# 15 - Vichitra and Chanchal - V

Chanchal was a normal-looking girl - five foot and five inches tall with a good figure, and she knew really well how to carry herself around. She always looked for variety; she wanted to try out everything in life so that later on she wouldn’t repent she could have done this and she could have done that. She wanted to meet so many people and wanted to have as many friends as she could possibly have.

Though Chanchal didn’t like to admit it but she knew she was an attention seeker. She would dress herself provocatively, but would still maintain some traditional semblance. She wanted her friends and would-be friends to notice her. She wanted them to make her feel important all the time. She could not bear the ignominy of being going unnoticed.

Vichitra had never met such a girl all his life.

Vichitra was an average-looking guy with a great sense of humor. He could bring out the humor from even the most trivial of things. He was capable of sounding both stupid and intelligent at the same time. He also loved to talk to people and enjoyed making new friends.

Vichitra was so much fun to speak with that he never needed to seek any attention. His friends just loved his company.

Chanchal had never met such a guy all her life.

If there was anyone Chanchal was most comfortable with it was Vichitra, and if there was anyone Vichitra was most comfortable with it was Chanchal. No topic was forbidden between them to be discussed upon.

Chanchal considered herself to be a jabber but that was before she met him.

Vichitra thought himself to be an introvert but that was before he met her.

They spoke to each other every day. But this particular day Vichitra smelled another trouble brewing for him.

Vichitra received a call from her around one in the afternoon.

‘Hey how are you?’ beamed Chanchal in her trademark sweet voice.

‘I’m fine… you tell me’ replied Vichitra in his usual matter-of-factly tone.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Nothing much… What can I do in office?’

‘Yeah… you bloody working class! Anything new?’

‘Hehe… nothing much! Just that I think I’m going to spend the night in office itself. There’s so much work to do.’

‘By the way you sound very excited. What are you doing?’ asked Vichitra.

‘I am going to watch him play’ casually replied Chanchal.

‘Who is going to play what?’

‘Deep has a soccer match in the evening and I am going to cheer for him.’

Vichitra suspected something unusual but he dared not to mention it. He feigned having too much work at office which anyways he did have, and he ended the conversation.

Later that night he called up Chanchal.

‘Hey… doing good?’

‘No, I am not in a good mood’ sadly said Chanchal.

‘Why? Oh by the way how was the soccer match?’

Instinctively Vichitra knew he had asked the wrong question.

‘Deep’s team lost by 7-0’ said Chanchal in a tone as if it was she who had lost the match.

Vichitra almost jumped with joy at hearing this.

‘So what is there to be sad about?’ Vichitra tried to sound unconcerned.

‘Because he is sad’ declared Chanchal.

Vichitra understood instantly what the matter was. The problem was he didn’t want to agree with what he had just understood.

‘Don’t worry… it’s just a match.’

‘No… he had prepared really hard for it.’

Vichitra tried to be supportive but he didn’t want to continue the conversation anymore.

‘Chanchal I think I’d better go back to my work otherwise I will have to stay back in office for one more night.’

‘Don’t go! I want to talk’ implored Chanchal.

‘We’ll speak tomorrow. Good night’

‘Good night you cruel heartless pig’

Vichitra had disconnected the call by then.


© 2007 Ankur Shanker
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