M&M

The fresher’s party is now at its peak. M&M are engrossed in their Govinda routine when the tap on the mic makes them look up. The organising committee president smiles at the crowd. “It’s time to announce the names,” he says and the crowd goes into a frenzy. M looks at her best friend, shakes her head and pushes him toward the stage.

Of course his name his announced the very next moment, and of course she knew. He’s the most handsome guy she’s ever seen (in real life obviously! Dude thinks he stands a chance in front of Chris Evans?), he’s funny and he’s friends with everyone. But she didn’t know her name would be announced too. M looks at her, beaming from the stage as she stands amidst the crowd, clueless.

When they initiate the first dance, M still has the shades of that shock on her face. She looks at M who is busy watching a girl in the distance.

“She’ll think you’re a creep, May!” M widens her eyes at him.

“No way. My charm will ensure that never happens,” he says and winks.

“You’re so high up your own ass!” M says but smiles at him.

After the snacks are served, and almost the entire class has complimented how good they both look together: he in his black polyester suit and she in her yellow silk gown, and after they’re done ridiculing most of the crowd, M&M set out on their mission.

They run up a flight of stairs, M racing ahead and M chasing her with a few choice expletives they use for each other with such affection that any couple would be envious of.

When he catches up with her though—almost bumping into her—he’s bewildered as she’s standing still. She looks like she’s reliving the announcement from some time ago, only all the happiness from the evening has vanished from her face. When he looks where she’s looking, he sees a couple at the end of the corridor, their faces familiar, as they lean in and M quickly grabs M’s hand. M squeezes back M’s hand and closes her eyes shut. The best of friends who have always gone through everything together, stand there as their hearts break, together.

*

“Okay come on, let’s go,” M says as he tries to pull M off her bed.

“No I don’t want to. Go away,” she says as she grabs on to a pillow.

“You’re telling me to go away? Over a boy you just met? Shame on you, Lily,” he says as he lets go of her hand. She looks up at him to check if he’s really angry by any chance. When he stares at her, his eyes bulging, she smiles and rolls over.

“Okay. Come here and let’s just sob together. Deal?” she says, her voice muffles under the sheets.

“No. Let’s go,” he says as he tries to pull the sheet off her face. When she doesn’t let go, he lifts her up in his arms and steps off the bed.

“What the fuck, May! Let go of me you moron,” she says laughing her guts out. He does, and she’s up on her feet, shaking her head and pulling her hair in a pony. “Mom is definitely gonna think we were having sex up here.”

“Don’t worry. Even though she knows you cannot be trusted, she trusts me. A lot actually,” M quips as he starts wearing his shoes.

“Fuck off,” she says as she looks in the mirror. He flips the bird right back at her. 

“Where are we going though?”

*

“This is so beautiful. Isn’t it?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m freezing my nuts off,” M retorts.

“Ovaries,” M corrects her.

“Go away, sexist,” she answers as she sits on the blanket M has laid on the grass and then pulls a shawl around herself.

“Makes no sense,” M says hopping right next to her. He opens the box of pizza they bought on the way. “It has been 84 years,” he says as he grabs a slice. “How have you been my love?”

“Stop flirting with my soulmate and tell me what we’re doing here,” she says as she tries to decide which slice is the biggest.

“Who needs reasons to have a good time?” he says as he tries to talk while having cheese orgasms. “Seriously, I planned this entire picnic for you. We’re sitting on a blanket by the lake under the moonlight having pizza. And all you’re doing is complaining.”

“Aww my little Floyd Mayweather,” she says and hugs him while ignoring a ‘fuck you’ that he’s muttered in response to her nickname for her. “I wish I could date you. You’re the best.”

“Then date me”

“What?”

“What?”

“May, stop being May for a moment. What are you trying to say?” M says sitting up straight facing him.

“I’m just saying if you want to date me then date me. Don’t just wish for things. Do something about it,” M says as he finishes off his slice.

“May look at me.” M does. “Do you want to date me?”

“No,” he says as he grabs another slice.

“Then why would you say that thing?” she says making him face her again.

“Because you said you wish you could date me. Do you really wish that?” he says, lifting his brow.

“No,” she says looking at the box of pizza that sits between them.

“So why did you say that in the first place?” he asks.

“I don’t know. I just meant if only I could date someone like you. Someone I am so comfortable with, someone who does things for me I never even expect,” M says as she looks at the lake. “That Riddhi girl has no idea what she’s lost.”

“But you already have me, Lily.”

“What?” she asks looking back at him.

“You already have me, your best friend. Why do you need another one?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.

“Because we both need other people to date? Isn’t that obvious?” M looks at him suspiciously.

“Yeah, that’s not what I mean. If you want to date someone, date that guy. But why would you want to date someone like me when you already have me? Don’t you need someone different? Won’t that be too much to handle?” He stares at her, dead serious.

“Too much what? Goodness?” she says, giggling a little. “And don’t look at me like that.”

“Don’t flatter me to change the topic, Lily.”

“What? I’m serious. I call you up when I’m in trouble. You’re always there for me, even if I’m freaking out over a dog-eared page in TFIOS. You’re… I don’t know what comparison to use. You’re the best. What’s wrong in expecting that my boyfriend would be good enough?”

“See,” M says as he takes her hands in his. “That’s what I’m saying. If you need a person who is just one call away, who hypes you up, who entertains all your bullshit, you already have me. Don’t you?”

“I do. But I don’t want you to be only doing that all the time. If I find someone else, and you find someone else, you wouldn’t be busy with me all the time,” she says, sighing.

“Stuck? Shut up,” he says with a tired face. He takes a long breath, but then remembers something. “Wait, are you worried I’ll fall in love with you?”

“May…”

“Don’t May me.”

“That’s not what I was saying. I was saying that it’s different in a relationship. You have your own person. But yeah, I don’t want you to. And I don’t want myself to be totally dependent on you, too,” she says, shutting her eyes.

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Of course. I’m sure you’re a good kisser,” she says, throwing a smile his way. “But when we break up—“

“If”

“—if we break up, we’ll lose what we have now. And I can’t afford that.” A tear slips from the corner of her eye despite the tightly shut eyelids.

For a moment, no one talks. M wipes another tear with the back of her hand while M sits staring at the lake.

“Can’t we just be enough for each other?” M asks, still looking at the lake. “Can’t I be your person? You’re already my person anyway.”

“M…”

“You can share anything with me right? And I have never failed you. We have been there for each other for years now. Why do you need a different ‘your own person?’ You have me and I have you and why isn’t that enough?” He throws a stone in the lake, trying to make it skip but it sinks.

“What if one of us finds a better person? What if one of us gets bored? What if one of us gets tired of the other? What if you get tired of me?” she says, the tears now making a beeline.

“I so want to say that won’t happen but I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I can’t make false promises. But if that happens, that’ll happen someday in the future, right? Don’t punish the both of us for what you think might happen someday.” He tries skipping a stone again, but keeps on failing.

“Punish the both of us? Dude, yeah sure I had a crush on Rajdeep. But I didn’t force you to have a crush on Saba. This is what I’m saying. We’re always gonna like other people.

“We’ll see what to do when we like someone. Also I didn’t have a crush on her. I just wanted to give you company,” he says and looks at her. “Man, its good Raj is with Saba. He would’ve totally run away watching you drop snot on a picnic blanket.”

“Shut up,” she says hitting his arm and smiling. “What if I want to kiss someone?”

“Kiss me then. I could totally let you kiss me for say 100 bucks per makeout session.”

“Asshole,” M says as she hits his arm again. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Should I tell you honestly?”

“Okay?”

“You’re totally gonna date all kinds of guys and dump them coz no one’s good enough and you’re gonna end up 30, all alone, crying yourself to sleep in your parents’ house and then I’ll have to marry you out of pity,” he says shaking his head.”

“Fuck off asshole,” she says as she starts hitting him, not in a playful way this time. He starts running away as she starts pulling off her sneakers to hurl at him.

“Do whatever you want Lily. You can’t change the future. 10 years from now, you’re gonna be at your wedding and you’re gonna step out of the car and look at the names on the arch studded with flowers and you’re gonna realise someone’s made a blunder—”

“SHUT UP,” she says hurling the shoe at him, laughing and having the time of her life as he ducks it.

“As the announcement’s gonna read—”

“ASSHOLE,” she says as she starts chasing him again.

“Mayank beds Maithili.”

“FUCK YOU!” she shouts as she follows him, and hears him shout back an “I love you too baby.”