When I open my eyes, it's all dark. I've my phone in my hand. Maybe I slept while scrolling Instagram. I look at the time, it's 11:27 P.M. Instagram is still on and I've got a new follow request. I check and it's from Rachana. I click on her profile and it's a public account. She has a display picture of herself holding her baby bump.
The recent picture she uploaded was 4 hours ago. It's the picture of her and Kabir in the bus. The caption says "Darjeeling, we're coming!" My ego doesn't let me like the picture. I slowly scroll down her profile. Her wedding pictures, takes me back to the days when Kabir promised to give me all the happiness in the world. All those memories which was locked in my heart is suddenly flooding out. Before I break my own heart again, I close Instagram. Neither I accept her follow request nor follow her, I'm not ready for that yet. Then I check my messenger.
"Your patients are all good. They don't miss you at all." There's a text from Dr. Nishan, with a selfie of him with my patients.
"I'm glad they don't miss me." I reply but the text isn't delivered.
I open the picture he sent. I can't help but zoom Dr. Nishan. His laughing face makes me smile. What is happening to me? Why am I so much affected by him? Am I starting to like him or am I just using him to move on?
"Battery Low!" I get a notification.
My phone is in 15% battery. I charge my phone and lie down on bed. For 10 minutes, I keep on changing sides. I can't sleep. Without thinking anything, I slowly walk to the door and open it. I walk through the corridor and reach the terrace. The terrace has dim lights, only bright enough to walk in the middle of the night.
I see a man figure in the terrace. Looks like someone is sitting. I know he's not ghost as there's a bottle of beer beside him. I walk towards that person. Whoever he or she is, I know midnight conversation will hit different.
"Can I join you?" I say, standing beside that person.
"I had a feeling you'd come." That person looks at me.
It's Samar.
"It's you." I say.
"Were you expecting anyone else?" He sarcastically asks, taking a sip of beer.
"I've countable number of friends." I laugh and sit beside him.
He passes me a bottle of beer. I take it, I feel like drinking. Both of us are staring at the sky, the dark sky with no stars. My mind is blank. I'm just enjoying the beer with nothing in mind. But it looks like Samar has a lot going inside his mind.
"I miss her." Samar breaks the silence. I look at him, I don't know what to say.
"You can share with me if you want to." I manage to say after few minutes of silence. However, I don't want him to feel like I'm invading his privacy like everyone else.
"You're the only person who treats me normally Shruti. Everyone else looks at me with eyes filled with sympathy. I hate it." He adds. I don't know why he's saying that. Maybe because his girlfriend left him?
"If someone else was in your place, they'd have listened to that voice note and would have made it public. Thank you for not listening to it." He keeps on saying.
"Don't thank me. I just respected your privacy." I tell him the truth.
"You must have heard that my girlfriend left me after our engagement. Don't you want to know why?" He asks.
"Samar! You don't have to." I say. I don't want him to regret this tomorrow.
"Chill Shruti! I'm sober and I genuinely want to share this with you." He laughs, looking at me.
