sonu kumar
Posted On: 09-04-2019
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Half Girlfriend

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Forty One

'I'm so ashamed, I can’t even look at you guys,' I said, eyes down.
I sat at the dining table in Shailesh’s house. I had brought muffins,
bagels, cream cheese, fresh orange juice, takeaway coffee and fruit
from Dean and Deluca, a neighbourhood deli.
Shailesh did not respond,
‘When did you come back? And when did you get so much
food?’Jyoti said.
‘I came back at 6. I tried to sleep but the guilt wouldn’t let me. So I
went out and got breakfast.’
Jyoti said, ‘You need not have bothered. We were so worried about
you last night.'
‘No, we weren’t,’ Shailesh cut Jyoti off.
I said to her,‘Sorry, Jyoti. I behaved like an ass in front of your
friend. I embarrassed you guys. Luckily, I wili be gone soon.’
Shailesh didn’t say anything. He just stared at me without a word.
‘Shailesh, I'm sorry. I had too much wine. I didn’t know Greek wine
was so potent,'
‘That’s not the point, Madhav. We all get high and have fun. You
disrespected us. Priya felt horrible. You ruined a special evening,'
‘I’m sorry. You are right.’
‘Did you see yourself? Staggering on the road screaming “five
more bars”. What has happened to you?’
‘It’s sinking in finally. I might never meet Riya again. It is the
realization that my effort was a waste. It got to me yesterday.’
‘You are still visiting places. Five bars, five bars, you kept saying.
What the fuck, Madhav?’
'I never went. I couldn’t. I passed out.’
‘How did you get home?’Jyoti said.
‘I woke up shivering near a bus stop. Took a cab and came home.’
Jyoti and Shailesh looked at each other.
‘You might be right, Shailesh. I may need a psychiatrist,’ I said.Shailesh gave me a sarcastic smile.
Jyoti took the cream cheese and applied it on three bagels. I took a
sip of black coffee.
‘Anyway, guys, I’m sorry I lost control. I hurt you guys, after all
you have done for me. Enough is enough. No more visiting live music
venues.’
‘Really? Promise?’ Shailesh took a bite of his bagel.
‘Yes. I want to finish my final report. I want to see a bit more of
New York, even though it’s snowing and cold. More than anything, I
want to spend my remaining free time with you both, because who
knows when we will meet again.’
Jyoti smiled. She looked at Shailesh, gesturing for him to forgive
me.
‘And if Priya is brave enough to meet me once more, I will
apologize to her, too.’
Shailesh stood up. He came around to give me a bear hug.
'Is it okay? Say something,’ I said to him.
‘Idiot you are, what else to say?’ Shailesh smiled.
Bye, Riya Somoni, I said in my head.
*
‘What size? Speak louder, I can’t hear you,’ I said to my mother
over the phone.
I had come to a store called Century 21 to buy gifts for people back
home.
‘Take large size, and get me a cardigan with buttons,’ she said.
I had brought candies for the entire school. It was not the smartest
idea. I now needed a new suitcase just to carry the treats.
‘Cardigan is done. Do you need anything else?’
‘I need some bras. I heard you get good ones there.’
‘Bye, Ma.’
*
One week before the internship ended, I handed over my final
report to Olara.‘Thank you, Madhav. I look forward to reading your work,’ he
said.
‘Thanks, Olara.You’ve been a great guide these past few month...’
‘Well, you are a bright man. Did you finally apply for a permanent
position?’
‘I leave for India next Sunday.’
Olara smiled and patted my back.
I returned to my desk. My phone had a missed call from a contact I
had saved as ‘Erica,Tribeca Nation singer’.
I called her back.
‘Hi,’ I said as she picked up the call.
‘Hi. Mad-dav, right?’ she said.
‘Yes, the Indian guy you met at Tribeca Nation.’
‘How are you? You were looking for someone, right?’
Warmth tingled through me. I told myself to calm down. I had
promised Shailesh I’d quit.
‘Yes. I was.’
‘Any luck?’
‘Nope,’ I said.
‘Okay, so I don’t have much. This will confuse you even more.
But there could be a new tall Indian girl who sings.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I overheard.’
‘Who from?’
‘Customers at the bar.They spoke about this good-looking singer
and were trying to guess her nationality. Indian features, but quite fair-
complexioned, that’s what they said. So it reminded me of you.’
‘And? What else did they say?’
‘They said she sang quite well. Jazz, a bit of rock...’
‘What? No, I mean where? Where did they hear her? Did you ask
them?’
‘Well, yes. They said at the Union Square Farmer’s Market on 14th
Street.’‘Is it a bar?’
‘No, a farmer’s market is like a street fair. They have organic food
stalls, and a couple of random gigs sometimes.’
‘So what do I do?’
‘I don’t know. Sorry, they didn’t know more.’
‘Will the fair organizers know?’
‘I doubt it. Its too huge a place.You call check. Take train number
four to Union Square.’
‘Okay,’ I said.
‘Sorry, Mad-dav. I said I would confuse you. But that day you said
you don’t even know if she is here. Well, she might be.’
‘Thanks, Erica.’

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