Will You Write With Me

19

“Does Palkha know that I love Navya?”, I asked Darshit on our way to hotel.
“No dude. It’s better to keep that way”, he said. I nodded and threw my gaze out through the window. Mumbai had an appealing look at night, and I was truly fascinated about its rich look.
“What did you guys talked about?”, Darshit asked me and brought my gaze back to him.
“Casual things”, I said.
“Like what?”, he interrogated.
“Like how you used to tease me in Kolkata, like how you used to hate me…”, I said and gave him a cold stare.
“Shit. Did she told you all that?”, he asked nervously.
“Yes, she did”, I said. He then gave me a sheepish smile in embarrassment. We reached the hotel and picked up my luggage back to the cab. Then we were on our way to Thane. It was almost a one-hour travel to Darshit’s home from the hotel.
“Why the hell you arranged this party away from your home? Isn’t this place too long?”, I asked him.
“This lounge seems good dude. And Thane clubs are not that much good for parties”, he said.
“I see”, I said and enjoyed the sight at the roads of Mumbai at night. Darshit’s phone rang, but I didn’t bother about it. He brought his phone close to my eyes and ruined my vision. It was Navya. He was grinning madly without picking up the call. “What is this dude? Pick up the call”, I said.
He then attended her call. The call ended in less than three minutes. I was curious to know what they had spoken.
“What is it?”, I asked him.
“What?”, he said.
“What did you guys talked about?”, I asked him with my curious face. 
“Why should I tell you that?”, he said with his creepy smile.
I was annoyed with his smile, so I turned my face away from him in anger like a child.
After some seconds of silence, his voice brought jolt all over me as I was stuck by lightning through his words.
“What!?”, I shouted in the cab. My voice was too loud so that the cab driver turned his head back and gave me a final warning sign through his stare.
“Yes”, he coolly replied.
“How can you be so cool?”, I asked him.
“Why should I get tense dude? It’s your in laws coming, you should feel happy”, he said.
“You should have informed me before that Navya’s parents are also coming”, I fought.
“Don’t be a sober dude. Relax, Navya and you are the people who are going to pick them up from the airport”, he said.
“What?”, again I opened my mouth in shock.
“Yes. She called me and asked me to come with her tomorrow. As Palkha was drunk, he will not be awake soon in the morning. I am tired now so I will sleep too, you take advantage of it”, he said and grinned.
“What do you mean?”, I asked him.
“I mean, you are going to pick up your in laws tomorrow with your girlfriend”, he said smiling.
After his statement, I was happy, but I was not, I was excited but also, I was depressed. I felt like, I was digging my own grave. But then, I had to make use of all opportunities. We reached Darshit’s home. It was decorated with colourful lights and charmful people. He introduced me to his parents, and they welcomed me with, ‘Namaste’.  He took me to a room. I saw Palkha snoring hard on the corner of the bed.
“Can we sleep?”, he said in his tired voice.
“Where is Navya?”, I asked him. He stared me viciously.
“She is safe with my cousin sisters”, he said.
“I just asked man”, I said with an awkward smile.
“Sleep soon. You must wake up early to pick up your in laws”, he said plonking himself on the bed.
“What about you? Don’t you have any other ceremonies?”, I asked him.
“No, just a formal wedding like reception in a party hall”, he said and closed his eyes in distress.
“What? Why?”, I asked him in disbelief.
“Because Ankita thought that it would be better to keep it that way – sweet and simple”, he said without opening his eyes.
“Why? She doesn’t like grand fancy weddings or what?”, I asked him curiously.
“No, she loves to do our wedding in a grand fancy way. But she doesn’t like others to know that she is pregnant”, he said and opened his eyes slowly.
“What!?”, I shouted in shock.
“Shh… calm down dude”, he said frantically.
“She is pregnant?”, I asked him in my husky voice.
“Yes. Three months”, he said plainly without any emotions.
“Damn. You are giving me shock after shock in recent times”, I said and fell on the bed. The bed was big enough to carry three men. I closed my eyes and dived into the world of dreams.
“Wake up Darshit”, a loud sweet voice woke me up the next bright morning. It was Navya who was trying desperately to woke up Darshit. But he kept snoring loudly. I was certain that his snoring sound was fake.
“Is there any problem?”, I asked Navya.
“Yes Advik, my parents are here from America. I want to pick them up from airport. Darshit promised that he would be with me, and look at him now”, she said sadly.
“He was drunk last night. Maybe I can accompany you”, I said with a bright tone. She looked at me and she could not resist my offer.
“Are you sure?”, she asked me.
“Of course. Give me five minutes”, I said and hurried inside the bathroom and took a quick bath. Then I wore a perfect formal, as I was about to meet my in laws.
“Can we go?”, I asked her. I was perfect on time – exact five minutes. She nodded with her alluring smile.
We took the cab to the airport. It was 6 past half and so the traffic was relatively less.
“So, where they are coming from?”, I asked her to break the annoying silence.
“Boston”, she replied gently. I nodded and didn’t utter a word after her reply. Then again, the annoying silence roamed around us.
“I read your last book. I loved it”, I said with a smile.
“Thank you”, she said with a glow on her face.
We reached the airport by 7 Am. By 7.30 her parents came to our sight. A four-year-old girl was also with them and I realised that she was Navya’s half-sister. She hugged both her father and her stepmom. Then she kneeled down to her half-sister and kissed her cheek gently. It was a lovely sight. I shook hands with her father and her stepmom, and she introduced me as her friend. We took another cab and drove back to Darshit’s home.
“Where are you from?”, her father asked me on our way back.
“Tamil Nadu”, I said by turning my head back towards him – as I was in the front cabin of the car.
Then he continued his questions like, “What are your parents doing? Where did you studied? What do you do? How many books have you written?”.
I had no other option than to answer all his questions. Navya kept chuckling for each and every question he asked me. Then we reached Darshit’s home. I carried two of their luggage with me and Navya pulled a big trolly with her. Darshit’s parents were there waiting for them. They welcomed Navya’s parents gleefully. Her father hugged Palkha in joy, then he hugged Darshit with a word ‘congratulations’. A lady was serving juice to everyone in the living room. I saw someone offering me a glass of juice, I saw her face and said, “Thank you”.
Suddenly, she dropped the plate carrying three more glass of juices. I looked at her in shock, she did the same. She was that maid woman, who dropped coffees when I punched Darshit. Everyone looked at us, staring each other’s face. Before anyone could ask her anything, Darshit steamed out from nowhere and said, “Hema thum saavdhan se nahi ho sakthe the. Ab andhar jaayiye. Mari isko abi saaf kardhijiye” (Hema can’t you be careful. Go inside now. Mari, clean this now). He called another worker to clean it. She went inside the kitchen but giving a bizarre look at both Darshit and me.
“She is so creepy”, I muttered to him.
“But for her, you are the creepy one”, he muttered back.
Then we both gazed each other and exchanged weird grins.