the kindness of people

Coke sees me wake up at 12pm, and go right back to sleep on her mattress. She's right there when I wake up again at 4pm on the same day. She sees me sprawled over the bed, conscious of the fact that I might be feeling sad -- even though I will not acknowledge it.

I find a video of J, unexpectedly, and keep it on mute, on loop. I can't listen to the video, it's too personal, too private to watch like that. I keep watching it for a few good minutes, over and over.

She looks at me, with a face pack on her face slowly drying away like lagoons on a bad summer day, and says, "You need malibu and some sprite. I can't fix your heartache, but this is a good start."

When she's handing me the drink, hers in the other hand, she tells me with gentle conviction "I've made yours stronger".

She has.

                                                                           ***
Three of my friends get in touch with me immediately. Ask me if I'm doing okay, if my heart is okay. The first is the friend I've known for longest, and also the closest. The second is someone more recent. The third I met a week ago.

Relativity.

                                                                         ***
A week ago I was leaving for Pune, from Bombay. My father asks me when I'll be back.

"However long it takes for her to come back happy," my mom interjects.

My heart brims with those words every day.