Am always with you.....

Chapter 51

ZACH

We were at the get-together on the occasion of Venu's birthday party. I was allowed one day off, since was here and doctor had prescribed strict rest. I could understood why I was the weakest among all IPF patients. I have seen live examples of long-lived patients, yet I am on the edge every time I try and push myself.

Still, Mum told me to attend the party, to which I obliged. I parked my bike at the parking. It was organized at the decent café, easy to find and big enough to accommodate the invitees. Preparations were in progress when I entered. Ben was rushing around, checking on all the details- lightings, tables, menu, decorations, and what not! I approached him, "Hey, bud. Need some help?"

"Oh! Thank God you are here. Can you help me put on these balloons?"

And we got busy with fighting the place of the balloons. I couldn't understand why we were doing this task, when the café must have offered to do it.

"Oh, please, Ben! It won't look nice from afar. What was your score in arts?", I raised my voice.

"Zach, I know. But I know that Venu will like it close and compact."

I sighed, "As you wish.", and stuck the balloon in suggested place.

We checked through the lightings again, went through the arranged menu, test-checked the sound system.

Ben has taken lots of efforts.

I stopped the immediate childish thought I would have- 'why didn't this happen with me?'. Slowly, the place filled with guests, and I got into a corner, tired with all the work done. Our gang also arrived, lightening my burden of work. After I sat in a chair kept in the corner, Krish pulled a chair and sat beside me.

"Zach, are you fine? You don't look good.", she asked with concern.

"I am fine. Just feel weak."

She didn't dig further. Then, "I hope you are actually fine. Because every time I see you, you are worse than before."

I didn't reply to the comment. She continued, "How are you feeling about all this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean are you two really done? I need to catch up with the details."

"And you want them here?"

"Well, I do want to, maybe after the celebration? Come over to my place."

And in this way, Krish easily pushed me to go to her place. I didn't mind. The program began with Venu's entry. Honestly, she looked amazing- beautiful peach colour long one piece which she wore with elegance and a kind smile. She gave a small thank you speech, followed by few anecdotes from her friends as well mine. Ben shared their first meet and many other incidents. We laughed, ate, drank and cried. After a while, I asked Krish to get going; it was getting hard for me to hold on. Krish got us out.

"Venu and Ben looked nice today. And it's amazing how he managed to bring everyone together."

"He is much more capable.", I said with pride.

We settled at her place on cozy sofas and with few snacks.

"Now tell me. Spill everything."

"Well, long story short- after shifting to Pune, it became hard to stay in touch. I went through a lot during that time, and I think it was my mistake to not tell him. I shifted to Chennai for my work, and point to be noted, Yash helped a lot. And then, Ben suddenly visits me, on the day I collapse in my office. This is where it all starts. Yash is quite close to me, which caught his eye. Still, all gets cleared and I decide to come back here. But on the very day I return, he leaves me at the flat alone and I collapse again. That's where it finally hits me- we might be best friends, but we weren't the best couple. It was hard; for him to understand my situation and for me to see him suffer like this. And he still had a chance with Venu. I fulfilled my lifelong wish of dating him, that's enough for me."