I'mperfect

3

"This feels just like the older times." 

"Yeah, it does." I let out a contented sigh, leaning back into my chair. Me, Nick and Adi are seated at a tea stall sipping on a warm cup of tea. It was evening now. We'd spent the whole afternoon going through the old albums with our childhood pictures, recalling the memories and laughing at the stories each of us remembered and then, we decided to go out for a stroll when we came across this tea stall at the corner of the street. We used to frequent it while we were in college and seeing how this place is still here brought back a lot of happy memories.

"So, how's New York?" Aditi chirps from beside me.

"It's good. I still missed all of this, of course, but I liked the rush of the city. I'm not sure if I want to go back though," Nick finishes, taking a sip of his tea.

"No? Why?"

"Wow, we're meeting after five years and you already want me to leave?" he chides.

I know he said it jokingly but I can't mask the hurt the comment brings. "I didn't..."

"Relax, Sam. I was just kidding," he interrupts, "I just think it's time to come back. Plus, mom and dad need me here to run the business with them. God knows what will happen if we leave it all to Karan."

I shake my head, letting go of his previous comment as me and Aditi laugh at what he said about his younger brother. "Not everyone can be like you now. Besides, Karan is one of the best photographers in the world," Adi says in Karan's defence. He is her favorite after all, how can she tolerate anyone making fun of him.

"Well, of course, he's my brother. He has to be the best."

I roll my eyes but laugh nonetheless as I reply, "As humble as always, I see."

"Always at your service, madame." His dimples make an entrance as he pulls out a charming smile and mocks a bow. I see the girl sitting in the next stall eyeing him unabashedly as he speaks.

This is typical Nick, always joking around, always the life of the party. Even when we were in school, he used to attract a lot of attention from everyone with his looks and charms but he never paid heed to anyone. He was never one to use girls for fun. His mother had always made sure that both her sons learned to respect women from a young age but unfortunately, this quality of his made school hell for me. It wasn't his fault but the girls in our grade always envied me for being his only female friend. They never bothered with Aditi since she was a senior and hence, all their hatred was always directed to me. But it never really bothered me, all thanks to my two best friends. They always took care of me and made sure that I was fine in every step of life, until I pushed them away. But that's a tale for another time.

***

Evening turns to night as we roam around visiting the places we used to go as kids and we decide it's time to take the conversation home because we are far from done. Nick is going to stay with us tonight and from the looks of it, none of us is getting any sleep.

We settle in my mother's drawing room before the conversation moves to Aditi and the baby.

"I can't wait to hold my nephew," Nick says, his arm resting around Adi's shoulder as they sat opposite me on the sofa with a coffee table separating us.

My ears perk up as soon as he makes the claim. "Excuse me? Your nephew? It's going to be my niece." I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Guys, there's still a lot of time. We don't have to start discussing the baby's gender now," Aditi says, trying to stop us.

"Oh no, no, no. We are discussing it now because I know it's going to be a boy. My nephew."