Quarantine Love (EDITING)

Chapter 2

March 12, 2020
7 pm, Pune (India)
Ansh 

"Yaar, no no-- what the hell are you doing! It's been 2 months now and you guys still cannot memorize your lines? Zar serious nasal tar please nigha. (If you are not serious, please leave). I understand this is a college-level play but please show some seriousness and sincerity. If not first position, at least we should be in the top 5. The competition is 2 weeks away and I cannot present this stupidity there."

He clenched his fists, his heartbeat quickening. The head of extracurricular activities had given him this responsibility, seeing how well had he assisted the last play. But now, the pressure felt suffocating. He looked at the actors, who were aimlessly walking around like headless chickens. Too many sleepless nights has gone into this production for him to watch it fall apart.

"Ansh?" A sickly sweet voice cut through his thoughts. He turned to see Nitya, their costume head, standing there with a confident smile. "I've got the costumes ready," she said, her voice overly cheerful. "Should we do a dress rehearsal now? I can fix anything, and we can see how they look on stage?." She stepped closer, her hand dropping to circle his waist as she rested her head on his shoulders.

"What---what are doing?, he said, stepping away quickly, feeling uncomfortable. "Ani kaay dress rehearsal zar tenha lines memorize nahi hotay, zar tenha akal nahi aahe tar tenha fakta changledress ghalun first nahi yenar aapan. You do this dress rehearsal stupidity; I am going home. Tomorrow, I need everyone's lines memorized no matter what happens. Stay all night if you have to."
(What dress rehearsal? If they cannot memorize line and they have no sense, then only nice dresses will not get us first position.) 

He stormed out of the auditorium, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. The thought of his directorial debut collapsing haunting him as he walked towards the parking lot, nearly colliding into Hriday, one of his best friends.

"Hey dude. Careful. Laksha kuthe aahe? Girlfriend milali ka?" he teased, playfully punching my arm. (Where is your attention? You got a girlfriend?)

"Yaar, shut up. It's nothing is like that. Just the play is consuming my mind. I feel like sir did a mistake handing me the responsibility of directing it. No one is taking it seriously...*Ding*

(Ansh glanced down at his phone to see an Instagram notification from Sravni. He quickly opened it to see a photo of her arriving at her parents' house, with a caption about the delicious food Aunty had prepared. But his breath caught looking at Sravni---in the FRIENDS shirt he had given her the last time she had visited India, her hair piled messily on her head as she stuffed a pani puri in her mouth) 

*clears throat* "Kharach milali GF," Hriday teased, glancing at Ansh's phone.
(You really found a girlfriend)

"It-it is just my childhood-family friend," he said hastily closing his phone and putting on his helmet to hide the blush rising to his cheeks.

"Childhood or family? Hmmm....bol bol," he said bumping his shoulder. (Tell tell)

"Yaar, seriously? Tasa kahich nahi aahe. Ti sadhya US la aste...pan te sod tu ka aahe ithe evdha late?" (Its nothing like that. She is the US currently....but leave that why are you here so late?)

"Aree...te kahi tari pandemic yetoy asi news aali aahe na. Clg pan online karna cha discussion chalu aahe. Parents ne parat gavi bolavla aahe. Ek semester tikundun kr asa mhanale, tr me bolo theek aahe. Tech paper submit karay la aalo aahe. Udya sakal cha gadi ne gavi." he said showing the file in his hand
(News of the pandemic is going on. There is discussion of the college going online. My parents are calling me back to our ancestral village and saying I do a semester from there. I agreed so I am here to submit the necessary papers. I will catch the train tomorrow morning.) 

"Evdha jat-pat? Aree ajun kahich confirm nahi aahe ani tu jatoy? Listen tasa kahich nahi honar aahe. China madhe aahe ani confined aahe. Tasahi zala tr normal sardi/khokla nothing major. Tension nako gheus." Ansh patted his shoulder.
(You are leaving so quickly? Nothing is confirmed and you are leaving? Listen nothing will happen. It's confined in China and even if we catch it, it is a normal cold/cough nothing major. Don't stress yourself)

"Agdich jat-pat nahi aahe. Tula tr baban chi tabiyat mahit aahe kashi aaste. Ani te ajun kharab hotay. Zar dusra countries sarkha lockdown lagla tr me ithe te tithe mushkil hoel. Precautionary action aahe re, nako kalji karus. Next semester yetoy parat. Evdha lavkar sodnar nahi ani vahini kon aahe he mystery pan solve karay chi aahe na?" he said wagging his eyebrows mischievously. 
(Its not necessarily hurriedly. You know of dad's health and its deteriorating. If we go in a lockdown like other countries then it will be difficult with me here and them there. Don't worry its a precautionary action. I will  be back next semester. I won't leave you so easily and we need to figure out the mysterious sister-in-law.  )

Ansh pulled him into a tight hug. Hriday was the fourth of their friend group to leave and go home. But looking around, at the bustling streets of Pune and the crowded cafes, the pandemic felt like a distant rumor.

PS: Ansh is from Nagpur but he lives alone in an apartment 10 mins away from his chacha's (paternal uncle) family. His dada/dadi (paternal grandparents) live 6 months here and 6 months in Nagpur.