My bimbostic friend!

College life teaches you many things. Probably this is the stage of one’s life when we actually acquaint to the worldly things. We meet people with different believes, different ideologies, mannerisms, constitution; all and out we are thrown into a world of strangers. We experience diverse situations. We embed various qualities, with bad ones completely surmounting the good ones. We are presented with thousands of strange creatures, some frame the list of friends, some crushes and rest, well they do nothing, yes, nothing, apart from thwarting you and caressing the thickheaded person in you.
Like every other normal human, I too was presented with such a plethora of mankind. I too had options of picking the best amongst them, for my lists.  But then it is said we don’t select friends. We find them.
I found one too.  The only feminine gamete, I could comprehend my stance with.

Sanya, Sanya Makkar.

Frivolous, extremely alluring, extremely endearing, extremely flamboyant and yes a little, little dumb. A character completely opposite to mine. People denied calling us friends. Sanya wore nothing but brands and I wore anything that made me appear bearable, something that prevented me from stupid comments from the public around. With Sanya in the vicinity, it was easy to camouflage my faults. People hardly noticed my presence. She overshadowed me, and I relished staying away from the spot light.
Sanya was always a fun to be around with. Not that I am nagging, but every ritzy thing loses its gleam, Sanya was not an exception.

Her constant fashion updates were no longer updates, they became torture. Her extreme make up lines made me look ugly. Her creased clothes made me look filthy. Her brands made me feel discounted. Her flamboyancy, made me appear stingy. Her verbosity was my sickest headache. But still she remained my friend. My lone friend. She gave me enormous reasons to call her one. A true friend that was exactly what she was. Stupid I failed to realize it.

It all started because of him. He was named Karan. Tall( perhaps, the only boy who could match my height), fair( the way I like boys to be), intelligent ( something I can’t resist) and sensitive( something boys lack, severely). College no longer appeared a drag. Lectures were a less pain. Karan made college fun; perhaps the most anticipated event of my days.
But, besides me there were many who thought same about him, there were almost a dozen of girls who fell prey to his enchanting looks. They were not an issue for me, the only thing that troubled me was Sanya’s growing interest in him.

I adopted countless measures to keep the two out of each other’s range. Never spoke about him to her. Always made him look imprudent in front of her. Berated him, made fun of him, cursed him. I tried anything and everything to keep him away from her. But none worked. Karan had fallen for Sanya. He liked her. Sanya resisted neither. They were now a couple. A happily in love, forever in love couple. I was left alone. Karan and Sanya were the names people spoke about. They were the names people discussed about. My identity was lost. Rather it never came to the surface. I was always a nobody. The incident concreted the same.
Karan’s hangover didn’t last for long. This did not happen magically. I took steps that even my soul wouldn’t have thought of. I decided to move on. I decided to part my ways with Sanya. She seemed happy. She rather was. I denied being her pass time company; I denied to be her friend anymore.
I knew this was difficult, as it was only Sanya who understood my humor, it was only she who accepted my primitive sense of fashion and it was only she who dragged me out of my boredom life.

My life now was exactly the way it was prior her advent. It had completed its circle. 
College, home, local library, informative internet surfing, The Hindu and its weekly su do ku puzzle; these were the things I engaged myself with.
Sanya was no more in my life. I refused spending time with her. In spite of her sincere pleas, I denied being with her.
Days went by. Sanya no longer tried to mend the broken relation we faced. I plunged down every effort of hers. We no more were friends, just the usual greetings, those were all we exchanged. But deep down me, I missed her. Wanted to be with her. Emote my feelings to, as she was the best who understood them.

Several days later: 

hello, can I speak to Vandita?
Yes that is me; may I know who this is?
Vandita beta this is me, Shobha aunty, Sanya’s mother.
Oh Namaste Aunty, how can I help you?
Beta Sanya is not well. She wants to talk to you.
Is everything fine aunty?
They’ll be fine if you meet her.
Can I come over now?
Sure beta, Sanya will be waiting.

The call made me nervous. What could have happened to her? She was fine yest… shit! She wasn’t there in class yesterday… shit! she’s been missing her class since a week.
Thoughts invaded my mind. My hands shivered, pulse became sporadic, vision hazy. All that my mind prompted me was Sanya. I rushed towards her house, hoping nothing serious happened to her.

Sanya! What has happened to you?

Before me was a girl who was nowhere close to Sanya Makkar. The one my eyes saw; was weak; fragile; feeble, shaggy! The skin that once shone like pearls, appeared dull. The eyes which once sparkled appeared soggy. She looked anemic.

 I am sorry Vandita, please forgive me.
What are you saying Sanya? Explain me all this.
You should have told me Vandita.
About what Sanya?
Karan…
leave it Sanya, he’s history for me.

I turned my face away from her away. I didn't had strength to face her, to look into those eyes which held several questions for me. The fact that I was responsible for her condition made me weak in my knees. I was mean to her. I behaved like a total looser. Was it her fault that Karan chose her over me? Was she to be blamed for her beauty? Is Karan actually that important? how can I... and just then my thoughts were interrupted by her weak,somnolent  voice

Vandita… I left him. I don’t need him, I need you.

Those words broke me. I clinched her in my arms as tightly as I could. The next moment I witnessed myself sobbing. 

I am sorry Sanya, Sorry for being that mean to you. Nothing on this earth can replace you. Forgive me. I promise to abide by the rules of friendship we formulated, I promise to be as benevolent as you are, I promise to be as benign as you are, promise to be as compassionate as you are.