The Re-Union

Part I (Poetry)

More than a couple of years later

When memories have gone dimmer

To meet them did I get the call

Oh, just a few of them, not all!

I did not want to go;

I did not want to show,

I'm not one of 'em anymore.

Some of them have changed

Some are still the same

How do I tell them what they don't know?

They said I'm still the same

I said, no, I've changed.

You were never one of us, one said

"You were never one of the lot"

Few kept taking pictures throughout

Few discussed fashion, few love

Some just gossiped of all about

Of the people around, of those above.

They talked of those not in front

Some pleasant, some unpleasant.

There were events re-enacted

There were laughters re-laughed

There were news: people getting married!

Families troubled, burdens carried.

Re-unions ought to be frolic and food

So was this too, just as good

Save this, that I wasn't myself

I didn't share the stories on the shelf.

More than a couple of years later

When memories have gone dimmer

I don't regret I went to meet 'em!

It was clear things are not the same.

Part II (Prose!)

Okay, so, after all the dilemnas, all the fluctuations in my decision, I finally went to the re-union. I reached on time. In fact, forty minutes before the others stared pouring in. I wanted to run away every mintue of that "wait". But then, I wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought I'd be. That, doesn't mean I was comfortable. I had just switched my sensors off. When Shreya said she read my "boy-friend's blog", my brain kept saying incoherent things to me, till I finally closed it's mouth:

1. Ask her who it is. You'll have fun.

2. No, don't. Give it a damn.

3. They still think I can have a boy-friend. Oh good, they'll never understand me.

4. Just get the fuck out of here. Walk out.

...

Okay, I didn't ask her anything. Shreya is one of the few with good English vocubulary, I like her, and I admire her vocubulary. I can't afford to get angry with her. Trishita, Nilashree, Poulomi Dutta...they are self-obsessed as usual. They're the ones who kept taking pictures till the end. Rumeli, the organizer, shared her time with most of the people, quite justly. Sriparna was her same pathological self, and, as usual, I wanted to avoid her every moment she came close. Poulomi Chakraborty was scary as usual. She ought to have been a transgender, you know. But no, she's huge as usual...in a lovey-dovey relation with a guy.... as usual? Oh, yeah. How can I forget Ambarish-Da?

Then there was Nupur, Debarati 1, Debarati 2, Sayani Banerjee, Sreya Poddar, Roshni Tafadar, Prianka Saha and other such people whom I never talked to, back at school. I just said Hi to them, and didn't associtae with them any further. There was Sayani Paul..I was glad to see her for too many little reasons. One of them would be Apurva...she's Apurva's friend. Another would be what she said to me, about me. She was the one who said that I haven't changed: I've evolved. Moumita Kundu, Sohini Ghosh, Elisha...something other than Carmel binds me to them...Dada's tution...DPL group...I didn't talk to them much...because I couldn't relate myself to them Mou, who was pretty cool, back in those days (she used to wear cargos with short kurtis) had so awfully decked herself that I didn't want to talk to her. I'm sure what I did or am doing, is not the right thing. But then what about Gourob-Da, her boy-friend? How could she compromise with her outlook? No, no, check, check, I ought not comment. Apologies to you, Mou. Sohini was pleasant. I wish I saw more of her in Kolkata. Elisha was again, with dark lip-colour and stuff...oh no, no commenting on it! 

Nikita and Suprava were altogether an awkard feeling. It felt so weird to pretend that I'm interacting with them after a long time. All blames to Puspen, he kept me so much in touch with the two of them, and then restricting me to talk about him....gosh, it was....awfully awkward altogether!!

Sudeshna, preferrably called Tina, was a comfort...we clicked...or rather I pretended to click with her. I told her very little, I heard all her stories. In fact, I walked her back home after the whole party was over. I heard about Tutan's marriage and family issues...it was all so shocking...I couldn't believe that I knew so less about the girl whom I claimed to be my best friend for 3 long years! Tina updated me about Pratanu and her story too. I also talked with Prianka Roy a little. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared. But I don't want this re-union to happen again. I don't have any business with Carmel anymore.