Meetha felt alive.
It was sudden like a monsoon shower. Something in Meetha's heart told her she's now in love. She stood in her tracks in shock. She could not comprehend it at all— how could she fall in love by seeing a guy fall in bed?
Irfan was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the whirlwind of feelings that swept through her. Sleep seemed elusive to Meetha as she wanted answers for her emotions. She couldn't deny that Irfan was a great guy. But she was in a relationship some eight hours ago. She had broken up with Ajith just an hour ago. Is that right she is having feelings for another guy?
She wanted someone to weigh in.
Someone who would be awake now, as they lived exactly on the opposite side of the world. She switched on her phone and called Mithun.
“Meetha yaar! I was just thinking about you! What are the odds!?”
Meetha laughed as she walked to the balcony. “I think the odds are high, considering we share the same set of parents.”
“Um.. okay, nerd!”
“Right back at ya, Dr. Dork.”
“What are you doing up? It's like midnight there, no?”
“Listen Mithu, I wanna catch you up quickly to some events. First of all, I broke up with Ajith.”
“What the hell!? When did you two date??”
Meetha sighed deeply. It's true that she hadn't explicitly told him about it, but they weren't secretive either. Mithun can be painfully oblivious at times. She and Ajith would make date plans right in front of him, yet he never picked up on it.
“We started dating three years ago,” she started patiently. “When Ajith got a job in the campus interview.”
“Seriously? Ajith is like.. family. It's weird to imagine you two dating.”
Meetha sighed again. This was going to be a long and painful night, she thought.
“Anyways, I caught him cheating on me. With his coworker.”
“That asshole! I thought he was family, how could he? Do you want me to talk to him? I can help fix this–”
“Can you please listen to me, Mithun??” Her voice rose an octave as her patience grew thin.
“Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Continue. What did you do?”
“At that moment, I wanted to die. So I boarded a train to Hyderabad.”
“Holy shit Meethu! Are you okay? Where are you now? Hyderabad?”
“Yup. I need to tell you something.”
“You mean, apart from all these super-concerning information you gave me till now?”
“Yes. Listen, I met someone. On the train.”
“I don't like where this is going…”
“Mithun, I think.. I think I'm having feelings. For Irfan.”
“Irfan? That's the guy you met on the train?”
“Yes. I need you to be objective for a minute, and tell me if this is right or wrong.”
Meetha waited with bated breath as the other end fell silent. After a long moment, Mithun cleared his throat.
“Are you really okay? Answer honestly.”
“I've been better. I felt shitty when I saw how Ajith made a fool of me. Then I had some time to think. Irfan helped. I felt an instant connection to him. He's sweet, he's patient, and he's a musician. He's a genuine guy, and he cares about me. As I didn't have any place to stay, he invited me to stay with him.”
“Meethu, please don't tell me you followed a stranger to his home.”
“I didn't follow a stranger home. Not essentially...”
“Continue..”
“We are in a hotel room.”
“Meetha! I'm gonna tell mom!” He shrieked so loudly that Meetha flinched.
“Is there any possibility that we can have this conversation as adults?”
He took another minute to calm himself. She could hear the noisy heave of his breath. She took one deep breath herself.
“Mithun, yaar, I need you.”
“I'm here.”
Meetha felt her eyes prickle. It meant so much to hear that from her brother.
“Go on, tell me what I can do to help.”
“I've never felt this way before. My heart feels so light. It's confusing and thrilling. He makes me laugh so hard. He feels like home. He just.. gets me.”
“All in a span of roughly six hours?”
“As unbelievable as it sounds, he helped me find my will to live again.”
“That's deep, Meethu. He sounds like an incredible guy.”
“So tell me, is it too soon? Is this wrong? I mean, I just broke up with Ajith over phone one hour ago”
“Do you feel like it's too soon?”
“I.. I don't know.”
“Ask yourself.”
Meetha tried thinking about it. The mere thought of Irfan brought a silly smile to her face she couldn't hide. Sheepishly, she replied, “I think I like him so much. It doesn't matter if it's too soon or anything.”
Mithun's happy laughter echoed through her phone.
“Meetha, meri pyaari di, congratulations on falling in love.”
“Mithu, shut up!”
“Hey, I just want you to be happy. Always. Just like you want me to be. I’ve never said it aloud, but it's huge of you to send mom and dad to take care of me. I love you Meethu.”
“Hey.. I'm your big sister. I'll always look out for you.”
“And I'm your brother. I know you. If you're so sure about this, then I trust your judgement. Be safe, and be happy. Convey my regards to Irfan! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!”
“Shut up you dork!” She laughed into the phone as she ended the call. She lightly slapped her forehead as she kept chuckling inexplicably.
Mithun's talk was exactly what she needed at that moment. She chided herself for not confiding in him earlier. He would have never let me feel alone, she thought.
With a happy exhale, she absently gazed at the night sky. Fluffy clouds meandered about, with a few occasional winking of pretty stars here and there.
Meetha felt like she belonged there. She had come a long way from home to this unfamiliar place, yet she felt at home. She turned to look at Irfan's sleeping profile, his tranquil face a reminder of the transformative shift he brought to her life.
She wanted to live a long, long life with him.
***
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Last Stop: Love
Roman d'amourA light-hearted story brushing some heavy themes. ⚠️ Contains themes like suicidal thoughts, self harm and cheating. Avoid if triggering.
