All is Fair

Chapter 25

Pain and Friendship

Some nights, late into the morning, one thought haunted Rasheed. The phone call. That would turn his life upside-down. What would happen? When the shrill notes of the landline phone tore into the silence of the house? Would he be home then? Or would his mother somehow make conversation and deflect the queries? Or worse, would his father take the call?

He could imagine his mother's face, as she answered that call. Her eye bags would darken with sadness. She would look at him with concern. Her hands would tremble. And she would hide it by clutching the pallu of her saree. She'd then wipe the sweat on her face. Her eyes, watching him; monitoring his movements.

What would his reaction be then? He could never tell. Would he take the call? Or storm out of the house? Would he hide or face the situation? Would he freeze like a deer in the headlights? Or would he grin like the devil had possessed him? He could never tell.

One stormy day, reality gave him his answer. He kicked his slippers into the shoe stand outside the door. He stepped through the doorway. He stood on the first stair into his house, frozen solid. His mother had that fear and worry on her face. She had the landline in her hand. She stood next to its stand, beside the inner staircase's entrance.

So much of his old trauma returned. His mouth went dry. Adrenaline coursed through him. Every inch of him itched to run. His mother held out the wireless to him. A question on her face, 'Do you want to take it?'

She had regained her composure. Her hands were steady. She had not clutched the pallu of her saree. And she wasn't sweating with fear. Rasheed was intrigued. Who was it then? He stepped down the next two steps. He took the wireless from her hand and put it to his ear, gingerly.

"Hello?" He said, his voice barely audible.

As the person on the other end spoke, Rasheed's fear thawed. His shoulders relaxed. But his anger returned. He clenched his fists.

"I have nothing to say to you." He cut the call. And slammed the phone into its stand. His mother slapped his back in an instinctive response. Then she stepped back, waiting for him to say something.

He took a minute to face her. "If he calls next time, tell him I don't live here anymore." He stormed up the staircase.

_____________________

A couple of days later, Deepak sat fidgeting his phone nervously. Rasheed had done something unbelievably stupid. It was a matter of time before he got thrashed. He had to talk some sense into his best friend. He pulled him aside to the quiet street beside the tea stall.

"Listen to me carefully, da." Deepak began. "I have put much thought into this."

Rasheed's eyebrows shot up.

Deepak took in a breath and said, "Pack your bags and leave."

Something like pain flashed through Rasheed. He pulled his arm out of his friend's grasp. "Why?" He demanded.

"You've done an awfully stupid thing."

"I'm not leaving."

"You're going to have to."

Rasheed grabbed hold of Deepak's shirt. His headache deepened his anger. "I said I'm not leaving."

Deepak realised what he had said. He fell quiet.

Rasheed let go of him, willing the tears back into his heart.

Deepak went back to the tea stall, leaving Rasheed alone with his thoughts.