You Consume Me - Part 4

She seemed unaffected by the announcement that his friend chirpily made. He felt everything slipping away from his hands. Till now, he had been in full control of his life but tonight, it was slithering away and he didn’t have it in him to grab it back. Her indifference attitude and the genuine smiles she threw at him after hearing the announcement of his engagement with another girl had broken him from within. She didn’t care, she never did probably. All those hints and her eyes were all deceiving him, perhaps.

A fake smile adorned his lips as he opened the champagne bottle, showing off a façade of happiness just for the sake of his dear ones. He had to force his hands to obey him as he snaked his arms around the lady beside him and compellingly brought a smile in his lips. He His eyes never left her hoping for a frown or atleast a momentary sadness on her face but the smile never left her. He saw her swaying in her boyfriend’s arms and when her eyes met his for a second, it fluttered just before she showed him a thumps up for his choice. Her lips silently moved to tell him “Congratulations”

He smiled with a silent nod and turned away completely from her. He tried to put her to the back burner and immersed himself in the moment of celebrations. All were happy for him but he wasn’t one bit happy. He was the man of the moment, the person for whom all were celebrating but ironically he was mourning inside, mourning the death of a relationship that probably never existed.

That night, he drank too much that his friend (Harish) and wife (Gayathri) had to take him home. Gayu, as he called her waited outside in the car while her husband went inside to safely deposit their friend in his room. She was confused and kept muttering, “I wonder what’s wrong with him now”

Harish tucked him into the bed scolding him continuously. But once done, he sat beside his friend and caressed his messed up hair, “Tu yeh sab kyu kar raha hai? apne aap ko kyun saza deh raha hai?”

He turned away, as if all the alcohol drained away, “What do you mean Harish? I am happy and tonight was a night of celebrations….so I drank to my fill…..”

Before he could go on, Harish snapped him, “haan haan mujhe patha hai kitna khush hai tu…..don’t expect me to believe that act of yours…..seedhe seedhe usse bathatha kyun nahi? And tell me this, why this hurry to marry some random girl?”

He exactly understood where this friend headed to. Harish knew him so well that no act could fool him.

He stood up instantly and walked to the table. Gulping a glass of water and in the process also pouring some onto his face, “jab main shaadi keliye ready hoom toh tumhe kya problem yaar?”

Harish chuckled sadly, “Because I know that this wedding isn’t going to give you happiness…..rather it’s going to leave you disappointed all through your life….none except her can keep you sane and happy!”

He angrily cut his friend, “Harish please…..stop it yaar…..I don’t want to talk more on this topic….main shaadi kar raha hoom….thats it”

“Okay” Harish shrugged but added before leaving the room, “Just a message can change everything my friend….aage tumaari marzi….good night!”

Harish left without waiting for his friend’s reply. He said with a weak grin, trying his best not to sound like a desperate, obsessive devdas, “Nothing will change Harish….Can’t you see that she is happy with someone else? I don’t stand a chance!”

Do try to listen to this as you read
[Hum Tumhe Kaise Bataye]

That night felt too long.

Harish’s words did ring in his ears and he did take out his phone thrice to message her. He scrolled down to her name and clicked. No conversations so far. It felt too weird to start a talk now all of a sudden and that too on something as sensitive as this. He was officially tagged to another girl and so was she. What would he say to her?

“Let’s chuck them both out and get together”

He laughed at his own mind’s words. He was about to close the phone when he saw something surprising. She was typing on the other side. What was she going to message? Was she also having similar thoughts?

He waited and waited. She was typing and typing…..it wasn’t ending. His anticipation grew with the time she took. “Koyi special lecture hi hoga!”

He grinned cheekily for the first time that night. Only she could bring this out of him and he realized he could wait a life time for her and could endure any lecture from her, only her….just her!

Hum tumhe kaisse bataye
Tum mein kya kya baat hai
Tumse dil mein shayari hai,
Ishq ki saugath hai

Hum tumhe kaisse bataye
Tum mein kya kya baat hai
Tumse dil mein shayari hai,
Ishq ki saugath hai

Yeh hawayen chu rahin
Hain tumko jis andaz se

Yeh hawayein chu rahin
Hain tumko jis andaz se
Yeh adaon ki ada ki ek nayi shuruaat hai
Hum tume kaise batayein
Tum mein kya kya baat hai
Tumse dil mein shayari hai,
Ishq ki saugaat hai