Post # 2. of Best Friends and a Birthday.... #atozchallenge

Even though she was completely busy at work over the next week,  Shreyasi couldn’t help thinking about him.

Aagney.

The man who had made her leap across the oceans.  She wanted to be sure of herself, before she let him know that she was so close to him.

She could choose her days off at work and she had chosen Sunday. She wanted to go to the Church and visit Fr. Varghese, to discuss the possibility of organizing a spiritual seminar for  kids at her workplace.

She returned home in the evening on Saturday, tired,  but satisfied with the work she had done that day. She had worked on some brochures about the centre to be handed over to Fr Varghese, and they had turned out well.

Roshni was waiting for her.

“What plans for the evening, darling ?”, she asked , as Shreyasi dropped down on the sofa, exhausted, yet smiling.

“What plans ? Nothing. I’m just too tired. Need a hot cup of coffee, and some toast for dinner. I’m done. I’ll drop down and sleep like a log,” she answered.

“ Haan ? No way. I’ve booked two seats for us at Khana Khazana. We’re going now. Come, I’ll give you 15 minutes for the coffee and to get ready,” Roshni commanded,  pulling her up from the sofa and pushing her into the room. She could get authoritative when she wanted to, Shreyasi  knew that. And resisting that was futile.

Fifteen minutes later, they were on the way to Khana Khazana, where, in Roshni’s words, a sumptuous dinner for two was awaiting them.

A beautiful ambiance, with soft music playing in the background  greeted them when they reached the hotel. They were escorted to their seats, and were soon served the food.

“You’d placed the order too ? ,” Shreyasi asked Roshni as she looked at the delectable spread before them.

“Yeah , did it when you were getting ready. You liked it ? Nice na?,” she asked, tucking into the spicy chicken curry as Shreyasi  settled for the Tandoor rotis with Dal Makhni.

“ Of course yes, but you should bring your boyfriend here, not me,” Shreyasi answered, expecting Roshni to throw her spoon at her.

“ I would. But it is not his birthday today. It is your’s,” Roshni answered, pausing for a moment to look at her.

Indeed. The 22^nd  of March.  Her birthday.

Shreyasi stopped eating. “ I’d completely forgotten that", she said.

Roshni squeezed her hand.

“I know . I know you’ve not celebrated your birthday ever since……,” she stopped when Shreyasi looked at her.

“Never mind. I wanted to give you a surprise today. You’d never allow me to, if I told you before. That’s why I didn’t wish you in the morning ,” she continued.

“But you remembered, dear. That’s the best thing,”  Shreyasi said, hugging her.

“ It’s not for nothing that I’m your best friend, is it ?", Roshni asked, and smiling, they both finished the dinner.

As they returned, Shreyasi felt that she hadn’t had a better birthday.  Not that she had celebrated any. She had enough memories to associate with each birthday of hers.

Like her birthday six years back.

The day she had met Aagney for the first time.

As those memories threatened to flow out, just like that, she heard her mind whisper a warning ……

Be not a slave of the days bygone

Let them fade and not be reborn

Bid goodbye to the memories past

Travel your way to the future fast

Bitterness out, sweetness in

May it light your heart from within

Best is that day when you conquer your soul

And don’t let unhappiness trap it whole…..

To be contd...
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This post has been written for the A to Z Challenge 2015.