In conversation

“Well whaddayaknow! You made it kid… I… Fantastic… congratulations!”
“Thank you, thank you! And I wanted to come here and tell you that this would not have been possible without
you!”
“Really? You think?”
“Yes… I learnt nothing in class. Actually it was all the Sundays that I spent here that got me this… So, thank you!”
He stretched out his hand and getting on to the cue, she walked right into him and clawed him all around. Sitting
on his stool, hugging her, he felt nice. Nice about the fact that he had apparently been able to help someone with
something in their life and also about the fact that she was actually there to acknowledge it. Perhaps that made the
whole situation even better.
“It isn’t just the Sundays you know…”
“Hmmm?”
“It wasn’t just the Sundays that got you here…”
“Oh no, I know that… I got it from just spending time with you. It went way beyond the books.”
“Ya, I know… It was more than every day here… You officially live here more than you live at your own house.”
She pushed him away, but he caught her smiling.
“Shut up, asshole!”
“But I love you baby… And I am proud of you!”
And the smile disappeared. Completely. And she even came off as being a little nervous. Not nicely nervous, it was
the bad phase of the emotion. She looked unsure about her surroundings, even tried to pull her hands around
herself, not knowing what else she could do with them. He could sense it. He could sense that she had something
on her mind, only he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to hear it or not.
“Ok, why the snake eyes sweetie?”
“What did you just say?”
He was as blank on hearing that as the expression that followed.
“Huh? I just said that I’m very proud of you…”
“No, the other thing…”
“Congratulations?”
“Stop hedging…”
“Ok… why don’t you tell me what I said and I’ll work backwards from there?”
“You said… you love me?”
“Yes, I do… But I thought you already knew that by now…”
“Are you serious?”
“What’s the fuss? Why keep asking me that?”
“This isn’t a joke…”
Clearly it wasn’t because he was sure as hell missing the punchline. It was all flying over his head. He couldn’t
understand what she was getting at. Why, all he said was that he was proud of her and that he loved her even
more… That had to be it. It was clear now. Though as clear as mud.
“It’s the ‘I love you’ part which has caught your fancy?”
“Yes… Why say that at all… What you and I have is something so very special… why would you want to ruin it
like that?”
“You know, you answered your question and yet have no clue about it.”
“What?”
“Guess so… you just said what we had was special right. And that clearly is not cause enough for me to say that I
love you? Or it could even be vice versa you know…”
“But it’s not like that between you and me…”
“Not like what… Oh, oh, oh… I get it now… You think I meant it in that sense?”
“How many senses are there?”
“Jesus! Jingles… You do realize that there are other forms of love too in this world, right?”
“Yes… but why would you tell me that? You’re not my father or my brother, or an uncle, or anything of that
sort…”
“Baby, I think I am all of those in a package.. But no, it’s not quite that. Am I not your friend?”
“Of course you are…”
“And that’s how I love you… as a friend!”
“That doesn’t happen.”
“So you don’t love any of your girlfriends?”
“Huh?”
“Friends who are girls…”
“Yes, sure… there is Hina and Gagan and…”
“… yeah sure… so you love them, right?”
“Of course I do…”
“So you are a lesbian?”
“What?”
“So why can’t that apply to you and me then?”
It was evident that something was making more sense to her now. It was weird though. No guy ever told her that he
loved her and not mean getting into her pants. It was like the yearly ritual. All the guys through school and even
college, all of them wanted to cuddle. But it was only time that amplified the true nature of the cuddling. It was
after sex. And she wasn’t the one who wanted that kind of a guy around her.
But here was a chap saying that he loved her and not mean it in that sense. A guy she felt so very safe around, in
thought even.
“Ok, I get it… like your ‘virgin’ and ‘ejaculation’ things… It’s cool and yes, I love you too. More than you can
think!”
“My, how inappropriate!”
“Shut up!”
He opened his arms out once again and this time she walked right in with the smile intact. He grabbed her tightly
towards himself, wishing that time would just stand still completely. And he could hold on to her forever. It was
after a long time that he had such companionship. That he had someone who he could really call his friend.