The Conversation - 4

***

Missed part 3 ? Click here

Want to know from the start? Click here

***

"Hello, Rohan?", Apoorva lifts the call.

"Hi, how are you?", says Rohan.

"Yeah, I am great. How are you?"

His voice starts to tremble. What should be his reply to the question? He cannot lie to her. But he cannot hide the truth either.

"I don't know, Apoorva. It's hurting, even though I prepared for this moment."

"Maybe you just underestimated it, like every time you do."

Yes, she is right. She was there with him - When he used to play till one day before the exam and got panicked after that; When he boasted to run for five km. at a stretch but started to pant after a few metres; When his drawings were a piece of crap but he felt as a Picasso. He remembered her laughing till she complained of a stomachache.

When he remembers them today - the day before her marriage, he realises what he has done to himself. The memories that he created all these years, to cherish for the rest of his life, begin to crush him, instead of cushioning him.

"Rohan, it is going to be okay. I may not know exactly how you feel. But allow yourself some time."

"I love you, Apoorva."

She becomes silent for a moment.

"Yeah, I remember that."

"These words will never be enough to describe who you are to me."

"Hey, Rohan, I know it. I am so happy to have a friend like you that I don't have enough words to explain."

"I will miss you. A lot."

"Hey, do you think it's that easy to get rid of me?" laughs Apoorva. He laughs back.

"I am sure that you would call me one day saying that you found the girl of your life. Then you will be the one who starts to avoid me."

They continued to talk for a few more minutes. He expresses his confidence about how easily he can become the manager at his office and gets teased back for his overconfidence; He asks about her work, her US plans, and finally - how she selected her fiancé. He had avoided this topic whenever she brought it up. He did not want to hear it. But today, he decides to go through it. He wants to complete the journey - which started with looking at her in his childhood, which went through loving her for who she is and now, it begins to end by letting her go.

***

"So, you called her just one day before the marriage?", asked the surprised Ridhi.

"Yeah. I know, it feels a little awkward right? but I thought I would not get a better time," replied Rohan.

"You are lucky to have such a nice friend."

"Yeah, I did not even want to tell those all. I was afraid of how she would react. A person, whom you see only as a friend, if, on one fine day, comes up and tells you that you are more than a friend, and that person has been loving you so much for many years, how will you feel?"

"But I didn't know what happened that day. I felt so hurt at the thought of missing her. When I was talking to her, on that day, she said "I do not know exactly how you feel". But the thing is, I never even asked her how she felt after she knew that she was more to me than what she thought of me. Whenever I think of that day, I felt I dumped my weight onto her in the process of me becoming lite? I just hope she forgets it. Anyways, after marriage, life becomes too busy right?"

"Yeah, even I heard of that. Is she still in touch with you?"

"Yeah, we talk once in a few months. We exchange all the important and stupid things that happened in our lives."

"Cool, so, that is your story of moving on", said Ridhi.

"Yes, I accepted that and preparing myself to be ready to invite the one who might be born for me."

"Seriously? Do you believe it? Like someone born for you? It sounds so lame."

"Come on, they are just for poetic purposes, not meant for theoretical physicists," they both laughed and locked their eyes for a few moments. They continued to watch each other's eyes, without knowing the passage of time. Finally, a distant sound helped to bring them to reality.

"I never shared this incident with anyone. I just felt like sharing with you."

"Why?"

"Well, I did not prepare for that question", said Rohan.

Ridhi smiled, and said, "Well, be prepared when we meet next time."

***

Rohan reached home from the marriage function. Even though the last time Ridhi told him to ask her questions, he could not do so. He still did not know why he started to share all these with her. She was becoming special to him. Rohan switched on the TV and sat in the recliner. She was right, he had to get prepared for the next time.

But before that, he decided to take his mobile and dialled a number.

"Hello, Rohan...", Apoorva lifted the call.

**End of Part 4**

Thank you for reading..!

Please feel free to share your feedback on the story in the comments section..!

Interested to read the next part? Click here...