SOTUS : NEXT STEP

No more friends

" WHATTHEFUCK!!!!! WHOSE MARRIAGE???"  Arthit shouted, totally not believing the lines he heard few moments earlier. His mother, Revah, smacked his head while chiding him for use of swear words.

"Language Arthit!!! You are adult for others not for me, so BEHAVE" ,with that Revah went back to chopping of vegetables not realising the earth shattering effect of her words on his only son.

"Kongpob has agreed for engagement  in 2 days and Marriage ceremony will be next month"

These words keep running on loop in Arthit's mind since last night. He is sitting in his cabin behind his office desk, piles of documents, scattered papers containing designs of new product, jumbling words appearing on the laptop screen is not making any sense to his overridden brain. His mind is reeling with the idea of his best friend, his crush, his love getting engaged to a person who is not him.

All his life played in front of his eyes - his first meeting with a 3 year toddler with a teddy bear and chocolates in his hands which changed into the day Kongpob went to school for the first time and instead of spending it in his class, the little boy had not left his side whole day attached to his hips. The day Arthit gifted him a bicycle on his 7th birthday which the other still had when Arthit left for Japan 4 years ago and many more other memories.

They both had been inseparable despite the obvious age difference of 5 years. Both have poles apart personalities but together they just click.  Arthit had long ago realised that what he feel for Kongpob is vastly different and is on a completely different level. He never confessed as Arthit don't wanted to lose their friendship or make relation between them awkward if it doesn't work out.

Kongpob is a confident, warm, smart and intelligent fellow. He is kind and helpful along with brave and honest. He don't know how to mince words or how play people & that make the other care for him more as well earn him many enemies. Arthit remember the times, he had to rescue the little Kongpob from bullies as he stood up to them.

Four years ago, Arthit got a job offer from a very reputed firm indulging in making of robots, his life long dream. Along with the job, the firm was also  paying for his MBA, as he was intended to take over their family business after his father. Everyone encouraged him to accept it and he did. That was the last he saw Kongpob and also the only time his best friend cried like a baby. Kongpob was a freshman that year and had chosen economics as his major. They promised to text and skype but somewhere after 2nd year, it all stopped abruptly. Arthit got so busy in his work and study that his parents had to come each year to visit him. Even Kongpob's parents also came to spend time with him on many occasions but never Kongpob... never him.

Last Monday when he was handed the special certification letter from the firm for his achievements and work, only thing which was bouncing in his head was seeing Kongpob.

When he get out of the security checks and didn't saw his best friend, he could not help but be disappointed. Meeting all relatives and reuniting with friends along with getting familiar with the business  had taken up all his time and despite being in Thailand for last 4 days, he had not heard or seen Kongpob.

Last evening, he was going to invade his crush's home but when heard about the coming engagement ceremony of his love, Arthit could not take a single step out of the house.

His heart and brain both are in chaos. He don't understand if he should be happy for his best friend or drown himself in sorrow for his unrequited love. Making up his mind, he dials the number he learnt by heart and anxiously waited for the other to pick up.

" ........hello"

A single word but enough to increase his heart beat, ages old feelings resurfaces with vengeance that Arthit was afraid everything will blow away in this storm of emotions.