How Easy It Used To Be
“Khanak … Khanak! Come on yaar” 16 year old frustrated Rishav calls his bestfriend Khanak. But there is also a tinge of regret in his tone which calms Khanak ‘s anger slightly but not completely.
Khanak looks at her bestfriend sitting in front of her at the local restaurant, his 6’0 tall and lean body stuck in the chair of restaurant. His black eyes always looking around as if waiting to find something and his hair spread in all directions. Khanak likes his hair, to her his hair symbolises Rishav perfectly, never one to follow the set rules. Rishav has made plan to meet her and Ankan, their other bestfriend, one and a half hour ago. And yet here they are, Khanak and Ankan on time, having been waited for Rishav for last one and a hour and Rishav arriving late. Nothing new there.
“You don’t get to be frustrated or irritated with me. If anything I should be the one to get irritated with you” Khanak knows that her anger also had a bit of sadness and she really didn’t want to feel sadness for Rishav ditching her but she never seems to have the ability to hide what she is feeling especially if the feeling is about someone she really cares. And she really really cares about her bestfriend Rishav.
Khanak hears him wincing, and she knows it’s because of the sadness not anger in her tone. The thought almost enough to break a smile one her face but she stops her lips from giving in to the urge. Khanak knows it’s a lot easier for Rishav to handle her anger rather than sadness. He and Ankan, both can’t see her sad. She remembers the times when she has cried in front of them in last six years. There have been too many times and everytime both of them have had a look of helplessness on their faces, as if both of them could have done anything to make her feel better but none of them knew what to do. Stupid boys, they even know that just their being there for her is enough for her. They don’t need to do anything else.
“I am really sorry” Rishav’s voice breaks her chain of thoughts and bring her back to the present where she really doesn’t like her bestfriend. “Khanak, I am really really sorry” voice filled with sincerity calms her anger completely and makes her feels slightly better. Rishav gets out of his chair and sits on chair beside her.
“You were the one to call me” Her tone accusing. “You called me and told me to come as soon as possible. I told you that mum needed help with her boutique and you told me that lets hang out because you will be going to visit your grand parents day after tomorrow and after then our school will start then three of us will get busy. And yet were the one to ditch”
“Sorry na yaar! I had to submit some over due books otherwise I would have had to pay fine” Rishav tells her before putting his hand over her shoulder before nudging her with his shoulder and for a moment her heart really stops and then beat two times faster than normal at his casual action.
“Whatever! Let’s just east something. I am starving.” She grumbles and just at that moment her stomach growls embarrassing her.
“I can totally tell” Rishav says amusedly. Again nudging her, his eyes filled with amusement and all this while his arm is still on her shoulder still making her heart beat faster than usual.
Khanak ponders on this feeling she continuously has around him since last few months. Then remembers how easy it used to be for her to hug him, for her to hug them both. But now, even though she doesn’t get this much flustered while hugging Ankan it’s still a new feeling. She didn’t use to blush after any of then used to give her bear hug. She specially didn’t use to feel butterfly in her stomach when Rishav ruffled her year but now she does. And its really irritating that none of them seem to have this new feeling, she is feeling.
“Okay, so here are burgers, and here is Coke for you Khanak, and here is Sprite for me and this late-latif” Ankan, who has been standing in the queue to get food for three of them teases Rishav, making Rishav scowl in reply. Where Rishav looks all gangly and wild teenager, Ankan looks like total calm and composed, his height almost equal to Rishav. And even if she finds Ankan a slightly taller that Rishav, she is never going to tell them that. They compare their height a lot as it is.
“I don’t know why we even waited this long for him. We should have eaten something and left. That would have been the right punishment for him, don’t you think Khanak” Ankan teases again.
“Then why didn’t you?” Rishav asks, his mouth full with burger.
“Gross Rishav!” Khanak says with disgust and amusement in her voice.
“We didn’t leave because miss Khanak didn’t want to treat you the way you treated us” At Ankan’s statement, Khanak glares at him. And then fears that whether her secret new feeling about her bestfriend will be revealed. Though what that feeling is she still has to figure out.
“I didn’t want to leave without berating you for ditching us and as if Ankan would hurt his best buddy” Khanak scowls at Ankan.
“Oh, I would have done it” Ankan replies his voice has something more than teasing now.
“Ankan you will not even hurt a fly, let alone your bestfriend” Khanak smiles and shakes her head. “You are a total sweet heart”.
“I can totally hurt him right now” Ankan’s tone totally serious. His eyes fixed on the arm on Kahank’s shoulder and his mind fixed on the fact that before Rishav came he was the one sitting there beside Khanak.
Oblivious to Ankan’s thoughts Khanak laughs out loud, as if idea of Ankan hurting anyone is ridiculous but she still pushes herself away from Rishav, making Rishav’s arm drop from her shoulder.
And finally Ankan could relax.
“So you both are going to study in Commerce and I will be lonely by myself in Arts – friendless, and bored” Khanak pouts.
“I told you to chose Commerce” Rishav replies again with his full and again making Khanak a disgusted face.
“But I want to study the subjects that are in Arts! Why couldn’t any of you choose Arts?” She asks even though she knows the answer. Rishav’s dream is to have a business of his own and his mind also works in that department. And Ankan has family issues.
“You know my future was decided the day my elder brother chose to became a lawyer like my father. My grandfather has my whole future planned out” Khanak makes a sad face listening to his story. Ankan’s family is really rich but also highly strict. Ankan’s grandfather had started a hospital and Ankan’s father has refused to be a part of the hospital due to some moral conflict and the same happened with Ankan’s brother so now the responsibility of keeping the business in family falls 16 year old Ankan’s shoulder.
To make mood lighter Khanak changes the topic. While they were joking Khanak hears Rishav gargling with cold drink. Khanak glares at him making Ankan laugh and Rishav grin smugly.
“If you do these thing to treat me once again, I will punch you” She threatens.
“As if I am scared of your girly punch” Rishav challenges and never one to back out, Khanak punches him on shoulder with all the power she can muster, making Rishav groan and Ankan laugh.
“Shit!” Rishav curses in pain and lunges at Khanak to tickle her. And just then from behind Ankan jumps at both if them. Their laugh free and loud in the restaurant.
And all this while, Khanak was thinking, how easy it used to be, to be like this. It isn’t that she doesn’t like this new feeling, it is the fact that she likes it way too much scares her.