A farewell

I love airports. I haven’t been there many times and the very few times that took me there…always had me in tears. I love them nevertheless.

Yesterday or more precisely in the early hours of this morning three of my friends left for the USA. This post is about my whole experience of watching them leave.

At around 4PM in the noon yesterday, I went to Box’s house so I can bid them farewell, as they were getting ready for their new ventures. The moment I entered, she gave me a packet full of some American chocolates (that I finished in two hours or so). We chatted for sometime, listened to some English music and laughed about not understanding a single word of the lyrics yet trying to sing them aloud as if the world was ours… Box was showing off her posh hair cut that she had got done at some parlor for 650 rupees :P. Was finding it so cute to see her looking into the mirror at least three hundred times yesterday :D

A little later she started showing some of the things that she was taking to the US. And among them were the two letters I wrote to her… one was in third year of engineering while exams were going on when she jokingly asked me for a Snickers chocolate and I couldn’t stop myself from buying one for her. I also wrote a letter and dropped it along with the chocolate into her bag as a surprise. Stupid Box dint notice the gift until I messaged her on my own to check her bag.

Needless to say, she was damn happy! She messaged me back saying that she is feeling really great for the fact that I wrote a letter for her despite having an exam the next day.

Another letter… or I rather say CARD I made for her on her birthday. The card was so full of smiles, my love added with a bountiful of insecurity. I told her not to forget me when she went abroad to which she always replied- how will I?

Reading my own letters made me cry. Just made me realize how difficult it is to not to have them around for a span of two years. I cried…thinking of future, if there is anyone at all left to take care of me like they did for all these years. I would miss their cheerful faces, I would miss chatting with them, I would miss their voices, the fun…. I would miss out on everything.

I got back to normal in a few minutes. We laughed again, we had dinner, we continued chatting and Box... she was still talking to us… while adjusting her hair of course :D.

11PM- the time for us to start for the airport. She held her luggage; she wore her new branded shoes, was smiling and laughing…so excited she was. Maybe inside she was crying… but it is amazing how she smiles hiding her grief within. It is tough for anyone…. to leave your family and go away to a place so far that you wouldn’t be able to see those faces again for 365+365 days. (I know web cams are available…still…)

But I was crying… seeing all of that I was crying. I felt like hugging her and not letting her go. I felt like telling her that I need her as much as I need my family.

We got into the car. I luckily had a chance to sit beside her while she held my hand into hers and started with her ever so lively blabber. That’s the best thing about her. Some people cry with you, others just try to bring a smile on your face…you know they just cannot see you sad.

We laughed again. In between a few tears did roll down my cheeks but then… I told you… she wouldn’t let us cry… so we laughed … :)

And then we got down at the airport. Met the other two friends- Harika and Divya and a whole lot of their relatives. They were obviously getting busier with each passing moment. Div came by and gave me a hug and told me not to cry. It made me cry again.

Harika and I, just exchanged a few glances… don’t know why. It still baffles me. We are apparently the thickest of friends …like I always said… nobody knows me better than what she does. She knows the good… and the bad in me... just everything … yet… yesterday was a complete mystery. I’m just assuming that some things are better not said. And so she preferred not to :O

While box gave me back those glances just to check if I was all right. With her sweet lil gestures she kept saying- Plz don’t cry Div.

All through this Shailu too kept saying- Don’t cry Div, they would not want to see us sad while leaving.

That’s how she controlled her plight.

But how would not I cry? They are my best friends. And it obviously hurts to see them leave. And I never learned to hide my feelings – love, hate, insecurity, possessiveness, anger…whatever!

And they left… smiling and waving.

On the way back home, I cried again. I was rather afraid to live a life without them.
I thought to myself– Shailu is my baby, I got to take care of her… but who would take care of me?
And just then she held my hand…tightly…assuring me that she is still there. Babies are the biggest joy of your life… and sometimes they even prove the biggest support!

It was 4AM when i received a text message, I wondered who might have sent me a message to me at the time of the night... it was Lena's I missed you message. Janu i dint have enough balance in my cell to sms you to say that I wont be online :(

This is probably the last post I’m writing for this year unless I really get an urge to write something. (That can even be tomorrow :D ). So Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all!!

P.S - I’m in delhi from 28th of December to don’t-know-when. So I might not get a chance to visit your blogs … please bear with my absence ;)