AneStory

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".