It’s Three now…it’s no more four- the gang of three girls and Not four. Definitely difficult for Jyoti, Meenu and myself to accept that Tejal is no more staying with us in Bangalore and she has shifted to Pune.
The time we spent before she went to Pune was very good. I remember when Tejal and I started from home towards Leela to have the Barista blast and Almond frappe at 10:30 in the night and caught badly by Meenu. Enough of scolding and then we had to get inside the car and all three of us had gone to the Barista there. I had Meenu’s share of chocolate-walnut muffin. Then we took some pictures and came back home after that.
The treat to Tejal was not over. We thought of buying her something nice and Meenu and I had gone to pick up a smart white winter jacket for her. Jyoti and Chhotu were terribly hungry and kept calling us to go for dinner. We had gone to Tandoor and had awesome Punjabi food. One of the best evenings we four had spent together and then we started discussing about our 1st day experience with each other in the house. Jyoti’s and my part was funny…Jyoti was surprised with the way I used to speak over phone for ours and I was thinking that girl was mad, watching me all the time in my house. Meenu thought that I was a girl with lots of attitude and emailed all her friends explaining the same. Thank God- Chhotu had thought all good about me. Now the first impression does not matter to anyone of us at all, rather it has turned into a laughter bag for all of us.
We had already started missing Tejal though she had not left Bangalore by then. I was afraid of the time when Tejal would not be around and I would have to do lots of things alone. Meenu n Jyoti work till late hours which makes the house even more depressing. When I go back from office, for the next four hours there would be nobody at home, it’s definitely upsetting coz I hate loneliness.
Two more days were there for Tejal to leave Bangalore. Two days prior to that Jyoti had to leave for Goa, and then Meenu, Chhotu and I were there at home. It was 22nd Dec when I was going home and Tejal was supposed to leave on 23rd Dec. On that Thursday night we again dragged Meenu with us to have ice-cream, but unfortunately the plan failed and Meenu sunao me so much. Next day morning everything was fine and three of us had clicked lots of pictures together in out room, with our Merc. Then we had gone together for lunch...our favorite place- Indi Joe. Meenu dedicated our favorite song, Phoolon ka taaron ka sab ka kehna hai…to Chhotu. Again clicked some pictures there and I started for the railway station.
All of us were upset but I was more worried for Meenu. After Tejal and I leaved, she would be all alone for the next couple of days, I was afraid she would be broken when Tejal left coz she had to face the same what I was going to face after a week- Loneliness. Our eyes were full with tears when I hugged Tejal for the last time but I held my tears back till I left home and boarded the train. The same had happened to Meenu, it’s not good to send people off. Meenu was sort of fine- lost a few kilos of weight though- when I was back from home. I have almost stopped staying in my house and most the time I am with my Mama- Mami after I am back from Bhubaneswar coz I hate the loneliness in the house when Tejal is not around.
Nobody is indispensable and it is a universally accepted truth. We’ll start living without Tejal in the same house yet we’ll miss her all the time. Things are still named after her even when she is not around- Tejal’s room, Chhotu’s cup-board, Chhotu’s smiley-ball and the list goes on n on n on…Chhotu just a line for you...the sky is dark when the moon is not there even if there are thousands of stars in it. We miss you…
