Madhu waved everyone goodbye and then went in her room to change. When she came out in her pajamas she saw Vijaya kissing Kishore before he left at last.
Madhu walked in the midst of party hats, spilled alcohol and splashes of food all over the place, as she saw Vijaya trying to say something to her but she didn't.
"So that happened," she grinned foolishly.
Madhu noticed the ring. It must be the same one Kishore had lied to her about.
"Yeah, um I forgot to even congratulate you," Madhu hugged her awkwardly, fighting back tears. She pulled back. "You are going to call me at the wedding right?"
Vijaya hit her on the shoulder. "Don't be so obvious re baba."
"Your parents would allow this?"
"They like Kishore, and they don't mind having the marriage both ways, you know, the South Indian and North Indian rituals."
"Hey, two weddings, better for me, right?" Madhu struggled to smile.
"But I don't care about them. What I care about is how you feel about Kishore," Vijaya asked, grabbing Madhu's hand and leading her to the sofa.
Madhu played with her fingers. "I like him a lot. I mean he's a very decent man and he earns good."
"But I'm just twenty four," she turned sideways, with her face contorting into a frown. "I shouldn't have said yes, right? Right?"
That was the moment Madhu had. She could just tell her that Kishore has a dark streak or something else and Vijaya would have agreed. But there was earnestness in Vijaya's eyes, something that told Madhu that she had to be less than honest about it.
"Saying yes was the one thing you did right in this life," she chuckled.
Vijaya playfully smirked and Madhu wrapped her arms around her best friend.
"You do realize I have to move out right? Kishore had already been talking about staying with him since we are you know engaged..."
The words had trailed off; for Madhu had been dreading this moment. Vijaya was going to leave her and Madhu- with no job, no family and no friend- was going to stay the rest of her life all alone.
That's an exaggeration. She told herself. But is it really?
"You can move out whenever you like. I'll look for another tenant since I can't pay the landlord the whole money."
"I'll look for the other roommate, I promise." Vijaya put her head on Madhu's shoulder. "I'll miss you a lot. I don't feel like going."
"But we gotta move on, right? We all have to."
Madhu pursed her lips for she knew how hard it was for her.
"I love you."
Madhu closed her eyes and hoped everything would be all right.
*
Madhu woke up to the sound of bell. She realized she had dozed off with Vijaya curled up around her body like a baby. She tried to put her arms around Vijaya and then slowly slipped away from her. She made her way to the door, scratching her head and yawning in the process.
She turned the doorknob and opened the door to witness a familiar face standing in front of her. A tall man, slender in physique, with the recognizable pencil mustache and a dangling hair strand on his pale forehead. Ashok Dogra. He had a charismatic grin spread across his face.
"I must have disturbed at the wrong time, I presume."
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