"You want to hear it? Here you go. I don't love you anymore." *Disconnect*
A sprawling wheat farm welcomed him as he drove into the city. Flanked on both the sides by iridescent palm trees hugging each other as if in deep love, his entire soul took a satiating breath of content and ease as he stopped by a hustling river patch. Never had he experienced such a tranquil time before, atleast since almost half a decade. The merry chirping of sparrows pierced through his ears like a sharp squeal. He realised he wasn't used to such sounds. Howling winds had accompanied him since he began the journey, and now they seem to wash him off the heat and dust of Dehradun. The river spoke to him of volume, of love and the sun kissed his relieving smile. Stepping out of his SUV, he felt the wet sand yielding in as a plump and seductively cold Ganges swiftly licked his warm feet and retreated into itself. He could see well through his blue Aviators, yet he decided to take them off instantly. He wanted to feel the sight of Patna, a city he thought of something else as.
"You have no idea what you have done with my life. My parents have almost abandoned me."
Arjun could have never thought he would get an opportunity to have litti chokha in such unmarred authenticity. Once, and perhaps the only time he had them was two years ago, when his neighbours treated him with a hot roasted piece, and he instantly fell in love with the sattu masala filling. Sumptuously enough, he gorged on three pieces kept on his side of the table, while Manu, his closest competitor in terms of appetite, could not cross two. Feeling like a winner, Arjun stepped up decently enough, and approached the handpump. A handpump! "Damn me, was I ever to think I would have to use this to wash my hands ever in my life?", he said to himself silently.
Not that he was regretting coming to this place, infact Arjun felt a pride in himself of being actually able to use a handpump! "Ketan! will you come here for God damn sake! This thing is not stopping!", he called out. He was enjoying the crudeness of village life. After the rescue, three of them loaded themselves with the necessities and climbed their monster car, to set out for Nalanda, another monster that was dug out of Earth and proved that India had a whole university bigger than any of the present ones at around 500 BC, when the west was still learning to count.
"Fuck you! I hardly care whether you limp or cutoff your leg! I have a damn exam tomorrow and I cannot afford to fail it!"
Nalanda University, a goldmine for those who love archaeological monuments. An overpriced camera in hand, thinking himself of as the best photographer around, Arjun set off on a clicking spree. "Dude, you dont click hanging bananas with my cam dammit!", shouted Manu. "STFU moron, let me do my job. You would be the one bloating about these clicks on your profile page later.", retorted Arjun. As the magnificence of the structure ensued upon him slowly, fanaticism dominated him, and led to every brick, every wall, and every iron grill getting captured in his lens.
Frantically clicking around, he forgot where he was and who he was with. Leaving Manu and Ketan far behind, both in distance and thoughts, mighty Arjun could not understand how it was possible for ancient Indians to be so developed in thoughts and planning. Every compartment, every brick laid on the incessant structure seemed to be an epitome of perfect planning. Endlessly walking around, they finally decided to walk out. Nalanda had proved its mettle in being one of the best pieces of ancient Indian architecture. He was in love.
"Love? And us? It seems like we have forgotten it long back. I remember a time crying for you . Now I only remember crying because of you."
"Lets go back. Its too cold out here.", aggrieved Ketan. "Are you stupid? You want my fist on your face?First you make us climb up so much, travelling in that "jhoola" you loved for no reason, and now you are moaning like a bitch to go back?", blasted Manu. It seemed Ketan was spared a deadly blow on his already deformed like face.
Rajgir, was a tiring job, but nonetheless proved well for such tiresome effort. Deep in the lanes of the outskirts of Patna, the place was famous for a Shanti Stupa at a well deserved height for such a fortress. Gleaming in bright white marble, with prayer flags atop, the Stupa spoke highly of the Buddhist serenity. A chilled wind caressing its dome all throughout the day, and the sun playing hard to squeeze in through the trees, the place was befitting the peace around it. "Abe lets leave yaar, its too cold.", begged Ketan. Complying with his request finally, Manu turned around to call for Arjun. He was no where to be seen.
"I told you! I failed that exam! Its all because of you! God would never forgive you for this. I have loved you more than anyone in this world, and you gift me this? Shame and apathy be yours!"
It was too late in the evening. Rajgir went empty. The crowd had descended long back but Manu and Ketan were exasperated. Wandering here and there, shouting out his names while treading down the small hills, they went berserk looking for their companion. Arjun was nowhere. His phone was out of reach. Their phones were on the verge of getting switched off. The network was playing hide and seek with them. Dusk had capped the clouds, which went dark grey. Stumbling over, they knew they hardly had any hope. Suddenly Ketan remembered something. While arriving in Rajgir, he noticed Arjun staring hard into a hoarding by the street side. It said, "Shruti Sweets". He knew what had happened. He was fearing something like this might happen to Arjun since he stepped in Patna.
"I called Ketan. He was in class at that time. Maybe he hasn't told you. I did not fail.There was a roll number exchange with my paper and I cleared with 22 marks easily. Maybe you were right. Maybe you knew me too well when you said its impossible for me to fail. Maybe your love was too strong to let anything bad happen to me. However, this changes nothing. I am sorry, I have moved on. I might curse myself for this decision in future, for killing us for no fault of yours, but I am sorry. I have really moved on. I am going back to Patna for my summer break. And as I said that day, if you want to hear it, here it goes: I don't love you anymore. Bye." *Disconnect*
Manu's feet were trying to catch up with Ketans as he sped in the East direction deep into the hills. Now he knew where his brother might be. He knew Arjun liked dark places and silent moments in times like this. Stumbling over rocks and wet grass, Ketan saw it. The bag. Arjuns back reclined to a small rock on the ground. He rushed to the place, with Manu following desperately to see his lost comrade. As Ketan's glance fell on Arjun's back, he slowly treaded towards him. Sitting crosslegged on the soil, with a broken wooden branch shaft in his hand, Ketan's eye fell on the ground. And he heard a drop falling on the the wet soil right about Arjuns folded knee. Something was written there.
"The End"
