Let's be Friends

A Story by Suyodhana

A Very Short Story on Love

“Let’s be friends”, she said

‘What? Friends, Did I just not propose her to be my girlfriend? Friend Oh, come on, not for me!’ a train of thought wrecked inside my head. But all I did was just stand there like motionless stone being sad and red hot angry at the same time.

It was half past seven in the evening; we were standing outside the restaurant where we just celebrated her birthday party. We have met after a long time of almost two years. I last met her at our school carnival where we were still floating in our sea of friendship. Though we have been chatting in facebook, whatsapp; we both had no time no really meet with each other.

April twentieth, her birthday and like all her birthday I called her at sharp twelve at midnight to wish her. And I love these conversations with her, where were close buddies who know very well about each other. Lately I have been having thinking frequently about her that I wanted to, at times where I have been enjoying with my other mates or with family; she would be there always at the back of my mind. And I would always rivet back to her.

We studied together till our tenth in the same school after then I changed my school since there was no availability of computer science group in that school. Biology was not my strongest suit; in fact it was never my suit itself. With time drifted apart.

After our fruitful conversation, I hung up around quarter past one at midnight when I received a text from her after five to ten minutes.

It was not her; it was her sister who messaged me from her number. She wrote that they had arranged a surprise party for her sister on her birthday and had invited me to join them at this restaurant. Excited by the opportunity to meet her, I was at this place almost an hour before the planned time. I didn’t even enter the restaurant as I was cat walking outside of it. They arrived on time, she and her sister and some of her new school friends, unfortunately most of them were boys.

All of us have a kind of irritating feeling when we see our best friend (We were still friends then) with some others who claim them to be their best friends and especially your best friend is a girl and they are boys. After they enter into the restaurant, I call her sister asking where they were like I didn’t arrive there like one freaking hour before. I pass through the doors of the restaurant to notice them seated nearby the counter in a long couch at the corner. I approach them and take a seat just opposite to her.

And at that time it hit me, how have I missed her. The talk, her smile, us being playful like fifteen year olds, I missed everything about us. We ordered some burgers and pizzas and had nice time getting introduced to her new friends (still pissed). After some time, her new friends started pouring her with gifts and wished.

And I was like, “Oh crap! How did I forget not get her a present? Am I kidding myself?” to avoid further embarrassment in front of her friends, I took leave to the restroom where I swore pretty much ugly. To blow off some steam, I wash my face and return back to them. My seat was occupied by another boy, her friend, who was managing his two friends who were unfortunately were girls, pretty well.

All the seats were occupied except for a seat near her. ‘Oh God! You are the best’, I thought to myself as I sat beside her. And in no time were talking like we never left each other’s side. She is the dominant one while talking and I sat there confused. I was in awe of her for her beauty but that was not all, she was all I wanted for someone to be with me for my life. She had courtesy of not ignoring her sister event with friends, had the limits where to stop a conversation and most of all she loved her family as much as I love mine.

During that conversation, I never look at her for more than ten seconds. My consciousness pricked me. I am a voracious book reader and in all the books I have read, it is unethical to propose a friend and the same books also thought me to trust my heart.

It was like a battlefield where my brain and heart were on the opposite sides of the same coin. And all the while talking, she was continuously holding, hitting me and even pinching me (I would do it but not right now). I could do nothing just to stare at my shoes at that time.

And at last my alarm went off, my mother called exactly at seven, the time I said when I would return. It was time to say goodbye and I thought my Brain had won the battle. I got up, said my goodbye to everyone here and finally took my leave. I got out; breathed in, thrashing myself for not able to tell her how I feel, my inside was chaotic. Then a voice, I turned, it was her standing right behind me. Somewhere in my brain, my heart found courage and before she could even say anything, I just poured out that,

“I love you”.

And thus how this story began.