Chapter 4 - Cursed with Clichés

A Twenty Something's Monologue

Known for its exquisite beauty and perpetual calm, Trinity Beach is amongst the most popular tourist locations all year round. Its name tells the tale of its history - one that chronicled the time of witch hunts and the sinister reasons why the beach was used; to perform exorcisms.

However, long gone were the days and the beach had soon outgrown its morbid past. Major contributors of this beach falling back in tourist guides were its picturesque view and clear waters.

Even on a stormy day, the beach looked like the one depicted in Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’, even more so enticing, alluring, and bewitching. It was one of the many reasons why throngs of people visited it from near and afar.

Today the beach looked as if it had materialized out of a painting. The warm sand and the soothing sunrays that radiated on it gave it an easeful and inviting ambience. The waves crashing against the rocks, beckoned one to come experience nature at its best.

People could be seen frolicking in cool waves, enjoying every bit of the pleasant weather; building sandcastles, splashing water or just strolling, along the outlines of the coast. The scene looked tranquil with evanescent tides touching the sun-kissed sand, certainly a great day to be at the beach!

In a dark room of a plush villa overlooking this beach, an epiphany had struck. Rachana had always been the personification of clichés. For starters, she belonged to a family with insurmountable riches, wore only couture and dined only in gourmet restaurants.

Blessed with parents who loved and cherished her, living a life full of luxury, she lacked for nothing. A firm believer in occult sciences, she was obsessed with horoscopes, omens and signs. Another reason why she had insisted that her parents purchase the villa on this particular beach.

Such an affluent upbringing imbibed a sense of optimism in her. She went through life wearing the rose-tinted glasses of oblivion. Although often naïve and sometimes prudish, her strongest suit was empathetic logic and she tried to see the best in everything.

One sunny morning, life and the betrayal of her love finally caught up to her. Today, standing in front of a floor to ceiling, stone-studded mirror; Rachana mulled over her life. She had forever been the quintessential goody two shoes, who always made the wrong decision because she chose with her heart.

The haze behind her rose-tinted glasses had finally lifted and burst her delicate bubble of a life. Examining her red-rimmed eyes, she realized what a delusional fool she had been all along.

Born and brought up the aristocratic way, used to luxury, dining at high-end restaurants, falling in love with the rose’s (Tia for filmy) way and having a whirlwind fairytale romance.

All of her life was a big cliché, and she most definitely was beguiled into believing that her love was eternal and Rohit, the up and coming Corporate Lawyer, was her prince charming on a royal white horse. Her head abuzz with thoughts, she was just about to launch herself into a spasm of heart-wrenching grief, when the doorbell rang.

Irate at being shaken out of her melancholic reverie, she opened the door. Determined on giving the intruders a piece of her mind, her flushed face brightened when she looked at them.

Tia in her usual dramatic fashion screamed gleefully, pulling Rachana into a tight bear hug. Priyanka followed right behind, bearing all of the luggage, including Tia’s.

She never expected that they’d come to visit her, Rachana thought, remembering their last encounter. Tia had stormed out of her apartment, her face fuming with rage. She had somehow gotten a whiff of Rohit’s philandering ways when she saw him openly flirt with her intern, Seema; and after gathering enough evidence about his side chicks, landed on Rachana’s doorstep. Instead of believing her, Rachana launched into a surprisingly impertinent speech about how Tia was conceited and could never see the happiness of others.

That memory haunted her every day she spent as a newly single, twenty something female. Overcome with guilt, she apologized to Tia and promptly broke into gut-wrenching sobs.

Never one to hold a grudge, Tia was more than eager to bury the hatchet. They had been best friends all their lives and considered each other more like a family member. Reminiscing their childhood days, when Tia used to come over to Rachana’s place under the pretext of playing with her and lock herself up in her father’s library, they had a good laugh.

Sitting out on the patio, in three cushiony chaise lounges, they sipped on strawberry lemonades with relish. With the warm salty air playing with their tresses, the three friends didn’t want to move an inch. Priyanka was being eaten up with worry and didn’t really know how to approach the topic.

Tia took a direct plunge in the deep end and said “I think it’s high time we addressed the elephant in the room”, clearly being discreet wasn’t her strong suit. Seeing Rachana, stir with grief, she scooted a little and put her arm around Rach’s shoulders.

The sane one, Priyanka massaged Rachana’s palm and said, “I know right now you are devastated, but look at it as a silver lining. You won’t really be able to see it now, but soon enough you will. Till then I know a guy, who can beat him up till his skull cracks.”

The other two whirled at her, almost falling out of their seats. The level headed one was spewing fire today. Tia guffawed till her heart’s content, as Priyanka shrugged her shoulders, very jokily. Eventually, all of them were just sipping on their beverages and smiling like the sun, now a ball of pink deep dived into the horizon.

Later in the evening, they set off with a picnic basket full of macaroni and cheese, chocolate éclairs and pitchers of ice-cool lemonades for a picnic on the beach. While her friends ran towards the water, Rachana lied down on her blanket, admiring the wisps of clouds in the night sky above.

Cliché or no cliché she was sure she had found her silver lining. She would forever cherish her friendship with these two amazing ladies. Chiding herself for keeping away from them in the past, she decided she would never repeat the same mistakes.

Love for a man is a little less important than the real unconditional one. A friend’s love freely dispensed and always in stock, Rachana finally had found her correct forever. She had never really been so happy in a long time, she thought while running towards her half drenched girlfriends.

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.

Read the Fifth Chapter here.