Chapter 5 - Love stories

A Twenty Something's Monologue

It was one of those ‘out of a romantic novel’ evenings. The sky outside, the shade of coral, as dusk was just settling in. The opaque French glass windows were shrouded in darkness.

“Looks like the plan is to be our are usual hibernating bear/reader selves” Priyanka sighed, Tia was curled up on a thickly upholstered chair, near the window, and was reading a book an epic romance.

“Oh, how I wish I could get a love story just like this!” Tia croaked, tears glistening her eyes. “Honestly Tia, I don’t understand why do you have to torture yourself in this way. It's painfully funny to see your tough demeanour shatter into bits. So much for being the strong one.” Priyanka huffed, a hint of a goofy smile forming on her face.

Rolling her eyes Tia set the book on the coffee table, taking a deep breath, she threw open the balcony doors. Inhaling the sweet fragrance of her most treasured pink roses, she sighed.

“Enter, our beloved damsel” Priyanka announced in a mocking, singsong way from the kitchen. “Say what you may, my handmaiden; but I can sense it, love’s definitely in the air,” Tia said twirling and giving the drawing-room and its sole occupant, a pointed look.

“That must be the delicious Mexican food you are smelling, my dearest pauper,” Rachana said, walking in with bags of take-out, smiling brightly, the debacle of her past, thankfully a faded memory now.

"Curse my fate! I have been living with two frigid, despicable, insensitive vamps.” Tia yelled, scrunching her face and raising one hand to her forehead in dramatic passion.

Priyanka walked past her with a bowl of salad, tapping her on the forehead with a wooden spoon as she went. “See, I am all for love stories, but only those which do not include the most handsome guy and the damsel with a heart-shaped face and doe eyes.” She said as Tia inhaled the enticing aroma of tacos, burritos and some wholesome tamales.

“Love stories are just that, stories, fables, fantasies. They are better on paper and never really come true. Think of them as those boogeyman stories which our parents used to tell us as kids. Just as they were lies, even love stories are lies.” Rachana said in between morsels with a solemn expression.

Priyanka and Tia, both stiffened a little, the former giving the latter an admonishing look which said, “Are you satisfied now? You racked up the past!” Completely oblivious to that look Tia said, “See, showing your love is just like good manners, you behave well only in front of the people you like.”

Rachana gave her a bored expression and decided to give her a piece of her mind when Priyanka cut in. “Yes, of course, you are so right Tia, so that sugary face that you pull in front of your boss, that’s love right? Could have fooled us for hatred. But its love, Rach, its love love love.”

The sarcasm wasn’t missed on Tia and was reinforced with Rachana’s raucous laughter. “All I am saying is, love, of course, isn’t how it’s in books, that’s the author’s perspective. In movies, it’s the scriptwriter's perspective with director’s vision, actors’ phenomenal acting and a truckload of talented post-production guys doing their magic.” Tia argued.

“Okay, so then you are saying that we all should become spiritual and religious? Because in God and God alone, will we realize that love is the real love!” Priyanka teased. “Amen to that!” Rachana chimed in cheekily. Tia gave both of them her famous bitter stare and decided that it was better to go back to devouring her food.

After they finished the early dinner, three of them lounged lazily in the drawing-room, munching on frozen cherries as mellow music played in the background.

“You’d think you were the luckiest person on the planet when you fall in love. Hearing your lover say ‘you are my kind of perfect’ or ‘ you are mad, but I love you to bits’ will warm your heart. But it's all a sham, a lie because people aren’t always true to their word. Mostly, there is just major treachery at play.” Rachana gravely uttered, as an afterthought.

Sensing the hurt in her tone, Tia moved closer to her and put her arm around her shoulders as her friend rested her head on her knees. Priyanka went into the kitchen and came back with three ice coffees to brighten the mood.

Once the good spirit returned, the three friends put on the cheesiest of chick flicks and had a great laugh.

Later as Tia settled into bed back at her place, stroking Benedict’s soft fur she thought about her day. Sundays had forever been her favourite with the only complaint being that, they went by real quick.

She worried about her friend and decided she would do whatever was required of her to help mend her broken heart. Dismissing the thoughts of the love story she had read earlier in the day, she thought about love.

It had become like a match in today’s day. Where some saw it as a chase and others saw it as a challenge, but what no one saw, was the novelty, which wore out after the first few years of togetherness.

She wished people would just try looking for the long haul and not a quick fix. Consideration and chivalry were almost scarce and well on their way to extinction, she thought as she drifted to her dreamland.

Disclaimer:

A piece of the author’s monologue:

This novella started as an experiment when I was on the brink of turning 20 and was completely floored by Carrie Bradshaw and her thunderous trio of friends. This is the first time that I am making the novella public. As much as my present self wants to edit this and make it age and time appropriate, I am going to show some serious restraint. Some parts of this novella may be too childish, dewy-eyed or too naïve, but I’d request you to indulge me, every week for the next 15 odd weeks and let me know what you think about it. Think of this as my passion project, six years too late in the making.