Cuddle,Break and Patch -- (Part 1 - Mistrust)

"Isn't it true ?", Rohit asked as he switched his laptop on. "That we have become some sort of data dictionaries?".

"Dictionary ?.. Data..? What Rohit ?",Priya replied.Priya then bent over her cabin and gave 'Have u become mad?' kind of expression to Rohit.

"Yes Priya.. We all are gadgets now.We no longer have the retaining capacity.We are no longer able to keep our memmm ....". Rohit had paused... He had paused because Priya had started yawning. He would normally become furious if someone yawned when he spoke.He wanted people not to miss even a single word that he uttered because he knew that humans temperorily become deaf when they yawn and whatever movement of their face in acknowledgement would always be fake. Somehow Priya was never a target of his bad temper.He himself wanted to know why.
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Rohit waited patiently as she yawned for a good 10 seconds.Her mouth was wide open like Lord Krishna except that there was no world inside but effect of significant cavity.Also he noticed that her teeth were turning from white to 'eastman colour'. He continued "We are not able to keep our memories. All we now do is have a memory about memory." Rohit could make out that Priya now elevated herself from hearing.She was now listening what he was saying.

"We go somewhere and then come back and actively upload all our pictures onto Facebook. We blog about our experience, we tweet, etc. etc. In short,we just upload all your memories online and forget about it.Facebook and twitter have become our pensieves'"...

"Hmmm... Yes.." said Priya.
"Then what we remember is not the exact memory..But the memories about memory..You are right...." Priya now had a raised eyebrow pointing at Rohit..
"But why are you saying this now..?".
"Just a thought that crossed my mind." said Rohit picking bunch of papers from the draw without looking at her.
"C'mon.. No thoughts cross your mind without purpose.."

Rohit laughed.He then took the bunch of papers and left the room...Priya watched him until he disappeared from her vision. Needless to say , Rohit and Priya were colleagues.They were class mates in school and college as well.And as 'whatever' would have it , they were now team mates in office too.

Rohit came back to his cabin and kept the papers in his draw.. and then turned to Priya and said...
"Come home this sunday , I will introduce you to my cousin Vijay.. He's come back from Dubai forever... And probably we will venture out... He would be expecting you as well.. Va..And... You wanted to settle in Dubai illa ?.. He'll give you valuable inputs.. Trust me.."

"No.." said Priya instantaneously after the offer... "That is only day I have got to wash my clothes... Chance ey illa.."..

"Right then.... No problem.. I thought we can have dinner at his expense.. You are wasting a chance.."

"OC..ah! Oh.. Then I am coming.." said Priya 'doing a sudden balti' like a politician. Rohit was a touch surprised. Even though he knew girls' burn boy's wallet, this was unusual from Priya..

"So what about your clothes.. who will wash them..?" snapped Rohit playfully..
"I will wear jeans on monday.. You dont worry.. I never wash the Jeans.." told Priya sheepishly.
"Not a surprise.. I know no girl does that.." said Rohit and continued laughing for 5 minutes ignoring the glare from Priya.
"Very funny.."
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So.. Sunday Came.. and Priya was there at Rohit's place... Rohit knew Priya was not 'socially awkward'.Priya's definition of friendship was different. The Tea boy , the watchman ,the client , his PA , the receptionist at clients office, her maid , her scooter mechanic , her neighbour's relative ,everybody were her friends. She seemed to know everybody. And everybody knew her too. She had 1823 friends on Facebook (as per the latest 'census'.This was in addition to maid , mechanic etc who were not yet part of Facebook.Even Rohit was not part of this Facebook wave.).Yes.. Girls have more friends on facebook due to some strange reason but this was something huge..Sometimes Rohit would wonder what if all her 1823 friends turn up to her marriage along with their families. Would the marriage hall withstand.? Would she withstand ?.. He once suggested to Priya to get married secretly so that she could avoid such crowds..Priya laughed it off...
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Something surprised Rohit now.. What he realised in the 15 minute conversation with all the three was the fact that he was the only person who was talking... Priya who had the ability to start a conversation with any stranger at ease was unusually silent and so was Vijay.They both seemed to agree on one thing. That they were not going out for dinner.Instead Pizza man would arrive...Yes..He did arrive on time... It seemed Priya feasted that day. Never had Rohit seen her eat Pizza with such fondness... Immediately after the dinner Priya left.. It seemed as though she came only for the OC dinner..
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The next day Rohit and Priya (with her unwashed pair of denim blue) were back at the office doing usual routine things, that is to say other than working.

"Why were you so timid to start a conversation with Vijay..He's a nice guy.. He would have helped you with your travel plans..illa..?" asked Rohit.

"Rohit... Was I timid..?It was your cousin who was timid...And.. Moreover..I am not interested anymore in going abroad..I am going to settle here...I have given it a thought and... Yes.. India.. Sare jahaan se accha..." replied Priya with her trademark one sided 'half grin'.

"Its your wish then..You know best.."

"So..Tell me..How do I look.." asked Priya suddenly.
"What the ".. Rohit was taken aback..
"Ya.. How do I look.. ? ... I mean you look at girls.. Dont you?. You rate them is it not ?..Like that I mean.."said Priya standing up as she spoke..

"Why suddenly.. And moreover.. I have never looked at you that way.. And I have got lot's of work.. Don't spoil it.. No time for your jokes on me now.." snapped Rohit.

"Right.. Carry on.."..

Rohit thought Priya was pretty. She looked good(except her cavity affected teeth)..She was no Aishwarya Rai or Monica Belluci but she could give some good ones tough competition... Rohit unfortunately was of this good breed of boys who looked for 'inner beauty' and never really cared much about looks... For him Intelligence in a girl mattered most than good looks. Even though Rohit thought Priya was intelligent , he never felt a crush on her.. And he guessed this was the case from the other side too.
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Time passed by and there were several instances of get together happening between the three. Soon both Priya and Vijay started speaking freely with each other. The initial inhibition now disappeared.The three started to freak out every weekend and life was good.They would catch up all the new releases.. The three became good friends and seemed to enjoy the company.. Not a place in Chennai was left unvisited...Life seemed to be good..
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However there was one problem.. Vijay even after several months of search could not find a suitable job...He became dejected and depressed.He even avoided the social gatherings the three had planned earlier.He began distancing himself from Rohit and Priya..Rohit noticed that even Priya was not interested in the get together's after a point of time.. And suddenly one day...Vijay left to Dubai again to continue at the same job he once quit..

At the same time Rohit was moving up the ladder in the office... His work timings got awkward and sometimes , he would just doze off in the office... Priya somehow did her work on time.. and spent the remaining time by browsing matrimony websites to find a groom.. This was baffling for Rohit since Priya knew almost everyone in her locality and was popular and yet for her marriage , she had to seek the help of Internet...!

Time Passed by...
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Vijay suddenly called one day to Rohit..
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“ Macha,I want to tell you something.. I hope you don't get angry. Listen.I have been through tough times.I was into a relationship... It did not last long.. I had a terrible terrible break up...Things do not always go as we plan.The good news is I am now OK..."

Rohit did not know what to say... and said "You were in a mess here.. I knew there had to be a reason.. I never thought the reason would be a break up.. I am happy you are Ok now... But...why did you feel I would get angry for this..?"

Vijay paused for a moment and then said
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" The girl.. The girl... I was in a relationship with was Priya....I knew her even before you introduced her to me.. Once when I called you ,she had picked up the phone.. So got to know her... from that.. and then.. she was the one who asked me to come from Dubai... I came for her.. Things were nice initially.. and.. and.. she just could not... " Vijay continued to speak.. Nothing entered Rohit's ears though.. He was in complete shock that he did not show any emotion..He was just too stunned to speak anything more.. The least he expected from Vijay was an humble apology which he never received throughout that call ... and... that was the day Rohit last spoke to Vijay...
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Rohit understood a lot of things that day.. He had infact been a "bear in Shiva's Puja" all along.. He had been used.. Why they both hid it from him , he never could understand.. If only they had said it to him , he could have helped.. He now understood why Priya behaved unusually when Vijay was in chennai... He understood a lot of things.. He took leave from office for a week. Where he went no one knew. He came back refreshed.. He tried to put the past behind him..
He began to concentrate on his work...
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12 MONTHS LATER
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Priya and Rohit have now got new promotions.They are still in the same team... They both still come up with great projects when they team together.They both know one another's working style and complement each other very well... All is well now.. And... Rohit makes sure he never raises the topic of Vijay during his conversations with Priya... Some part of him wants to ask Priya why she did not confess that she knew Vijay much before he had actually 'introduced' him to her.He was disappointed that she also 'hid' her relationship with Vijay. Yes..He was angry with her..But..Somehow Priya was never a target of his bad temper...He himself wanted to know why...

Well.. There are some people in our lives with whom we just can't be angry with or worse even fake that we are angry... Is it not ?
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TO be continued.... (sometime later)

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P.S.Suggestions welcomed on how you would like the story(if any) to continue..(which I wont guarantee will certainly be incorporated..)