Periods, Pyaar And Patriarchy

Chapter Sixteen

When Riddhi's mother called Shweta's house that evening to see if her daughter would return, she found out that Riddhi was bent upon staying. "But it's your first night home!" Riddhi's mother had said with as much passive-aggressiveness as she could fit through the phone's wavelength.

Shweta's mother had stood by awkwardly knowing full well that this was something she disapproved of as well. It wasn't the Riddhi staying over part she disliked- she would force-feed Riddhi everything in their pantry if she could. It was the fact that if Shweta or Shruti had decided that they wanted to spend their first night back in somebody else's house; she'd have felt the same.

But when Riddhi, fresh out of her second year in college; insisted on staying, Seema didn't have the heart to say no. "Maa!" Shweta says as Riddhi is still tangled in a phone conversation with her offended mother.

"Let me," Seema says, asking Riddhi for the phone. And then with the traditional Indian, "she's just like Shweta to me!" and "isn't this her home too?" Seema managed to soothe Riddhi's mother. The conversation managed to turn into an hour-long trip down memory lane. "Remember that parent-teacher meeting where Shweta had beaten up eight of her classmates before the first term was over?"

The girls can hear Seema laugh, her voice floating all the way upstairs to the room. Shruti has left them alone, going out for a long walk. Lately, she seemed to be going on a lot of long walks, arriving home quiet and tucking into bed right after dinner.

"Why did you beat them up, though?" Riddhi asks, laughing. She knows the reason why but she just wants to embarrass Shweta.

"You know why I did." Shweta grumbles, "God, nobody really liked me, did they?"

"I did," Riddhi says, loyally. "But the rest, I wouldn't be sure."

"You're my best friend!" Shweta exhales noisily, "You're supposed to say, of course, they did."

"I don't get it." Riddhi says, lazily flopping on the bed, "Am I supposed to be a liar or a best friend?"

"Oh, shut-up wisecrack." Shweta says, "But tell me, there's still so much you haven't told me! We haven't talked for so long and the past few hours have barely been enough."

"I told you just about everything!" Riddhi says, "What's with the yoga class you've been attending?"

"Its' actually pretty cool!" Shweta says defensively as Riddhi's eyebrows shoot up.

"Really?" Riddhi drawls, "I mean I obviously understand that yoga is very beneficial, but a yoga class?"

"I know it sounds a little..." Shweta pauses, searching for the right word.

"Bougie? Snobbish?" Riddhi offers and Shweta throws a pillow at her.

"Why are you so truthful lately?" She asks Riddhi, groaning, and the girl snorts, "When was I a liar?"

"I know," Shweta says, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. "You're not a liar, you're just extremely busy, can't be disturbed, right? That's why I'm asking you, what keeps you so busy? Or should I ask who?" She waggles her eyebrows and Riddhi sits up.

"I'm telling you; exams are keeping me busy, nothing more!" Riddhi says and then adds a bit guiltily, "I know I haven't been a good friend lately. I wasn't trying to ignore you, I swear."

"I know," Shweta says, without even missing a beat and Riddhi knows she's been forgiven.

"What was it you wanted to talk about that night?" She asks, a little gently, her voice losing the playfulness it held earlier.

"I..." Shweta breathes, wondering if she should talk about it, and then decides to, knowing it had been very long since she'd allowed any of those thoughts out of her head. Aside from the one-sentence, Shruti had managed to squeeze out of her and Sanskriti's advice, she really hadn't had an outlet.