Maya's Spring

Maya's going bonkers tonight.
Like always, she has misplaced her Ghunghroos yet again.
She's been this careless ever since her dance lessons began. While she's in the school teaching the kids, she would forget the stationary at home. While at home, she will leave her lunchbox near the kitchen sink. And not to mention her dancing school, she's always running late.

Maya. She's 25. I met her 7 years ago. Her Mother was at our place asking Mom for some jewellery and money as they needed to marry their only daughter off. So, Maya took her seven vows with this 38-year-old divorced trader. And I never heard of her ever since, until three years back.

Campaigning for 'I Am Malala', while we were around in villages with the sanitary awareness and child/woman welfare programmes, I was introduced to this set of female volunteers who would help us hold the event. On the third day, there were some success stories being shared before we would wrap up the campaign. Our lead told us about this little girl with two kids, daughters, who was running around the village, sweating her way out to send her kids to school because her aged husband wouldn't allow that. His business flopped and therefore, the only remaining options he went with were drinking and getting violent with the ladies. His 21 year old wife even tried fleeing the village
with the daughters but failed miserably, thrice. It was around that time that this organization found her.

It took almost a year. The team helped her get a divorce and the daughters were sent into the custody
of an NGO, the same place where their 21 year old mother was appointed as one of the care-takers. When I had the opportunity to meet her, I happened to ask about her dreams. She was ecstatic in explaining to me that in village, they would show all of Shah Rukh's movies on a Projector: Swades, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Baazigar. And that she loved the character of Maya from Dil Toh Pagal Hai. She wanted to dance, breathe carefree.
She also hoped to romance Shah Rukh some day. She felt he was the first and the only man until then who could make her feel beautiful about herself.

Thus, I discovered our Maya.

I was back to college because the campaign ended. But we have managed to keep in touch.
Maya calls me DidiMa even though I'm two years younger to her. She says I feel like a mother each time she hugs me.

I spoke to her this morning. Their NGO is travelling to Nainital. And Maya's performing her first solo contemporary dance act. She's nervous, and she misplaced the Ghunghroos yet again.

Tomorrow is a big day for her. She told me she's got a dinner date after the event. I asked her to wear Red, she was adamant on going with Gray. We fought the discussion out with, of course, Maya giving in.

She was getting late for her final costume rehearsal and therefore rushed into the final words: "DidiMa! I will send a Whatsapp picture. My Summer seems to have found her Spring. I love you."

Yours Truly, Unrequited.

Unrequited, like it's essence does not promise returns.
I am not sure how it turns out to be fulfilling all the time: There's anguish, and regrets, and demands but a whole lot of abundant acceptance.
These friendships often never intrude the uninhibited zones.
And happen to leave behind a plethora of lifelong mystries.

Why did my best friend who walked me through my first ever school competition wasn't that heartwarming when I returned with the winning trophy to hand it over to her?
Why after explaining the difference between a 'Fast' and a 'Best' friend she had to give up on me the exact moment I was about to let the world know she's chosen to be my savior?
Why did it hurt when on the Friendship's Day, the wrist band she gave me was exactly the same like for the others?
Why would her lunch suddenly finish up right before I would rush to join her and expect to eat from each other's tiffin boxes, just like the old times?

Our crush for the same guy with dimples, my Mom trusting her more with handling my tantrums, my sister getting jealous of our Friendship, my Dad asking her to never leave my side while I'm on my bicycle -- her holding hands and being the support shoulder to a common friend, being ignorant of the fact that I feel abandoned, her sharing the class notes and hand made cards with the entire school and juniors but me, not waiting up anymore to wish me before I enter my allotted classroom for mid-term examinations, not even calling me by the name she used to.

My first friendship with my best friend who taught me all about it ended with the two of us just deciding to not cycle to school together anymore. I asked Mom to send my sister and I, just the two of us and nobody else.
I felt my possessive bits wanting to go hug her and bring her home to savor our favorite 'Orange' ice-cream. By then, she had already found a distraction in other friendships.

The last time I saw her was before leaving the city. I was returning with my Dad from school with all my certificates for the Board results. Dad congratulated her for scoring well in the exams. She did not take the sweets he offered her, though. That's when our eyes met and I meant the goodbye.

Until recent, I had been living friendships just like a ritual. There might be procedures but not necessarily the devotion. And one fine day, when the Sun shone bright, I was told I would be always valued as a friend because no matter if all the other chips go down, the friendship will keep us together.
The Light I thought I was following all this while said Friendship is particular and a certain way.

What I have been feeling now is Friendship is irreplaceable and a replacement, a security and a complete give-in, a promise and defying each one to make some more, a stay and a walkaway.

Like your favorite flower in the garden of Life, it shall surround you with the perfume of belongingness. But Roses will give way to Tulips one day, and Lilies to Forget-me-nots. That's the deal, you cannot expect them to hang on.

When I choose to see things both scared and carefree again, my Virgo asks me to not lose faith.
I will be made to stay in the Friendship so that no other definition binds me, to not let me be.