As planned Dr. Pallavi peeped from behind Guru and looked at Tanvi with a curious glance as if she was trying to recognize her.
“Hey! Excuse me.” she looked at Tanvi, “by any chance, are you Tanvi?”
“Yes! I am…” Tanvi also reacted, feigning equal curiosity.
“Didn’t you recognize me? I’m Pallavi, Tina’s elder sister…”
“O.M.G.” Tanvi said enthusiastically now showing that she had recognized her, “Pallavi di… How are you?” she said getting up and hugging her, “I heard you all have shifted abroad… How’s Tina doing?”
“She’s good and excited living in her new surrounding and her new friends. So nice to see you again…”
“We have finished our lunch and about to order ice cream – why don’t you join us?”
“I certainly will.” Pallavi said smiling at everyone.
“Let me introduce – he’s Guru – my hubby.”
“O.M.G.” Pallavi said looking astonished, “married? – I remember you as a school girl who used to visit our home with your shy sister to play with Tina after your school.”
Tanvi looked mysteriously and pointed at Anjali, “Don’t you remember her? She is Anjali – my shy sister.”
“Oh! My…’ she said looking at Anjali, “she’s grown up into a beautiful woman.” she looked at Anjali who was trying to remember Tina and her sister who was now talking to her as to when she had met them. “You married too?”
Anjali blushed and shook her head, “I’m engaged to get married to him. I’m his fiancée …”
Pallavi looked at Chaits even as Tanvi introduced him, “he is Chaitanya. Though he is Guru’s best friend – they are like real brothers to each other and now – he also is my foster son.” she started laughing.
“Good to know that…” Pallavi said beaming at everyone, “I’m sure all of you are going to be a closely knit family – forever – this is a rare and a lucky occurrence…” she then looked at Anjali, “That was quite a story you related.”
“It’s not a story – I was telling the truth…”
“So – where’s this guy – Sunny?”
“He is not here. I scolded him and asked him to stay put in my room till I return.”
“Oh! I would have loved to meet such a noble minded friend of yours. You don’t find such friends nowadays. I find him interesting. Could you tell us more about him?”
“I will – I don’t want to hide anything from him.” she said looking at Chaits. She looked at Chaits and lowered her glance.
“Go on – we are all ears…” Guru prodded her to continue.
“Since the day I returned from the hospital, my parents have been behaving weird. Sunny is always there with me in my room – they completely ignore his existence. They say that I imagine him…” she said in a sad tone, “Tell me. Do I look imaginary to you? Do all of us here, look imaginary to everyone?”
“No dear,” Pallavi said, “We are real people.”
“Exactly” Anjali said, “You call us real because you can see us sitting and chatting with each other. Sunny is in my room. I see him. I talk to him. He keeps me entertained with his clownish acts – he fetches me food sometimes, when I feel hungry around midnight – how can he be imaginary?”
She looked at puzzled expressions on everyone and continued, “After the accident, I thought – I lost him forever.” She said pointing at Chaits and looked at Pallavi… “I had a horrible time when I was recovering from the accident. My parents used to enter my room – only to serve me food or put medicines in my mouth. Then, they used to disappear for long time. It was Sunny who tended my recovery. He used to keep me company day in day out – never sleeping. He gave me water when I felt thirsty, got fruits from the refrigerator and forced me to eat them so that I can recover faster. When I used to get bored – he used to put on my favourite TV channels. It’s because of him that I recovered …”
Pallavi looked at Anjali who seemed to be desperate to convince others of her conviction – Sunny’s existence…
“That really is so kind of him. Doesn’t he go and visit his home? Do his parents come to meet him?”
“No.” she said in a confused tone – this thought had never occurred to her, “I have never seen his parents come and visit him at our home. Once in a month or so he tells me that he’s going home to meet his parents and goes off – however, he returns in few minutes to keep me company …”
“Don’t you get angry on him for being your shadow?”
“Not really. I was angry on him once. It was a few months after I recovered. I thanked him for taking my care during my recovery and he said that he would do anything for his girlfriend – me…” she looked at changing expression of Chaits and continued, “I scolded him for such nonsense talks to which he laughed and explained – I was his best friend and a girl – he was my best friend and a boy – so this way he was a Boy and My friend – My Boyfriend.” she giggled at this explanation.
‘From what I understand – Chaits doesn’t like Sunny – especially when he is with you.” Tanvi said.
Anjali looked at Chaits, her eyes oozing love, “Darling – don’t you worry. He is only my Best Friend. It’s you who I love – There’s nobody and won’t be anybody who can take your place in my heart – I was yours – I still am yours – and I will be yours forever – no matter what happens to us in our lives…”
Pallavi nodded, noting this point and asked her, “Let’s say there comes a point when you may have to choose between your best friend and him – your love.”
“Of course – I’ll be with Chaits.” she replied instantaneously, the pupils of her eyes turning heart shaped as she blushed, “I can’t live without you Chaits – in such a scenario – Sunny will have to go out of my life. I can’t choose him over you. I know it’ll be difficult for me to say Good Bye to him – especially when he has taken so much care of me in your absence … But, he will have to go…”
“Okay guys – you all enjoy.” Pallavi said getting up. “I got a conference to attend. Tanvi, do meet me before you leave for Mumbai.”
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