Just a journal - Part 3.

 15th October 2022 -


8:00 A.M. -

It's Saturday and I got up late. We all got up late for that matter and that's how I could make do with it. So, late breakfast, dilly-dallying on a so called holiday. Even if it's holiday for all, I have to cook 3 meals, fold clothes, arrange the scattered books, newspapers, and other silly things lying here and there .


10.30 A.M. -

As a sweet surprise, my phone buzzed. And it was Tina at the other end. How elated I was to hear her voice after years. I couldn't recall the last time I had talked to her. We now live in an age of advanced technology, texts, video calls, everything's available at a click of button. Yet we are so busy doing our things that we forget to connect.

Tina asked me whether I was free for the day, so we could meet. She's been living in Australia since years now. She was visiting India after many years. I was glad we would be connecting.






12.00 P.M. -

I reached the restaurant of the hotel she was staying in. I could easily recognise her, she hadn't changed an inch. She looked just as beautiful as in the school. She was slim and trim. She wore the same smile that she used to, when every morning we met, to go to school. All the memories flashed one by one in front of my eyes. I put forward my hand to shake hands, but she pulled me into a hug. Tears rolled down my eyes. That's what old friends do to you, they feel authoritative enough to manifest their true feelings. It was a warm hug and we suddenly became those friends that we were, in school uniforms, piggy tails, with bags on shoulders and ID cards hanging around our neck.

We shared all that we had missed on each other, in so many years. I was proud of her when she said she worked for a MNC, at a very high position. Her son was a captain of the junior football team of the city. Her daughter played violin and had won so many competitions for the same. They were as bright students too, she said.

We both used to score same marks in school. We studied together, played together. But I couldn't be as efficient mom as her, who was working, yet her kids excelled in many ways. My kids were neither good at studies nor extracurriculars. Time changes everything I guess.

We chatted for hours, all the school memories were refreshed. We tried to recall friends and tried to trace what they were doing nowadays. We enjoyed the delicious food, we had rounds of coffee. We laughed, we giggled. We made plans to meet once a year atleast, a reunion sort of.





All in all I had fun today. I came back home with a broad smile on my face.


7.00 P.M.-

I cooked a special dinner today as I was in a good mood. We all had our dinner without much ado. Salt, sugar, chilli everything was perfect.

I wound up the kitchen work and with a contented heart sat down to write today's journal.

P.S. - Feeling happy after a long time.


                     ****End****


I was proud today, for I had a wonderful day. I was keen to read what had happened on 15th October 1995. So I flipped the pages of my diary of 1995.


15th October 1995 -


8:30 A.M. -

My eyes were so swollen that I could hardly open them. It was way past our usual study time. But today Tina wouldn't be coming. I couldn't believe that her mom, wasn't with us anymore. The lady who was a great host, best cook, sweet mom and a loving person, I guess God also liked her so much that he called her up sooner, forever. 

Yesterday, I had seen Tina crying for the first time. She was always a cheerful girl. I didn't know how to react on hearing the news. Do I hug her? Do I comfort her? But how? I am not that big a girl to console someone who has lost the most precious person in the world. Would I be consoled if I was in her place? So many questions were arising in my mind. And Tina pulled me in a hug. She cried her heart out while tightly embracing me. The shoulder of my t-shirt was drenched completely. I patted her back and murmured, Don't cry, you are a strong girl.



I closed the diary with a thud!




Tina's mom  had left this earthly abode on 14th October. And I forgot the date. Tina and me didn't talk about this yesterday. How could I not inquire about it? How did I forget to atleast pay my condolences for the day?



The day, even if it had been a lovely day for me, I couldn't imagine what it was for Tina. What she would've thought? Was she in India for the rituals of her mom's death anniversary? Why didn't she mention it? Was she waiting for me to ask her?


The questions haunted me like anything. But it was too late. Tina had a flight and she must've already left. I will contact her once she lands. I will say sorry. That's how I will try and keep safe what's precious for me. Atleast this friendship, I cannot afford to lose.


#FICTION.


PC: Pinterest.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: We love to see things through kaleidoscope. Any angle we see through, the view is always beautiful. But don't forget that it is a play of mirrors. And mirrors reflect exactly what lies in front of it!


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