#6 The Distuned Melody...

He has known Mishti since school days, which means it's been almost 15 years he first came across the name, "Mishti Kashyap". Anurag smiled. But he got to know her almost accidentally, 6 years ago. He still wonders, what if he never went to that stupid farewell party at Abir's place! Maybe he'd have never got the chance to talk to Mishti properly for the first time.

The universe always has it's own way of accomplishing what is meant to be, Mishti said staring at the stars while walking back to home. And that day, for the first time Anurag looked at Mishti properly. Even the shining stars in the sky was nothing in front of the brightest smile of her. But that night throughout the whole party Mishti wasn't her usual self. "Maybe because Abir was leaving!" Anurag thought. Yet she was shining, brighter than that starry night... Anurag still remembers.

Their first proper conversation was ironically a very gloomy one and he, for the first time realized the emptiness in those seemingly happy eyes of the girl who deserved nothing but love! And unknowingly his heart promised to make her smile.

And he did. He could make her smile. He could always make her smile.

Since that day, his only wish has been to bring every happiness of the world in her feet.

He would turn even turn the world upside down to make her smile.

And today, his Mishti was smiling wholeheartedly after so long... without his efforts!

"You should be so happy today Anurag Basu. Come on! Don't be selfish. You best friend is so happy... And you know that she deserves all the smiles. How does it matter if you're not the reason of her smile! But she was so happy, and now she won't even irritate you! And who are you feeling sad for? Mishti had cleared her equation with you long before. So how can you expect anything else? If you did, then it's your fault. Now smile Anurag, smile.."

Anurag couldn't hold his tears anymore...

**********

Abir was very relaxed after so long. He never really realized that, but there was always a guilt chasing him after he broke up with Mishti. And Mishti's ignorance was firing it up every time.

"Not anymore, Abir." He smile broadened. "I'm so grateful to you Mishti. You'll never know how good you've done, you finally spoke to me Mishti. I missed you so much."

Although he felt that always, but Abir never really thought much that Mishti's absence in his life changed him in many ways. Not that he was unhappy, but he always sought a close friend in her and that's what he missed the most after their break-up. His only guilt was that with Mishti, he lost a dear friend. But now, everything is awesome. Mishti talks to him finally.

"Things are finally falling into places." Abir rejoiced.

"Brother, so happy? What happened..." Nishant almost jumped at Abir out of nowhere.

Abir lost the balance and both fell on the ground. They looked at each other and broke into a laughter.

Meenakshi came running to their room. These boys! They're adults now but still behave like children.

"Abir, Nishant, what are you doing? Stop behaving like children." Meenakshi scolded them first and then looking at them she too started laughing.

"No Maa, this stupid Nishant fell over me!" Abir stood up immediately, "Now stand up. I want you to meet some people today." Abir extended his hand towards Nishant.

"Some people? Who Abir?" Meenakshi enquired.

"Probably the girl of his dreams..." Nishant exclaimed.

Meenakshi looked at Abir with surprise. Was Abir blushing!?

"Shut up now, I want you to meet someone very special." Abir turned to Nishant. "Don't you want to meet your old best friend?" Nishant looked at him questioningly. "I'm talking about Mishti, you idiot!"

Nishant felt like the heaven broke on his head. He stood stupefied. Even Meenakshi's sudden change in expression didn't go unnoticed to Abir.

"I told you that I met Mishti a few days back, didn't I? And she finally talked to me. You can't even imagine how happy I was. She told me many things.." Abir spoke and looked at them, "Nishant, let's go now. Wasn't she your best friend? But you both stopped talking because of whatever happened between me and her. So I want to make amends now."

"Abir, what did she tell you? I mean did she say anything about me?" Nishant blurted out to which Meenakshi gave him a glare of forewarning.

Now it was Abir's turn to be stunned. No, Mishti didn't mention Nishant or anything for a single time. Abir responded in a no and came out of the room.

Things were blurry once again.

That day, at the lakeside, not for a single moment Mishti mentioned the exact reason of her indifference. No, actually she was pushing him away from her 7 year back. Even that day she talked about anything but the exact reasons.

Did she lied that day at the lakeside?

Abir took out his phone to message Mishti when he stopped looking at her status update.

"You write with ease, to shew your breeding;

But easy writing's vile hard reading."

Abir remembered the day of Mishti's birthday when they were in 10th standard, when she gave him a special ice cream treat...

Throwback

"Do you know Abir, why do I love poetry so much?" Mishti asked him while licking the ice-cream. "Because you write so beautifully." Abir answered pulling those chubby cheeks of hers. "And who talks of poetry while having an delicious chocolate ice-cream!"

"Your Angry Bird." Mishti slightly hit him, "Do you know why? Because this game of words fascinates me so much. It's beauty is beyond everything, don't you feel so? Abir, words are your strongest weapon, sometimes to attack and sometimes to defense. And most of the times to hide behind."

Abir had noticed her wry smile then. "So you poets can lie easily, isn't it?" Abir slightly frowned.

"No Abir! Never." Mishti looked at Abir. "When someone writes something from the heart, it can never be lie. In fact that is the truest and purest thing ever which our mechanical brains might not like to accept. And we tend to ignore those words. A poetry is the heart of the poet. And heart never lies Abir. It's just that there's more to things than we see, hear or know. But we're so apprehensive about stepping out of our comfort zone, we start believing that we're doing our best by limiting ourselves."

That day Abir met a different Mishti. Maybe a girl who was tired with the bright display of those city-lights and sought her refuge under the shadow of her own darkness.

Present

All of a sudden it started pouring heavily. Abir opened his eyes. With a soft smile, Abir extended his hand... Maybe he wished the rain droplets flow through his body. Maybe for the first time he was trying to feel the rain...

How could he not see Mishti's play of words! How could he never see her pain behind that bright smile! How could he never read Mishti whereas she always knew him inside out!

How could he never guess that Nishant's secret might have something to do with Mishti!

"She never lied to you Abir. You were the one who promised to listen to her always, yet you never kept it. You could never see through her eyes. You could never earn her trust!"

"The rain comes exactly at the moment I need it." Mishti always said.

For the first time, Abir realized how easy it was to cry in the rain! No wonder why Mishti loves this stupid rain so much!

"Good Lord Mishti! Rain definitely cleans your mind and makes you see things clearly. You were right like always Mishti Kashyap; today, after more than 15 years finally you made me accept that I could never know you."

Abir got into the car.

"It seems I'm yet to know some things Mishti. And this time you can't play your charm of words. Let me listen to your bare tunes. These filtered tunes do not work anymore..."

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