An evening with my best friend
Adi
In the afternoon, we, the teachers of the Botany department were in the H.O.D’s office, discussing about the new syllabi. This year University has made some changes in that.
After college, Adi requested me to go to his house. He wanted to show me something. That made me excited and impatient as well. He didn’t bring his car. He has a good civic sense. He prefers to use “public transport”. Adi will never change. But my civic sense is not that good…. I brought my car. I always avoid public transport during rush hours. I enjoy driving  and  I love my car.
Well, both we have been working in the same college for the last 5 years. But our friendship is 12 years old. Both of us are single. His flat is in Karol bagh. My flat is in south Delhi, Vasant Bihar. Our college is in Mayur Vihar. A long distance indeed….. Finally we reached to his apartment…. His apartment?! What  I  should call it,don’t know…!!! Adi’s apartment or Joe’s apartment? So messy…! He said: “okay,Diya, you sit here, I’m bringing coffee.” After a hectic day both of us needed that desparately. But I was so impatient to know what he wanted to show me. He came back from the kitchen with  two cups. After finishing that, he said: Close your eyes and  no cheating. I closed my eyes;he took me to another room  and  said: Now open your eyes.
To see that thing I was so shocked  and  said: “Oh no, not again….”
It was an “AQUARIUM” and it was reminding me of something which was really weird.
He said: Don’t worry this time I’ll not…………... I promise. Trust me.
I asked: Are you sure?
He said: 100%.
Aquarium is always my favourite. The fishes were wonderful.
I asked him: Do you still remember?
Adi: yeah, I also remember the 1st day. How could I forget? We met. You saved me from those boys  like a hero.
He started laughing.

I: Are you talking about Anshuman  and  his friends? I knew him since my school days. Bad boy…. Forget him; Do you remember in the class when teacher asked the question?

Adi: It was the lecture on Thallophyta. Teacher asked “what was the basis of the classification of Algae?”

I: And you were the only one who knew the answer.

Adi: The nature of the photosynthetic pigments, storage of food of the vegetative cell,  morphology of the motile reproductive cells. Simple.

I: I can’t forget your trembled, cracked voice, check shirt, brown pants. That was your daddy’s might be; your specs of ‘mythological era’, your hair was soaked with oil. That time there was just one question in my mind you know. ‘What is this? Not “who is this”…Is this “ The 8th wonder of the world?”Your are  still eccentric.

Adi(smiling): Even whenever I see my old snaps, I ask myself the same question. You grew up in the cosmopolitan environment of Delhi. But that time I just moved to Delhi from Etawa, a very small town of U.P. My father got transferred here. People of Etawa were not fashionable  at all like you guys, I mean the cosmopolitans. Have you ever been there? I don’t think so. One day I’ll take you there. Even my parents are there now, in our ancestral house. The main attraction is the “Akharas” and  the “wrestlers”.
I: cool! May be I’m interested to see those ‘wrestlers’.I just started laughing.
Adi: I remember every one in the college used to call me a ‘geek’, ‘loser’……I’m here in Delhi for the last 12 years. I’ve drastically changed my looks, the way of talking, walking, dressing style every thing. Here I have learnt to be stylish  and the most  important thing I’ve learned that more than a human being people care about his looks. You know what? Before college, I never had any friend. I mean human friend. My friends were buffaloes  and  cows of my grandpa’s farm. You were the first human being who was my friend. In school I didn’t get any one. I didn’t even need………

I: Lucky me. After cows it was me, your friend…..

Adi: You are pulling my leg…..

I: Not at all….. I had so many friends but you were my best friend. Because you were different than the others. You changed your looks but not yourself. And I’m happy for that. Oh yeah yeah today the students, especially the girls are crazy about ‘Adi sir’.

Adi (blushing): oh please Diya….. You remember how we met?

I: I was in the canteen, I saw Anshu  and  his friends were bullying  you.

Adi: The guy was asking me: ‘from where did you get your specs? “From the antique store”?’He also asked ‘have you ever heard about a magical thing named “deodorant”? You desperately needed that.

I: I didn’t hear all that expect the disgusting sound of their laughter.

Adi: I can never forget that you came and  saved me from them. What you said to them? Yeah… “Either you leave him or I’m gonna complain to the H.O.D. So, the choice is yours” He said: “okay babe just chill” and he left me. Thanks to you.

I: Thanking me now? After 12 years? You’ll never change. Eccentric Adi..

Adi: But that was the beginning of our friendship. and from that day we are together. You  and I used  to go to the pizza parlor near our college after the classes.

I: you were so scared! We started talking. After that whatever you said, it was……… you didn’t know how I controlled my laughter…… I started laughing again.

Adi: Why?! What did I say?!

I: You said that you wanted to join the ARMY! Few dissipated guys made you scared, your trembled voice clearly indicating the ‘lack of confidence and courage in you’ When I asked your name, I couldn’t even hear you! You answered in an under toned voice: Aditya Chaudhary. and   you wanted to join the Army?

Adi: My uncle was in the Army. He was The Major in Jammu regiment. He used to tell me about the life there. I was really impressed. ‘Serving for your country’, what an amazing life!

I: But had you ever seen yourself? Army and  you?

Adi: I wanted to experience so many things in my life. Something new and different. I was 18. In that age, every body thinks himself ‘the king of the world”.

I: I know. Who else would know  better than me? ‘Bangkok snake farm’. Remember?

Adi (laughing): Oh you remember?

I: How could I forget? One day you were so excited and came to me, rushing and said “Diya, I have decided, I will be a Snake farmer. In Bangkok there is a great opportunity”.

Adi: I saw that on T.V. It was really mind blowing. Snake farmers used the poison in making medicines. They also saved the snake species which were endangered.

I: Great! But did you remember what happened on that day?

Adi: Oh no...

I: That day when we were in the class, there was a cockroach on your desk, and to see that you shouted “mummy”  and  jumped from your sit. “Snake farming” ha?

Adi: I had to drop the idea.

I: Thank God. Your aquarium made me scared you know.

Adi: I understand. Actually that time I read about ‘Induced breeding’.

I: When I first went to your house the coolest thing there was your aquarium. But few days later when I again went there, there was not a single fish in that aquarium! How sad…..

Adi: Actually I just wanted to experiment ‘induced breeding’ of fish.

I: so, you killed those.

Adi: Oh no, I didn’t do that intentionally. I took two fishes first  and   then   put those in the bucket full of water. I wanted to  see they were mating or not. When the first experiment failed, I tried one more time……

I(cut in the middle): and then one by one you succeeded to kill them all. How cruel….! By the way how you identified their sexes? Didn’t you know that induced breeding required pituitary hormone injection? Those fishes were salt water fishes and  you put those in the bucket full of your bathroom’s tap water?! Amazing! But this time do not…….please you promised me.

Adi didn’t say anything. He was strolling in the room.
He asked: You still sing?

I: who? Me? After my “hectic schedule”, no way Jose. In the weekends I love to sleep for the entire day….

Adi: You should. You sing well.

I: Even I forgot that I used to sing…. But I can’t forget that you forcefully made me sing in the college fest.

Adi: You were rocking……

I: No, I was so nervous. I didn’t want to participate. Then you came to me and  said “come on you can do it”.

Adi: I was confident about you.

I: forget it. You are an amazing painter. What about your ‘dream painting?’ Have you finished that?
    Adi was looking  confused. So, he changed the topic.



Adi: One day I called you in the morning and said: “I’ll never go to college. and  I’ve made up my mind.”

I: Only I know how I took you to the college.

Adi: My parents were so worried about me. Then you came to my house and  forcefully took me to the college.

I: You didn’t tell me what happened…….. But I guessed that Anshuman called you loser.

Adi: Every body used to call me ‘loser’. I never cared. But he said: “Your kind of loser’s life is a total waste. I can’t understand why you come to the college..Don't  waste your time? Milking will be best profession for you.”

I: what?! You didn’t tell me.

Adi: You complained to the H.O.D  and  he warned him. After that he never annoyed me. Then as usual, we went to that pizza parlor after the classes. And I was feeling much better.
Adi stopped. Then suddenly he said,“Hey, I remember the guy? Your Prince Charming….. What was his name?”

I: Oh no Adi, please…..
It was something which I never wanted to remember. But nobody can stop Adi.

Adi: Wait wait wait….His name was Sunny, Suryakant Sharma.

I: Okay okay, I had a crush on him. He was the cutest guy in college.

Adi(smiling): The day, he asked you for a date, you went crazy……

I: It was my life’s first date, with the cutest guy of our college. It was quite natural. He asked me to be his girl friend.

Adi: Yeah….. You made me sick of your ‘Sunny’, ‘Sunny’…. ‘Sunny this,’ ‘Sunny that’……. You   were  so  busy with him that you forgot me.

I: No, I didn’t.

Adi: Yes you did. You started spending more and more time with him. I was shocked that you bunked classes! What happened to you? I was really worried ,you know?

I: I was crazily in love with him……..

Adi: That day when you  and his were sitting on the lawn bench; I was coming to take you to the class of Mr.Bakhsy. I didn’t want you to bunk the class anymore. But I saw something which was….

I: What you saw? Oh no…….You saw that?!
I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t able to look at him.

Adi: yeah I did. You guys were kissing…… I didn’t disturb you   and walked away...
He stopped. I didn’t understand what I was supposed to say…..

I: I didn’t know that you saw every thing…….

Adi: How could you notice? That time you were not in that condition to ‘notice’ anything. That day after the classes I didn't go to house.I was sitting on the lawn bench. Didn't know why?And even I can't tell you,what I was thinking?But it seemed that something was missing from my life.I never had any friend before you,but I never felt lonely;but that day for the first time in my life I was feeling lonely.....

He stopped.Both we were silent.

I: He dumped me after few weeks. He got some one else.

Adi: And you were crying. “That girl may be more beautiful  and  better than me”……

I: Then you came and said, “no one can be as cool, as beautiful as you are.” and  you took me to the pizza parlor. Thank you Adi.

Adi: Now you are thanking me after 12 years...."oh Diya,you will never change".
I: Copy cat.......

Adi: But I got you back. My Diya. May be it sounds so  selfish. Because you were so upset, but I was happy to get you back…….
Looking at each other we were smilling.

Adi: Why don’t we go to that pizza parlor today? It has been a long time….

I: hey that’s a great idea! Okay let’s go.
I was really excited.
But Adi suddenly said,“Hey wait; there is some thing else which I want to show you.”

I: what?! You mean another surprise?

Adi: You can say that.

I: So, what are you waiting for?
Adi took me to his bedroom. There was something which was covered.

Adi: You were talking about my ‘dream painting?’

I: oh yeah….. !!
Adi uncovered that thing it was a canvas. I was speechless to see his ‘dream painting’. It was

MY PICTURE!!!

Adi: there is something on that table. See…..
I was so confused. I walked towards that and I saw there was a small box.

Adi: open it up.
I slowly went there and opened the box. When I opened that, oh my god, it was a RING!!

Adi: like it? This is for you.
He was standing behind me. Today his attitude was totally different. Before I say anything, he came closed to me and said,

“Don't say anything. Let me talk. You came to my life 12 years ago like an angel on this day, 14th June. And after that my entire life changed. The day I first saw you, I felt some thing which I never felt. For the last 12 years I had been trying to ask for you some thing but how I didn’t know. But I just can’t wait anymore.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?
I didn’t understand what to say. So I just smiled and said:
“yes……”

He held me in his arms and we kissed....