That Rainy Day

“Thank God! Sunday is here finally!! Honey you gotta go and get some clothes for yourself today or there will be a big time crisis!” I made a mental note to myself as I lazily opened my eyes on a Sunday. How I wish the breakfast would prepare itself and come to me on the bed! Who wants to get up and work so hard on a Sunday!!
The cloudy atmosphere and the dreamy drizzle outside my window, the slight cold in the weather, everything was telling me to continue my siesta. “The shopping can wait for another day!” Lazily I turned to one side and pulled the bed sheet over my head to get lost in dream world once again.
“Bam!” A heavy bag attacked my head and a loud scream hit my ears almost simultaneously! “Get up you sleepy head! Don’t you know it’s the sale day? S-A-L-E!! The favourite words of any girl. We need to be there before the best stock is gone!! Get up you idiot!” There was my best friend shouting at me to get up…My sleep :(
But hey WAIT!! Isn’t my best friend thousands of miles away – in another country, another continent – taking care of her family and kids! How can she be here? I opened my eyes and the first thing to meet my eyes was a photo of us wearing identical T-shirts that we got clicked during one of our shopping sprees.
Oh those were the days! Shopping at the drop of a hat even though none of us had any income :) The arguments, the time taken to select each dress, the SALEs!! Now, even shopping seems a chore, when done all alone. “You better do it today, another hectic week coming up in office. You really need to get moving” I mentally kicked myself.
Finally tearing myself away from my bed, I managed to get ready and drag myself to the shopping mall. Everything that was fun earlier was irritating me now. Why are there so many options to choose from? Why can’t they have one size that fits all? Why do I need to try so many sizes in the trial room?
The trial room!! Ah, our favourite hangout  One would invariably stand outside with a whole pile of clothes, making the other try them all. Mostly it would be me trying all those and her standing outside like a real life version of Hitler in front of me. “This!! Shucks!! Your choice is pathetic! Here, try this one”, “ Know what, you are at least looking your age in this top, don’t be an aunty”, “One more, just one more, try this! It’ll look great on you”
I am sure, I might have dropped a few sizes in the trial room itself, with so much “trying” of clothes!! “Excuse me”, a voice brought me back to reality and I stood facing an empty trial room, that I was about to enter. My best friend was not there and I was only carrying the 1 dress I wanted to try. There was no pile – no dropping sizes anymore!
“Excuse me! I know it is your turn, but do you mind if my friend goes first. She just needs to try this one last top.” I turned and came face to face with an old lady, easily in her 70s and very smartly dressed in a Jeans and T-shirt, holding a pile of clothes! Behind her was her friend – almost the same age, holding the one top she intended to try and feeling awkward on the way her friend stopped me.
“Sure, please go ahead” I said and let her pass. There was something in their eyes – lit with excitement, the way only shopping with your best friend can light them up. I began wondering if we’ll be excited the same way, if we go shopping together at that age!
“Thank you Beta! God bless you!! You see we have been trying a lot of clothes for a long time. There is this one top we both love and it fits both of us perfectly, but they have only one last piece in stock.
My friend has been trying many others, so I can keep it, but none is as good! If this last one doesn’t fit her, I will make her take that last piece. She is my best friend after all!”
There was something in her words that I just wanted to go on hearing her, but the sudden beep of my mobile distracted both of us and she stopped talking. It was a message from my best friend. I have been missing her all the while and here she was texting me first thing in the morning (Her time zone of course!!) The message and its timing made me break into a smile for the first time in the day. I looked up at the old lady, gave her a broad smile and said
“Happy Friendship Day, Auntie!!”