Short story: Destined to be 2:30 P.M friend

Disclaimer: The story below is based on pure imagination of the author and any resemblance of any events or characters to any real life events or characters is purely coincidental. 

Tring… Tring… The Alarm clock sounded so harsh. I woke up and put the alarm off.

6 o’ clock and it being the 15th day of May 1993, the sun was already out, and there was so much light all around.

I had my morning routine, the bath followed by 2 greasy Paranthas dipped with butter and a cup of tea some time afterwards.

And then my gruelling routine of memorizing those terrible Mathematical equations, those dreadful Physics Theorem, and the structures of those Carbon Molecules, whose shapes varied from simple to complex and weird.

‘Oh, these GRE exams- they will take the life out of me, by the time they finish.’

I had 1 more month to go to clear the GRE exams and get a passport to either United States or England, and then a life with some initial struggle but afterwards a much more better life than that in India, where millions struggle to get even basic amenities like Food, shelter and clothing and those who get have to deal with heat, corruption, power cuts and water shortages.

Yes, liberalization is improving things, but we still have very far to go.

And why the heck should I be the saint who tries to reform India?

It was 11 o’ clock now. It was so so hot, and I splashed some water on my face.

It was the time for a short break. I switched on the TV to watch one of my favorite TV shows.

Just then the door bell rang. My mother opened the door.

‘Look Ravi, your friend Arvind has come.’

Arvind had come to know that I had come for the 1 month break after my semester exams, and was one of my best friends.

‘Hey Ravi buddy, whatzzup, how is your Omlette Uncle?

How are your Noodle and Campa Cola nights going?’

He had so many questions.

We kept on talking and talking for 10-15 minutes, and then he took out something from his bag.

‘What is that Arvind?’

‘The chess game- let us play it for some time today Ravi.’

‘No Arvind, I have lots to cover in my GRE preparation.’

‘Yaar(friend), it will be just one hour. What difference will it make?’

‘No Arvind.’

‘Please Ravi.’

I got angry and stood up- ‘What difference will it make? Do I also become one like you? 2 years since you passed out from College- and what do you have? Appearing for interviews, exams, and no success in sight.

Do you want me also to become like you?’

‘Ravi, you are misunderstanding me. It is nothing like that!’

‘It’s like that only, please let me focus on my exams.’

‘As you wish’, said Arvind and picked his bag and went away angrily.

‘Here are your favorite samosas Arvind’, Mom came in and was surprised to see Arvind leaving.

‘Arvind, where are you going’, asked Mom, but Arvind went out.

It was 2:00 P.M, and suddenly in midst of solving one inorganic Chemical equation, memories of playing with Arvind in the nearby Mango Orchard came to my mind.

Those playful days, those days of no tension…

And then I had no time to waste.

‘He must have gone to the newly opened Shivam Shopping complex. I must go there.’

I took my bicycle and paying no heed to my Mom, I speed away.

I must have rode on bicycle for 10 odd minutes, when suddenly I started feeling dizzy.

The route from our house to the newly opened shopping complex was of 25 minutes, and there were very few tres, and very few people during hot summer afternoons on that route.

‘What if I faint?’

And suddenly my eyes closed.

When I woke up my face was wet, and Arvind and a few more folks were sitting near me, on a bench in a park.

‘What happened? Arvind, how come you are here?’

‘Ravi, when I went to the shopping complex, I realized that I had accidentally left one of my slip on which I had written some books and groceries at your home. When I reached there, your Mother told me that you had left the house in a hurry, and I knew which path you would have followed.

Then I saw you lying on the roadside, alongside your bicycle and I immediately got some water from a nearby labour camp, and saved you from dehydration. Please drink this water, and have these bananas.’

After sipping a lot of water, I said ‘Thanks Arvind. Sorry for saying those words to you. I realized that spending 1 hour even in a tight schedule means nothing for an old and lasting friendship.’

‘And you were destined to be my 2:30 P.M friend.’ and we both laughed heartily.

********** Story concludes**********