Chapter Two: Back into Memories
Rehan
I pulled over and parked my car in comfortable spot at the airport. I swiftly walked towards the arrivals area and studied the led display board that displayed the list of arriving flights. Ruhani’s flight was delayed by twenty-five minutes. I involuntarily walked into the cafeteria to have a nice strong coffee. I was craving for a cup of coffee as I hadn’t slept properly since last three days. I gazed across searching for an empty table and walked towards it.
Sitting at the corner of the cafeteria, I gazed out the window when a splattering sound grabbed my attention. The sky was getting darker and large pillow of clouds had begun to form in the sky. People were entering and exiting the airport hurriedly with their umbrellas opening and closing. I could clearly hear the murmuring of the rain against the roof of the cafeteria just like buzzing of angry bees. I placed order for my coffee gazing out of the window till it arrived.
I forlornly smiled as my thoughts quickly landed on her. Tanya loved rains. I still remember that day, the day I had seen her for the first time.
*~*~*
Her face was gleaming in the sunlight as she was sitting against the window, on the first-row desk. She was petite and beautiful like a flower, seemed like nothing but an incarnation of a Disney princess. The class had already begun prior my arrival and while I was busy staring at her, unfortunately my professor was glaring at me in turn.
That glare ended with punishment, he made me sit in the front row which I’d have always preferred the least. He just didn’t stop there, along with that he gave me a huge assignment. This was supposed to be submitted next day. I didn’t understand how can anyone have an assignment on topic that he just missed? But he didn’t care about it. I kept mum and nodded my head in agreement. First day of my college turned out to be a disaster, yet I was smiling like an idiot. And the sole reason, I was asked to sit next to my Disney princess. There was one problem when it came to socializing with girls, I was a complete amateur.
She was keenly looking at the presentation on screen and was too busy to notice that I was staring at her. I kept stealing glances whenever she turned her face. I was already daydreaming about her when it was suddenly I was interrupted by a girl sitting next to my princess.
"Hi!" the cute girl said leaning towards the side trying to view me as my Disney princess sat between us.
"Err, hi," I replied, awkwardly. I felt she caught me staring at her friend. But her expressions said something else. She smiled at me and waved.
I knitted my brow and shrunk my eyes. There was something about this girl, something so familiar. I had this inkling that I have seen her before, but how hard I tried I couldn’t remember.
"You're Rehan, aren’t you?" She asked with a broad smile on her face.
"Yes, but how do you know my name? Do I know you?" I asked her, puzzled and mentally started churning different thoughts.
"You forgot me?" She asked pouting. “How can you forget me?”
I just shrugged and smiled, still giving her an 'I don't remember' look.
"It’s me, Ruhani, remember? The girl the next door?" She said sarcastically still pouting and with a 'you better remember me soon' warning look.
I tried my best to remember, I’ve never had any female friend except the one in my childhood days. We used to play, sing, dance and do all kinds of crazy stuff together until, I had to join boarding school after my parents’ demise in a car accident.
I had my uncle residing in New York. He was ready to take my custody but since he was single and used to live in a house offered to him by his company, invited many legal issues regarding this matter. So, at the end I landed in a boarding school for the rest of my schooling years at Shimla. Luckily the school turned out to be a nice place to live and study and I never had anything to complain about it.
“Hey, you!”
I was startled by a grating voice that snapped me out of my thoughts. This time it was our professor who was now throwing daggers at me with his red bloodshot eyes.
“Get out of the class!” he shouted flinging his hand at the door, “Now!”
I sighed feeling a little let down, standing outside the class like a ten-year-old. Both the girls were looking at me and giggling for the rest of time. I sniggered with them and unknowingly our conversation started by mouthing words and signalling with our hands. The moment the professor left the class, was the best moment of my life.
As soon as the grumpy professor left I was finally relieved to get back into the class. I didn’t object to sit beside my princess once again. I yet didn't know her name, so mentally I started calling her princess.
"Are you… Ruhani?" I asked, knitting my brow, to the cute and bubbly girl who was quite annoyed with the fact that I being her friend had forgotten her.
"Hallelujah...!" She exclaimed with a big smile on her face.
Princess was staring back and forth at both of our faces. Certainly, she didn't register what was going on. I was still looking at her beautiful face when Ruhani popped up again.
"Tanya, meet my first and best friend ever, Rehan," she said resting her arm over my shoulder.
“Oh,” I thought, mentally rejoicing. So she is Tanya! Finally, I got to know her name.
"Hello," she greeted smiling at me.
"Well Tanya,” continued Ruhani, “we were neighbours when we were kids and the best buddies ever. Unfortunately, he had to leave us due to some incident. When he entered the class this morning, I thought I've seen him somewhere. Then I remembered uncle telling me about Rehan returning to Mumbai. Actually, I planned to meet him in the morning itself but then I got late for the college and........you know the rest." Her blabber continued as trailing slowly at the end. We smiled at her innocence as I felt like giving in my input to conversation.
"Okay, I'm sorry. But certainly, I didn't know you were in the same class. So, I just got confused you know." I tried to explain.
"Oh god!" Both girls said in unison and started giggling.
I gaped at them, with a confused look on my face, with a hope that anyone of them would explain me what was going on.
Ruhani turned to look at me and laughed out loud noticing my weird expression. But thankfully she understood my puzzlement and explained.
"I always used to tell her about you and our crazy adventures when we were little. I really like recalling them.” She said as she playfully hit me on head.
I smiled trying to think which adventures she was talking about.
"It was fun to know that you two were some big pain-in-ass kids to be taken care of," Tanya said rising of eyebrows quoting ‘pain-in-ass’ with her fingers.
"Hey! That's so mean." Ruhani grumbled and playfully punched Tanya on her shoulder.
*~*~*
I was suddenly startled when my phone on the table buzzed. I shook my head to completely come out of my thoughts and looked down to see the caller. The screen displayed ‘Ruhani’. I picked up the call without any delay.
"Hey, where are you?" Ruhani asked.
"I'm in the cafe at airport." I replied. Trying to look around in an attempt to find her.
"Wait, I'm nearing the cafe. I'll be there in a moment." She said and hung up. As the called ended my phone beeped again. On looking I found new messages.
I checked the messages I received from Tanya's Dad. It said that operation was a success. Tanya was now kept under observation for forty-eight hours from now. I sighed in relief. May be now I can get out of my melancholy and gather the facts about this matter. As I looked up, I saw Ruhani approaching towards the cafeteria, pushing her trolley with a huge suitcase in it and holding her purse with one hand. I studied her face, she was grim and filled with fear and I could guess how her whole journey might have gone.
"Hi" Ruhani said in a low voice and she sat beside me. I felt so lucky to have a friend with whom I could just spill my heart. I could talk out anything with her even in these difficult times. I just needed someone to speak my mind out without being judged and Ruhani was the one.
"I'm so sorry to call you here first,” I said, “I know you badly want to see Tanya. But this is quite important so it couldn’t wait."
"Don’t worry," she said placing her hand on mine, “Tell me, what the matter is?”
I licked my upper lip only to think for a second to where to start from.
"I don’t know what’s happening,” I said, blinking hard to keep my tears falling, “Tanya was happy all the time. I mean she was so cheerful and was helping everyone in all the preparations and suddenly...."
I faltered there and my throat began to hurt.
"Even I'm confused Rehan,” Ruhani said with little sobs between, “She’s not the one who would quit even if it is the end of the world."
"That's the reason I wanted to talk to you,” I said immediately as my tone rose up a bit, “Ruhani, tell me honestly. Did she ever tell you anything, I mean anything at all which she couldn’t tell me?”
Ruhani gaped in disbelief, "No! If I had known anything, don’t you think I would have informed you Rehan, but trust me. I know nothing about this. In fact, I wanted to ask you if she ever told you anything.”
I looked away from her, wiping my eyes.
"Found anything weird in her room?" she asked suddenly.
"What?” I asked unable to understand what she was talking about, “Oh! No. There was nothing weird, maybe, I don't know. Wait, there was a diary lying on her bed. I have never seen that diary before. But at that time I didn’t care about it much."
Ruhani’s eyes widened and said, "Maybe that diary could help us find out what something."
“I think you're right,” I said, my hopes rising, “Let's go to the hospital first and then will search for that diary, okay?"
"Sure," Ruhani said as she got up from the chair.
It was seven in the morning and thankfully rain had stopped. Sun was rising from the horizon. We now had a plan and something we could start from. I felt like I might burst with curiosity. I so wanted to check on that diary. I had never seen it ever before. I started driving at a good pace so that we could reach the hospital early. After a long time the besties were about to meet, but imagining Tanya on her bed got my eyes wet.Kindly read it at the original source at www.dhawaljoshi.in. Also, do share your views in the comment section below. Thank you for your attention.
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