Uddipta Kumar Nath
Aditya’s phone rang. An unknown number flashed on the screen. “Hello,” said Aditya, about three or four times. “So, you are getting married?” Monika spoke softly. “Who am I speaking to?” he responded. “Do you not even recognise my voice now?” she was quick to reply. There was silence for a while. “Hey, how are you? I am sorry I couldn’t recognise your voice at first,” he replied. However, she reminded him how his habit of pretending had still stuck by him and how she did not fall for it this time. He stopped her in between and told her that there was no point in bringing up past events. There was sorrow in his voice. Monika sarcastically said that he must be blissful as he was about to get married and also revealed that she was shocked when she got the news. She asked him what he was trying to prove by sending her an invitation, that too through a mutual friend? Or was he trying to make her jealous? She was furious by now. She blamed herself as well as him, as things didn’t work out between them. She screamed that 10 years wasn’t a joke! “We tried our best!” Aditya coolly responded.
He remembered how out of those 10 years, they had only got approximately two years to be with each other. It was painful as they struggled to maintain eights years of a long distance relationship. An audio-visual relationship, you may say! A long race for securing their careers, numerous responsibilities, and financial insecurities had kept them away from holding hands, leaning on each other’s shoulders, eating together, wiping away tears, hugging and saying “Don’t worry I am here”. The relationship only worsened with the passage of time, because they were tired of convincing each other that things will get better. Avoiding calls for days and frequent fights aided to bring an end to their relationship.
Aditya reminded her that they had decided this together. Monika silently agreed. “Okay, I got to go,” Monika said in a broken voice. She hung up before he could say anything. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Tears rolled down her cheeks as well.
