A Lost Friend

“Ek kulhad wali chai with extra ginger please”

Sure Ma’am, anything else?

“No, thank you,” she said and took a secluded chair. (however, it hardly matters, which seat, since it was 9:30 on Sunday morning, entire café was empty)

She took out her laptop and got busy settling herself.

This cafe is one of the cities undiscovered gem. Wooden flooring, rustic walls with hanging photographs featuring candid moments of their customers, cane wood table chair makes this place a complete world on its own.

“Excuse Me, Ma’am, your order is ready” The waiter waved at her.

She was about to sip her cup of tea, oops her “kulhad of chai” She heard some voice.

“Aditi??” A Distant voice called her.

She turned back, “Oh my god, Raghav??? So good to see you! How are you??? ”

Without a fraction of a second, they were into each other. It is unexpected to meet your best partner in crime from school days, that too when you have left that hope forever.

“You have not changed, not even a bit… Still, the same – pious soul, simple yet beautiful” He complimented her.

“Thank you! But I know your tactics and reasons behind complimenting people, I am not gonna give you anything” – She winked at him and giggles exchanged.

“Suddenly you left the school, and I come to know that your family had shifted their base from there, I tried to reach you, but there was no connect I could arrange for” – He was curious to know everything.

“Yeah, we shifted here, my brother got a transfer here, so here I am.” – She shared.

“You tell whats up? And you have changed a lot you look gentleman now!”

“You mean I am looking handsome” He interrupted revolving his eyes.

“If that’s what you want to hear?? Then yes you are looking handsome” She could feel butterflies in her stomach while complimenting him.

He seems to have come directly from Aditi’s image of ideal guy – Blue jeans, White polo T-shirt with ethnic slippers. Long height, dusky, black hair and bright eyes with a lively smile and a pure heart!

“So, hows life?? What are you doing these days?? Where are you?? Where do you stay?? Hows uncle aunty?? Hows everyone at home?? Hows everything going?? And out of a sudden you left, why didn’t you try to connect with me, we were the best team, you know this right?? I tried finding you on various social media platforms, you are nowhere, you became a mystery to me!!I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you after so long!!” – He had a list of questions and wanted to know everything about her in one breath.

She pacified him by answering few of the queries. It took around 90 minutes answering his questions!! Now was her turn –

“What are you doing these days??” She asked him.

“I am based out of US, currently on vacation to meet friends and family, & also to get married!“– He completed his sentence.

“Nice, but I guess you didn’t hear properly, I asked, “What are you doing, as in what do you do, besides having fun with family and friends?” – She re framed it.

“I am a traveler, travel down several places in search of life…”-He said like a poet.

“Well, besides this poetic the answer, I am a marketing person, working for an FMCG giant in US, staying alone there, I keep shuttling between cities in the US for projects, mom dad visits my place often to keep a check on their“Ladla” – once in 6 months, now this is the real answer” – He simplified.

Raghav was always like this, a fun-loving and a lively person, in school people used to feel he has some magic power, the reason he is able to keep everyone happy and brings a smile to everyone’ face. For Raghav everything was secondary, making Aditi smile and keeping her happy was his motto! Aditi came from a small town and joined the school between the session, she was timid, shy, and always nervous! It was Raghav, who transformed her into a happy go lucky personality with his charm. Now they were a team of “Aditi & Raghav”.

“By the way, the first version is good to hear” – She said while sipping tea.

“Ohh you said, you are on a mission these days… of finding a girl…getting married…??” – She asked.

“So what kind of girl are you looking for?? I might help you out, I know few charming girls, who would love to go to US.” She said in a teasing tone.

“And you??” – He tried to say something…

“I mean, I would like her to be – Innocent yet mature, Lively yet subtle, sober yet graceful, simple yet beautiful, Honest yet soft-spoken” – He started his list.

“Sure, Anything else sir. What nonsense you guys say! You want a girl or an angel??”She blasted at Raghav, without getting the latent intention of Raghav’s description.

“I thought you always knew this, just need to admit, okay lemme simplify, you will find my girl in your mirror, any more clarity required??” he asked.

There was a silence for around 100 seconds.

“I knew you will be coming here, remember Advit?? That double battery guy of our batch, also your distant cousin, I found him through social media, he told me that you visit this place very often and have become a writer as your brother always wanted you to become one, but unfortunately, he could not see you becoming one, sorry to hear that… I am coming here since then, whenever I visit India every day I come here in a hope that I will meet you and I will share everything… Finally got a chance today, before leaving India once again, lucky I am” He narrated his part. His eyes were filled with satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment could be sensed through his persona.

“But there is one-thing pondering me, I still remember the Aditi, who used to be lively and vibrant! However, the one sitting in front of me is a 180-degree reverse, I would like to listen to this version of yours if you allowed me to” – He got tensed, he could sense that there was something that was not right!

“Life never remains same Raghav, Earlier I used to live in my own fantasy world with closed eyes and perhaps now I have opened my eyes in the real world” – she explained in one sentence.

“We shifted here because” – She was about to start her story, she wanted to share everything. Perhaps, this was the first time she got someone to share her version with, she was waiting for someone to ask her, and…

“I am so sorry Aditi, got late, you know this traffic – Uff!” – He just came and hugged her while saying all this.

“That’s okay! I just came here 5 minutes back” she told him while maintaining some distance from him.

“Meet my school friend, Raghav. He is on vacation in India” She introduced Raghav to him.

“Hi Man, I am Aarav, Aditi’s fiancé, pleased to meet you and I hope you are coming to attend our wedding next month” – He invited him. Aarav was so excited for his wedding, that anybody could sense it from his voice!

“Congratulations Dude! I can relate to your excitement, by the way; I am Raghav, Aditi’s lost friend.

Raghav introduced himself and left with a wish in heart and a dream in eyes… Suddenly, things and people seem alienated to him.

Lost friend?? Aarav was confused but she was not, she knew what Raghav meant.

Raghav left for the US next day.

Tomorrow is Aditi’s wedding, she is still busy in finding a lost friend with some never-ending questions –

Will she be able to find the lost friend?? Will Aarav be able to decode the meaning of “lost friend”?? What is that wish and dream that Raghav had?? Is everything all right??Will she be able to complete her story??