An Introvert's Guide To Finding Love

twenty four | jealousy |

Pari is this you?

My phone beeped and I read the text that my friend had sent me. There was an sense of urgency because she kept texting me again and again if it was me while I had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that the friend I had left six years back still remembers me, in fact she still wanted to talk to me but deep down I was scared things weren't going to go down as any of us would have liked. I turned around to look at Siddharth who was looking assumingly at me and smile as soon as my eyes landed on him, encouraging me to go on. I smiled at him, nodding slightly before getting a grip on my phone and quickly typing in a reply in the chat box confirming that it was indeed me, Pari, her friend. She was surprised and overwhelmed at that moment, exchanging some rapid texts before finally taking her leave.

Pari, I am at a rehearsal, can I call you in an hour?

If so, leave me your number.

I dropped in my number in her chat so that she could call me to whenever she would get the time to. She wanted to catch up with me and so did I. Keeping my phone aside I looked at Siddharth who now was grinning like a mad man, proud of his doings. He scooted closer to me engulfing me in a warm and loving hug again before leaving my apartment, so that I could have alone time to think over all the things that I wanted to say to my old friend and because he didn't want to invade my privacy.

Within an hour I received a call, my phone's caller ID flashed an unknown number and I instantly knew it was Maddy, we had been best friends for way too long, we have always had a connection. I mentally went over what Siddharth had told me before leaving my apartment before receiving the call.

Be honest with her and yourself, and don't ever think you were at fault. You needed to escape so you did, don't let anyone tell you otherwise and If this girl is truly your friend she will understand, just be transparent and brave enough to be honest.

"Hello?" I said receiving the call waiting to hear her voice after all these years.

"Pari, where have you been? How are you." Maddy asked from the other end, her voice quivering.

I teared up hearing her for the first time in six years, I choked on my own tears and was rendered unable to speak, she had already sensed it and waited for me to continue whenever I felt comfortable. There was a brooding silence but not one that was uncomfortable, but one that had calm and serenity, I took a beep breath in flopping down on the sofa, collecting myself and speaking up.

"I am here in Mumbai and I saw you the other day." I said.

"Where have you been all this while Pari?" Maddy asked her voice filled with curiosity. And I could imagine her not being the careless girl anymore that she previously had been.

"I left, I left for England. You know I always loved England." I said chuckling nervously while Maddy remained silent on the other end, scaring me a little. When she didn't speak for a long while I spoke again. "Want to catch up?" I asked petrified that she was going to deny.

"I am here for my dance academy; I will be busy for the next two weeks and we can meet after that." She said flatly, showing no emotion and I could sense the change in the tone of her voice, as if she was almost annoyed, which if she was would be very obvious because of what I had done or put her through but knowing better I didn't pester her and simply agreed to whatever she had in her mind.

"Okay, till then do text me." Saying this I bade her goodbye and disconnected the call.

The next two weeks were tiresome even though the shooting had been completed, we were wrapping up on the finals edits and final cuts for Ittefaq, finalising everything for the main premiere of the show and Karan had suggested a small premiere, as a test subject which he proposed to be held at Karan's place for some friends, the cast and the crew along with a party.