AneStory

                            Hera came to bed after dropping Monsoon at her room, and it was instant sleep after the day long picnic, and same happened to Monsoon, but before dozing off, Hera called her up and wished good night, but still did not answer that question of "Why?"

                            Next day was study day, for 24 hrs. of missing study was way too much! Too much! As Monc and Duds were rubbing it in! While all Hera wanted to do was talk about yesterday to start with, but Monc and Duds decided to arose that perfect student in Hera for the exam period, but he was nowhere there! Hera was not in mood, not at all, and would never have, unless she would have said those words.

                        Hera was trying to talk about picnic with Monc when he saw Rags walk towards him, a roommate of Monsoon and say;

                              Rags: "Hi! Hera!" 

                              Hera: "Hi Rags! Where is Monsoon?"

                              Rags: "Oh! That is why I am here, actually she is not coming."

                          

                              Hera: "Why?"

                        Rags: "For some reason she is feeling guilty, I think for missing studies and more for your studies, so she has been studying in room and said she would not come to study to college and you should study too!" 

                              Hera: Oh! Crap! "That's alright then; I will study here, and call her latter."

                              And that seed of guilt was planted in Hera's head, and study began! So much so! That he totally forgot of calling Monsoon till she called him!

                             Hera: "Oh! Hi!" 

                             Monsoon: "Where are you?"

                             Hera: "College, studying!"

                             Monsoon: "Do you know what time it is?"

                             Hera: Am I missing some important anniversary here? "No, what is it?"

                            Monsoon: "Hera! You missed the lunch, I waited for you at mess but you did not show up, are you not feeling hungry?"

                         Hera: Getting a hunger pang from stomach! "Oh! Now that you say it, yes I am! Oh! Shit! It is already 3:30! I am not going to get anything now!" 

                           Monsoon: "Okay! How much have you studied since morning? 2 chapters?"

                         Hera: "Two pages and I would have completed 3rd! But now, not till I have something in my stomach. Where can I get something to eat?"

                          In Hera's head a though emerged, maybe Monsoon missed her lunch waiting for me, and now would like me to pick her up for.........

                          Monsoon: Cutting in to Hera's thought process, brutally! "I am sure, Monc must have missed his lunch too, go with him, he might know a place! And Hera take care of your health!" 

                          Hera: "What about you?"

                          Monsoon: "Well, I have completed 2 chapters and my lunch! So we are pretty balanced!"

                          Hera: "Well! Good, you have, and take care!" 

                          She was happy that he had studied, but was not happy that he had forgotten about lunch; call her and most importantly her.

                        The next morning, it was a perfect day for a picnic, thought Hera and Monsoon agreed that discussion with Duds could wait for another day. So Picnic it was. After lot of discussions with all present members over venue and it was decided that none would go, except for Monsoon and Hera, everyone else wanted to study.

                       After little though, Monsoon decided on a nearby fort and Hera and she took off. As they were riding their way to fort on highway, Monsoon started singing some songs and Hera started humming. After a while, Monsoon realized that Hera was humming and stopped singing, Hera continued for a minute or so and then felt lost so asked her to start singing again.

                           Monsoon: "Why do you only hum the song and not sing it along?"

                           Hera: "Because I do not know the lyrics, and I tend to invent my own!"

                           Monsoon: "You might know at least one song!"  

                           Hera: "Actually, only 2 songs."

                           Monsoon: "Then sing anyone!"

                           Hera: "My voice is also not good, and certainly I do not understand rhythm!"

                           Monsoon: "Stop making excuses and sing!"

                     And eventually Hera gave in and choose the most romantic of the two songs he knew, and started singing. The song that he did not chose was song from Dus movie (the shelved Salman starrer), the patriotic one, and good choice!

                           And Hera in wayward way sang......... 

Lakdi ki Kathi

kathi pe ghoda

ghode ke dhum pe jo mara

dora godha dhum uthake dhoda...........

                                                                            ...............and he sang whole song! This one is from old Masoom!

                          And they went on, Monsoon laughing her way up the winding road, listening to Hera! Monsoon knew one thing; with Hera it was going to be fun, to be friends with him. Singing childhood songs to girl whom he has already proposed love, this guy needs some serious training in department of heart.

                                   Once on the top of fort, Monsoon got engrossed in looking at scenery and Hera in her than anything else! They took pictures, here and there, walked all around, feeling cool breeze through the hair. Monsoon chose the cosiest place to have lunch at, surrounded by bushes, such that wind would not tease them while eating, and they were almost alone among other tourists at the spot. The local restaurant laid out a carpet for them at requested spot and in another 30 minutes lunch was served!

                                  For the first time in his life, Hera did not care "What was the menu?" and did not even curse, that there was no non-veg! And it was local delicacy, "Zhunka Bhakar and Onion pakoras along with chaas!" And he had full meal, as Monsoon feed him with her lovely hands. Hera momentarily played with the idea of biting her finger, but then avoided it, for she would stop!

                                   After lunch it was some lazing around under the mild sun and some more sightseeing, in all a day long date had gone to perfection, only she was not Hera's girlfriend. The only thing that Hera was wondering about, when it was time to go back in evening, as they were getting back onto bike, for ride home, but Monsoon had other ideas.

                                   On way down, she proposed to make a stop near the lake, and Hera agreed happily. The lake was lively market now, a la Mumbai Juhu chopati, vendors selling all sorts of snaks, Indian- chats, corns, pakoras, to western- chips, biscuits, cakes and off-course drinks- tea, coffee, cold drinks, chaas and Ice-Cream.

                                   Monsoon chose corn and so did Hera, and then both sat looking at sunset, on the bank of manmade lake, till late in evening, till it really became cold. And it was time to return, Monsoon was feeling really cold and so Hera gave her his jacket, a foresight for which he had taken it from room at last minute, and still she sat hunched, hiding behind Hera's body! Hera felt the chill too, but was warmth in his heart for her warm hands were on is back, first time in day, he felt her touch! To longer the time with her, Hera drove as slowly as possible.

                                          Still, they were going to reach the destination, and Monsoon was happy that he drove slowly for her, as she was feeling cold, and as she said her byes she asked "Why do you care so much?" and Hera kept quiet.

Hera was feeling uneasy about the conversation with Duds that night. As such studying for Hera had never been easy and now even more so! Hera wanted to talk, and Monc was there, but not there, unlike what Hera was used to. Monc seemed to be changed in just few hours, Sam had him. Monc had not started studying, he was still talking with her on phone, and it was already time for them to go and have that cold coffee.

There was no fear of phone bill, or talk time running out, after all those were the days of free night calling, "The Happy Hours!" Hera knew that call is not going to end today, and it was going to be futile calling Monsoon, he was not going to be able to speak truth about Duds, Vee, Monc and himself to her, not now. There was a gap between her and his group, and he did not want it to widen, but it was happening, happening to fast. It was not as if Duds was not trying, but a moment of negativity would throw away days positivity, never was old saying "Rome was not build in a day, but could be burned in a night." better understood by Hera, than now.

"The Happy hours" were passing up slowly, and did not seem happy at all to Hera. Finally, the call came to an end, Sam had to sleep. And over Laxmi's cold coffee, Hera spoke about what had happened, Monc just kept silent for few minutes, and Hera went on. At end....

Hera: "I did not want this, I did not want our group to break up, and now I am going to be reason for it, along with you!"

Monc: "It is life Hera, sooner or latter they would find someone too, may be get married, Vee for sure will have an arranged marriage, this group had an expiry date when it was formed, we only do not have a date when it would actually happen, or may be there is no date as such, our friendship with them will fade away gradually!"

Hera: "How can you say that?"

Monc: "See Hera, our parents know about our friends, so does Duds, but Vee did not introduce us guys to her parents, because she knows she cannot, and that is why at-least she would not be part of our group, when we finish college!"

Hera: "So that is why you did not accept to be her boyfriend?"

Monc: "No! I did not accept to be her boyfriend because I have no such feelings for her; she is a very good friend, but not my girlfriend. And what's the use of being called my girlfriend, when I would not even hold her hand, support her not more than her friend would and only sully her name in conservative town and family of hers, if even by accident they come to know! It is easy for Duds to say, for she is from this city, with modern thoughts, they will not be understood in Vee's village and nor mine."

Hera: "That is true! I will try to explain this to Duds too. Hope! She would listen."

A positive thought "All is not lost! Not as yet!" made home in Hera's head. Hera was able to concentrate on his studies, and was ready to face "Tomorrow".

Next morning Hera was expecting that girl to show up on path to her college again, and Monc to point her out, Monsoon was also waiting to know who she was, and all others were studying, except for Vee, who was missing from the group.

Monc was specially nervous, he wanted to be her friend first, and being from conservative part of India and era, when even speaking to a girl was taboo, this city was a fresh start, but still had his nervous moments in front of new girls, and she was new!

Duds had little patience! She was not making any progress in her studies today, as was missing Vee, and now wanted to have her breakfast as soon as possible. However, none wanted to go right now, some were studying, and Hera, Monsoon and Monc were waiting for that girl.

Duds was about to through a tantrum, when Vee came from the back gate and with her was she, the girl everyone was waiting for! It turned out that she was Vee's roommate and Vee had seen Monc stare at her. Vee introduced her as Sam, and Monc was left speechless! This was big step for Vee, Monc had never expected Vee, who has a crush on him, would ever take such a step.

After Meeting Sam, Monsoon left for her room, for she was having her exam next day. Hera, Monc, Vee, Duds and Sam started off walking to the breakfast, and slowly but certainly, Hera, Vee and Duds somehow were left alone. Duds and Hera knew, Vee would cry that night, and she did. Hera knew, he would see less of Monc now, he resolved to study at night with him.

Hera asked Duds to take care of Vee, and out of nowhere she said:

Duds: "Do not show that you are concerned! You are no different than your friend!"

Hera: "What?"

Duds: "So! You think, your feelings for Monsoon are strong, no infatuation, nothing that would go away in few days' time, nothing to do with physical attraction?"

Hera: "Duds, you know I really like her!"

Duds: "So how come you are not walking off like Monc, with her?"

Hera: "Because I know you love me, and I like you all, i do not want to lose any more friends, and she has to become our friend, before she becomes my girlfriend!"

Duds: "How do you know?"

Hera: "I stayed back that night, night after Mahabaleshwar! you know, the way we two had stayed back for Vee?"

Duds: "And I guess Monc knows? Still he declined to be boyfriend of Vee, only act as one for remaining years of this college life! And now he is romancing Sam, in front of Vee, right before her eyes! And you act sensitive!"

Hera: "He would not have done that! Vee knows Monc likes Sam, like you know, I like Monsoon! Someday, when we all reflect on this day, it would not matter at all!"

Duds: "Someday! Hera Someday! Now it hurts."

Hera: "Did it not hurt, knowing I dint feel same about you, when Monsoon was not there!"

Duds: "It hurt, but I still had some hope, not now, and certainly not for Vee!"

At end of that day, Hera learned one single lesson about life: "Life is complicated, whether you love someone or not."