That afternoon, suddenly the doorbell rang. Sheena was very surprised to see Debanjali after such a long time. She entered the house hurriedly.
Sheena: “When did you come back from Mumbai?”
Debanjali answered with a heavy voice: “I am coming straight from the airport now.”
Sheena: “You could have told me once; I would have sent you the car.” She kept her bags on the sofa and after sitting asked her friend: “Can you provide me with some hot water for the instant noodles?”
Sheena: “Why are you so upset? Again argued with him? You always do like this.”
Debanjali, with so much hatred, told Sheena: “He told me so many lies, and I don’t want to understand anything else. And you always see only what I do.”
Sheena: “See, calm down; once you discuss with him everything, a solution will surely come out, then you take a decision.”
Debanjali, very sadly and very angrily, told: “Whom I don’t believe, I don’t wish to talk to him for a second also.”
Sheena: “Nothing happens out of anger; you think about Rahul’s side as well.”
Debanjali: “I can’t tolerate him anymore.”
Sheena: “You go and rest in your room; I have to make an important call.”
Debanjali: “After some time, I will practice dance, all right? And here, take my phone, decline it if he calls.”
After some time, again the doorbell rings. Sheena opens the door and saw Rahul standing there. She was surprised: “You came here?”
Rahul peeped his head inside and tries to find someone: “Yes, I came now. Debanjali came here? I want to talk to her.”
Sheena: “She doesn’t want to talk to you; you don’t create any problem here.”
Rahul: “That means you know everything.”
Debanjali heard something from the upper floor and asked: “Anyone came in the house or what?” Sheena got tensed and replied: “No, no… I am attending the call.”
Rahul: “I will be waiting for her in the café in the afternoon. Please send her there.”
Sheena: “But why will she listen to me? She will definitely not agree.”
Rahul ran fast and told Sheena: “You can handle it; I know. I am going now. All the best.”
Sheena calls him again and again: “Listen to me once…. what will I do now? How will I convince her?”
Sheena makes coffee for both of them. After a few seconds, the heavy rain starts, the cold wind starts blowing, there is lightning and thunder, and Debanjali saw from the window people standing under the shed of their complex apartment. She saw a known person going from there.
Sheena, while entering Debanjali’s room, saw her sadly standing near the window. She knocks the door.
Debanjali: “Sheena… come inside.”
Sheena: “Take your black coffee.”
Debanjali: “You know I saw someone I know.”
Sheena: “Who is it? You know some people here.”
Debanjali: “No, I am not saying that.”
Sheena: “Be stress-free; you overthink always.”
Debanjali: “You are not understanding what I am trying to say.”
Sheena says to herself: “I can understand everything but can’t let you know that. Listen, today evening I have arranged a get-together of our old friends, and for that, we have to go shopping now.”
Debanjali was a little disturbed and unmindfully told: “Then to the parlour and coffee shop, right?”
Sheena gave a pleasant smile. In the shopping mall, they suddenly get to meet Sandip.
Sandip: “What’s up, guys?”
Sheena: “Oh, hi.”
Debanjali smiled even if she didn’t want to.
Sandip: “Where is the other guy… Rahul?”
Hearing his name, Debanjali’s eyes filled with tears. She went to a corner and cried for a while.
Sandip asked: “What happened to her? Have I said something wrong?”
Sheena noticed her and told Sandip: “You needn’t be sorry; I will tell you at the party. Now, don’t pronounce his name in front of her.”
Sandip changed the topic: “Debanjali, let’s go and have our lunch. I think you guys have finished your shopping.”
Debanjali: “Yes, you both go; I will join after some time.”
Sheena sees Debanjali and calls her: “Let’s go, don’t cry, nothing happened… come.”
It then came to her mind that Rahul had given her the responsibility for the meetup of his and Debanjali; she had forgotten about it.
Sheena: “San, we have some work to do; we have to go now. Bye and see you at the evening’s party.”
Sheena texts Rahul at that moment to tell him that they are coming to the coffee shop: “Coming…”
Sandip: “Okay, bye.”
Sheena: “Hey, let’s go to the café.”
Debanjali: “No, let’s go home… I am not feeling like going.”
Debanjali quietly listened to Sheena but sorrowfully said: “That’s why he went away from me.”
Sheena: “Again, you started? You have become so serious nowadays… ohh… I can’t see this state of yours anymore.”
Sheena receives a text from Rahul: “Where are you both?”
She replies: “Just two minutes…”
Debanjali: “Come; let’s go inside.”
Sheena: “Yeah, coming. But I have to buy some medicines; otherwise, I will forget later. Don’t waste time; you do one thing, go inside and book a table and order your coffee for the time being. I will be coming in just now.”
Debanjali: “Then I am also waiting with you here; we will go inside together.”
Sheena: “I told you I am coming; you go and wait for me at least.”
Debanjali orders a coffee. Sheena is happy now. Rahul saw Debanjali and went and sat in front of her.
Debanjali becomes very angry: “How dare you? Why are you here?”
Rahul: “It’s a public place; don’t create a scene here. Please listen to me once patiently.”
Debanjali, with anger, said: “Say fast whatever you want to say.”
The waiter comes and asks: “Any order, ma’am or sir?”
Rahul: “No, we’ll ask when we need.”
After the waiter went, Rahul started saying: “I know that day my words hurt you, and then it was a mess, but I didn’t mean to say like that. I got the news of your coming back at that moment from one of our friends.”
Debanjali: “Okay then, hearing it, you came here following me from Mumbai to Kolkata? How dare you? And listen, I went to Mumbai for office work,
not for a date with you, got it?”
Rahul: “I came back here to make you understand. You didn’t go for a date, don’t make me remember it repeatedly. I feel irritated, but I care for you with all my heart.”
Debanjali: “Are you done? I just can’t take you anymore.”
Rahul: “For you, our belief and love for each other didn’t matter to you after so many years, and it broke in one day?”
Debanjali: “You see, you have changed so much.”
Rahul, in a selfish way, told: “Will you accept me again?” He looks around, people are coming and going, and tells her: “Let’s go outside and talk about this. Everything cannot be said here.”
Debanjali: “So, are you coming to today’s party?”
Rahul, with a laugh, said: “Okay, then at least you are inviting me!”
Debanjali: “Not really; our friends will come, that’s why I’m saying. And you know if they get to know you didn’t come, they will ask so many things.”
After giving the bill, they came out to talk.
Rahul: “Oh, for that, you are saying.”
Debanjali turns her face: “Say what you want to say.”
Rahul, with a back smile: “You have the interest to hear me, then, madam?”
Debanjali sees her watch once: “Ohh, I don’t have much time to listen to you, and don’t take out a negative meaning out of everything.”
Rahul asks in a soft tone: “What about our engagement, do you remember?”
Debanjali said in a broken voice: “I am leaving now. If you can come to our house tomorrow morning, Sheena wants to meet and talk to you.” She wipes her tears and leaves.
Rahul calls her back: “Debanjali… listen…”
Sheena asks very excitedly: “What were you talking about so much with him?”
Debanjali was surprised to see Sheena ask her very casually, even if Sheena noticed tears in her eyes.
Sheena: “Why are you crying? What happened?”
Debanjali becomes very angry: “That means everything was planned from before.”
Sheena: “Nothing, just like that.”
Debanjali: “You think everything is a joke.”
