WHO AM I

Chapter-7

Aram's POV

"Here... Let me say". She started dramatically and we nodded obediently.

"This is the only piece I have left untold". She continued.

"I had a friend with whom I was very close. Back then, no girls liked to play with me or be with me because of my boyish nature. But she was different. She used to talk to me and was all smiling all the time. She liked to be happy & to make others happy, she found happiness in that. She was very fond of me, I don't know why, and I had always admired her. And then, our bond grew stronger & we were like real sisters. Once you could see us fighting over silly things & then walking hanging on each others shoulder. But 3 years ago ....... ". She stopped.

We hadn't seen this side of Kat. I haven't even imagined a weak Kat. But right now she is nothing but that. She took a sip of water and gulped it hard. And then continued;

"Vanished...". She said.

"Kat... You..". John trailed not knowing how to respond.

" Yeah!! I said vanished... I don't know to where? Why? Or anything else...... I hadn't even seen her parents after that day.... Oh!! And didn't I say?? Yeah, she was the only daughter of her parents... So, no siblings I could ask her for.... Her parent's was a run-away love marriage, so no relatives in the equation....". She again stopped. I could see her eyes glistening.

"Like all the summer holidays, she with her family was going to stay at her parent's best friend's place. Yeah... And when she was about to leave she pulled some prank on me. Back then I had a crush on this guy".

"Hey... You never told us about any crush". John interjected.

"Hey man... Save it for another time. Back to the topic. Yeah..". I said to Kat, ignoring the senseless bad-timing guy that my friend is.

"Likewise, she too had known about it. And that day she said that he had proposed her & she really liked his way of proposal. And unlikely to say, with such a sudden action and heartwarming proposal she was really flabbergasted & said yes at that sudden action".

"What is much there even if she said yes? Yours was a little crush. Wasn't it?". John asked.

"Hey bro... We too have a sis-code like your bro-code... Okay?? Don't underestimate all the girls..". Kat said.

"Wait... She said yes because of some sudden enthusiasm or what... And you say she's different from other girls??huh??". I asked her.

"Yeah... And even now I would say so". She said proudly.

"But why??". It seemed like John was critically evaluating the situation.

"Didn't I say before? It was just a prank that she pulled on me".

"So.... You knew?? Then how is it a prank?? So what did you do at that time?".

"Yeah.. I knew. I can catch even the slightest change in my beloved ones behaviour. So I found out that she was only trying to pull a prank on me, even from the start. So natural-of-me, I too decided to play along. I just said this & that and all, which she actually might've thought I would say. I acted like I was hurt by facing her with my back".

"And at last I added 'I haven't expected this from you.. Not you... Now, I'm so ashamed of you... So ashamed, that I hope you will never come back to me....'. I stopped dramatically there and when I turned to see her face and was about to call out "PRAAANK..", all I saw was the thin air in my room".

"Suddenly I felt something strange and ran opening my door. And I saw her running faster than me. And when I reached the main door of my house, I saw a car moving fast from my next door. I forgot to mention, our house was next door to each other".

"I saw a hand waving and a note falling from the car. I ran to it, took it & read it asap. And it said;
'Goodbye friend. I will miss you'. My heart skipped a beat. I tried her phone several times but it went off without answering. And after several attempts, the phone was attended but all I heard was a 'oh my god!' And it again went off. Thereafter it didn't even ring. I waited for her to come back after a few days. Because that was what always happened. She loved her parent's friends but she loved me more. She would always say that her parent's friends had no daughter, so that they treated her like one and she too treated them like her own parents. Even though, she would come asap sometimes even without her parents & would stay at my place. But this time.....". Her eyes started to well up.

"This time she didn't return even after 2 weeks. So I thought she'll be returning after the break when the school starts. But that too stayed as only my hope. The school too started.... But.... But, she never came back... Neither her parents... I tried my best to locate her. But all went in vain. No one knew where her parent's friends lived. I know only that they are living somewhere faraway, that it will take days if travelling in car & hours in flight. So there wasn't even a single way to know her whereabouts unless her parents come back. But that too didn't happen. I wished I hadn't pulled that prank. I wished my last words wouldn't have hurt her.... Because that's what we were. We could say anything & everything and can still stay the same... I wished if she could understand me more & understand that it wasn't even something that can be called crush and even if it is, I would've preferred her over that or anything. I wished a lot. But what topped it all was my wish for her to come back.". Kat stopped. I could sense a lump forming in her throat. But she gulped hard and continued;

"She was my better half. And still is. But I have one question to ask if she ever returns".

"What is it??". John was curious.

"Why hadn't you called back even once?". She said.

"Only that?". I asked.

"Hmm...... No... Where was you? Why hadn't you attended my calls? Why hadn't she ever returned even for once? And why the hell was you not able to understand my PRANK? Yes... There are a lot". She smiled a sad smile to herself.

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