"Why do you have to think so much about Adi? Why can't you just ignore him. If he doesn't want to talk to you, let him go to hell !! He is not worth it...do you understand what I am trying to say Priya ? Borrow some brain from me if you don't !!!" Avinash said angrily.
 
 "How can I not think about him Avi? I have been with him for two years now. They were happy times. All of a sudden he has moved to another college in another town and he starts ignoring me. He has basically dumped me without even letting me know the reason for it. All I am saying is give me a reason, some explanation. Atleast, for old times sake he can talk to me for 5 minutes and just explain." Priya was hurt and expecting Avinash to explain why Aditya had suddenly started ignoring her.
 
" Avi, do you think there is someone else??? " Priya continued.
 
" What's it to you even if there is someone else. Can't you see he is such a coward? Just flush him out of your system. You deserve much more than this. Get a grip on your life." Avi snapped back.
 
" But I don't want more, I just want Adi in my life." Priya whined. "Everyone knows about Adi and me being steady. What will I tell everyone? What will they think about me? I deserve an explanation." Priya was tearful now.
 
" You don't have to worry about telling everyone, that bastard has made sure that everyone knows, but he is so spineless that he couldn't face you once." Avi was fuming now.
 
" So, there is someone else !!! " the answer to which Priya already knew, but her silly heart prayed in anticipation that she was wrong.
 
" I don't know, I don't want to know and I don't want you to know...Priya...please don't hurt yourself this way..He is gone. That's it. Finito. Done. Get that now and move on." Avi was fuming now at Priya's lack of perception.
 
Priya knew then that Aditya's chapter was over in her life. The onus was on her to either nurture the sweet memories or bury it all as a bad dream.
Somehow, she managed to drag herself home. Over a few months with Avi's help she managed to get over the grief.
Avi's friendship had opened new doors for her. Avi had moved on from being an acquaintance to her closest friend in just a matter of months.
 
6 months later...
 
" Where have you been? Did you go to meet Avi, Priya? When did you last meet him? Did you drive via MG road." her mom asked in a real gentle tone which totally surprised Priya as mom never asked such questions.
 
" No Ma...I am coming straight from college and I met Avi three days ago.." At that Priya's mom took her hand and made her sit next to her on the sofa and held her hand.
 
 " Why is ma behaving so strangely !!" Priya thought. " What's going on? Is everything okay? You are really acting strange Ma!!"
 
" Priyu...come here ...let me hug you beta...come, let me comfort you" her mom carried on.
 
" Ma you really are weird, honestly I don't need any comforting. I needed it 3 months ago. I am strong as a rock right now. So just relax. I really don't understand what's gotten into your head." Priya felt a bit surprised and queasy.
 
" Shhhh.....come here.. Priyu.I dont know how to tell you this but Avi is no more. I just got a call from his mom."
 
She was shocked to the core" No...what are you talking about...I met him three days ago, he was fine. I don't believe a single word of what you have told me. You really have gone nuts ma. Let me call and speak to him. Must be some stupid prank from some idiot."
 
"No, Priya...Avi was admitted last night with cerebral malaria and one of the drugs caused a severe reaction and they couldn't save him." Ma continued.
 
Priya felt a chill, someone who was never at a loss of words was rendered speechless. She grabbed her keys and told her mom she is going to see him. Her mom nodded.
Throughout the fifteen minute drive Priya kept praying it was some silly joke that Avi had conjured up and made her mom a party to it. She was thinking of beating Avi up as soon as she sees him for thinking of such a nasty joke and she kept praying hard.
 
As soon as she parked in front of his house, she knew. It was no joke. Avi was gone as she saw a sea of unknown faces in front of his house. She had no time to exchange pleasantries. She ran inside. Avi's brother pointed towards the direction where he lay. She gasped as soon as she entered the room.
 
He was no more. Twenty one and no more. Lying there lifeless on a big crate of ice, pale, sucked out of blood, cotton swabs stuck in his nose, gone forever. Priya went cold and just slumped on the floor and kept staring at him. Her eyes were dry." Hey Priya...there's this girl in my class I really like, I am thinking of proposing to her next week. Will you come to our college fest this saturday, Ill introduce you to her." he had said with such excitement, his first love after all. Now, he was gone without having experienced any of that.
 
She wanted to be alone. It was evening, her parents would be home. She drove back to her college knowing that the classroom would be empty at that hour. She hugged Avi's mother, said some words of strength to her although she herself was feeling so weak and drove.
 
She reached her classroom, sat down on the bench with her elbows bent and her palms on her cheeks and let the enormity of it all sink in. As she did tears started flowing, she sobbed softly, wailed uncontrollably carried on until all her tears had dried up...Avi her friend was gone but she decided to cherish every single memory that Avi had given her. She wiped her tears and drove back home.
 
The very next day she went to Avi's house to become a daughter that they never had...