Reading Time: 5 min
Vaishali looked at her phone anxiously. Her fingers had been hovering over the screen, itching to text him a happy birthday. She scrolled down her call logs to see when was the last call – it had been a month since she last heard his voice. They say the voice is the first thing that you forget but she refused to believe so. Things with him were going well. They met 15 months ago at a party and the chemistry between them was palpable. They started dating soon. With good jobs and stable lives, they were happy together.
She wondered if she made a mistake by asking him if they should move in together. She believed it was the right time in the relationship and a logical step to move things forward. Bodhi did not seem to think so. Vaishali expected that there would be some reluctance, but he seemed uncharacteristically aghast at this idea. What followed was unnecessary animosity and avoidable arguments. Vaishali suggested they should take a break for some time. That some time became a week and that week became a month, that was tonight.
She remembered his first birthday. She surprised him with a home-cooked meal and his favourite bottle of whiskey. What do you gift a man, who has almost everything? He was giddy with happiness when he entered her home. It was still her favourite memory of him, the way he blushed and fumbled with words as he did not expect this within 2 months of dating. She smiled remembering his face. She shouted out loud to herself, “I will call him today and I will wish him, and I will tell him that I love him, and we can wait till he feels ready to move in. No pressure.”
She called him, fully expecting the call to go unanswered. The phone was picked up in just one ring. “Hey Bestie, what’s up?” shrieked a high-pitched voice. A female voice. Vaishali’s heart stopped. She saw the time: three minutes to midnight. She controlled her emotions and replied, “Hey Maira, how are you!”.
Vaishali and Maira were friends for 7 years; best friends probably as Maira called it. Vaishali knew Maira since they were roommates in college and have been together through the highs and lows of life. Maira responded in her high-pitched cheerful voice, “Oh so good, so many things to tell. Let us meet up for chai na some time?” Vaishali bit her lip, “Hmm, yeah. We can put something in the calendar.” “Sounds perfect, maybe this weekend. I am free. Achchha but tell me how come you call me now, is it not Bodhi’s birthday today?”
Her body rippled with righteous indignation; she knew a lost cause when she saw one. She responded with barely restrained anger. “Well, I called his phone, and you picked up. So, you know the answer exactly why I am not with him.” There was a long pause, Vaishali could hear Maira breathing. “It is okay Maira, I guess all phones look the same. Indeed, it is an honest mistake. Anyway, wish Bodhi a very happy birthday, and have a wonderful night with him!” Maira started, “Vaishali, I am…” Vaishali never heard what Maira was saying, she had already disconnected the call.
She threw the phone on the bed and lay down flat looking at the ceiling. Her eyes were clouding with tears. The phone buzzed. It was Bodhi. Vaishali let it go unanswered as the buzzing died down. She was done; she burst into tears. Just a few minutes ago she was afraid that she would forget how he sounds like, but as it turns out he had completely forgotten Vaishali. She curled up inside her blanket. It was going to be a long night. A long cold night.
I can understand if The Last Call gets a little tough to read. Do leave a few words in the comment, and check out The boy, the sea and the grandfather; it is more likely to leave you with a smile on your face.
This image was clicked in Ljubljana. Check out more pictures in my Portfolio or follow me on Instagram for more travel photographs.
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