The Reunion - 3 - The Presents

Bristling with excitement, I collapsed on the couch with my feet hanging down. I flipped through the warnings I had scrawled in my terrible terrible  handwriting.

“Private Property of Ramya, Do NOT read, if I haven’t handed this diary over to you. Trespassers will be prosecuted. ”

I laughed as I remembered the many many people I had passed my diary to quite voluntarily.

I touched the page gently as I reached the first entry.

8^th September 2000

Dear Diary,

Is this what I’m expected to write? Mum and dad got me this lousy diary for my 15^th Birthday. And very clever of them, they haven’t picked out, one with a lock. As if I’m ever going to write anything personal in this. The only reason I’m writing right now is because they both are standing in front of me with this expectant look in front of me. There, now I’ve scribbled something. Now all I have to do, is pretend that I looooove this gift and get ready for the fabulous birthday party I’m throwing.

Won’t be seeing you again. (Hopefully)

Okay.. So, I’m back. This has been the worst birthday ever! Mum and dad just told me that we are shifting to another city. Seems like dad got a much better job and he needs to move immediately. And I have to move with him IMMEDIATELY! We are leaving in a week. What about me? Why am I expected to move and leave all my friends? I love my life here! That’s it, I have decided, I’m not going to move. Oh shucks! I’m late for my own birthday party.  

And remember, this is my last entry.

 9^th September 2000

I’m writing, because mom asked why I’m not writing in my new diary. Don’t get any ideas, this is not going to be a regular affair.

So, my birthday party was a blast. I told my friends I might be leaving and surprise surprise, they were all so excited to hear about it! I’m starting to think maybe moving is a good idea. Well, for starters, we are moving to bigger city, a metropolitan city really. Wow, I never thought of it that way. All the new stores, new places to eat. Awesome!!

I’m going to miss all of them so much. I wonder how the new kids will be. City kids, must be brash, rude, obnoxious, manner-less. Mum and Dad are putting me in one of the best schools there. They are already making enquiries. I really don’t want to leave my school. I have been here forever. Maybe I can convince mum to stay here with me till I finish school, its worth a shot right?

Ohhh, almost forgot, Dad got a lock for this diary. Did they read my previous entry? Either way, doesn’t make a difference.

11^th September 2000

Last day in school. Very very upset. I’m going to miss every little brick of that place.

Got my shirt signed by all my friends. I’m going to get it framed and save it forever. And I’ll never ever ever forget these friends. They mean the world to me. today I realized, that new stores, new places to eat, bigger city doesn’t mean a thing if I don’t have them around.

Mum was trying to console me, she said I’ll find more friends in my new school. I might, but they’ll never be like these ones. Doesn’t she know how difficult it is to be a teenager? God! I’ll be the new girl all over again! All the unknown faces, all the strange glances. They’ll probably laugh at my accent too. How will I survive there!!!

I’ve to start packing up now, most probably I’ll leave this diary here.

I am not the kinds who can regularly maintain a dairy. What’s the point of lugging it around.

As I read, I felt bad for me, the fifteen year old me. It had been tough for me to move out and be accepted elsewhere. Moving out had meant letting go of everything that was known, familiar and comfortable.

I flipped to the next page. There was only one word on it.

12^th September 2000

Moved

As Good As It Gets - 7 - The Birthday Present

 stared at the lock. Was this a joke? I looked around, I could see no sign that anyone had come there today. I tunred away a little disturbed. Why had he lied to me? I pulled out my phone and then stopped. Confront him now? Or face to face? I put my phone back. I didn’t have the guts to hear his justifications. I wondered  where he was.

I stopped at the entrance of the building and asked the guard about my husband.

“Woh.. Sahib toh kissi madam ke saath nikal gaye.”

Be calm, I told myself. It didn’t mean anything. Maybe his client was a woman. Yeah, that was it. He wouldn’t cheat on me. Would he?

I went back home, lost in my thoughts. I waited for my husband to call me, but he didn’t. I dressed for the evening. I was supposed to look happy, being the birthday girl and all. I was supposed to have him by my side, but I wasn’t going to. I sighed deeply as I got ready. Nothing was going according to plan. Not my life, not my career, not my marriage not even my birthday.

The doorbell rang as I was slipping on my pumps. I carefully put my foot in when the doorbell rang again. I cursed under my breath and limped my way over to the door with one pump on my hand. I swung the door open angrily.

“Why do you have to ring the bell so many..” I stopped as I saw who was outside.

“Hey..” Anurag stood at my door with an amused look on his face. “Is this how you answer the door every time?”

I followed his gaze to the shoe I held in my hand.

“No..” I laughed. “This is just for people like you who don’t have the patience to wait.”

He pulled out the shoe from my hand and walked inside. I followed awkwardly. He didn’t even try to control his laughter as I struggled to walk with one pump on.

“Ha Ha!” I said sarcastically, “You’ve hand your laugh, now can I have my shoe back?”

I settled down on the couch and put out my hand expectantly. He tossed the shoe at me and settled down opposite me.

“So what brings you here?” I asked, struggling to put my foot in through the shoe.

“I forgot something.” He said watching me stamp the floor trying to put the shoe on. “Are you sure that’s your size?” He asked.

“Of course it is, see the other one fit.” I turned the other ankle.

“Gently Anagha, gently.” He smiled, shook his head and got down one knee near the couch.

I was so taken aback by his gesture, I froze for a moment.

“And this is how you do it.” He held out the shoe for me and gently slipped my foot in, holding it by the heel.

“Thanks,” Awkwardly I moved my legs away from him.

“So,” He got up, all businesslike again, “The reason I am here, is because I have something for you.”

“You do?” I was genuinely surprised. Through out the time that I had known him, we had never got a gift for each other. “What’d you get?” I asked, suddenly excited.

He laughed “You remember that song that you used to keep humming all the time?”

“I hum all the time, which one are you talking about?” He got me a CD??

“You know, that billionaire one..” Now I remembered, when we were starting out, I had become addicted to this song whose lyrics made a whole lot of sense to me.

I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen

Oh every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shining lights
A different city every night oh
I swear the world better prepare
For when I’m a billionaire

“What about it?” I was totally confused, it was an old song, I hadn’t heard it for ages.

“Well, I can’t make you a billionaire,” He inched a little closer. “I can’t buy you all the things you want, I can’t get you on the cover of Forbes magazine and I can’t take you to a different city every night but..” He pulled out a small box. “I can do one thing.”

I took the little box from his hand and opened it.

It was my name in lights.