This is the first in the series of stories about "Lonely People" and probably the best i have ever written. This is dedicated to a special friend of mine, whose birthday is coming up....

The Last Moon

The mail had come early that day. Expecting the usual bills, Aryan picked up the letters, but today there was also something else. It was a card, an invitation card , for the marriage of his friend Neha with Deepak. Of course, Neha had told him about this, but then it seemed like an unknown and uncertain event in the future, but now holding the card in his hand, it suddenly dawned on him that the girl he himself wanted to marry was getting married to someone else.

Aryan and Neha had been friends since childhood. They grew up together, going to the same school, being in the same circle of friends, going to the same parties, and hanging out at the same joints. Their parents were close friends and so they also used to go to family trips together. But curiously their interests were poles apart, one was into rock, the other into folk and country music. While Neha was the social animal, Aryan was the introvert kind. Food, clothes, TV shows, it seemed they could not disagree more. However this seemingly incompatibility, only brought them closer. And somehow, Aryan fell in love with her.

As he put down the card, memories came flooding back to him. How, when they were studying together for boards, she had said, ‘Aryan, you are not concentrating. Is something wrong?’ He should have told her then and there. After Boards, one day when they were sitting on the terrace looking at the moonlight night and she had asked, ‘you are thinking about something?’, he should have told what he was thinking. The farewell party, the day she went away to college, he had his chances, but he didn’t say a word. And they drifted away, in the flood of their respective careers and life.

He reached Neha’s house on the day before the marriage. Having met all the members of household, some of which he never knew existed, he got into a festive mood. After all his best friend was getting married, and he was happy for her. That night feeling sleepless, he went up to the terrace. Neha was standing there, all alone. “ You should be in bed now. You have got a big day tomorrow,” said he. Turning around she said, “I was not getting sleep, how come you are here?” “Same reason as yours, at last we agree on something. I thought I will never see the day,” he said. “Do you remember what you said the day before I was to leave for college?” she asked. He nodded his head. ‘how could he forget’. “I was upset at having to live without you and that day right here you had said that, ‘Neha, we will always be together because wherever we go the same moon will shine on us. So whenever you think of me, just look at the moon and we will feel each other closer.” tears were rolling down her cheeks as she said this. He could not think of anything to say. She continued, “ Do you know how often I looked at the moon…………… Everyday.” He was startled. She said “ you look surprised, I always loved you. But just never had the courage to tell you this, I don’t know why I am telling you all this…” Before she could finish, he rushed downstairs. When she went to his room, he was crying. She could tell he was in deep pain. He was packing. “You are leaving?” she asked. “Yes”. “ So you loved me too”. “ Who told you that?” “But you are crying.” “Well, my aunt had a massive heart attack, so I have to leave immediately. Convey my regards to your family.” He had finished his packing. As he was walking away, she called “ Aryan…….. so you did not love me.” He could not face her, without turning he said “ No.” and walked away.

It was one fine Sunday morning, 25 years after the events described above, that Aryan was telling me all this. “So that’s the reason why you are still a bachelor.” I asked. Aryan was silent, probably still lost in his thoughts. “Don’t you feel lonely?” I could not stop myself asking. “Well, I do feel lonely at times, but then I look up to the sky”, there was a pause, “after all the same moon still shines on both of us”.

The next story in line will be uploaded soon. the previous disclaimer stands.....