Keeping the Promises (23 page)

       
“She was not only your best friend, guys; she became my best friend too. You know Dhruv, we used to play a game, that who knows you better? And she was quite annoyed when I used to defeat her every time – because I’ve seen you growing up, my love. Of course I know you better than her, but if not more than me, I know she loved you the way I do.”

       
She looks up to catch me smiling. I’m feeling loved, by the praises I have just got from the two girls I fell in love with – despite being the nerd I was and still am.

       
“She never told this to anyone else; she was always cheerful and we felt like she was enjoying her death,” said Angie in tears. But wait, is she being jealous?

       
“I know she said that she could share her pain, possessiveness and fears only with me. She had to be strong in front of you all and her parents; she feared you all would break down. Our meetings used to last for hours where I would just sit and listen and try to absorb some wisdom from her. When Dhruv introduced me to you all, I was quite exhilarated because I already knew each one of you by her words, especially you Angie. She told me everything about how you and Ansh were making out upstairs – in the name of study – and how hard it was for Dhruv and her to restrain themselves.” She answers and I see Angie blushing with her wet eyes. Ansh wraps his arms around her, allowing her to cry.

       
“Her mom and dad?” I ask.

       
“I met them yesterday, they’re missing you.”

       
“I miss them too.”

       
“Don’t be disheartened, my love! They are being looked after – and that too, without breaking your promise.” She’s
right, through my better half they are, and will be looked after and I’m not breaking my promise. Take that, M!

       
She blinks her twinkled eyes and tightens her grip on my hand and I realise that I’m holding it for very long.

       
“Anything more?” I ask.

       
“Just one thing…” She says, tears the second sky blue envelope and pulls out a paper and hands it to me.

       
“This is for you, and she strictly told me not to read it before you.”

       
But before I start reading, Ansh stops me.

       
“Gajju, you are allowed to see her pictures only once, right?”

       
“Yes, why?”

       
“If you are fine with it, I think on the projectors upstairs, we should relive all those moments, for one last time.”

       
“You have those pictures with you right now?” He nods.

       
Righteously so, I too want to see her now. Ansh and Angie have a beyond perfect end of their love story, my book is about to finish and I’ve fallen in love again – all that because of her. We need and deserve to see her, I wanted to save it for later but there will be no other moment like this. I may end up with a dusted image of her in my later life but she’ll always live and be remembered in our memories. Yes, we will spend the night in the excursion of our memories.

       
“Okay buddy, now, may I?” I ask; somehow I don’t know why I’m nervous.

       
I open the letter and yes, I feel amused by seeing her handwriting – for one last time.

Hey Mithu!

Surprised? No, stunned right? If you are reading this that means I’ve succeeded in my mission. You and Nirali are together. See, as I promised I sent a girl for you. What did you say? Don’t make the promises you can’t keep. See, I kept my promise. You must be wondering, when did I write this letter? After taking promises from you? No, long before that; and don’t pressurize your mind on thinking how I know you’d say it, it takes a genius like me to know it (wink). You may have outsmarted me so many times, but you will never be able to beat me after this. So, by outsmarting you for the last time, I win. Ya ya you can smile, grin, smirk, use each word of your choice, but you can’t change the fact that I’m smarter – from where you are reading this – let’s say I was. Hey mithu! don’t cry… stop I was just kidding my love! Okay I give up – let them out, once and for all
.

       
By the way, how are Ansh and Angie? I’m sure you succeeded in reconciling them and I know you all are stumped by the end I planned for them. Ansh did it right? Say my “hi” to them and don’t forget to gift them that silk scarf as a honeymoon gift from my side
.

       
So, tell me, are you going to miss me? Yes, you are. I bet you all are; but I’m not going to miss you guys. I know I’m lying, but let me think what I’m going to miss the most. Yes, I got it, our romantic walk on Galway, Ireland. Remember? Just like you, I’ve dreamed of it so many times. I’m going to miss that the most. Didn’t I tell you to stop crying? Oh c’mon Mithu, shedding tears won’t bring me back! You have me right there. Yes, look inside your girl’s eyes, you’ll see me there. Now what you are going to do is that you’ll take us to Ireland, take a walk just as we discussed, and don’t you dare to make out there; that you promised me. I
can’t share my moments with anyone else, not even with Nirali. Yes, I can share you with her – by having no other choice – but not our memories…they are mine, forever. And don’t worry, I did not die virgin in my dreams (wink again). So, it’s time to say goodbye then
.

       
Goodbye, my love! Kisses and hugs, over and… Dead (Oops, sorry baby just kidding! don’t get angry now! huh…)

       
P.S: I’ll always be with you
–
and you know that
.

Coming soon by the same author

Everything We Had

Mausami Hansraj idolizes the characters in
Keeping the Promises
. She is the most loved Radio Jock of the city and a strong-headed person, hard to win. Her friends know it would take an equally strong-headed person to win her heart and respect.

Anmol Sahni, probably the richest man of the city and a fan of Mausami’s voice, is not all that fortunate. Even with all the money and riches, there is little he can do about the inherited disease of the nerve cells that is slowly taking life out of him.

Oblivious of the fact that his condition is worsening faster than he anticipated, he allows himself to fall in love with Mausami. But both of them are realists, and part their ways as Anmol decides to die in solitude.

She gives in to his promise; she decides to honour her word despite all the devastation it is bound to cause. But as every coin has two sides, every philosphy has two ways, every wisdom has two different impacts, promises also have two sides. She accidently stumbles upon the very people she idolizes from
Keeping the Promises
, only to realize that their life is nothing like she has hoped all along.

Mysterious events with their presence in her life lead her to hate the people she idolized once. She decides to show the world that life is too surprising for a person to anticipate one’s fate.

Thus, she tells her story, and in the loving memory of her everlasting love, she names it, ‘EVERYTHING WE HAD’.