When you say Goodbye

Meet you again

Friday morning was always a drag. Ditiya couldn't believe it was already four years passed after her sister's marriage and three months that her sister gave divorce to Arjun, why do times always go by so quickly. Ditiya was already twenty three years old.

That was a day like every other day, Ditiya came back sweating and out of breath from the run, she always felt better, ready to take on the world after morning runs. Ditiya immediately fell down on the sofa and lifted her feet and placed them on the coffee table directly in front of the sofa.

And like all other days, Aditi came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of aromatic hot ginger tea. She handed Ditiya one and sat down on the opposite couch. Aditi's face looked joyful. "Any good news, have you discovered anything exciting?" she asked thoughtfully, wrinkling her brow.

"Dhruv is coming," Aditi answered smugly. Ditiya tried to understand her sister's reason of so much happy, but she couldn't understand it. Dhruv was not a very pleasing new at least to her.

"Dhruv ...why?' Ditiya questioned in stark disbelief. She hasn't spoken to him for three years, give or take a few months. In fact, she would never want to speak to him again; he was just a spoilt brat.

"He got a job in Chicago and wants to spend the weekends with us in Hammond" Aditi replied, taking the empty cups of tea in her hand and then she walked through the living room and toward the kitchen. Ditiya slouched against the cushions like this news had used up every ounce of her energy; she sucked in a deep breath and blew it out.

Two hours later, Ditiya found herself opening the front door and welcoming Dhruv inside. Dhruv couldn't take his eyes off her. She was more than just pretty and soon gave her a short hug and said hello. Ditiya hugged him back lightly; the feeling of his toned body in her arms was so ducky—and yet so strange.

The first question he asked her was untangling him from the hug "how is Bhabi?"

"She is fine, went to school. Tell me about yourself," but before he could reply, she added, "Hey Dhruv would you like some coke? I am too tired to make tea."

"Coke is fine."

"Great." Ditiya breathed as she escaped to the kitchen. When she came back out she was carrying a tray with two bottle of diet coke and a bag of peanuts. She set the tray on the coffee table and then handed over the drink to Dhruv.

Dhruv smiled and asked Ditiya as he joined her on the sofa, "So what do you do for a living?"

She took a sip of her coke before answering him, then she said, wearing a serious face "I am a strip teaser"

Dhruv gave her a horrified look and all the color disappeared from his face; he coughed, trying not to choke on his nuts. He takes a sip of his Coke and, swallowing, asked "really?"

Ditiya giggled while she shoved a handful of the salty nut into her mouth. "You should see your face! Wow! Of course, I'm not doing that!" she laughed and laughed until she had to hold her stomach.

When she could stop laughing, she answered him "Dhruv I am working as a junior executive at the horizon,"

He leaned forward, put his elbows on the table and used his palms to cover his face and then shook his head, "i***t," he mouthed quietly

"Hey don't call me an i***t,"

"You are but," He looked at Ditiya, smirked, and shrugged. She would never admit it even to herself, but deep down she enjoyed, teasing Dhruv no not actually she was enjoying her this time with Dhruv.

"Don't have trust on you can do that kind of job too," Dhruv said, quoting the word job with his fingers.

"Why?" Ditiya asked with confusion, taking a sip of her coke.

"Well, you . . . you are like that."

"I am like what?"

"I don't . . . I mean . . ." Dhruv stammered not knowing what to say after that. He tried to reply, but Ditiya cut him off by saying "I am used to it,"

"I am sorry I didn't mean it like that you are like stand out of the crowd person," he reached across the table and placed his hand over hers "I just thought . . ."

"It's fine, really. Don't worry, I'm just telling you," Ditiya quickly said with a small smile. Then she threw a few more salted peanuts into her mouth. "No wonder you thought that way. Look at you, I mean . . . you look perfect just like chocolate heroes and I bet people think you are, perfect and innocent, someone with good manners, someone who's always nice and polite to people and I bet you studied software engineering."

Dhruv looked at Ditiya with a shocked expression, not believing his ears, how she knew that he studied software engineer Aditi must have told her, he thought. "Yep I do prepare projects related to the latest Mobile technologies and the truth is I am far from perfect, but I do try to improve myself."

Ditiya chuckled at his comment and said raising her eyebrows "I bet people think you are perfect,"

"Maybe . . . they do. But I'm not perfect," Dhruv repeated, he was stuck to his statement. "I hate when people call me that."

First Ditiya gave him the sweetest smile and she winked at him "See? And I'm not a stripper,"

"But if you were, I'm sure you would be in demand list," Dhruv joked.

"Oho, mama's boy is getting cheeky!" she remarked, smirking almost victoriously.

Dhruv stick out his tongue to Ditiya. "I'm just adapting to people around me," he smiled and takes a small bite of his burger.

Suddenly, his mobile phone started ringing and interrupted their talking. He took it out of his pocket, "yeah baby," answered it with a smile on his face.

"Yeah yeah I reached Hammond safely," Dhruv settled more comfortably into the chair, and smiled into the phone. Ditiya understood who was on the phone and soon a twinge of unknown jealousy ran through her body but quickly disappeared.

Dhruv was talking for a while with Shreya on the phone, "babe... Shreya! Can we talk about this later? Yes, I love you, but you have understood... yeah, darling.." He looked back at Ditiya and sighed as he disconnected the call.

"Gosh, you and Shreya are still together," Ditiya remarked and then laughed as if she had told a joke but soon she stopped because Dhruv wasn't laughing.

"What is the deal? Why do you look so dejected?" she asked, concern knitting her brows. Dhruv dropped his head, and a gloomy expression came over his handsome face.

"She doubts me so she wants to get married as soon as possible but I am only twenty-four, Ditiya!" he said with regret lacing his voice because he knew he loves Shreya but he just wasn't ready for all the responsibilities that came with marriage.

"That sucks," she said as she grabbed some chewing gum from her pocket and put it in her mouth.

"I feel guilty for making her unhappy," Dhruv said and she nodded in agreement.

Ditiya dug out gum from her jeans pocket, offered Dhruv some "want one?" but Dhruv pushed her arm away lightly.

"No thanks," he quickly mumbled.

"Okay," Ditiya said and put the pack back into her pocket.

"What about you then? Do you have a boyfriend?" Dhruv asked Ditiya as he shoved some nuts into his mouth.

"Hmm there is a boy," She shrugged and grinned at him, "he's trying to be friendly, a nice guy, you know? He has actually taken me out a few times, but he isn't really my boyfriend. He had also asked me to move in with him, and he said I could move out if things did not work out ... but I don't like him and don't want to stay away from Di." She said coolly as it doesn't make any difference in my life.

Suddenly she let out a loud gusty laugh that surprised Dhruv "Funny we're both in the same situation, aren't we?"

Dhruv looked momentarily taken aback by the dumb statement of her but, "I don't think we are in the same situation. I love my girl and unlike you," he answered sharply.

"You sound so cold when you talk about him... relationships are all about emotions. It might be easy for you to blend out your emotions but it's not that easy for me, even if I'm not happy in that situation right now," Dhruv said quietly.

"Dhruv you are not ready to marry her right? But just want to stick around because you think you love her, that's not logical at all. I will suggest you... test yourself. Go out, have fun, find another girl, just do what's good for you! See if you still like her. That's what I do all the time and you will find your answer."

"Very bad suggestion," He shook his head weakly from side to side and laughed, "Please can we change the topic," He begged for it

For the rest of his stay or in the matter of fact whenever Dhruv came to visit Aditi, Ditiya and he argued about every silly thing from what flavor of pizza should they get to the temperature of the air conditioner and lot other small issue.

They were never seriously fighting; just they never got to agree on anything, sometimes they would only end up throwing snacks on each other or hit each other with a sofa cushion. Sometimes even they would choose the opposite option just to irritate the other one, even though they wanted the same thing.

They will never admit that they started liking each other company but for sure most the fights would end up by they were apologizing to Aditi or laughing at each other.

In recent months Dhruv had been visiting and spending his time with Aditi and Ditiya as often as four to five days in a month. Ditiya didn't know when or how it happened, but she didn't hate this visiting anymore. It turned out that Dhruv really wasn't as annoying as he used to be years ago and soon they become friends though they still fought on a regular basis.

Hearing the doorbell that Saturday evening, Ditiya opened the door and was really pleased to see Dhruv there but he looked really stressed out about something.

"You look awful Dhruv," she said, concern sounding in her voice.

"Thanks,' he replied sarcastically, at the same moment, Aditi stepped out of her room and asked, "Who is at the door, Ditz,"

"ohh Dhruv! Come in," Aditi with a pleasant smile welcomed him.

He turned suddenly and walked over to Aditi, hugging her tightly. Aditi was shocked for a moment but later she hugged him tightly as well, "baabi, I just want to come home." Dhruv took a deep breath.

"What happened? Is mum and dad all right? Anything to do with Arjun? Are you all right?" Aditi she asked, sensing Dhruv's growing tension, but unsure what was driving her sweet brother like figure into it.

"Everything's fine," he gasped, and then he had looked down the floor and continued, "I will just go and sleep for a while,"

Aditi nodded as Dhruv gave a deep sigh, turned, and started walking down the hall toward the guest-room. Aditi looked up at her younger sister, a small frown between her black brows and asked, "what happened to him?' in the reply to it Ditiya just shrugged her shoulders and didn't say anything.

Ten minutes later Ditiya found herself opening the refrigerator door and from a pitcher, she poured some milk into a medium size glass. She lifted the in her hand walked toward the guest-room where Dhruv was taking rest.

When Ditiya walked in the room the light had been switched off and Dhruv was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I thought, who said, you would be sleeping," she stated and Dhruv didn't say a word.

Ditiya sat down at the edge of the bed and moved her right hand brushed her hand over his forehead, "you don't have a fever,"

He sat up and rested his weight on one of his elbows, looked so pitiful sitting there that Ditiya felt sorry for him. "She broke up with me in a text. She wouldn't even talk to me or tell me in person. We argued a little that last week, but not about anything major." He started said which sounded like murmuring not really more like whispering.

"Oh come on, you are sad with that you need a distraction," she suggested, the scent of her calmness was nearly overwhelming for Dhruv. "You just have to get laid,"

"No, surely not," Dhruv said as he was pulling a disgusted face.

Ditiya shrugged her shoulders. "I bet you haven't even tried. Maybe you wouldn't be depressive if you had random sex."

Dhruv gave Ditiya a shocked look. "That's how YOU might solve problems, but that's not my way!" he whispered but his eyes were reflecting her longing and her exasperation.

"You are so overly controlled, Raja Dhruvchandra!" she said, hiding a giant grin behind her hand.

"And you're still a annoying," Dhruv said angrily. "My name is Dhruv, not Dhruvchandra."

"Really?" Ditiya asked in amusement, raising her eyebrows.

"I thought you have changed," Dhruv said with a sad tone in his voice. "But you clearly haven't."

"Hey, don't past here," Ditiya replied, patting his shoulder with her free hand.. "I just want you to have fun."

"I do, I have fun. In addition, I have a lot to do for the job - in contrast to you," Dhruv literally snapped.

"Oh, Dhruvchandra is pissed!" Ditiya said, with a goofy fake pout on her face.

"I'm not pissed," Dhruv mumbled what made Ditiya giggle a little.

"Sure you are."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop making fun of me all the time."

"You are such a baby Dhruvchandra," As Ditiya sighed heavily

"My name is Dhruv," He raised his voice almost to the level of shouting. But he didn't really shout loudly: it was more like a 'whispered' shout.

Ditiya chuckled then spoke slowly, "but you are a baby right Dhruv?"

"All you do it hurting people."

Ditiya held back for a while, and then spoke slowly, emphasizing each word "Maybe I'm not the loveliest girl on that planet but at least I'm not playing a role, it's not my intention to hurt people."

He looked at her with a look of surprise in his eyes, "So you want to tell me that I'm only playing a role?"

"Not at all, I am just saying I know a lot of people who do but I'm not one of them. I might be rude sometimes and I know I'm not everybody's darling but that's me. That doesn't mean I'm an asshole."

Dhruv nodded sagely, agreeing with each words of her, "You are right,"

"Well . . . we should really do something to lighten up your mood." Ditiya said changing the subject and not wanting the day to end with worry.

Before he could find a suitable reply, Ditiya suggested happily "You know what? Let's have a double date next weekend, that could be fun and it would be a great opportunity for you to get distracted from your s**t!"

"What?" Dhruv asked, frowning. "Us? Surely not!"

"Not us," Ditiya began to laugh so hard she fell back onto the bed with buried her head in his chest. "You will bring one the guy in your band and I will bring a girl you might like and that's it! We'll just have a cool night out without any duties or something. Come on! It will be fun!"

Then he turned to look at her, still, Ditiya, laid her head on his chest, "I don't know about that."

"Let's give it a try! Please?" she said, putting on her own best begging face that made Dhruv smile a little.

"Do you only say 'Please', when you want to convince people?"

"Sometimes I can be lovely, even." she nudged Dhruv and giggled sweetly for a second.

"Insistent, I'd say," Dhruv replied and looked at Ditiya.

"Call it whatever you want as long as you agree."

Dhruv sighed. "Okay then, I am in.

"Really! That is like a man," Ditiya cheered in happiness and hugged Dhruv.

He smiled his appreciation for her gesture, and tightened his arm around Ditiya's shoulders, "at least you are happy now,"

"Soon you will be happy too, wait and watch," Ditiya ginned happily

"We will meet at 'charcoal', the club you sing at on Sunday nights, half past eight. Bring a date for me and I'll bring one for you, okay?"

Dhruv broke into a smile and replied, "Fine, the deal is done."

"Oh, Di had sent milk for you," Ditiya said, shoving the the glass of milk into his hands. She didn't say another word. She got up from the bed and ran out of the guest room.