Part 4: High on Life (Chapter 3)

The news and need for Kusum to travel for work changed the deadlock of delimma for her.

Sameer never under estimated the importance of his new found friend in his life. When kusum announced that she needs to travel to United States for six months within next 3 weeks, it was a setback to his not-going-anywhere life. Sameer decided to enjoy her presence thoroughly for these three weeks. He was wrong, Kusum’s planning, purchasing and packing for her travel was all consuming.

The only time Sameer really got to spend with her was when he accompanied her to her chores. He took her around for shopping, tried to run her errands and hang around her while she stressed. He was very tempted to ask her how she got permission from her parents without finalizing the all important alliance. Of coarse he did not ask any such politically incorrect question; there was no need for it.

He played along to the hysteria, knowing that what he was getting was a privilage. He was aware that there was no relationship or commitment to even encourage them to stay in touch. And if the madness of preperation of the travel for her assignment was any indication, she was predicted to have no time for him when her assignment actually started.

The dreadful Friday night came too soon, when he had to drop her at the airport. They talked as if this evening was no different then their meetings at the coffee shop, discussing varied impersonal topics from IPL to movies to work-life balance. Of coarse ‘miss you’s would have been inappropriate, but even the ‘take care’ was kept short and abrupt.

The next staurday felt heavy and dark. It was a realization after the escapism. It felt like coming out of a good movie knowing that it’s over and life oblivious of all the good time still stood outside the movie theatre unchanged.

The bleek picture of life was loud and clear. He never informed anyone that he has finally flunked his semester exams earlier that week. The problem was that he did not even feel guilty. MBA was a mistake he knew it. The only problem was that admitting this to his family and returning back with miminum possible embarassment.

The mundane act of going from home to bar to college was a little more painful. Her calls, meetings and even crazy SMS’s were sorely missed. He started deabting a lot about going home. Actually he was sure he wanted to go home, he started debating on the reason he will provide on abandoning his purpose and returning home defeated.

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It was difficult to explain his feelings when she finally called him the following Saturday and chimed a so-familier-and-so-yearned “Hi”. He gasped as if his face was finally hit by the breeze he was waiting for breathing.

If was difficult to express what he went through in the last week. At times he knew she will call, their friendship was not so frail. At times he thought she will not call, there was not really reason to maintain their mere social relationship overseas. At time he wanted to pray that she should call but stopped himself from the immature act. At times he did not even wanted to admit he wanted her too call. While he swayed between hope and cynicism, there were times when he simply needed her to call, just because everything was so much more difficult without her warm smile.

Of coarse, the week was not that long for her. From finding a shared accomodation to learning the subway routes of New York to the awesome new officeto the first snowfall that she witnessed to buying her new iphone and getting a india calling card, eveything was an adventure. She was as charming and as talkitive as ever.

Her stories of triumphing the unknown with her grit and charm were ample. After she caught up on all the initial excitement the lack of participation from Sameer’s part became more and more obvious. Before she could misunderstood that Sameer was not interested in her momlouge, Sameer told her about his new compunding problems.

She was very upset to know he failed his exams. “ You idiiot!! You are wasting money and time both doing that goddamn course. Go back home Sameer. You definitely don’t want to study. And your job at the bar sucks too. You have your own family business. No one with a good options of being self employeed work at some idiotic bar as a manager.” “Please go back.” She requested.

Since the uncomforting reason for Sameer to pursue his not-really-a-dream education, he decided to ask the haunting question. It was also relevant to his return home. “I have a question” he said softly. “how did you convince your parents for your travel? They did not insist on marriage?”

“Actually” she said confidently “I lied” with some pride seeping in her tone.
“Lied about what?” he was all confused.

“I told them I have a boyfriend. I came up with a make belive story on I like this son-in-law material guy. I also told them how he also wants to marry me and is trying to convince his parents. As soon as he is successful, his parents will ask for my hand from them” she shared the secret.

“What?” he struggled to absorb this rather imaginitive and daring approach.