“Hey, so I was thinking if we could go out for 14th…I mean I’m not forcing you. But maybe we could give it a shot again?”, Akansha asked quietly.
“Uhh…I …I think I’ll … WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Rishi shrieked noticing a faint figure of Kalpana behind him. But the placard she was holding was pretty clear. “NO HE WON’T GO WITH YOU! HE’S MINE! STAY AWAY!”
“What is that? No wait, who is that?!”
Akansha’s voice boomed through the phone’s speaker as Rishi tried to glare at the apparition behind him, who in return just shrugged her shoulders.
“Rishi?”, Akansha whispered. “Who is she?”
“She…uh .. She’s no one? Yeah, no one! Wait,” he turned his attention to the phone and glaced back at Kalpana. “You can see her?”
“What do you mean “you can see her”? Ofcourse I can see her. She’s just standing there with a placard!! Who is she Rishi?”, Akansha scowled, her voice hitting a notch.
Rishi was dumbstruck, at loss for words. Akansha can see Kalpana. How is that possible? All this while he was so sure nobody can see her other than him! Well atleast the weird looks from the neighbours and the ominously loud voice of Mr Sargaokar implying “my young neighbour is a little out of his mind” , made it real clear. Ofcourse these people had seen him talking to the air in his balcony, or heard him laugh all alone staring at the blank wall as if someone was there. Some people were even sure that the “bhatakti aatma” in the flat has possessed him. Which was kinda true, but that didn’t bother Rishi at all.
But today? Akansha says she can see Kalpana. How can that be? Are ghosts visible through virtual media? That’s a new!!
“RISHI!”
Akansha’s nothing-but-loud voice broke Rishi’s bewilderment and he said in a low voice, “Kalpana. That’s Kalpana.”
“What is she doing there with you?”
“She…uh ..she lives with me.”
There was a silence that followed. Nobody spoke for a few seconds and then Akansha said, “You never told me about her..”
“Yeah…I know. It’s…not a big deal actually”, Rishi laughed nervously.
“Right. Well, I mean, I’m not surprised. Nothing is ever a big deal for you anyway. I remember. Our relationship was not a big deal to you either, the fact that I’m trying to get US back together is not a big deal either, Oh and ofcourse the current fact that I just asked you out on Valentine’s Day is not a big deal to you. But I get it, I get it. I do…get it.”
“No no no no. Hey, hey hey, Akansha listen, it’s nothing like that. She is, she’s just a friend. That’s it.”
“It’s okay, Rishi. It’s not a big deal. Like you said. I…gotta go. Bye.”
The call ended and the screen went black. The only sound that was reverberating in the whole apartment was of the clocks ticking by. What did just happen? What? There he was, just a guy living the best time of his life, his ex girlfriend just asked him out again, there was a fair chance that they would again be together and then….then what? A ghost, a non existing being just ended it? Like that?
Infuriated, Rishi snapped his head at Kalpana who was just standing there, arms folded, lips poured. “Really? No comebacks? No comments for what she said to you on your face? She just blamed everything on you, AGAIN! Boy, you really need to learn how to take a stand for yourself.”
“Dude!!!”, Rishi exclaimed. “What’s the matter with you?”
“What? I’m fine.”
“Oh yeah? What’s with placard and…and that writing? “He’s mine”. I’m your’s? Since when? You just told her to stay away from me like a jealous girlfriend, Kalpana!! And how did you even- How could she even see you? I thought you are invisible to everyone except me!”
“Alright. Too many questions at once. First off, I can appear in front of people if I want to. Like I can make them see me and then not …see me. It’s a thing. And secondly, I did want her to stay away from you for a while.”, Kalpana shrugged and sat down on the couch.
“What even- Why do you want her to stay away?”
“Because I missed you. Man, we were such buddies! We used to talk so much, have so much fun, spend most of our times together. Now with her in the picture, you have completely forgotten about me! Tell me how’s that fair?”, Kalpana grumbled.
Rishi stood there, flabbergasted. His mouth hanging open.
“She is my girlfriend!! You just drove her away giving her the impression that you and I are living together and I…am actually cheating on her!!”
“Hey! We are living together”
“I meant, as a couple. Kalpana, you just can’t do that yaar!!”, Rishi plopped on the couch, defeated.
“I don’t understand. She troubled you so much, she legit hurt you, yet blamed you for every fault of hers and all that went down in your relationship. Yet the moment she calls, you jump back on the horse? Why? I mean you saw her yourself. She didn’t even give you a chance to explain yourself about me. She just…left. Again! Why would you want to be with her, man?”, Kalpana asked, her voice reaching a softer tone.
“Because I love her!”
“Love is never enough, Rishi.”
“What do you know about love? You are a ghost! You’re dead anyway.” Rishi snapped, eyes burning.
Kalpana paused. The words definitely hurting her. Then she mumbled, “Well, I was human once.”
“Yeah well, now you’re not! So quit being a bitch! I’m not your’s Kalpana and I don’t owe you anything.”
“I am your friend. And you are mine. I think that matters, Rishi!!”
“If that matters to you so much then why did you do something like that? Is shattering a friend’s happiness something you think you should do?”
“I did that because I hate her. I hate how she can just drop in your life and you will just follow her. I hate how much you care about her, how you’ve still kept all the little things that belong to her with you, how you remember a her favourite things. I hate how much you love her and not me! I hate how much I love you!”, Kalpana screamed. Even in her smoky state, Rishi could see her moistened eyes, tears threatening to fall through those widened eyes which has just realised what spilled out of her mouth.
“You…you what?, Rishi stuttered.
Kalpana was quiet. Head hanging low.
“Kalpana? You…love me?”
An audible sigh left her mouth as Kalpana whispered, “Yes”
Then there was silence. Both of them sat in the looming uncomfortable silence not really thinking anything. Just sitting there. Rishi felt his breaths slowing down as he stared at the blank screen of the TV in front of him, his reflection visible. Nothing in particular was crossing his mind at this point. Kalpana on the other hand was fiddling with her fingers, glancing occasionally at the man sitting in front of her. He looked… weirdly calm. Like, he is in a trance. Minutes passed and she got restless.
“Say something.”, Kalpana said, quietly, cautiously.
Rishi looked up at her. She is beautiful. No doubt in that. And she is amazing. The way she had always been there for him, whatever be the situation, she would always have a solution. She was so intelligent, so witty, smart and funny. And Rishi loved her, but..
“You’re dead. You don’t exist”
That’s all he could say. His eyes never left her face and he could see the hurt spreading in her eyes. She smiled at him, obviously a fake one and said, “Right.”