does whatever he wishes to. I mean. . .he doesn't share anything." she let out a heavy sigh.

"He's not irresponsible," words left me before I could think about the answer. What I said wasn't relevant, but I had been having this strong urge to defend Bhavuk everywhere. I wish people could know how his true self was so far away from what he appeared to be. That he could be just as lost and clueless as anyone else. That he didn't have strategies for everything. That he deserved guidance and protection too.

"I know he's not. . .but I don't know what goes on in his mind. He isn't home half of the time. . .even now."
"He's not here? Oh God. No."

I collapsed on the chair, burying my face in my hands. If I could get one piece of bread everytime my luck betrayed me, I would've been running a successful bakery by now.

"He must return soon," she told me, hints of hope in her voice. "You can wait."
"I will wait." I said.

It was seven thirty, which meant I still had half an hour left.

I mean, how far could he be?

His mother was an exceptionally sweet woman. I didn't know how family politics worked in Bhavuk's home, but she didn't look like the sort to torture other people. I'd always liked her. I wondered if she knew I was shifting to another city.

I pulled myself to the room which belonged to him. My hands fumbled on the wall until I switched on the lights. Pictures moved clearly in front of my eyes, like the first time I'd entered here. Things had been so exciting, so new. I'd met Nihaara for the first time.

Where was she, though?

The time I'd spent with him was such quality time. Thinking about it made my heart flutter and took me to a distant fairyland. Everytime he'd held my hand, looked into my eyes, admired me. . .all the jokes we made, the stories we told each other. . .

The corners of the green wallpaper behind his bed seemed to peel off a little. My eyes fell over the bookshelf in the corner, having books with various colors of spines. It reminded me of the book he gifted me. I'd always wanted to gift him something back, to express my gratitude for all the money he had spent over me, but I couldn't.

The tons and tons of notes over his desk told me how hard he had worked for the Boards. Bhavuk's way of hard work was very quiet. He always appeared as if he never studied, had everything sorted, when, in fact, he had pulled hundreds of all-nighters to achieve that image. Getting it ruined was his nightmare. I related the most to this version of his, which was why I never discouraged him for it.

I looked around. He was so absent from the place that the memories glowed in green neon in front of my eyes.

He was so much more I hadn't explored. Sides of him I couldn't see.