“I could never love a man who fits in a standard. I crave spontaneity and adventure in love not the boredom of a stable relationship. My kind of love doesn’t fit in an image, because there is no one else like the man of my dreams.”, I rambled to my friend Meera, in a half-conscious state.
“It seems to me that this love is just a figment of your imagination. What you were chasing is just a mirage and not a reality?”, my grounded friend Meera brought me out of my non-stop rambling as we lay side by side, her familiar scent enveloping me. Being back with her was enough to soothe my wounds.
I first met her when we studied in college. She generally used to take the local from college to her home whereas I used to be picked up by a driver mostly. Our ways diverged at the crossing. I sometimes felt like turning in the wrong direction and tracing her to her chawl but never mustered the courage. I didn’t think I was welcome at her house anyway. It wasn’t like I hadn’t met them. They knew me well and I knew too they disliked me. My streaked hair, body piercings and crazy dressing style was too radical for them. They thought I was a bad influence on their daughter.
But Meera loved me as I was. She was the sweetest friend I could ever have. Rather my only real friend. Tall and slender with a dusky complexion, she looked beautiful even in the rags that she called clothes. Her dark hair fell on her shoulder like a thick curtain that covered her ears. Her black eyes looked so enticing even without any trace of kajal. I sometimes wonder how enchanting she would have looked if she dressed like me only to remind myself that she is beautiful only because she is the way she is.
I considered myself generously blessed. My closet overflew with fashionable clothes and I had a bagful of expensive make-up to cover my dusky skin tone. I thrived on parties and casual relationships yet never gave up hopes of finding my true love. My wealthy friends took care of me too but whenever I used to think of Meera, something stirred inside like feeling empty and broken when compared to her simplicity. I pitied her on the outside yet never understood why I always longed to be with her. No one’s else company brought me any real happiness. We were quite alike on the inside only she more idealistic and I, the practical one.
I remember the day we first met. She was very upset, as her father had been fired from his job and they risked losing their house too. With younger brothers in school, they had no one to turn to. She felt hopeless and was in desperate need for help. It was then that she went to the house of a wealthy classmate for a one time favour. She had met me there for the first time. It was like a new birth to me.
She took me to her house a few times after that thinking that her parents will love her new friend. She wanted them to know it was me who helped her out of their misery. But they instantly disapproved my association with her. They preferred their misery instead of letting their daughter be spoilt by dirty money. How unthankful, I had thought and never went there again. Meera, befitting of the sensitive soul that she was, had apologised on their behalf and our friendship had survived.
After our final exams, Meera was very upset as she had failed. She had always hoped to change the course of her life with education. All her hopes were now shattered. I, on the other hand, viewed it as a license to continue my ways and turned wilder each passing day. It was then that Meera had broken away all ties with me. I lost her completely blinded by the glitz and glamour of my fancy world.
But yesterday, after driving in a frenzied state landed me at the hospital, none of my wealthy associates or their drivers turned up for my rescue. I cried profusely and realized my mistakes. Meera was the only one I could turn to. My internal voice that I fought against and chose to ignore faced me like a demon. I swore to give up all my misadventures for one shred of forgiveness. She comforted me and asked me to call her parents. They were the only one who could help me. She reminded me that I had helped them once, it’s their duty to help me now that I accept the folly of the path I had chosen and seek redemption. I nodded and gave their number to the doctors.
We were talking now. She reminded me of the man of my dreams I always told her about and we laughed. I was rambling something when she rebuked me for having lofty ideas about love. She brought me back to reality. Lying next to her, I had fallen into a deep sleep.
“She is out of danger now. Needs proper care for recovery.”, I heard the doctors telling Meera’s parents when I woke up. My eyes searched for her but she was gone. I saw her mother coming towards me.
“Meera, my darling! What has happened to you?, she said wiping her tears. I smiled as I had finally found Meera back.
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The above story is an entry into the writing event(Feb. 02nd – 20th) hosted by ArtoonsInn: #PullTheRug #UniK-3
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