A Long Lost Friend and Hidden Secrets (A Very Short Snippet)

‘Would you care to tell me why you disappeared?’ I ask my friend sitting across to me. She fidgets with her burger nervously and says, ‘Pa’s factory suffered a huge loss. I had to move.’ But her gaze doesn’t meet my eyes. I lean back on my chair and sigh. It pains to see how much Nyra has changed over the year. Mascara eyes, skintight jeans and blood- red lipstick. I still remember how we used to dip our fries in milkshake, how we used to spill food on each other. We used to call ourselves as twins. Looking at her nervous, anxious position, I fear all that has long faded into memories. I bite into my burger in silence not wishing to pry for more information. This lunch-date at Mc Donald’s has already turned into super awkward without me trying to play detective. Few moments pass in silence until I’m not able to bear the quiet any more. ‘I want to know the truth Nyra. And I think I have enough right to know so.’ I say cold and blatant. The tone of voice I use when I’m angry has always been able to open the secrets who so ever is hiding. But Nyra seems determined not to let them loose. She says, ‘You won’t believe it. There’s no use of telling you Tamhinara.’ And that’s it. That’s about the little conversation we have at the table. While all around us is bustling with energy and noise, our particular corner table is lonely and distant. Very distant.

As Nyra climbs into the sleek, black Mercedes I stop her. This might be my only chance to talk to her before she goes to America. I don’t want to lose this moment just because of my anger towards her for behaving so distant and unknowing towards me. ‘I’ll believe you’ I say softly. Nyra attempts a smile but it comes off as a disfigured frown and nods her head, climbing into her car. Nyra’ s bodyguard shuts the door at my face and the car speeds away towards the airport. She even has a bodyguard. A tall, muscular and extremely bald bodyguard wearing a thin, stiff black suit. If we were here last year, we would have made fun of him. My anger towards her has been replaced by desperation. I don’t want to lose my best friend again. Putting my confused trail of thoughts and more important my jumbled mess of emotions aside, I walk home treating this lunch as another bad day.