#10 Veil Unveil

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--At Krish's

Kriti could see tears welling up in their eyes as Jeet and Krish held each other in a tight embrace. Rishi joined them and it was a small happy family. No wonder, it was long due. To add to the moment, it was those times of the year when the city was breezy and nights promised to be your soul companion.

As thunder followed lightning, Kriti left them to celebrate the reunion but not before she arranged for them another crate of beer.

Three old mates from three different cities were reveling as they indulged noisily on the old familiar terrace. Comrades were together again. Maddening streaks of laughter were interspersed in between the sane few. They spoke about how lives have changed vis-à-vis stepping on to the corporate arena. Their discussions switched swiftly from work to relationships to sex to marriage et al.

Of course there were moments of silence too. They formed smoke rings as they looked down from the terrace towards the vacant never ending road. It was telling. Don't be deluded by what seems the destination. What it seems is nothing what it's like. One could sense it, an ear was being lent. They were enjoying the journey more. They had paused and were hitting that Enter key every now and then. Chapters were being scripted.

They talked about Arjun too. And followed was an air of discomfort. Rishi, who generally had the right words even for the most dire scenarios was at a loss of syllables. A tear might also have been shed, nobody knows.

--Arjun

It was time for him to give rest to his laptop and to himself too. He slid open the balcony door as he lit up a cigarette for the first time since he vowed to give up smoking. Working in the backyard of your best friend's engagement and not being able to meet him; the feeling was getting to him.

He wanted to go and meet Krish, Jeet and Rishi but the moment he came to answering "When?", he was forced to shut the noise inside his head and keep mum yet again.

"A day's too much to spare at the moment but", Arjun cut his thoughts amid. Time wasn't an iota of reason why he was so flummoxed.

There were speculations in the market about Arjun leading a heavy duty M&A project. Him being sighted in India was only going to boost those. As much as Arjun hoped that Krish wasn't in the company which is a stiff competitor to Arjun's, truth wasn't going to be flip of a coin.

He feared that. Being present at the engagement was out of question, thrown in the dusk air, like the cigarette shell Arjun just got over with. The night bed was calling.

Krish's engagement was to be the day after tomorrow. Arjun had only a night.

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Krish, Rishi, Jeet and Arjun, all looked at the empty road. Though the angles were different. While for Krish, Rishi and Jeet, marching past were the best days of their lives; Krish hoped that the time would rush through. None of it to be.

In fact, it's these myriad of perspectives that make life and this world a big fat conundrum.

to be continued..