Akash and Varsha were a couple. Akash - the husband, Varsha - the wife. Akash worked as a mid-level manager in a fast moving consumer goods company. Varsha stayed at home. Not that she always stayed at home. She had recently resigned from her seventeenth job to be able to plan properly for the party they had decided to throw on the occasion of their wedding anniversary. It was the fifth, so of course it had to be a big one. For the past three months Varsha had had absolutely no time to rest. The villa they lived in had been repainted under her scrutiny. She had roamed the whole of New Market to get the drapes like just what she had imagined. Mirrored vases of different shapes and sizes were bought to adorn nooks and corners. Floor rugs, soft cushions, brass statuettes, crystal curtains, sparkling silverware, expensive china – Varsha remembered everything. Invites were sent and RSVPs were received. And today, the night before the big day, Akash couldn’t but admire his wife’s efforts. The whole house was screaming sophistication from all corners. Their guests would surely have to tread the thin line between being impressed and jealous.After dinner they were going through the details once again, sitting on the plush cane chairs in the balcony overstuffed with pots of decorative plants, the sitting arrangements in the terrace needed a little shuffling: a cold war was going on between Seema aunty and Rati aunty, so they couldn’t be seated together. The red roses were looking too much against the deep purple wall, they would have to be replaced with white, the florist was informed. Varsha was double checking the guest list when she snorted, a short spurt of air, a cross between disbelief and amusement.“I still can’t believe Sid and Roshni said yes!” she said.“Yeah. It will be little awkward but that’s alright. We should be glad that they are making an effort to make everything alright.”“It would be good, I suppose, to have Roshni as a friend again.” Varsha spoke unsurely.“Yes. And to have Sid back!” Akash said. The last bit of his sentence almost hinted longing.They fell back to silence once again. Varsha went back to her list of guests for tomorrow.Suddenly Akash looked up and said, too self-consciously, “It is still very strange don’t you think Varsha?”Varsha sighed of relief. She was glad that Akash thought it odd too. In fact the whole thing was so odd that five years were too little a time to pretend that it was not. “I think so too. I don’t think they should have accepted our invites.”“But why did you have to invite them?”“Oh! Why not? I didn’t want anyone to feel left out?”“Well then. They might have thought that it was rude to refuse.”“Hmm. I thought Sid had better sense. To accept after all that happened!”They went back to silence again. After five years of marriage it was not uncommon to sit together in comfortable silence. And so far there hadn’t been anything to suggest otherwise. It was therefore perfectly normal and must be taken at its face value when Varsha came up with the brilliant idea.Her whole face lit up when she said, “Akash, now that they are coming, why don’t we play some joke on them? You know, fool them? Just for fun and see how they react?”“What do you mean?”“Oh you know it all! How I was in love with Sid and how you loved Roshni, remember? Five years back?”“How can I even forget? Roshni was my classmate and you her best friend.”“And Sid was my teacher! And you his best friend!”They both laughed out loud. Indeed, it was amusing. After so many years that is. It was not fun then. Not the least. Love was lost and friendship was broken. But nevertheless it was always better to have a good laugh at the expense of a pain of the past.And yet, this was not the first time they did this. Akash and Varsha often found amusement in this discussion. How each of them ended up with the best friends of the persons they loved.
Akash and Roshni were inseparable in college. And Sid could die for Varsha. The two couples met at the wedding of a common friend. Akash met Varsha and a tempest ensued. She was breathtaking in pink chiffon and silver stilettos. Light seemed to reflect from her sharpness and it seemed to blur Roshni’s sweetness in an instant. And what Akash had known so far to be love, faded away to this new sensation. Such was the intensity that they had found themselves married even before the year turned. And then they heard, while they were away celebrating their first anniversary abroad, that Sid and Roshni were getting married. How they came to be together, Akash and Varsha didn’t know. But they were happy for them. They hadn’t heard from them since then, until now.“So what is this plan?” Akash asked.Varsha’s eyes shone in conspiracy. “Why don’t we pretend and let them believe that we are not happily married.”Akash didn’t speak but his eyebrows shot up.Varsha hastened to explain her plan. “See, we don’t know right, how they ended up together? It was not easy to pull up right, the way they were devastated after we got married? Don’t you remember the scene they had created when we had told them? It had attracted a crowd! I just want to see how they are faring. Do you understand what I am trying to say?”Akash nodded wisely, “I think I do.”“Oh great! Deal then? Will you be able to pull it off? You were never much of an actor!”“I will manage. Don’t worry!”Excited at this wonderful prospect of fooling their once best friends they went to bed that night.***The party was an instant success. Guests were enthralled by their abundance and suitably jealous, just as Varsha had hoped. She looked the prettiest among all the ladies present and gratefully received all the compliments that were showered. The food was amazing and the caterer was able to make several contacts and as a result gave a discount. Akash kept his promise and indeed managed to remain cross with her throughout the party. They made sure that Sid and Roshni noticed when they staged little arguments over petty things. They danced but held each other at arm’s distance. Then soon the evening was over and the guests were leaving. Sid came to Varsha before leaving and said, “I didn’t know Akash behaved this way with you. No, don’t pretend, I saw. I never believed he could make you happy but then it was your choice.”Roshni found Akash in the darkened balcony and sympathized, “I knew this was bound to happen. I warned you. But you were blinded by her beauty.”“Why did you marry Sid?” Akash asked.“Because he was the only one I could share my pain with.” Roshni answered sombrely. After they left, Akash and Varsha raised a toast to themselves and drank to celebrate their success as hosts of such a big party. Then a little while later, Varsha giggled and said, “Oh, how we fooled Sid and Roshni! I am sure they are still discussing it!”Akash smiled, “It’s always better to fool others than yourself.”“What do you mean?” Varsha asked, her voice on the point of being slurry.“Nothing. Just that, it was really fun to fool them.” Said he.Love,
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Riot of Random
