Three Days
Three Days
Long time! Sushma thought, as she arranged the tuberoses in the blue crystal vase. The pearly white petals gleamed. She then stood up, and glanced critically at the room. Everything looked perfect. “Renu will love it.” she smiled, satisfied.
Eight years had gone by. Would Renu have changed…her attitude, outlook? No way. Sushma pushed away those thoughts. She would be the same Renu – fun loving, simple girl. Or would she be? Had these long years changed her? Once again Sushma waived the doubts aside. Why, weren’t they friends for life and didn’t they know each other too damn well?
Images of old times flashed in her mind – of those days when she and Renu were thick pals; when they stayed together, worked in the same company and partied gloriously together. In fact, they even got married, almost at the same time. As she sat thinking, a familiar sound emanated from the other room. Her husband, the T-rex, was roaring and wrestling with their little Gigantosaurus. Little Varun’s squeal made her smile. Renu’s son too would be about Varun’s age, she thought. Young, carefree girls were now responsible wives and mothers. And in Renu’s case, a career woman too.
Sushma felt like a pod of balsam - all the excitement ready to burst at the slightest touch, the gentlest waft. And when the long awaited moment finally arrived, her heart somersaulted with happiness.
“Aunty-jeee!” shrieked Renu, on seeing Sushma.
“Why? You too have filled out,” laughed Sushma, and whispered, “Or is that stupid padded bra?”
They burst out laughing and hugged each other tight and long. The husbands looked puzzled, wondering if they were standing on the right planet. Children scurried to the toy room.
The friends got down to business - chatting. There was so much to catch up on, to reminisce and to relive. When they started, they were all shrieks, squeals and laughter. As the tangibility of the moment sank in, the pace slowed. They swung back and forth between the ‘then’ and ‘now’, like a palm swaying unpredictably in the wind. They talked of old friends, colleagues, marriage, motherhood and more.
“Arre yaar, you’ve turned out to be a great cook,” said Reenu, as she munched on homemade chaklis. “Hmmm, and to think that once you were a hardcore career woman!”
“Can’t career women cook well? Oh, let me guess…” Sushma winked naughtily “…you don’t”
They were giggling like old times.
Three days were too short. Sushma wished Renu could stay longer. It was fun having an old friend back.
“It’s hard to imagine that you of all people would turn out to be so …domesticated.” Renu commented the next day, as she looked around. “The wild party girl, the adventurous one with lofty ideals and opinions.”
“I guess after marriage we become docile.”
“Not me!” Renu retorted. “Thanks to your one liner on housewives. I still remember that. But I wonder if you do”
“Which one?”
“That housewives are like houseflies - they are everywhere, but no one values them.” Renu laughed, “And now look at you. Aren’t you one?”
“What? Housefly?” Sushma smiled as she poured coffee in the cups.
“And your big talks of women and financial independence?” Reenu continued.
“Didn’t I tell you, I do freelance writing? So, I am financially independent” Sushma sounded defensive.”
Good friends could cross limits. They could talk their heart out, without pretensions. But Sushma felt as though she was confronted. The friends were silent for a few seconds.
Sushma leaned closer to Renu “Hey, this hair highlight suits you.”
“You told me that already,” Renu said in one breath.
There was silence again.
“Look at it this way.” Renu continued. “Since I earn, I buy things I want, I save money for Ishaan, we send him to the best school around, go on vacations, invest…”
“Yeah, I know” Sushma interrupted. “You can do a lot of things when you have money.”
“Don’t men respect a woman who earns? Well, quoting you” Renu added, as Sushma looked up from her coffee. “And I know you are capable of earning more than the puny amount you get writing.”
“I like writing and moreover Nitin respects me for whatever I am. He says that he owes all his achievements to the support system I provide.”
“Bakwaas!” Renu snapped. “Deepak just got an award for the best employee. And his pay package is sure to make anyone envious and his perks…”
Children dashed in and stopped her mid sentence. “Ishaan broke my walking dinosaur’s leg.” Varun was complaining, “Now it can’t walk…”
A few minutes of attention, and the children were fine. They scampered away.
Renu’s eyes followed them as they left. “Where did Varun develop an interest for dinosaurs of all things? What a contrast! Ishaan loves cars and is quite good with computers.” She said with a tinge of pride. “We plan to make him a computer engineer. What plans do you have?”
“No plans actually,” said Sushma “He’ll be whatever he wants to be.” Sushma could never understand whenever parents talked about making their children so-and-so. But now, she didn’t speak her mind.
“I think parents must make big plans for their kids so that they achieve at least something short of that.” Renu gesticulated with both hands, “Think big yaar.”
“I guess my sizes are all small,” Sushma said as she gathered the empty cups. “My dreams, aspirations, material possessions… everything… well, other than my garment size of course.” Sushma forced a laugh.
Many times during their conversations, Sushma felt she was getting to know more about a total stranger. Renu had changed or perhaps she herself had changed. Or may be not. Had life pushed them apart? Had time made a dent?
Soon it was time for Renu to leave. “We’ll meet at my place, ok? So plan a trip.” Renu said, as they parted.
Sushma wondered if they would. She felt a mild heartache, as she sat exhausted, looking at the tuberoses she had so lovingly placed for her dear friend. These ethereal blooms always lifted her spirits. She leaned forward to breathe in their fragrance. But the flowers looked drawn. The fragrance had paled. In just three days.
****
© Sa_Na., all rights reserved.
In case you missed...
© 1998-2008 Copyright Sulekha.com Connecting Indians Worldwide, All Rights Reserved.
Recommend