I Was, I Am.

-WEDDING BELLS-

One word to describe my mood; nervous.

It was only when I saw Disha standing before my doorstep without any prior warning that I realized how well I knew this woman.

She had taken the pains of coming all the way from Bangalore; to my place; even when her house in Mumbai was just half an hour away from mine. The suitcase spoke volumes too.

There were only two possibilities; Ms. Disha Thapar had landed herself in some deep shit and had either come here with the objective to run away; or seek my help.

And there was one thing I was absolutely clear about; I did not want to be involved in it.

It was only when she posed; "Won't you let me in?" that I snapped from my reverie; hurrying with the keys.

Why is she here when our parents are not in town? When Mala aunty isn't in town?

Where's Arjun? Why is he not with her?

Does this have something to do with what Aakash had said in that Skype call?

"There were some letters jutting out of your letter box so I picked them." She informed nonchalantly.

My heart beat even more furiously. How could she behave so normally? As though popping into my place after two; no almost three years of zero communication was absolutely normal?

I took the letters from her quietly as I stacked them with my other mails on the dining table; only to notice a nice lacey and silvery letter along with the regular mails. And that was when it struck me like a lightning bolt.

Veronica's wedding!

Three months ago Veronica had turned up at my doorstep with way too much excitement. When I had ushered her in asking her about her excitement; she had revealed how Joshua had proposed to her right in front of their families.

She'd said yes; and told Dev and I time again that we had to make it to the wedding no matter what.

I quickly opened the already unsealed envelope to see that the wedding was in a week; and Dev and I had not planned anything for her. With so much happening; it had slipped both our minds.

"Nice shirt. I could swear Arjun has one like that too." Disha commented; bringing me back to the present.

I took a deep breath as I turned towards her with a fake smile; "Thanks." I almost gasped to see she had already changed into pyjamas and was helping herself with the TV remote.

Do I need to remind her that she has very conveniently ignored me for a good three years? And this.is.my.house.

"How do you have a men's shirt?" she asked next; as I gulped the way I did when I was nervous.

It was then that I realized; how cruel time can be. It was the very same house; very same room; very same woman with whom I had spent countless nights discussing love; life and my future. She was my best friend; the closest thing to a sister I had ever had.

But time had changed everything. She seemed like a stranger now.

And watching her make casual conversation about Dev's shirt infuriated me.

Dev was a very beautiful and intimate part of my life; and I couldn't get myself to tell her even a bit about it.

"How come you're here?" I jumped straight to the point; as I adjusted myself in one of the couches right opposite to hers.

Her eyes widened for a split second; the exact way they did every time she was taken aback.

"Well...I had come for an official trip to Pune so I thought I'd drop by."