Dearest

Dearest: He Will Come

After eight long years, Ayan's wait is finally over today. His childhood friend, who had moved abroad to the UK eight years ago, is arriving in Dhaka with his family. Ayan is overjoyed at this. The eight-year wait was anything but easy for him. Being separated from his dearest friend for so long was painful and lonely. Though Ayan wasn't truly alone, his best friends were always there for him. Since his friend left, those friends had supported him and kept him going. Yet, deep inside, Ayan often felt a sense of emptiness. Over time, as Ayan grew older, he began to realize that his feelings for his friend had transformed from mere friendship into something deeper—love. So today, hearing the news that the person he holds dearest is coming back, Ayan's face is glowing with happiness, as if his long-awaited dreams are finally about to come true.

Aditya is returning from London to Dhaka today after eight years. Having adapted to life in the UK over all this time, he no longer feels drawn to his homeland. His mother and sister have practically forced him to come along. The reason for this insistence is that his aunt (mashi) desperately wants to see him, to see how much her beloved little Adi has grown. But Aditya isn’t happy at all about this trip. He had planned on having wild parties with his friends at his place, hitting bars, and having a great time while his mom and sister were away. But all of those plans fell apart. Now, he had to leave his luxurious and enjoyable life behind and travel to a small, hot country for four months. Just the thought of it frustrated him immensely. With headphones on and leaning back in the car seat, he stared out the window at the grey sky and the light rain falling outside. Aditya's uncle picked them up from the airport.

—“Ratri, it's been so many years since you came back to the country. You have to stay at least 8-10 months with us.”

Ratri Sannyal smiled and replied to Arnab—
—“What are you saying, Arnab? Can anyone take such a long vacation? We've planned to stay for four months and then return to London.”
A hint of disappointment crossed Arnab's face at this reply.

—“After eight years, you're finally back, and you're staying for such a short time?”
With a small smile, Ratri looked at Arnab and said—

—“I have to go back. My entire household is in London now. How can I leave it unattended for so long?”

—“But still…”

—“In any case, uncle, it's uncertain whether we'll even stay for the full four months.”

—“Why? What do you mean?”

—“Well, the one we've brought with us has quite the temper, you know. Who knows when he’ll blast off in anger?”

Saying this, Arisha burst into laughter, and her mother and uncle joined in. Aditya, overhearing the conversation since his headphone volume was low, felt uncomfortable and irritated. Angrily, he snapped—

—“Did I want to come? Or were you and mom the ones who forced me? Don’t joke around with me, I’m warning you.”

After saying that, he increased the volume of his music and leaned back quietly in the seat. Arisha, feeling scolded, fell silent, realizing that her teasing was out of place since Aditya's mood was already sour. She, too, looked out the window, her face now somber. Ratri, upset by Aditya’s behavior, said—

—“What's wrong with you, Adi? Why are you snapping at your sister? ... Adi? ... Can you hear me?”

—“Ratri, let it go. Arisha, don’t be upset either, okay? But Ratri, if Aditya didn’t want to come, why did you force him?”

—“Why wouldn’t I bring him? He always spends time with his friends. Sometimes, he needs to give time to his family too. And besides, his aunt doted on him so much when he was little. She wanted to see him. Is it too much to expect that he might want to meet his aunt? That’s why we made him come. If he stayed back alone, he’d become even more spoiled.”