Endings

‘Anand, what was the name of your first one?’

‘Sudarshana…’

‘That’s Sudarshan’s sister, right? Didn’t that come later… in the ninth or tenth?’

‘Hmm… true… got it… Archana… that’s the only one that ended well.’

‘Since she didn’t know you, I guess that was assured. After her, it was Tina, right?’

‘Gina, Tina’s sister. Tina came later.’

‘Oh yeah… Gina… those were the poetic days, I remember!’

‘Don’t remind me.’

‘You sent a poem by post every week or something like that, right?’

‘Twice a week…’

‘And she showed it to everyone?’

‘She did…’

‘How dreadful…’

‘I have not looked at poetry since then.’

‘I understand. Sudarshana was next, right? What went wrong with her?’

‘Nothing…’

‘Isn’t that when you claimed you lost your virginity?’

‘Hmm… and, you had to check that out with her.’

‘Oh yes, that just slipped my mind.’

‘That just would…’

‘Come on… at that age, it was a big thing. Who was next – Tina?’

‘Briefly… the poetry had a lasting effect…’

‘Wasn’t there some girl in college? Hey, that sweet one…’

‘Shereen…’

‘Ha…. Sweet Shereen, Sweet Sherbet…’

‘You should try her with her three brothers…’

‘You had to leave college, right?’

‘And town. Some idiot told her brothers that I claimed to have lost my virginity with her.’

‘Just anticipated your claim…’

‘Was it you?’

‘Hey, it was just a joke…’

‘A joke indeed… those three wanted to take my virginity…’

‘Then, there was a long break till the next one, right?’

‘Had to… nerves and all that…’

‘Then there was that girl in Mumbai, right? What was her name?’

‘Don’t remember…’

‘Come on, we went out for lunch to a Chinese restaurant…’

‘Hmm…’

‘What happened with her?’

‘She died.’

‘Oh… is that why you dropped off the grid?’

‘Hmm…’ 

‘Man, you should have contacted me… what are friends for?’

‘For such stuff…?’

‘You disappeared for three or four years… till your wedding… you didn’t share that either…’

‘Well, you did get to know…’

‘But, still… you didn’t tell me.’

‘Sorry…’

‘As if you mean it…’

‘Hmm…’

‘So, how is it going?’

‘How is what going?’

‘Marriage, of course…’

‘Going good… very good, in fact…’

‘I see…’

‘You sound disappointed… some affairs don’t end, you know…’

‘Anand, there is something you need to know…’

‘What?’

‘Your wife wants out…’

‘What?’

‘She requested me to talk to you…’

‘Requested you…?’

‘Yeah…’

‘Why?’

‘Why what…?’

‘Why does she want our marriage to end?’

‘Ah… I think there is someone…’

‘Is it you?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

‘That’s exactly the kind of ridiculous stuff you would do…’

‘Now, don’t start taking it out on me…’

‘How could you…?’

‘How could I what?’

‘Speak on her behalf…’

‘I am not speaking on her behalf… she asked me because she thinks I have been there with you when each of your affairs ended…’

‘How well she knows me!’

‘Now, don’t be sarcastic…’

‘Get lost…’

‘Come on, Anand… let’s deal with it like men.’

‘Get lost.’