Story: The Reunion
The Porsche blew a cloud of dust as it breezed through the coconut lined mud road leading up the white-washed bungalow. The caretaker swung open the large wrought iron gates and gave a ‘salam’ to the good-looking ‘ saab’ who drove the car. There were two other cars already parked in the palm tree lined compound — a rented BMW and a Wagener.
The California couple and the loser Vikas, Arjun judged from the cars while instructing the caretaker to take the crates of beer and whiskey inside the bungalow. He took off his Gucci shades and looked around the idyllic old cottage, the unkempt compound and the rushing, gushing sea beyond. A white washed wall ran across the compound and there was a smaller wrought iron gate leading to the rocky beach.
“Hey, finally the star arrives!”
He turned as he heard the long lost voice of Shayan, followed by Somiya and Viraj. They ran up to him and hugged each other.
“So we finally meet”, gushed Viraj almost shaking with excitement. They take a long and languid look at each other. Assessing the changes brought in by the years– trying to reconstruct those faces that were once as familiar as the back of their hands, the faces that meant everything.
But where is Ananya? Arjun asks his eyes searching around for the slip of a girl who had once meant the world to him.
“On her way”, quips Somiya .
It had been ten years since college. Ten years of fighting the world, of finding your footing, building careers, money, marriages- the works. Looking back at the golden years spent at the Mumbai engineering college, days of smoking weed, bunking classes, sleeping on the terrace, the terrible fights, the bruises , the student politics and above all friendship and love. And the farewell trip to Alibagh, and ending up sleeping with the wrong woman. It all seems like a blur now, a distant dream that could have been a little different.
A car screeches to a halt, it’s an Uber — a woman steps out. She looks like an apparition in a flowing white dress. Her long silken tress flying in the gentle sea breeze, she is no longer the reed thin slip of a girl in blue jeans and short hair. The years seemed to have suited her the most, the lanky frame has filled out with the right amount of flesh and curves. Her angelic face has become a tad roundish — and as she flashes her million dollars smile at the group, Arjun remembers exactly why he had fallen for this girl- woman.
The beach is not what they remember it to be like. The rocks are a nuisance. They walk almost a mile to reach a spot that looks safe to bathe in, they sit on the beach with their beers- Ananya, Somiya, Shayan take to the water while Arjun and Viraj sit on the sand and look on.
During college days Viraj had always been by Arjun’s side, so much so that some nasty ones joked that he was Arjun’s pet. Arjun fostered Viraj like a brother paying for everything he needed, even a few semesters, it is rumoured. Arjun was the quintessential rich guy in the midst of middle class nerds. He was good-looking and academics came to him effortlessly even as others slogged over it. The snub nosed, curly haired Somiya was a sexy siren in college where the nerdy boys looked up to her like a diva. Shayan was one such nerdy boy, a state topper with a quick wit. Everyone said he was destined for great things in life.
Viraj was the odd one out, struggling with his studies and getting into engineering college with the help of some quota- an eccentric mix who stuck up an unusual friendship in the first week of college. Then came along Annaya, the lanky but pretty girl whom everyone wanted to sit beside or befriend. She had precariously when and sat beside Somya on the first day of her college — the only girl in class who had looked normal to her. As the days rolled on their friendship strengthened, finding and compensating each other with what they lacked or owned — humour, wit, wisdom, money, self-righteousness, and honesty. BY the end of the first year Somiya and Shayan were a couple and Arjun was head over heels in love with Annaya.
Annaya looked gorgeous in a pink swim dress…playing in the water with Somiya and Shayan. It seemed as if the clock had turned back to the time when thirty crazy people from engineering college partied two days and nights — in Aligabh. The sea, sand, booze and secretly smuggled drugs, with a bunch of love stuck youths. From the very start it had been a perfect recipe for disaster.
As Annaya came out of the water and walked towards them, Arjun’s heart started pounding against his chest, feeling like an awkward teen he outstretched his hand offering her a bottle of beer. Annaya conveniently ignored him and took away the beer bottle Viraj was drinking from.
“So Viraj, still working at the Nasik factory?”
“No, left it a while back. Now working in Mumbai as a consultant and also help Arjun on and off.”
Arjun’s father had been an industrialist and Arjun had joined his father’s business after working in Europe for a couple of years as an electrical engineer. Somiya and Shayan had moved to the states after interning separately and have bagged high-flying jobs after completing MBA, before getting married and starting a family. Viraj too had managed get a well paying job with some help and references from Arjun. Annaya had interned at a factory in Noida and had moved to London with a job, married a colleague and got divorced within two years of marriage. “It’s complicated ” she had said when her friends asked her for a reason. Arjun understood how difficult it was to stay married to someone you didn’t love. How difficult it was to share a bed with someone when all the time you are thinking of someone else.
Now as Annaya flirted with Viraj all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and say sorry. He wanted to get some time with her, to talk to her face to face. An opportunity she has denied him all these years. Staying in touch but staying aloof, shunning all explanation, apologies and conversation about that fateful night.
After having a heavy lunch of Konkani Prawn curry, chicken and rice cooked by the caretaker’s wife -everyone retires to their respective rooms for a quick nap. The travelling, sea breeze and beer makes Arjun’s eyelids heavy…but he wants to stay awake and speak to Annaya.
“Come in” Annaya says as Arjun knocks at Annaya’s door.
She had changed into a powder blue chikan dress and looks so pretty that, Arjun almost falters with his words.
“Hey Arjun what’s up she says with her hands on the hips, looking for some casual sex are you?”
“Can you get over it for God’s sake” Arjun retorts, the hurt showing in his eyes.
“That was ten years ago, a mistake. I was stoned, drunk and I mistook someone for you. It was just sex, unmindful. You knew I was in love with you and then you just ran away? Just like that, not giving me a chance to explain. Acting cold all these years….Please Annaya its time that we reconcile.”
“Yes Arjun, it was just sex, nothing much. It’s just that I was so looking forward to making out with you. Had planned everything- candles, a pink dotty negligee, silly me! So what do you do when you see your boyfriend fucking another woman? Shrug off and move on?”
The evening was a dreamy affair. The compound was lit with fairy lights; the table led out with world class liquors, and accompanying delicacies- fritter, fish fries, roasted chickens. There was music and Viraj had arranged for some old numbers to which they grooved to in their college days.
It certainly felt like the olden days when they would steal time to get together at some forgotten corner of the campus to simply gossip, play the guitar and sing.
Everyone had dressed up for the evening as they wanted to look good for the pictures. The Aligabh trip was in the offing for almost a year now, and it took some serious effort to get everyone together after all these years. Annaya was wearing a mid length black dress that complimented her figure and peaches and cream complexion perfectly. Her red lips and loose flowing hair made her look irresistible so much so that all the men took stolen glances at her. Somya’s sex appeal on the other hand had mellowed with age. She looked pretty in a maroon halter neck dress and matching danglers.
As the evening progressed with unequivocal merriment and the group started getting drunk in unison- Annaya started flirting with Shayan. Years of working in a white-collared job in the States and a well endowed lifestyle had made Shayan quite attractive. The present Shayan was a far cry from the be-spectacled shrivelled boy, with oil sleeked hair who used to stick out like sore thumb in the group for his nerdy looks. Now in his early thirties he looked like the picture-postcard boy with all the right pointers for success.
While Somya chosen to ignore Annaya’s fliring with Shayan, Arjun started feeling increasingly uneasy about it. Arjun had never seen Annaya flirt with anyone, in fact she always managed to shy away from undue attention. This was another Annaya, different from the one he knew and loved. There was a touch of malice in her that unnerved Arjun.
When the party broke up it was well past three a.m. Somya was the first one to retire, followed by Viraj. Arjun lay half-asleep in the hammock with his black shirt unbuttoned down to the navel. Annaya and Shayan stood against the wrought iron gate facing the sea, watching the sea retreat gradually after the high-tide.
“Let’s walk to the beach,” Annaya said.
“Come on Annaya its still dark, it’s not safe to go out there,” Shayan replied in a slurry voice.
Annaya replied with a full bodied kiss, forcing open Shayan’s mouth with her tongue. Shayan returned the kiss, first hesitantly and then with all the lust and vigour of a married man seeking out an attractive woman.
Annaya unlatched the gate and stepped over the rocks, now barefoot to keep her balance over the slippery rocks. With one hand she held the mobile phone torch light shining on the glistening rocks with the other hand she guided the unsteady Shayan. They manoeuvred the rocks with difficulty, to reach stretch of sand where they could finally relax and lay down. Keeping the phone glowing beside her she unzipped her dress and took it off. Shayan couldn’t take his eyes off from her beautiful body which was awash with the moonlight.
“Oh Annaya you are so beautiful,” he said even as he lowered his mouth to touch her breasts. Annaya took off his shirt and started kissing him with passion.
As they entwined into each other one craving sex and excitement and the other, revenge…a human form appeared in the balcony of the bungalow. Staring at the moonlit beach where two people lay exploring each other’s bodies.
After almost an hour, Annnya walks up to the bungalow, drenched and soiled with the sand all over her body but smiling to herself.
“You bitch,” Somya said softly as Annnya walked past the wrought iron gate. Arjun sat beside Somya holding her hands.
“Where is he?”
“Passed out on the beach, apparent he had not worked hard on anyone lately, and to my surprise it was good!” Annaya said with malice in her voice.
Somya in her rage got up to hit her but Arjun pulled her by the hand.
How could you Annaya? Arjun asked his voice barely audible.
“Just as you could fuck each other, that night in Alibagh,” Annaya replied. “The one you mistakenly had sex with was no nameless girl but Somya, that summer she had straightened her hair. You were both drunk and thought I wouldn’t know. Everyone thought that Arjun was caught with some random girl, but I knew, it was you Somya even when you thought you have hidden yourself well.”
Arjun and Somya looked at each other in shock even as Annaya walked up to her room in silence.
The countless nights she had spent crying over her love and the way she was cheated by her close friends, mattered to her. Sex mattered and now she has beaten them at their own game!
