Nothing In This World

|1|Life without 'f' is a lie

ARYA

The lockdown is over. Life laughed at me in a sneering mockery, as I was grim at my social skills that were trapped in cobwebs. Despite what the graphs indicate my life's been a productive blast during the pandemic. I have binge-watched most of the movies and shows on my watchlist, and I checked at least seven standalone and two series in my TBR. I tried to bake the cake and succeeded at the 'I lost count' attempt and actually understood the members of my family can be nice too.

It gave me so much time to get to know myself and work on all the peaks and drops. For the first time, I discovered the things in me that I never realized that has existed. I explored my strengths and weaknesses, identified a new interest in animations and stuff, and boyfriend-ed even more fictional men. Not blushing...

Lockdown might have messed up my days and nights but it taught me the value of life and a person. It's one hundred percent true that we know the value of something only when it's lost. It's been hard for everyone who lost their families and friends to the disease but it's definitely served as a moment of epiphany in my life and those around me.

Normally I am the grudge holder, my memory span is both the boon and bane of my existence. Not like a teeny tiny puppy but it's bombast, like a prancing German Shepherd with military training. I might forget what homework I had, sometimes even the spelling of the words 'battle' and 'bottle' but I'll exactly remember what someone said to me on 31st December 2014.

I am like that. And I am proud of it.

My phone vibrated nearby. I swept my hand across the tiles to find it half hidden under one of my sweaters. I swiped the green groaning at the caller ID, and tilted my head a bit to make a safe space between my ear and neck to place my phone.

"'Sup loser?" He asked in his extra cheery voice. His merry and my misery are the branches rooted from the same seed. Leaving for college. 

His voice was accompanied by another notification on my phone probably from my "classmates" from college - half of them I never talked to, that is all the 33 except one. It interrupted both my thoughts and the process of my lukewarm packing. I groan as soon as I hear his tone again gushing about something. Doing anything productive in his presence is trash of an attempt. Because he's an annoying pain in the ass but also one of my best friends and soon-to-be my college mate.

We are in different streams but, yes, I have to survive in the same college with him without trying to whack him on his head. The reason might be clear from his greeting, and my absence of response.

"No response. Rude." He speaks again. and this time I shot him an annoyed look as if he could see me. 

"I'm not in the mood, Ishaan!" I finally huffed tossing another folded dress into the travel bag. Though my response might seem to be the cue to leave me alone for a decent person for him - well it is a goddamn invitation to pour his sunshine and rainbow-tainted adulting ideas into my ears.

"Ha!" he scoffs in mockery. "We are leaving. We are about to fly," He relaxes stretching his arms lazily like it's not a major transformation in our lives, "after I have been confined for so long."

"Ugh. Dramatic."

"God, I just can't wait for this day to be over."

That's it. I can't pretend he's not here anymore. so I stood up, dusted myself, and walked into my room preparing to melt into my bed. And as I become one with the surface of my bed I just want to ask him something that's been nagging me all this time.