Thomas laughs and stopping the car, looks back.
VINAY
Thomas, man, bro, dude!!!
THOMAS
Surprise...
VINAY
Dude.....where the f were you all these years. It's been what..4..sorry 5 years! You abandoned me, idiot!
THOMAS(laughing)
Well, isn't the timing of my re-entry perfect?
VINAY
You son of a gun! Oh man, unbelievable. Come, end this trip. Let's go have a drink somewhere.
THOMAS directs the car to the nearest bar.
INT. BAR-NOON
THOMAS and VINAY occupy a four-seater table and order 2 beers.
VINAY
Man, what a day. Meeting you.
THOMAS keeps smiling.
THOMAS
What about your office?
VINAY
Screw it..
VINAY(contd.)
Are you sure you can drink? You won't be able to drive after that.
THOMAS
That's ok. What's life if not to enjoy such moments with your dearest lost friend.
VINAY
Ya right. Says the one who went kaput without any trace.
The waiter arrives and keeps two beers on the table.THOMAS pours for both of them.
VINAY
Oh man, this is unbelievable. Dude, three years we shared the same hostel room. And bang, you just disappeared after that.
A beat.
VINAY(pensively after gulping down a glass))
Do you know how much I tried contacting you?
THOMAS doesn't reply. VINAY pours the next round for both.
VINAY
You've become serious bro. What happened? Got married?
THOMAS
No, no, nothing like that.
A beat.
The two have met after a long time and the gap between them is palpable.VINAY is obviously smarting from the snub all these years, while THOMAS is not yet ready to offer an explanation.
YOU ARE READING
The Hippie Trail
AdventureThree people, each with their own reasons, journey through India's backpacker circuit, only to stumble upon love, friendship, and family. A coming-of-age adventure drama, Hippie Trail takes the reader on a journey across India's famed backpacking ci...
