The Trouble Next Door

O. Silent Signals

Travel songs are playing, everyone is enjoying. I am looking outside the window, the wind is touching me.

Kailash said, "Do you remember? Vishu, my childhood crush?"

"Mohini? Yeah, where is she? She was in our group, poor guy had to become her brother. Do you know, Shraddha, Mohini always called him brother."

Shraddha started laughing. "Where is she these days? Why didn't you say anything, Kailash?"

"What could I say? Our friendship would have broken, but I'm meeting her kids now, she made me their MAMA (uncle), what's up, should I hit my head on the wall? I feel like crying." Kailash was overacting, and Shraddha was laughing, while Vishwas stayed quiet. I put in my earphones so I couldn't hear anything.

Suddenly, memories from my childhood hit me like a wave. It was late at night. I was lying in bed while my parents fought downstairs. I curled up with my head buried in the pillow, trying to block out their voices. I grabbed a piece of paper to calm myself and started drawing

My teacher had once asked, "How do you make such beautiful drawings, beta?"

"Ma'am, I feel at peace when I draw. It helps me forget everything else.""

This scene felt like my younger self, drawing, but my mind was fighting, repeating every day. Slowly, I started hating drawing because it no longer brought peace. When I used to draw shapes with a pencil, later I only drew black circles, so dark that the paper would turn black, as if electric black wires were tangled on it.

How could a little me know that not being able to draw would become the dark of my life? It feels like something old that is lost now, something I don't even hope will come back, but the memory still haunts me.

Vishwas said, "I've been telling you for so long, but you never listen, take out your earphones."

I took out my earphones. "Do you want something? Where do you disappear?"

I nodded, and we all got out of the car. The highway was full of fast-moving vehicles, and I felt distant from it all. I sat there, sipping tea, watching the world rush by. Just then, Shraddha sat beside me.

"Come on, stop sulking. Give it a rest," she teased.

I didn't respond, so she continued, "Do you really think doing all this will fix everything? Look, two handsome guys are with us, doing so much for us. Vishwas even planned your trip. You should at least think about that."

I stood up in frustration, ready to leave, but she continued, "Don't you ever think about anyone else? What's going on with you?"

I looked over at Vishwas, and Kailesh was making him laugh.

Vishwas said, "Man, those were the days, I still remember your jokes. I liked a girl too, I still have her letters. After that, no letters came, but she never came in front of me. I tried so hard to know who that girl was."

"Your ghost!" Kailash laughed.

"What do you think? Only ghosts like me?"

"Yeah, no one else could like you. Remember, even the boys in class would run away after hearing your jokes."

Vishwas paused for a second and then said, "But you didn't run away."

Kailash paused, as if he had to think of a response. "Because I was as crazy as you, two crazy people making the whole class crazy."

They were both laughing, messing with each other. I thought, what a friendship. Shraddha was coming from behind. I turned around, and she bumped into me.

"What's your problem?" I asked.

"Nothing! You couldn't turn without telling me?" she replied, a little defensive. Her height was just a bit shorter than mine, and she bumped into my shoulder. she was massaging her head.

"Your life is not the only one with problems, got it? Everyone has issues, Miss Shraddha. Now, you'll only listen while I talk," I said, moving forward while she walked behind.

"What?" she said, scared.

"When I don't want to talk, then don't. Toi uthe eshe amar mathay nachte shuru korli!
(You come up and start dancing on my head), 

Tui dekhecho na, tumi amar mood ta ruin kore dichcho!
(don't you see you're ruining my mood?) 

Who are you? Bondhu na?  Amader rishta ki? Tui nijeke ki mone kore? Ek pagol, bekar, botbeez meye. (Not a friend? What is our relationship? What do you think of yourself? A crazy, useless, attention-seeking girl.)"

She bumped into a chair, sat down, and said, "mayo? (mayonnaise?) Boddhu? (Stupid?) Asaar-masaar? machchar? (mosquito?) Talking nonsense!"

"Don't want to reply? Or ba dena chaicho na? (You just don't care?)" 

Cars zoom past on the highway, while Kailash and Vishwas's laughter fills the air. The soft sound of a tea sip breaks the silence. Our eyes meet, and my face reveals a wave of frustration. Shraddha's expression remains unreadable, but there's a quiet confidence in her eyes, as if she's concealing something behind that blank look.