Story of Friendship – The Bequest
Photo credit: Scarletina from morguefile.com
It was raining hard as she parked the car .It was 9.10 pm. She flipped the rear view mirror towards herself and craned her neck . She looked around for the bag on her left . She started rummaging through it,popping her hair clip in the mouth while looking for the hairbrush. She finally found it amongst the mess that her bag was .She would remind herself to clean it up during the weekend for the umpteenth time. She brushed her shoulder length locks ,craned her neck again at the mirror. She looked out and silently hummed a song .
She looked at her mobile phone.No calls yet or messages.She tried the number,again to a weary voice saying switched off. She took a deep breath , watched the rain hit the front screen of the car , at the same time soaking in,the rickety noise that it was making , as the water hit the roof relentlessly. She took out the dairy from the bag and flipped through it ,yet another time. People and events at play over endless moments in time. Her eyes closed in on one of the pages ,highlighted in pink ,almost immediately.It was something ,she had read ,over and over again……….
Sharanya ran down the flight of stairs of her second floor apartment . It was yet another day at school. She started walking quickly towards the garden which she would have to cross in order to reach the main gate of their apartments . It was threatening to rain again .The air was crisp and chilly and she shuddered as she watched the other children from school standing .Some chatting away,the boys playing catch with a wet ball .She was new to the place and it was a new school .Moving from Chennai to Delhi was not exactly what she would have liked .She missed her grand parents and friends very much .Her father ,a bank officer with the Central Bank ,had been transferred as condition to his promotion. It had been more than two months now and she found it difficult to understand Hindi ,and thought the people , loud and garrulous.She hadn’t made any friends till now while her Amma had ,without any hassles .She was more of Appa’s daughter and was shy and an introvert , but like her Amma, was short and pleasantly plump.
Suddenly it started to drizzle as everyone made a bee line for the bus shed .They all messily stood inside ,waiting for the bus to arrive .Sharanya looked around and did a flip .There she was ,goofy face ,crooked teeth and a broad smile ,as she fidgeted with her bag .Sharanya kept looking at the tall and lean girl .She found something intriguing about her .She had been watching her for over a month now and felt a strange connection.The girl made chat with everyone ,she was always fidgety ,her spectacles always dropped on her nose and off it ,more often than not, she would catch it with her mouth.
The bus had now arrived as the children huddled to get in first, excitedly. Sharanya tried to get up ,but couldn’t as she missed a step.This was followed by a steady stream of complaints from the others who urged her to get up quickly .Sharanya looked back as she tried again ,the rain making it a wee bit slippery as she struggled to hold grip .Suddenly she found herself gently being pushed inside .She got in and looked back .It was her ,the goofy tall girl with a beamy smile on her face ,her spectacles in her mouth again.She mumbled a thanks as she moved towards the back of the bus.The tall girl followed her and sat with a hump next to her, smile intact as usual.She rummaged through her pockets and took out a toffee “Chahiye”? she inquired ,her eyes ,wild . Sharanya nodded a polite no.
Almost absentmindedly,the girl popped the chocolate into her mouth and started chewing.She fidgeted with her pockets once again and took out another one ,stretching her hands out ,inquiring with her eyes. Sharanya sheepishly took it this time .She opened the toffee wrapper and suddenly gave a start.It was a big round pebble instead of the toffee.
She turned to the tall one ,who suddenly let out a guffaw,unable to stop herself , as Sharanya looked around .The girl slapped her on the back” I offered you ,but you didn’t ,so I had to give what I had”.
Sharanya kept quiet ,fighting tears .Suddenly the tall girl lost her smile . She touched Sharanya’s shoulder .
“Arre ,don’t mind ,I was just having fun .Please don’t cry”. Sharanya looked at her through watery eyes .The tall one ,was now serious and looked worried . She squeezed her hands ,eyes never leaving the other. Sharanya looked at her small hands wrapped in those long lanky ones and looked up into those kind and bright eyes .
“Hi ,I am Samyukta ,call me Sam ” she said. At this point ,wherever it is ,that ties are made and relationships are sealed ,a bond was made ,one that would last a life time…….
The air plane was circling around the city ,waiting for its turn to kiss the earth. She wearily looked outside the window .Familiarity slowly set in as she looked around .People settling down with a relief that generally comes from coming back home.She took a deep breath as she looked out again .The city lights were more and more visible by the minute adding to the familiarity .It would be more than 25 years since she would land back in Delhi .Life had chartered a different path ,so Oregon ,U.S.A had beckoned in the guise of academic interests and research .Once there ,her steps had never retracted. She had never married . Her life revolved around her small home and her work at the research centre. Till one night , a call from another world,as it were, a familiar voice,the excited quiver lacing it and a request that warranted no rejection .It had moved the oceans of her heart and soul . Almost immediately ,she had done what she had never done for 25 years .Over the next month before she got on to the plane ,it was a play of myriad emotions .Memories flooded back from the recesses of her mind .Memories that, she never knew existed .
The rain had started to slow down and the noise on the roof started to ease off .She shut the diary and thought of all the years gone by .The diary had chronicled so many incidents -love , marriage ,children ,the inevitability of death and amongst those, the purity of joy, happiness ,laughter,sorrow and tears .Everything packed into a life time.The emergence of the diary had rekindled memories and many a discovery .One lead to the other and an outreach was finally made,and reciprocated.As if it was ordained at some point .And now, for the long anticipated meeting .Hopefully ,closure of a very different kind .The rain had started to slow down again .She looked at her phone .The call was taking its own sweet time.
The air plane was still swerving round the city .The pilot announced a 30 minute timeframe to hopefully make the landing .She clutched her hands .The anticipation of what was to come was unnerving .She thought of the times gone by -the good and the bad ,the struggles through academics and life in general, but accompanied by a tall shadow who was always there,protecting her ,guiding her, fighting for her .She thought of the many times they had laughed and cried, to troubled sleep ,clutching each other as if there was no tomorrow.Growing up,falling in love ,losing it ,feeling suicidal,dear ones passing on but above all, the overbearing sense of loss ,wanting to throw it all away ,but for the guiding force of her friend,the redoubtable Sam. Life had not been fair. Everything that she had loved had been snatched away. At some point , an opportunity arose, an escape as it were and she clasped it strongly , for a breath of fresh air. Going away was the best for everyone.
Twenty five years back, the two friends had last met at the airport .Holding each other ,crying invisible tears until it was time to go .Sam was strength personified ,all business ,checking on minute things like her luggage,warm clothes and the like while Sharanya quietly mustered her own being .Promises of coming back were made, something she had never kept ,until now. Sharanya felt a terrible loss suddenly as she almost choked , grieving over a beautiful thing between the friends that had been lost by the way side .Sam had amazing strength. She was a woman of the world,capable of mind over matter,stickler for a planning and perfection in executing it,unlike her. Love ,marriage ,career and happiness all had come Sam’s way happily .Over the years ,they had been in touch with each other .Sam sending one word letters “WHEN?”. She could almost see Sam’s face posing quizzically with a hint of anger ,every time she opened these letters. The answers were always written but were never posted back. Slowly the letters had stopped.
The flight finally landed and as she walked out to mixed feelings of sadness ,happiness and anticipation ,she hoped that all the good of the past would return. She picked up her luggage from the carousel and for a moment ,soaked in the atmosphere .Things were starkly different now ,but still the same.The smell of home was overbearing ,as she fought back tears.She slowly ambled through the arrival gate ,first looking to the ground ,then taking a deep breath ,praying she would see a familiar face . She called the phone number to hear a business like “I’ll be there in a minute”. She looked at the phone blankly as she waited.
Sharanya looked up again , scanning faces with sudden desperation,she had never felt she had within herself.And then she settled her gaze on her ,as she ran in towards the arrival area .She was there in a instant ,panting and breathing heavily ,arms to her hips as Sharanya looked at her in amazement. She had not aged a bit . Everything had prevailed, her flowing hair ,the million watt beam ,the crooked tooth. Sharanya touched her cheek, without a word as the tall woman enveloped the shorter one in a warm embrace.Tears flowed freely ,each whispering a thank you to the other ,again and again.
“I am Sara, she had to name me after you .I have waited ages to see you” as Sharanya looked on bewildered .Her 61 years and reality ,now came rushing back .Time had travelled its distance .”Sara, you are your mother ,every which way. Just the way i would have wanted to see her after all these years”.
“Come ,lets go home ,she’s waiting for us.”Sara said softly.
They both walked ,hand in hand while pushing the luggage trolley to the car, eyes never leaving each other .Suddenly the rains came in hard.They put the luggage in the car ,while Sara jumped into the driver’s seat. Sharanya gingerly opened the door on the side and felt a familiar loss of grip due to the rain.Suddenly she felt a gentle push as she settled into the seat.She looked out ,hoping to find her .There was no one .She turned to her side with a smile, full of love and longing as she soaked in the younger version of her friend, revving up the car engines.
Later they were at the door of the house as Sara rang the bell ,a boundless silence amongst them .After what seem like eternity,the door opened .Sharanya saw him ,greying hair but still handsome, another face from the past.She thought of a life that could have been hers.They smiled at each other as they warmly embraced ,no words spoken ,but everything understood and forgiven .He led her by the hand inside into the room, Sam’s room.She could feel her smell ,her breath around her as she saw the photographs over the years ,put up neatly on the walls ,each telling a story of a life lived completely from youth to middle age to further ,the smile and the sparkle in the eye never leaving her . Suddenly, Sharanya felt everything ,every joy, every tear, of a life she had chosen to keep away from.
Later ,after a light meal and dwelling in memories of the past ,it was time to retire .Sharanya chose to go back to Sam’s room for what she hoped would be peaceful sleep ,around the familiar comfort of her friend, which had eluded her for long .Sara accompanied her,made sure she was comfortable and before leaving,left the diary in Sharanya’s grateful hands.As she watched her go out of the room, Sharanya recollected that call , a month ago,in the dead of the night.
Sara had come straight to the point after an uncomfortable opening ” Sam is no more,in fact ,she has not been with us for little under a year . I found a diary from her belongings, where she had written about your times together . I realised how much she missed you and wanted you back in her life. She also mentioned that she needed to close something that had remained unsettled between the two of you. I made the promise to myself that this would not end ,this way. I would like you to be here for her first anniversary , I know you will come “.
Sharanya thought aloud ” Quite the chip of the old block,she is ” as she sat in the rocking chair ,reading the diary ,talking to Sam ,laughing and crying from time to time as she sifted through the pages of a wonderful life of someone she so dearly loved.She thanked her again and again,explaining why she had to go away.Now she would carry forward ,all that was lost,with Sara and a family ,she had been bequeathed.That would be her way of reconnecting with the past.Sam would approve of that .She had maybe, planned this as well to perfection.
The homecoming was finally complete .
–END–
