Happy Us

Staying in my room all day long,

Laying in my bed, wondering how the distance between the fan and ceiling seems so huge, yet so little,

And occasionally sighing at my long, scary shadows on the wall,

The books and unfinished assignments towering up so high,

A thin layer of cobwebs making it look awkwardly haunted,

Turning the volume up just to drown the sound of my parents’ constant yells,

Yeah, trouble in the paradise ain’t one bit entertaining,

 And sometimes playing the songs that I don't particularly like on loop until I feel numb,

Gorging on the leftovers because my stomach doesn't know how to stop growling,

Standing in front of the mirror more often than I should,

Only to remind myself how ugly I look,

With my sticky, smelly hair hanging over the shoulders clumsily,

 All the acne making no effort to be discreet, And the fats piling up on my curves with almost a sense of vengeance,

Oh, Thanks to my irregular periods!

Ain't attending calls from my friends,

Because their insatiable interest in boys, and their endless curiosity about my lack of interest in them, annoy me

The wiser ones stay away, knowing that I'm different

And then you happened,

Squeezing in through the cracks in the doors of my heart

Which I had never held open for anyone, before,

Smiling down on me like an angel,

Only that the curvy body of yours holds more beauty and lust than all the angels in the heavens taken collectively,

The first time I met you in the History class,

I knew you were different too,

Because when my hand brushed against yours,

 I saw your body tense up,

And felt a wonderfully lethal electric pulse pass through mine.

We texted all through the nights,

Only to sit shoulder-to-shoulder, holding hands under the bench in the school.

That day when you walked into my room, and we sat down on the bed facing each other,

I saw in your eyes the face of a sweet, lovely girl, smiling gleefully,

That’s when I felt beautiful for the first time ever,

And then, we kissed,

Yes, my room was still filled with  the stench of the leftovers,

The tower of the unfinished assignments still remained high and intact,

I could still hear my parents yelling, over the jazz the music system was playing,

But all of these didn't matter when we were caught in the tight, heavenly embrace, our bare souls getting entangled passionately,

All the tall monuments, mighty mountains, deep, beautiful valleys, blue, wide seas, and all the great inventions of the world seemed belittled compared to the intensity of our raw, crazy love.

When we finally broke our embrace,

I was crying, crying out of joy,

As you wiped my tears, you whispered softly into my ears, “Even when the whole, wide world crumbles down, even when the humanity dies away, we will stay this way, smothering each other with infinite love”

And then we kissed again.

The Art of Living

Suicide is easy. All you need is a thick rope, a poison, a cut in the vein, an overdose of sleeping pills, a good elevated place which would spare no bones if you choose to fall from it.(oh damn! It's supposed to be a anti-suicidal article, and here I am suggesting ways to kill yourself!) But the point I’m trying to convey here is: Killing yourself is easy, but creation of life isn't. Your mother carried you in her womb for nine long months and went through a near-death experience to bring you into his somewhat beautiful world, and doctors and nurses did struggle to pull you out of the dark, dark place and not to forget your father, who had walked across the hospital corridor, feeling nervous than ever.

Also, take a moment to think of all the struggles you had undergone, or the terrible things you had put up with so far in your life- the times you were abused by the  worst bully in your neighborhood, the bruises and blood on your skin when you fell off your bicycle, the day your favourite teacher yelled at you, because you failed an exam, your first heartbreak, the days when you lost hope of finding even an average college because your grades were so low and several other moments.

But why did you put up with all these experiences? Because you didn't want to give up! Because you are a little stronger than you think you are.

So, did you live past all these struggles only to kill yourself in fit of a rage, or a over single nerve-wrecking issue? Suicide is a very impulsive decision. Okay, sometimes, I do like to act impulsively. But impulsive killing(especially yourself!) is a big no-no!

You might have your reasons for suicide, alright! You might have lost interest in your life, might have felt like you are fighting a losing battle, might have wanted some peace, couldn't figure out how to get yourself out of a messy situation or a distressing phase. But try jotting down the reasons to live, I bet it will outnumber the reasons for dying.

And remember, ‘This too shall pass’.I live by this mantra. Every situation, or problem or obstacle, you face in life, no matter how disturbing or depressing it is, will be over one day or at least you will learn to deal with it, or will have simply gotten used to it. Because, you are always mightier than any obstacle in your life. And years later, when you think of that obstacle, it will seem silly, or at least insignificant. And you will end up  wondering why it aroused suicidal thoughts even.

Life needn't necessarily appear sweet or beautiful all the time. But remember, it's still worth living. Because it's the best gift you can ever get, even though it  isn't always neatly wrapped. So, no matter what life throws at you, fight on, live. And there will come a day, when you would look back and feel proud of yourself for your persistence and would call yourself a true warrior.

The Wedding

Sakshi gazed at the invitation as she sipped her morning tea. 'They managed to get married!’ she thought, with a trace of nostalgia. Sheela and Madhav had been the star couple back in school. Their cute silly couple activities supplied ample entertainment to the class. Once they were caught kissing in one of the abandoned corridors and got suspended for three whole weeks. Their love has stood the test of time, after all. 'If only me and Raj had gotten along well…’ she thought. Immediately, she cursed herself. She tossed the invitation into her drawer and gulped down her tea.

Just as she was about to enter the bathroom, her phone rang. 'Urgh! Shruthi!’ she thought, making a face at the screen. Sakshi knew the purpose of the call already.

“Hello, Sakshi! You are coming, aren't you?”

“I'm not sure…”

“Oh come on! It's SHEELA! How can miss her wedding?”

“Would Raj attend it?”she asked in a shushed tone.

“Of course! What do you expect?”

When Shruthi got no response from the other side of the line, she said, “Sakshi, how long are you going to avoid him? Stop this drama, really!I have already lost count of the weddings you have skipped!”

'I haven't.Six weddings and also the reunion’ she thought with a sigh.

Shruthi continued, “He doesn't seem to have a problem at all. He attends all the weddings and get-togethers...Why do you have to go into hiding? It's time you show up, girl.  

Sakshi thought for a second. “I’ll try. I'm not promising anything, though…”

Shruthi let out an irritated sigh. “Alright, bye”

 

When the first drops of the shower hit her like needles, she muttered, “I’m definitely not attending it!”

However, on the day of the Sheela's wedding, she stood in front of her younger brother, Krish and looked at him, questioningly.

Clad in a deep red silk sari, with her waist-length,shiny black hair tied into a loose plait, with her little brown eyes and her sharp features accentuated by minimal make-up, with her accessories shining a little less brighter than her charisma, she indeed looked an angel that had stolen away all the beauty and goodness of the other angels.

“Not bad. The makeup is a little too much, though” he said.

“My makeup is always 'a little too much for you, you moron!”

She turned to the mirror to check her make-up. “Krish, do I look happy?”she asked in a feeble voice, looking at her brother's reflection on the mirror.

“You gotta smile to look happy, Ms.Know-it-all!”

She grinned broadly.

“Why does it still matter? You are over him, right? And, what are you trying to prove to him, anyway?”

She looked at him, unblinkingly. “There's no point in explaining it to you. You won't understand until you love someone for five  years and then get rejected.”

He shrugged.

When they were at the gate, Krish spoke, “Sakshi, you don't have to fake anything to him. Raj had been your best friend before you had confessed your feelings…”

'Thanks for reminding’ she thought. “Bye, Krish”, she said rather curtly and walked away.

                            ******

“Give me quick updates on him”, Sakshi told Shruthi, as she looked around the wedding hall nervously.

“This is the third time in a week you are asking me for an update!”

“Something new might pop up…”

“Oh come on, Sakshi!”

“Okay, listen! Works at HDFC, lives in-”

“Shh! He’s walking towards you; he is just a few yards away.” Shruthi whispered to her, with her eyes fixed at a distance beyond Sakshi.

Sakshi turned pale.

“Alright, then...catch you later”

“No...no...no... Shruthi, don't do this to me!” she spoke in a voice that was barely audible.

But she was gone already.

“Hi” she heard a familiar voice say. It instantly brought goosebumps to her skin.

She spun around, suddenly feeling breathless. “Oh, Raj... It's you! Hi!”

“It's been a long time.” Raj said, as his eyes searched her face.

She nodded. “How's life?”

Shruthi watched them talk intently. ‘ Not bad….they're doing fine.’ she thought.

“So, are you dating someone?” he asked, avoiding eye contact.

“No. You?”

“Well, I’m waiting for my Cinderella.”

She felt a sudden jolt. She had played Cinderella back in school. She knew he remembers it, as it was very memorable. (because while running down the stairs, she slipped and fell flat on her face;.she was trolled for an entire year)

“Ah! But the prince didn’t wait for Cinderella, he went around searching for her.”

For a moment, he was caught off guard. Then he retorted, “No, I’ll tell you what the prince should’ve done. He shouldn't let her leave the ballroom at all. That would’ve saved her from falling, too.”

She glared at him and then turned away.

What followed it was a long moment of awkward silence.

Finally, Sakshi broke the silence, “ I guess I’m boring you….”

“No, you aren't! he said, a little too quickly.

He dug his hands deep into his pockets.

“See, Sakshi, I really didn't want to bring this up now... But this question has been bothering me for the past five years…”

He paused and looked into her eyes.

“Why did you make that confession? You knew it would mess things up, didn't you? And yes, we did end up becoming strangers! Tell me; why did you do it, then?

She looked hurt, and then he watched her lips move into a sad smile.

“Because, I didn't want my grandchildren to blame me.”

“Huh?” he gasped, looking totally perplexed.

“When I narrate our story to my grandchildren, I don't want them to ask me, 'Why didn't you confess to him?’ I would  rather say, ‘ I confessed to him; but he wasn't lucky enough to become your grandfather…’

He flashed a  half smile at her “Sakshi, that guy has never been lucky. He has always taken the wrong decisions, has always chosen the wrong people… Would you give that guy a second chance?”

Her heart stopped beating. She moved her lips frantically, but no words came out. Finally when she found her voice, he asked “Raj….do you really mean it?”

“Yes, I do! I really need a second chance with you...with us?”

“Why now? I mean...like, five years after I had confessed…?”

“Hell! You blocked me, Sakshi! I tried contacting you in every possible way; you kept avoiding me...Then, you left for Canada. I almost gave up on you. But when you returned to India, I felt that I still had a chance. I attended the reunion, most of our friends’ wedding, hoping to meet you...but you never turned up. Not even once. Man, I can’t believe you went to this extent to stay away from me.”

“Alright, I shouldn't have blocked your number. But, I did that only because talking to you would have only worsened things for me. I really wanted to let go of that phase of my life...I needed a break so badly. It wasn't easy...You love your bestie for five long years one-sidedly, but you keep it yourself because you are too scared about the impact it would have on your friendship. But you finally end up confessing to him, only to hear him say that he has no such feelings for you! And yeah, he also says that it is such an insane thing!”

“It was a shocker! Admit it, for heaven's sake! I didn't know how to react. I took me two whole weeks to actually realize that I was in love too!

She stared at him, wide-eyed.

He continued to speak, “You could've atleast dropped hints!”

“How could you expect me to drop hints when you were flirting with other girls and telling me about your stupid crushes?”

He fell silent.

After a few moments, he spoke, “See, I understand what you would have been through-”

“No, you don't!” she yelled. “Infact, nobody knows what I had been through! Each day since the confession felt so torturous.I felt numb, depressed. It was as though I had lost a significant part of myself forever.” Hot tears stung her eyes. She turned away.

“You were my first love, Raj. You taught me everything about love. I ended up believing that I could make you fall in love too!”

“Well, you succeeded in it.”

“I don't know”, she said, shaking her head. “And that’s why it was so hard to let go of you, and the memories we made. It took me three solid years to push you out of my system, completely. But even after that, I couldn't regain my old self. I guess I wanted to part with, anyway. But, the most annoying thing was, I let go all the nice people I met because I couldn't love them the way they deserved to be loved. Raj, I gave away all the love to you; there was nothing left with me.  

Raj looked distraught.  

“I know all of this sounds cliche. I'm not the only one who had had a heartbreak, after all.”

“No, it doesn't sound cliche to me. Feelings can never become cliche, Sakshi” he said in a choked voice. “I’ll do anything to make up for this, anything….”

“Just stay away. I know it's a very rude thing to say. But, I simply can't go through all of it, again, for anybody.”

Tears spilled down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Sakshi. I can't believe I had put you through such a turmoil.”

Few heads turned towards them. They both ignored them.

“ It's okay, Raj. Everything is going to be alright”, she said, as she rubbed his shoulder gently.

He wiped his tears awkwardly. “If you ever tell about us to your grandkids, please omit the part in which I cried.” He said, managing a weak smile.

“Why would I omit that? I want them to know that I had loved a strong guy.” she said, smiling proudly at him.

“Raj, I think we should go around and talk to others”

“Yeah, but I have one last question….”

He noticed the now-what expression written all over her face.

“If I had said yes on that day, would you have stayed? Would we have been together now?”

His eyes were almost pleading; it seemed as though his whole existence depended on her answer.

She stared at him for a long moment. 'Hell! we would've gotten married and had kids!’ she thought. But she knew better than to tell this to him. This answer would break him, would haunt him for the years to come…

She sighed. Flashes of the sleepless nights, the wet pillows, the struggle, the trauma, and all the bitter experiences she had had during those three years came gushing to her. But, the memories of the nights she had prayed for him surfaced in her mind, too.

There's one thing that love does impeccably-forgiveness. Yes, it forgives, no matter what. Regardless of all the turmoil, struggle, depression, suicidal thoughts a person experiences because of the very person they loved with all their hearts, they would never want them to experience what they had been through, never ever.Even when the wounds in their hearts are still burning, they reach out and try to heal the  wounds of the ones they once loved. Because the lips that prayed can never curse.

And somehow Sakshi knew that Raj was in the phase where she had been three years ago. She decided to do anything and everything that would help him overcome that phase.

“Nay, I had lost interest in you by the time I confessed. I felt vexed, you see.” she said, with her eyes on the floor.

He nodded gently.

“Okay, then. Talk to you later.” she said, smilingly.

He nodded again.

As he watched her walk away, he wondered how hard it is going to be to forget her.

Suddenly, she turned and smiled at him.

He managed to smile back.

'Very, very hard.’ he muttered to himself.

Filling the void

It was around the time of the New Year Eve that I felt empty for the first time ever. It didn't really upset me back then, for New Year Eve isn't the happiest time of the year for me, anyway. I assumed that the sense of emptiness would be gone in a few days…

It didn't.

I realized it was something a little more serious and a little less temporary than my usual mood swings.

Initially, the ‘void’ hurt my ego, because I had always pretty good at understanding my emotions, my mood swings and most of my internal conflicts. But this time, it was quite a peculiar scenario. It had trouble figuring out what was happening to me… It felt as though there was a thick, heavy veil between me and my emotions.

As the weeks passed, it only worsened. There were times when I told myself, 'This is it! I'm going to break down now!’ But, no, nothing happened. Not a single tear escaped my eyes. I just stood there staring hard at the floor. That's when I realized how pain hurt much less than emptiness. When there is pain, at least you have something to cling onto, something to cry over, something to blame on. Looking back, I remembered the moments when I was lucky enough to be completely aware of my feelings, when I wept to my heart's content, when I was stuck in a turmoil of emotions!

I could sense the void growing bigger. It felt as though there was a violent, gruesome, black hole in my heart that was sucking in all my emotions rapidly. But, strangely enough, it left the haunting memories undisturbed, as if it knew how exactly to snatch away the very little peace of mind I had...

Then, gradually, I began to understand the reason behind the emptiness: I was giving away too much love, and wasn't getting back enough.

From then onwards, I began to observe the so-called ‘love transaction’ very carefully. I did notice people giving back love to me, sometimes more than I ever gave them, and yes it did fill the void well. But after a while the love they gave seemed to drain away somehow!  (Strange! Must be because of the cracks in my heart!) Then it struck me; ‘ How can the love of these people fill my emptiness, when most of them, like me, were feeling empty from within?’

That's when I understood who was capable of filling the void...it was 'me’. I realized how foolish I had been to expect others to fill the void, when I had all the love that O need within myself!

But filling the void isn't an easy task. It requires a lot of time and effort, but, trust me, it's worth every little effort you are putting in. And it isn't just about self-love. It's about supporting yourself, allowing yourself to grow. It's about introspection!  It's about understanding even the teensy-weensy, insignificant parts of you. So, look within and sharpen the blunt  places, and smoothen the rough ones, and of course, fall in love with yourself over and over again!

To the people out there who feel empty or lost, listen up! You're not the only one. There are many who have a void that needs to be filled. It's quite natural. But don't allow the emptiness to engulf you, fight it out! And, remember, only you have the potential to do it! Because you have all the love and goodness that you need within 'YOU’!

Moving on

I’m moving on,

Yes, I’m finally moving on,

I can finally feel the blood surge through my legs,

Which had become numb from standing for so long,

In the place where you had abandoned me,

I’m finally shedding all the memories I had been treasuring up

Through all these years,

Which I thought we could share to our future kids,

Over the sunset we could see from the tree house we built together

I’m finally breaking the invisible bars of the cage I had locked myself in,

The bars being stronger than iron, because they were made out of my love for you,

As each bar breaks, it sends bright, dazzling sparks into the sky,

Resembling the hypnotizing fireflies…

I feel a strange sense of pain

As the warm air of freedom hit the bottom of my lungs,

But this pain is sweet, differing so much from the pain

I experienced  when you said, “This isn’t working”

I sprinted a little, awkwardly; blushing like never before,

Swirled around and did my favourite moves,

As I hummed the songs you always skipped

When we listened to my playlist.

Pardon me for all the times I blamed you for not loving me enough,

For all the mornings, I cursed you for the sleepless nights and swollen eyes,

For all the moments, when I used the worst swear words on you because you ignored me.

Oh! You did no wrong, no wrong at all,

You are the dew drops that got evaporated a little too early,

You are those twinkling stars in the night sky I can never finish counting,

You are the faint, sweet nostalgic music I always listen to,

But whose source I can never find.

It was me; it was me, all the time,

Who did all the wrong things right,

Who poured love into a vessel that was already overflowing,

Who kept searching for the orchids in the desert,

Oh! I had been such a fool, begging for love,

When I had abundance of it within me, all this while…

So, yes, I’m moving one,

I’m finally moving on,

Not because I found a better person,

But because I’ve gone through enough,

Because I have dropped enough chunks of my heart, in the letter box you rarely opened,

Because I neglected the love of the ones who always stayed by my side

Because I want to experience the little joys that I had almost forgotten,

Because I choose my happiness over you, over us,

Of course, there’s still a part of you that I can’t let go,

But that’s a sweet heaviness my heart would always want to carry…

I’m moving on,

Yes, I’m finally  moving on…

Marriage - A Conversation - By Kabilan and me

Miraa heard a knock on the door.

“It’s me, Kabi”

She grimaced, looking up from the book she was reading.

“Yeah, come in” she said, with a hint of reluctance in her voice.

“Hey, Miraa!” he said, smilingly, as he sat on the sofa, facing her.

She didn’t smile back.

“ Kabi, I know why you are here. I can’t listen to advices anymore, really! I just don’t want to get married; as simple as that!”

Kabi leaned forward. “But why?” he asked calmly.

Miraa placed her forefinger as a bookmark and leveled her gaze with his.

“Look, I’ve just set my career, I’ve just begun to feel independent. I have really big dreams. If I get married, my freedom would be lost forever…I’ll have to sacrifice my dreams as well!”

“What if your husband-“

“Future husband!” she corrected.

“Fine, future husband!” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “So, yeah, what if your future husband is okay with your dreams?”

“Okay, let’s assume he is going to be very understanding. But, what about the hell lot of responsibilities that come along with marriage?”

He sighed.  “See, what I think is that marriage is something that’s a part of every girl’s life. Miraa, even you, when you were little, you talked about your dreams of marriage. You still look up in awe of how your parents are married to each other and you’re happy!”

Miraa stood up. “Kabi, you are starting to piss me off, now! What makes you think the marriage should be a part of a girl’s life? Can’t she live independently? Is she not capable of it? Am I not capable of it?

“My parents are happy, yes, but how can sure that the same would happen to me?”

Kabi rose up from the sofa, too. “Why not, Miraa? When you wake up everyday, do you know how day is going to be? No, right? You just hope that your day should be good. That’s the same with life, Miraa. You can never be sure of anything!” He looked slightly breathless.

“But, Kabi-“

“Wait, can we just sit down, now?”

For a moment, she just stared at him, blankly. Then she suddenly realized that they were both standing.

He chuckled softly as they sat down.

She gave away a reluctant grin. “So, yeah, as you were telling…I can’t be sure of anything! That’s exactly the point. How can I step into a forever life of togetherness when I’m not certain about it? I don’t know how I can possibly put up with some random stranger for the entire life!”

Suddenly, she fell silent. She rubbed her palms together, with her eyes on the floor.

Almost immediately he knew what she was thinking about.

“Miraa…Are you okay?” he asked, tenderly, watching her face anxiously.

She heaved a deep sigh and looked into the distance.

When she spoke, her voice was barely audible. “I- I don’t know….I really don’t know. Kabi,  I don’t really want to bring this up now, but you know what I had gone through. Breaking up with that rogue left me totally devastated. Those wounds…they will never get healed, completely. Okay, I did move on…But imagine what would happen if I mess up with my marriage, too. That would be way too painful! I don’t think I would ever recover from that!”

“Miraa, why are so convinced you will mess up? Can’t you believe that it’ll be something meaningful in life? Why are you scared that it is going to be a disaster if you step into it? “ he asked, consciously avoiding the mention of her ex-lover.

“Okay, I agree I’m a pessimistic. But there’s every reason to be pessimistic about a marriage. I will not be dealing with just a single person, I’ll have to deal with everyone in his family as well. They will lay down restrictions and have their own expectations about me…Oh God! I seriously can’t handle all of that, Kabi!”

He stared hard at her, feeling annoyed. “Miraa, can you just come out of this; out of your typical understanding of marriage that it’s about in-laws laying down restrictions and you having to give up everytghing for your husband and his family? Marriage is something more…

Miraa looked at him for a long moment. Suddenly, the intensity of their conversation weighed on her. They had had several arguments ever since they were kids, but they had argued mostly over silly issues, but this one was very, very far from silly. For a moment, she found herself wishing that they could just turn into those two impulsive, freckled faced kids.

Finally, she broke the silence. “What is it?”

“It’s a responsibility, Miraa. It’s about building a family, building trust like none other. You get married, have kids, take care of your family and eventually, they become your ‘everything’!”

“Well, I actually do believe in building up a family of my own, but what if it would cost my deepest desires and wildest dreams?

He didn’t speak. He just listened to her words echo in his ears again.

  As she waited for him to speak, little did she know that those words would change her whole perspective about marriage, about life…

 He began to speak, slowly, as if he was concentrating on choosing the right words. “How can you even think you’ll never have to make a few sacrifices in life? There are times in life when you stand at the end of a road, and from there, there are a lot of roads diverging, and you know why exactly you want to go through each one of them, but you can go through only one, and yes, you have to make a choice.

She took a deep breath. Then, slowly pulled her hair back and knotted it into a bun. Kabilan wondered if it was her way of buying time to come up with a point.

“See, Kabi, you know I’m career-oriented and passion-driven. I can make a few sacrifices alright…but wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize my career or my passion. If I have to choose between a happy, loving family and my career, I would choose my career, any day!”

“Yeah, there’s no universal ‘Marriage Law’ that says you have to give up your passion or your career if you get married.”

“You really think I can balance both my career and my marriage and at the same time, do enough justice to both of them?”

“Why can’t you? What do you think will be the problem in that? There are going to be times when you have to give more time for one over the other, but yeah, you can do justice to both!

“Maybe, you’re right…But imagine,  if I stay unmarried, I can completely focus on my career. I don’t even have to think about making compromises.”

“What’s life then, Miraa? Running to your office everyday; completely targets?” he asked, cocking his head slightly.

“Yes! To me, that’s life! Working hard all day, sipping my coffee with a novel in my hand and writing a story or any piece of work until I doze off in the night….! This is exactly how I want my life to be! Isn’t this beautiful, either?

“People have different meanings for ‘beautiful’. But you can’t say that marriage isn’t beautiful! You can’t go against marriage completely! It’s considered a part of everyone’s life and it’s also a tradition. It creates a bond between two people, between two families.

“Look, Kabi, I wouldn’t call marriage less beautiful…But I find beauty in my idea of life. When I begin to find beauty in a married life, maybe…just maybe I will think of marriage. But remember, only when I can completely appreciate its beauty! I don’t want to do it half-heartedly. I want to be absolutely certain about it, before I enter into it!

“It’s your choice, completely your choice. It’s always you who should make the decision of which road you take. What I wanted you to understand was that there’s nothing wrong with marriage, and you don’t really have to lose your career if you get married. Those are just myths that have been planted in peoples’ heads over generations!

“Well, Kabi, I guess you are right. There’s nothing really wrong with marriage, or atleast it’s not as bad as thought it is…Thanks for helping me understand that!”

He shrugged. “Oh, yeah!”

“Kabi, you know what, this overlong conversation about marriage and stuff has got me starving! Come on, let’s go to the chat shop and gorge ourselves on those paani puris!”

“Brilliant idea! Let’s hurry up!”

When they were at the door, he quickly spun around to face her. “And, one last thing, Miraa…”, he said, sounding very serious.

“What?” she asked, feeling slightly nervous.

“I really hope you end up with a damn, crazy foodie like you!” he said, grinning broadly.

“Hell with a foodie; I need a chef!”she said and began giggling.

Kabi joined her typical hysterical laughter.

They let traces of their laughter echo in the room as they closed the door behind them and headed to the staircase.