She dialed the number again with not much support from her mind. As the ring started, her heartbeat began to rise. Lots of thoughts were puzzling her, worries and tension; even the ring became less audible. Speculations and predictions, where he could possibly be, or why he was not attending the call. When the no response tone came, it seemed her heartbeat stopped. She got numb, stupefied. The events of recent started flashing in her mind like a film and she was suddenly filled with guilt and remorse.
“Why didn’t you answer my call?” He asked with a mixed feeling of agony and anger.
“Because I was busy due to some work,” She replied without any expression on her face.
“But you may have called back later when you were free, it can’t be as if you were busy through out the day and didn’t see my missed calls”. His frustration level was rising but not by that intensity as his grief was.
“ Ohh come on, why do you boys make issue of everything? I never understand, I don’t think it’s a big deal to not attend your call or call back. There is no sense in this entire thing. You just seek for reasons to fight with me!!” She seemed to be unaffected by his weak protest.
“All right, so are we meeting today evening at the restaurant?” Realizing all his efforts of complaining are in vain, he switched the topic.
“NO, not today and not in a restaurant, what would the people think, you have no concern for my image”. Suddenly she was back in the fighting mood.
“But you often hang out there with other boys, your old friends. Then what’s the problem in coming with me”. He replied in a tone, not sure whether he must speak or not.
“Why do you interfere in my life so much? You have no right to comment on what I do and with whom. Ohh gosh!!! That’s the problem with you boys, if a girl is talks sweetly to you; you misinterpret it and try to act as her protector cum bodyguard. Why do you try to impose yourself on me? You are not my boy friend!” Her expressions were enough to make him drop all his weapons.
“All right, thank you for reminding me about my position in your life. I would remember that”. Words were coming out from his mouth after much filtering from great sorrow.
“Now there is no need of doing any emotional drama. Old friends are always the first priority, you came later in my life, don’t expect my full attention. Can’t you just simply act like a friend”. She left in a haste, furious; and he remained there transfixed, watching helplessly his self respect and ego burning in the fire of negligence..
She was now on the verge of bursting into tears. She was reminded of all the times she avoided him with out any valid reason or sometimes without any reason. She realized his worth in her life and his contribution in making her life happy. He was there for her through thick and thin without any complain for bad treatment on her part. He endured her fury, negligence and orders without any complains. He neither protested nor did he ever leave her side no matter how rude she was to him at times. But she misinterpreted his silence as his weakness and helplessness. She started to build the perspective, that no matter what happened he would never leave her. He is like a mental slave and she could use him and treat him as she wanted. She started to make fun of his care for her and his devotion to their friendship.
She now realized the pain that he faced when she was not talking to him intentionally. She now realized his helplessness and frustration when she didn’t answer his calls or texts when she could have. She just wanted to apologize once, cry on his shoulder and beg for forgiveness but he had disappeared. There was no sign of him for the past 4 days. She had called more than 8 times.
She remembered how she used to cut his phone just to attend others’ calls or for some useless work. She, for the first time in life felt that he has now become a vital part in her life and without him she is incomplete. Tears now began to come to her eyes and they brought more pain as she realized how he wiped her tears and said that no matter what happen I will always be there with you to wipe your tears and if I can’t , I will cry with you. But now he was not there to cry with her and she was the only culprit.
She prayed to god to give her a chance to rectify all her mistakes. She decided now to answer his every call and every text. She would go with him wherever he wanted to take her. She wouldn’t do any work that would make him suffer and she would talk to him kindly giving him the respect and attention he deservers. She won’t hang up the phone abruptly and won’t be furious without any reason. Suddenly her phone rang and whole the world appeared to come alive when she saw his number flashing.
“Hello, I am sorry I wasn’t able to receive your calls.”
“Shut up, who do you think you are, where were you, how dare you disappear without informing me, can you imagine how worried I was! How can you boys imagine that, you take everything so lightly and carelessly!”?
“My cell had some technical problem and today it was in silent mode and I had some work so I wasn’t able to check my phone.”
“Don’t lie, it’s not possible that you didn’t check your phone even once! Couldn’t you just call back once to check whether I am all right or not? But why would you bother! What I am to you. I hate you! I won’t talk with you again!” She hung the phone in a fury.
He called back again. She was smiling now watching how she wrecked all the resolutions made just a few minutes back. She now knew what she had to do. It was the beginning of a new sweet and healthy relation.
