Apologies & A Birthday Part - II

Chapter 12

Apologies & A Birthday Part - II

Heavy winds on highway. Thing that I hate more than anything. I never had a thing about Long Drives. Especially on bikes. I was fighting with my hairs falling infront of my sight and striking my eye every other moment. We picked up the pace. Kesha and Taral were already at the place . I was of course, late! I pulled jaimin with me to get my guitar. And as I was a little low on budget, He paid for the birthday cake. He admired my plan too. He found it immensely romantic, the Guitar. Playing a guitar was my habit once but playing for a girl was never really my thing. I guess the reason it never came to me before is because my mom packed my guitar last year after my Mid-Sem Mathematics marks started looking more like zeros. Yeah, Zeros. Anyways, Kesha wasn't taking my calls and I was at home, alone with no work and I wandered around the house holding my phone waiting desperately. I spotted my guitar under my bed. I opened the cover only to see the broken strings on my acoustic guitar. I dusted it and got it tuned with new strings. Though It had been like a year I haven’t played a guitar, it came to me pretty quickly. I kept it in a better visual this time. It Enhanced the Look of my room. Yet there was no reason to play it again until last night when I found myself fantasizing about what would happen when Kesha and I will have a conversation again.

Oh, Karthik I..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done anything that I did. I love you. Do you remember the time you asked me why I didn't love you? I had no answer because I did loved you!

And all the nonsense I make up. I was smiling stupidly. I thought buying something special for her would make her say this words but I didn't knew what was in my mind. Luckily, I slept facing the guitar on the corner of my room and It came to me at the moment and I asked her to come with me. We reached the place in no more time. There was none other but Dhiru kaka, the watchman. Sweetest old man of all. He welcomed us in. We went inside the farmhouse where we expected them to be. I kept my feet inside to see them giggle.

'Hey. You're here! Taral was telling me about all the troubles you went through. I am terribly sorry. I should have atleast checked my facebook!' Kesha Apologized.

'what are you even talking about? ' I smiled trying to act smart. They laughed their lungs out.

'Didn’t I tell you? ' Taral said. She couldn't stop laughing.

'Omg. hahaha! All hail the psychic queen.'

'What?' I was confused.

'They were betting on your reply to that! 'Jaimin explained.

'What? Is it true?' I felt stupid.

'Sorry!' They both laughed.

'Anyways, I thought you should inform at your home, we were Planning to stay here till sunset. '

'I already did. I told them I'm at Taral’s house.'

'And This is my Home! I don’t need to inform anyone.' Taral Boasted.

'That’s because Dhiru kaka must have already informed at your home!' Jaimin Pointed.

 'Whatever.'

Okay! I told myself. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to keep the cake inside where jaimin whispered in my ear. ‘ Hey, there is this thing. I mean, Isn't this a little weird?’

'What is?’

'We brought our girls to a place far from the city, in a lonely place. We look like perverts from 70's movies.'

'What! No! We don't!’ It put me thinking.

‘It Doesn't right? I'm here to play guitar for her. Not.. You know what I'm talking about!’ I said defending me.

'But it looks like..Like we are here to seduce them.' We felt so wrong that even talking about it was uncomfortable and we were searching for words that do not emphasize our pure intentions in the wrong direction.

'Shh! Stop talking like a dumbo. It's not like that. Nothing is like that.'

'Of course I know but what will they think?'

'Why did put this in my mind! You’re making me uncomfortable!’

We started acting weird. Naturally. We started exchanging looks and felt guilty for nothing. More we felt guilty, more we acted stupid. We both laughed stupidly and talked no sense. Even when Taral shared how she hated being alone, I laughed and said, 'I see. It's nothing but.’ And started laughing weirdly.

'So what are we supposed to do now? ' jaimin said in my ear.

Damn. The scene was now more like the 70's scene and we were a step ahead already! Acting Weird.

‘God! Are they thinking the same?’ I whispered back.

‘I hope not!’ he said and laughed again. Weirdly.

Kesha went to the washroom in some time and taral smiled stupidly until she was gone. She screamed angrily at us after.

'What's wrong with you two!'

‘Ahh..It looks like we brought you here to..seduce you both like in the movies but trust me it's not like that. Could she be thinking like that?' I said with hesitation.

She started laughing on us. ‘Are you serious?’

‘What happened?’ she kept laughing on us until kesha came back and asked.

'They think we would be thinking we are their preys at this lonely place and so they are trying to prove their intentions are pure and so therefore acting weirdly from last half an hour.

They both laughed on us like we were gay!

‘What? Why are you laughing?’

‘Nothing, just. Don't worry. You're safe with us. We won't do anything to you too. Our intention are also clear.’  Taral said, still laughing.

And They both laughed on us for like next half hour. It felt good that they trusted us enough and knew us too but this felt insulting! Male ego - just got hit by a nuclear bomb. Bye bye, dear. Never mind It relaxed us. I wonder why rapists gave the excuses like, "she challenged my manhood!"

I felt completely okay. Actually, More comfortable.

‘So are we gonna cut my cake or what? ‘ Kesha asked excitedly.

‘Yeah. I'll bring it.' Taral walked to kitchen.

Kesha and taral were busy decorating all the candles on the cake. Well, there were only 3 candles but they found it pretty hard to arrange. Girls!

‘Okay. That's it.’ She said and looked up as I was waiting for her to see the guitar in my hand. She finally reacted after a short pause.

‘Shit! Is that a guitar or have I lost all of my senses? EEEEE!!!’ She Screamed.

I know! Girls love Guitars. But this was no ordinary girl. Kesha really was a ‘See a guitar,  go crazy’ girl. I could see the smile on her face. Feel The pride on mine. She was blushing. She was like the helpless person who couldn't take off their smile. She held the knife, and I started to play. With every chord I played, she became happier. I didn't wanted to screw it so I kept me focused on playing my guitar though I desperately wanted to watch her expressions. I do though, remember that one look while my fingers were on the 3rd fret, holding 4 strings and my eyes captured the look that till today is the best memory I have of her, the best time I would go back to if I had a time machine, the best moment of my life with her. Her smile was unstoppable and as we sang the happy birthday song, she blushed the hell out of her face. Finally she cut the cake and though I expected me to be the owner of the first piece, taral got it. But then, I had a guitar in my hand. She came to me and said 'Thank you. It was my best birthday ever.'

Bingo! I did it! I’m Awesome, Ain’t I?

'It was nothing. Happy birthday.' I smiled. I hope she understood my sarcasm. She smiled back. Maybe because she did. It was clear, right? Me doing everything and saying it's nothing! She even bet on me at the first place. Ah! I pushed my brain too much. I wish I did it when I sit down with my books. We finished the remaining cake as our hunger spoke through our bellies. Unfortunately but it was not enough. The Tiffin, our dear Dhiru kaka brought, became the feast to our half-empty stomachs. Poor guy remained empty stomach. But he still is a lucky man. His wife cooks food so tasty, I remember eating the last piece so hard, I almost ate my fingers with it. Anyways I got my punishment for stealing dhiru kaka’s lunch when kesha and taral killed our ears trying to play the guitar. They broke some strings and finally stopped playing. Thank God they did! If it would have lasted any longer, I would have smashed my guitar into the ground! Jaimin though played nice tabla on it afterwards!

The sun finally came near to set. We were all sitting at the point. I often open a dictionary to find words to describe this place but there are none. A fallen construction, a half broke cement wall and broken stairs to get to the place but once you get there, You see nothing but the ground go infinitely to the end where it touched the sky and the sun going down. Slowly, fading in the partly clouded sky or the ground? You just don’t get to see. No one had a word to share. We were just busy watching the sun. I preferred to watch kesha Instead. She kept asking me not to and I didn't stopped asking her ‘why?’ Taral as always, favored me saying she was going to the other side. Jaimin joined him. How good of them to give us some privacy. They left. I knew I had a moment. I was wondering how to start a conversation and break the silence good. She started but.

'So, I was acting like a bitch, huh?'

I was mute. Terribly mute. Omg! Is she gonna kill me! I should have not said that. Shit!

‘I...aa’ I mumbled.

‘ I'm sorry. I was playing with you.’ She broke into laughter.

'so, Taral told you that?' I felt relieved.

' Yes. And your face at the moment, I should have taken a picture.!’.

'I’m sorry but I didn't knew you lost your phone!' I said in my defense.

'Actually, I didn't lost my phone on the beach, I threw it out of my balcony! '

' What! Why? ' I asked.  I mean if I was unhappy with my phone, I would have replaced it with some other. But throwing it out of the balcony is unbelievable! My dad would kill me if I did that!

' I don't want to talk about this to anybody, I don’t need anyone’s sympathy! ' she said and her eyes grew wet. My heart stopped! Sympathy? are you gonna die? Please don’t die! I felt terrible.

' Hey, what's wrong?'

' My..my parents are getting divorced! '

She said and then looked away.

Thank god! I said to myself. It’s just her parents getting divorced. Wait what?!

‘What?’ I asked.

‘My lovely parents are getting a divorce. You know when they decide not to stay together any longer?’ She said angrily.

‘I know. I just was a little taken back. I didn't knew, Sorry!’

‘It’s okay. I’m not angry anymore.’

‘So you throw your phone when they told you?’

‘Well no. Not really. I thought they were joking. Our maid told me they were serious and when my mom called me, I ran to my balcony and threw my phone in the sea! well not actually in the sea, but I aimed for it.’ she smirked. Her Room had a sea View! Wow.

‘I’m sorry. Are you okay?’

‘yeah, I’m pretty fine. Who needs them anyway! I’m just gonna complete my studies, Be a cardiologist, buy a big house and then just gonna live my life.’

‘Any plans on marriage?’ I tried to make her laugh.

‘Yeah. Will see to that!’ she smiled.

‘Are they that bad? Your parents?’ I asked.

‘No! They are best as parents. They are just not as husband and wife. I wonder how was it when they loved each other. Can you believe their marriage was a love marriage?’

‘Well, things change! there must have been a reason, don’t you think?’

‘Yeah! there must have been one.’

‘When was the last time you talked to them?’

‘The last time I was with them.’

‘Why? Don’t they call you!’ I asked.

‘Yeah they do. I don’t answer. They must have even called today. I don’t want to talk to them.’

‘Kesha, dear you have to talk to them! hiding from your feelings won’t make it better!’

‘I don’t want your sympathies and I don’t want to talk to them.’

‘Okay. As you wish. but just for an instance, think about your parents. you said they were best as parents. Can you imagine what would have they gone through to tell you about their divorce and how much do you think they are suffering now? seeing their only girl not answering their calls. Do you understand what it is to a father? a mother?’

She thought for a while. She cried out a few drops. I wiped away some of them though she resisted.

‘Do you think I should call them?’

‘Yes. you should. Call them.’

‘Can I borrow your phone. I don’t have mine!’

‘yeah, sure.’ I handed her my phone.

She turned a little off during the rings but as soon as her mom took the call, she started feeling good. Her voice though was feeble during the entire conversation, her soul was getting lighter with every passing minute. I saw her sobbing a minute, and smiling another. I felt so proud of myself. I Knew she was too brittle to understand her parents’ divorce but she had to face it. I sat by her side the entire time and of all that I could hear, I knew she was relieved. I knew her parents were relieved. I knew I was relieved. She kept the phone down bidding her byes. She didn't talk that much but she looked relaxed.

‘So?’ I asked.

‘They are happy I called!’ she sobbed.

‘and you?’

‘In an uncertain way, yes. I’m very glad.’

I smiled at her. I loved the way how smartly she used those words.

She turned towards me. Looked at me like I looked at her. she stared at me like I used to. I looked in her eyes and said nothing. I didn't knew what to say. I never felt something like that. It was like we were having a conversation just by looking at each other. She came near and hugged me. I held her in my arms like a little baby. My arms, naturally went to hug her back with one on her head and other on her back. I could feel her heart beat against mine. I could feel her soft skin against my body. I could touch her silky hairs and I could feel nothing else. I was lost. Lost in her arms if that doesn't sound cheesy. My senses never had an intake of so much feel that it jammed. I held her in my arms as the sun set down. Slower this time, much slower this time.