Under The Mango Trees

Chapter Eight : In Between Lila And Jazz

I was idly sprawled out on Lila's bed with her laid down next to me. Her room was all white like an angel's castle and a cool breeze occasionally came in through the shutters of her balcony window. Lila was scrolling aimlessly through her Instagram feed, liking a picture before she even saw it properly. "You should join Instagram, it's soooo fun."

"What's fun in an app which makes a comparison to other people's success so easy and drains you mentally by the end of the day?"

"You can be no fun at times." She puckered her lips and slowly slid clockwise on the bed, till her soft head rested on my lap, her wavy hair spread over my thighs like hanging creepers and her feet were carelessly kept against the white wall.

I laughed awkwardly, shifting and trying to get her off me, but she wouldn't budge. "You have so many friends on Instagram."

She slightly tilted her head to me and grinned before going back to the homepage of that app again. Just then, I heard the notification sound of my phone and I curiously opened it, wondering who it could be since my best and only friend was lying half on top of me. It was Jaspreet, the other friend that I tended to forget at times.

'I HAVE GOOD NEWS'- Jazz (I saved her number as Jaspreet, but she had forcefully taken my phone and made me change it to Jazz).

'What?'

'Hahahahaha, I'm not pregnant'- Jazz.

I couldn't resist rolling my eyes at her aunty joke and before I could remind her of her virginity, another message popped up.

'GUESS WHAT ELSE???'- Jazz.

'Idk' I realised that I was sounding unenthusiastic which I was, but I shouldn't show it. So I typed further, 'Tell me quickly!'

'A new waffle place has opened near Durga temple. THEY'RE GIVING FREE WAFFLES TO THE FIRST FIFTY CUSTOMERS!'- Jazz.

'Oh.' Again, I realised that she would expect more than an oh, so I said, 'Cool' which I thought wasn't sufficient so I further typed, 'Nice. Very nice.'

'The store opens at 6. BE THERE BY 5, I'll wait for you'- Jazz.

A message popped up before I could respond, 'Hey, what's up? I exist'- Lila.

I looked over my phone as Lila turned her head on my lap, sadly sticking her lower lip out. To annoy her, I said, "I forgot you were there." And she angrily head-butted my stomach which caused my stoicism to break like glass and unfettered laughter fluttered out of my lips as naturally as the butterflies flying with the flow of wind. "Okay, okay, how can I ever forget you?"

"You dare not! I'm stronger than a bull!" And her own words made her burst out laughing as I watched in wonder, her head shaking on my lap and sending jolts of laughter throughout my body. She had a peculiar way of laughing when we were alone, her tiny nostrils would flare faintly. She wouldn't bother covering her mouth or burying her face in my shoulder which would otherwise innately happen in presence of others.

Just then, the door of her room flung open and her mother's bewildered eyes were on us. "What are you girls doing? I could hear your laughter even with the tv on!"

Lila torpidly sat up, still laughing, her hair disheveled. "I-I was like a bull, wasn't I?"

"Nothing that interesting, aunty," I said in a tone which conveyed, 'you know your crazy daughter, right?' and her mother smiled in good-nature. Lila's best friend was her mother, nobody came before her. I used to be jealous of their friendship, they nearly shared everything- from gossips in the neighbourhood to Lila's childish dreams and fantasies. I could never imagine a relationship like that with my mother who possessed the power of turning conversations into assigning chore duties in the house. The rare times we warmly bonded were over my father's faults where she took great pleasure in criticising him to me which never failed to amuse me.