So there we were, the five of us, at the Matchbox Lounge in Hauz Khas, South Delhi. It was almost 10 PM in the clock and the weekday crowd had begun to call it a day, leaving us in a relatively empty and peaceful environment to relish our recent successes. None of us had bothered to get dressed for the occasion but had put on some modest, almost business-like, attires that gave out professional and sophisticated vibes. None of us, but Kavya! Kavya had chosen to dazzle in a stunning black one-shoulder midi dress. As she approached us at the entrance of the lounge, I felt as if she was strutting out on to the red carpet. Meher whispered in my ears about how beautiful she was looking, a proper damsel.
While the others embraced and appreciated her dress, I began to realize that there was more to the story than was being reflected from that dress. As I looked into her eyes, I was transported back ten years in time and then it suddenly struck me. This was the same dress that Kavya had worn to our Freshers Night where we had gone as a couple. My apprehensions were confirmed by the mischief that was now obvious on her face... she had always been terrible at hiding things, especially her emotions. I thought it better not to disrupt the mood of the night but made a mental note to confront Kavya the next morning at work and find out what she was up to. As we went in, I passed a sly wink to Zafar, who had been harbouring a crush on Kavya for quite some time. Things were about to get as complicated as ever.
Cut to ten years ago, Kavya was the first friend I made in college. A mutual dread for food served in the college canteen became the starting point of sorts for this friendship. We attended classes together and then enjoyed each other's company in the evenings for exploring the lanes of Delhi, a city new to us both. A firm bond of trust eventually developed over the numerous cups of tea and street food delicacies like gol gappe, momos and shawarma that we gobbled down in our escapades. After having spent so much time together, it seemed to be a no-brainer that we should go to the Freshers Night together as a couple. Kavya had been extremely enthusiastic about the idea whereas I initially appeared to be hesitant, with question marks lurking in mind - were we taking this too quickly? The hesitation didn't last very long as I caved in when Kavya emphasized that it was just one night and we would have so much fun. Besides, it wasn't any different from the two of us going out in the evenings anyway. So it was decided.
It was in this over joyous mood that Kavya had purchased this midi dress for the party. Ten long years later, she was looking as enchanting in that dress as she had back then at Freshers Night. There was no one at that party whose attention had not been drawn to her, she was the highlight of the event and this was something Kavya took a lot of pride in - having the spotlight firmly fixed firmly upon her. Her tall, athletic frame coupled with those sharp facial features made her stand out among the rest of the crowd. As Kavya's companion, I was also inadvertently brought into the limelight. Whenever I came close to her or at times when we danced together, I could feel the strain of a hundred set of eye-balls scrutinising every move that we made. On one hand, trumpets of admiration were being blown of Kavya's beauty, but on the other, vipers were waiting patiently to unleash their venomous potions of hate and pounce upon any mis-step that we took.
Freshers Night had gone perfectly so far and Kavya wasn't one to let those vipers spoil the fun. I don't know how she does it but Kavya always seems to be most comfortable in dealing with pressure situations when you are put under the scanner. I got the first taste of this ability that night and still continue to be blown away by her adroitness to this day. We often had to deal with cases of highly sensitive nature which warranted lots of public debate and media trials on a daily basis, but the elegance and finesse with which Kavya tackled them all one after the other saved the rest of us from embarrassment and humiliation quite a number of times. Needless to say, the party had been a grand success for us as we had been catapulted from obscurity to stardom in a matter of hours, although I had had but a small role to play in that. We were both conscious of the change that had taken place during the night and this consciousness introduced an element of awkwardness in our friendship. It seemed to me that a virtual barrier had been erected between the two of us which now prevented us from being frank with each other. The silence that shrouded our ten-minute walk towards the hostel was excruciating and, at the end, as I turned to bid her good night, Kavya suddenly clasped my head between her arms and pulled me in for a kiss!
Down the years, we had talked about and laughed over this incident several times, so it no longer seemed to be that big a deal as we initially made it out to be. When I did not reciprocate her feelings immediately, Kavya released her hold over me and walked swiftly away. Back then, it had felt as if the kiss had torn through the fabric of our budding friendship...but time has played its magic. I can now faithfully say that the kiss only served to interlock the loose ends of that fabric and make it even tougher to break.
More on that later..
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