It was 12:30 in the afternoon when suddenly my phone started ringing. Oh..!! Don’t ask how it feels to take a call on a Sunday, when even 12:30 in the afternoon feels early after an exhausted week.
The cell phones ring feels like blaring music that you hate the most and the caller a criminal who should be sentenced for such a heinous crime. But as a curious human being, I still managed to half open one of my eyes to see if the call is worth attending, else the call goes on a silent mode.
In no time the crime scene shifted from the caller and started hovering over me. Not again! Was my reaction. Thinking why...??? How could I, be so senseless to, save a number, by a name which, I know is tagged by at least half a dozen people in my phonebook?
COMPLICATIONS that is what life is all about and COMPLICATED is what we as humble humans flip a simple situation into.
Ahhhh....what to do...what to do....??? Should I disconnect or take the call (Still not knowing which Varun was on the other side) the thought ticked, in my mind, faster than a second needle of a watch could tick. What if it was the same Varun that I have been avoiding from the past few months (the reason why his number was still there in my phonebook, indicating NEVER EVER take a call from this number) or what if it’s that Varun who owed 5000 bucks to me. Shit man trapped in a situation early in the morning...Oops...!! I mean early on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Taking the call meant either I make or break my beautiful Sunday.
In no time I dug my head deep inside the blanket (as if I will find a message flashing there whether to answer the call or not) cursing my docile handset and wanting to kill the caller.
Can’t people make good use of the SMS service or the internet, to be precise, rather than putting a serene human who has just opened his eyes, in a condition far beyond imagination. Lazy losers don’t want to waste their energy typing but more than happy to waste energy of others, that they just merely managed to regain, after a good night’s sleep. I mean what urgency would have popped up at such an odd hour (all hours seem odd when your eyes are shut and you in a state where one is unaware of anything and everything happening in their vicinity).
My expressions seemed as if I had just seen a gory sight, and my eyes popped out to a distance beyond imagination, in a hope that I will get to catch a glimpse of the caller on the other side. Well without much thinking I came to a conclusion that even the Modern Technology had not been able to match up to my geniuses’ of wanting things a certain way. LOOSER is what everyone seemed to me at this point of time.
The phone was still ringing to my astonishment. Have you ever observed how a call seems longer when you are in a fix to bring it to life or bury it but an important call ends before you can get till your handset even if it is lying a few meters away. STRANGE but TRUE.
Mustering all my courage I decided to take the call (remember 5000 bucks, getting them meant shopping bags in my room before the evening ends). How positive can someone be, when big bucks are at stake? Wow...!!! Instead of the display name all I could see was 1000 rupee notes flashing on my cell phone screen which shuffled between shopping bags and malls.
Humans can be greedy even when half asleep, now this is a self made discovery!!! Someone has righty said that the mind never stops working even when you are in coma (deep sleep). So, practically, my mind had to work as I was only partially sleeping.
My thumb switched from the Red button to the green, still hoping that some miracle would happen and I come to know which Varun it is. But alas...Sob sob my pendulum like thumb had to decide for itself, keeping in mind it gets all the respect, whether it chooses the red or the green one.
Before I knew, my cell phone got pulled towards my ear and my throat let out a whiff of air that sounded like HELLO. God Dammit...!!! The thumb answered the call.
“Hey...I left so many messages but you didn’t even care to reply back”, a girly voice shrieked. Now what was this...??? A boyish name and a girlish voice...!!!
Mind, as you guys already know, never stops working, started working as it never did. How could I be so insane to have saved a girls number by Varun’s name?
“Hello. Who’s this?” I asked with a suspicious tone.
“Good, now you don’t even recognise my voice.” The girl replied tauntingly.
How could I when suddenly Varun becomes a girl, and the shopping spree dream turns out to be an actual dream.
“I am sorry, but whose it?” I questioned with a raised brow.
“C’mon yaar...It’s me...Soumya...!” she said with utmost excitement.
“Soumya...!!! You bitch...!!! How have you been and when did you come back?” I sounded more excited, silently smiling at my thumb.
“Well landed just a few days back and tried calling you ever since, but the number I had does not exist.” She sounded as if I was unaware that I have changed my number. “But fortunately Varun had your new number.” She added.
Varun, for people who don’t know, is Soumya’s lil’ brother, the one I have never avoided and also the one who never borrowed 5000 bucks.
“Hey lets meet up in the evening. It’s been almost two years and I have a lot piled up”, she said with exhilaration.
“Done, same place where the gang belongs”, I smiled.
“For sure”’ she laughed, “But do expect a few guests!!”
GUESTS!!! Now what was this last statement all about? One, I get to meet my friend after 2 years and two; she gets guests along with her. “So, private life talks take a backseat at least for the day. Hmmm...!” I muttered.
“What kind of guests? Do I know them?” I asked dumbfoundingly.
“Well now let this be a surprise”, she cackled raising my curiosity level 10 degrees above normal. “5 in the evening, sharp. Try and be on time you lazy butt. Don’t keep the guests waiting for a change.” And she hung up.
Errrhhhh...I hate such flabby situations. The best they can do is leave one obfuscated.
But still, the whole excitement of meeting a mate live, that too after so many weeks gave me wings. Suddenly, the clock started ticking at a much slower pace. Well, when you are really looking forward to meet someone, suddenly the second needle seems like a minute needle and the minute needle an hour one. Wait a second...! What about the hour needle then? Holy Cow...! A whole calendar month. Man...!!!
JAAZH
