BUT LIFE GOES ON

' ' ' Yeh zaruri nahi k kisi chutiye ki raye ban jaye ab teri sacchayi ' ' ' 
-- Dino James

/* HE comes out late from his office after a hard day's work. It's late in the evening and to his surprise he sees Shivani waiting outside the gate. HE's dumbfound, he walks upto her */ 

HE: Hey.
Shivani: Hi
HE: How. . . When, when did you come? How have you been?
Shivani: I am good.
HE: Let's. . . let's. . . let's, sit down somewhere first.
Shivani: Hmm.
# They find a quieter place outside the office.
Shivani: So, how have you been?
HE: I'm good, I'm good.
Shivani: Kafi time ho gaya, nahi.
HE: Hmm.

# Silence
Shivani: How's work?
HE: Good. We're in the sign off phase, the project should go live by the end of the month.
Shivani: Nice, nice. Hope it goes well.
HE: I hope so.
HE: When did you come?
Shivani: A month ago.
HE: When are you going back?
Shivani: I'm not going back.
# Silence
Shivani: I'm done with my graduation.
Shivani: No more Melbourne.
HE (Hesitant): You. . . you, you didn't. . .
Shivani: No I didn't.
Shivani: My mom's ill, I need to take care of her.
HE: What happened?
Shivani: She has a neoplasm, it's a benign tumor.
# Silence
Shivani: She'll be undergoing surgery next month.
HE: I hope she gets better soon.
Shivani: Hmm.
# Silence
Shivani: I've missed you.
HE: I missed you too.
Shivani: I joined Accenture last week.
HE: Congratulations!
Shivani: Thank you.
# Silence ensues
HE: Soo. . . Ahmm, you. . . I think you. . . Your boyfriend and you would. . .
Shivani: I still love you!
# HE's completely stunned
HE: You. . . you. . . you. No, no. . .
Shivani: Why? I still think about you!
HE: NO! It wasn't easy for me!
Shivani: You think it was easy for me?
HE: You left me! You left me and ran away
Shivani: I had no other choice, you know I wanted to stay!
HE: Don't do this. Don't do this, please!
Shivani: You don't think my mind was troubled by the emptiness?
HE: Your words! They kept ringing in my head. Every. Single. Day.
HE: Please, No No.
# Silence ensues
# Shivani looks away
HE: I loved you just the same, Shivani!
HE: I watched the whole thing fall apart, watched the thing I loved the most, destroy me!
HE: For days, months! I would think 'where did I go wrong?'
Shivani: That's not right!
HE: I don't know what's right!!! All I know is I've loved you too damn hard to hate you! but. . . no, I can't.
# Silence
Shivani: Please try and understand. . .
HE: Understand what Shivani!?
HE: Kitni aasani se kehe diya 'It's just a phase, you'll forget it soon. My feelings, they are dead and gone', yes they were dead!
Shivani: Don't say that!
HE: You said it!!! 'Our relationship is dead!', YOU called us dead!!
Shivani: I know I've made mistakes. . .
HE: Save you're breath, Shivani. Don't spit your pity on my soul.
Shivani: We were young! Haan galtiyaan hui hain, kuch mere se kuch tere se. Toh kya karein ab?
HE: Regrets and mistakes. . . they make our memories. . . Kuch nhi kar sakte ab.
# Silence ensues
Shivani: Jaane se eak raat pehele mai tujhe mil k gayi thi. Tujhe toh yaad bhi nahi hoga maine kya kaha tha.
HE: "Mai wapas ayungi aur tujhe milungi. Tere jaisa ladka mere saath hi set hai."
# Shivani stares blankly
Shivani: You remember.
HE: How could I not.
Shivani: We were good together
HE: Agar itna hi pyar tha. . . then why did you leave?
Shivani: You know it! My dad would have never let me stay. Admit card aa gaya tha, my visa was approved. I had no fucking excuse!
# HE takes a deep breath
HE: The more I'm in your world, the less I can be in mine.
HE: You were the best thing that ever happened to me, but. . . you were also the worst thing that ever happened to me.
HE: I can't.
# HE gets up and starts to walk
Shivani: I am sure SHE's a lucky girl.
# HE turns around to say something but holds back.
HE: Good night.
# Starts walking again as HE wipes his face.

/* HE gets into his car and goes for a long drive */

-- MIDDLE OF NOWHERE -- 
/* HE's in the middle of the highway. Parks his car aside and sits down to find some solace. Opens a bottle of beer and starts chugging */

# HE drifts into his thoughts and later takes his phone out and calls HER
HE: Hello.
SHE: Haan! kya hua?
HE: Kya kar rahi hai?
SHE: Mai?
SHE: Naach rahi hun.
HE: Kyun?
SHE: Aise hi. Ab naach bhi nahi sakti kya!
HE: Nahi, matlab. . .
SHE: Shraddha dimag kha rahi hai mera kab se. Cake bana na, cake bana na.
HE: Haha. Use bol cake khayegi toh moti ho jayegi.
SHE: Aisa kyun bol raha hai. Mujhe bhi khane ka mann hai.
HE: Acha, fir tu bhi moti ho jayegi.
SHE: Kitna ganda hai tu. Ja yahan se!
HE: Haha. Chal mai baad me baat karta hun.
SHE: Khana ho gaya?
HE: Nahi abhi bhi office me hun.
SHE: Itna late? Karta kya hai itni der tak?!
HE: Thoda sa kaam bacha tha, niklunga aadhe ghante me. Chalo bye.
SHE: Okay, baaaii!
HE: Bye.
# Hangs up, keeps the phone aside and starts sipping his beer.

-- X --