Friends Short Story – Insomniac
Photo credit: imelenchon from morguefile.com
Is this tale worth telling? Does anybody care about a mad insomniac? I don’t. I heard this tale which i didn’t understand. But somehow I felt when i pen it down I will get a clear view of the tale or some reader with knowledge of Human nature might explain this to me. Most people know what “Insomniac” means but for those who are not aware of the term, Insomniac is a person who suffers from insomnia. Insomnia is a disease in which a person does not get proper sleep because he has difficulty in falling or staying asleep.
Doctors said Indranil suffered from that. People said he was mad. Except one person, Saurav, who was his best friend. Indra used to often say to Saurav, ‘Bhai, do u think I am mad?’
Saurav used to smile but never said a word. Indranil used to continue, ‘I don’t know people maintain distance from me these days, they have ceased talking to me. Ramya is the only person who talks to me. You know I like her and i think she likes me too.’
Indra takes a pause as they share a light smile . Then he opens the bottle of whiskey and proceeds to make two pegs. Lifting up his glass he gulps it down in one go. Saurav drinks slowly, and hence by the time Indra finishes 10 pegs, Saurav is down with 3 only. After the drinks are over they usually delve into their past.
Saurav and Indra ,studied at the same school. They were the best of friends and people who knew then knew they were inseparable. Others said that they were friends but they said they were brothers. Both of them differed a lot from each other . Indra was a top football player and a star athlete while Saurav was a great singer and music player. Indra loved home-made food while Saurav was a street food junkie. Indra was more into story books while Saurav was tech-guy. If Indra was a romantic hero, Saurav was a action figure. Still they were always together. The only thing they both had common in them was that both of them were miserable at studies . However they decided to go engineering as their parents wished. They got in the same college, stayed at the same place and right now Indra was waiting to complete his last year.
The stories would continue till the first rays of Sun peeped through the curtains. Indranil would get up to prepare tea and some breakfast. Night after night this has been the routine. Indra would finally get ready to leave for college and would try once again to persuade Saurav to come to college. this one thing pisses Indra off. It has been six months since Saurav has last gone to college and he is not concerned about his studies. Indranil leaves asking Saurav to shut the door. After the classes Indra invites Ramya to come over to their place. Now this used to be a regular adda for the three of them but recently Ramya has avoided coming here. However today she felt that Indra was way too depressed so she decided that she should come over with him.
As they enter they find that the gate is open . Indra gets frustrated and he screams, ‘You forgot to close the gate again.What is going on?’
Saurav does not answer. Indra asks Ramya to take a seat as he goes inside.
‘Don’t do anything, neither do you study nor do you do any home chores. Get serious man. Now go and make some chai and also make some noodles. Ramya is there.’
Indra comes out and sits with Ramya. They have some small talks after which he gets up and goes to the kitchen. He comes out with the noodles and chai ,says,’Aa Bhai baith, khamokha tere upar chilla diya.’ Ramya looks up as indra continues,’Itna to haq banta hai na mera.’ They start having the food and have it in silence.
As they finish Ramya breaks the silence,’Listen Indra, I’ve got something very serious to say. you have to stop living with this lie. I know you and Saurav were the best of friends but he is gone now. He was a loser to commit suicide, just because he could keep up with the pressure. You have to stop acting as if he is alive. Move on it has been six months , focus on your career . You are not getting sleep, and people are right that you are becoming mad.’
Indra looks up with a query in his eyes,’So you also think he is dead?Then tell me who does his works? Who prepared the noodles and the tea?’
‘It was you who did it. Infact you do it all. You make the food for the both of you but you are the only one who eats it, because Saurav is not there. He does only those works which you do. That is why he never closes the gate after you leave for college.’
After a minutes silence Indra asks Ramya to leave , she tries to make him understand but he does not.
As he closes the gate shut he sits in front of the photograph of Saurav. ‘Pagal hai wo .Kuch bhi bolti hai, bolti hai that you are dead. How dare she calls you a loser , you are a fighter man. Chor, usse dosti hi nahi rakhni.’
Tears roll down his face as he keeps falling into a deep sleep. Finally the Insomniac got some sleep as Saurav smiles. Smiles perhaps because they would be united once again.
__END__
