The Rejection

13

Sam was so happy to see him. Sam hugged him without thinking about his Haldi stains and wet clothes. Ronith did not even bother about his clothes and he hugged him even tight. Both were seeing each other after almost five years. They used to talk over phones but the connection of their bond was never as strong as the connection of telephones. It was such a golden moment for them; they could recall all their happy and sad memories, shared together, since childhood and till the moment Sam dropped out him at the airport. They knew nothing was changed between them even after years. There is one saying that goes “Hold on a true friend with both of your hands.” – They sure had a hold on each other for many years and we're still going to be there for each other. Sam felt insanely happy when Ronith was there for him. Ronith had tears in his eyes as he recalled the moments when Sam stood for him when Ronith could not even stand for himself. Sam slapped him for having tears in his eyes and hugged him again. Sam was not ready to get married without him, but Ronith had important projects and he could not leave them in between. Sia also had forced Sam to get married, so he could not say no but then all made sense to him that why Sia was forcing him to get married without Ronith, as Ronith was ready to give a surprise. Sam had many questions, “When did you come from London? Why did you not give me a call? I almost thought you would not be coming to my wedding but deep down I did know somewhere in my heart that you would try to come at any cost. But it would be much easier if you would have told me already that you were coming, I could have planned something for your shopping as well and I myself would have been able to do shopping easily with enthusiasm knowing that you were coming to attend the wedding. I cannot try to begin to explain to you how happy I am. I heard about your achievement on news last year about the prodigious survey on volcanoes and how your results were as accurate as real. I seriously still cannot believe you have become the youngest best geologist of our century. I still remember how I used to laugh at you for your career decision as Geologist. But Man you sure had worked hard and deserved this title. And I am so proud of you. ” Ronith was so proud to hear that he was appreciated by Sam. Sam was more than a brother to him. Both had been for each other through each other’s thick and thin. Ronith began, “And I cannot believe you made a girl fall in love with you, with your extreme introvert and repel to women behavior. How did you do that? Where is she by the way? Aren’t you going to introduce me to her in person? Although she knew I was coming and she helped me in keeping my arrival a surprise. 

Ronith met with Sia. He met her for the first time in person, although they used to keep contact via social media, from day one when Sia accepted Sam’s proposal, he had introduced Ronith to Sia. Both were meeting for the first time but it didn't seem like that at all. They both were catching up like they'd know each other for a long time. Ronith told Sam, how Sia and he decided to keep it a surprise for you of his arrival. Ronith started mocking Sam, and told Sia that what did she see in him? To which Sia replied laughingly that that was the point that she did not see his stupidity and said yes if she would have seen it she probably would have said no. By hearing that Sam took off some haldi from his face which was still wet and applied that on Sia’s dress to keep her quiet, as she would whine then onwards about her dress and not mock him. Sam also took some of his Haldi from his arms and applied it on Ronith and he said, “You will get married soon. It is a sign of good luck for the marriage.” Ronith laughed and applied that Haldi on himself and said, “Oh good..!! Apply some more, I need something in name of good luck that can give a kick to my wedding. I am not able to find a good person to marry on my own, might be this Haldi will help me.” Ronith was standing in his plain black T-shirt and blue jeans with lots of stain of haldi on him all over him and his clothes. Sam did not even wait for a minute and started to throw haldi water on him and painted his hair yellow by telling him he should not be spared from anything, he would not get a chance to escape from the wedding Haldi party of Sam and Sia.

When all three of them covered with Haldi and wet from water, Sia’s mother suggested that they should stop and change the clothes before they get sick. Ronith started telling embarrassing stories about Sam from his childhood. He even made a lie that how Sam had a huge crush on Priyanka, who used to live in Sam’s opposite building when he was in college. Sia looked with big eyes broaden up, and raised eyebrows in shock, and said she did not know anything about her even though they were together in college for four years. “Sam used to stay up all night and would just stare at her apartment till she would come back from her job. Sam used to keep dreaming of her all night long and was just going to ask her out but then he saw you in college and everything changed. He was not even free to talk to me over the phone and whenever he would call, he would tell me about her only”- Ronith added. “Is anything of this true, and why did you keep this all away from me? You could have told me, I might have helped you in finding her and would have to make sure that you were married to her”- Sia asked Sam while giving him a threatening look. Sam could sense that Sia was jealous with anger and she was saying all those things because she was jealous. Sam punched Ronith and asked him not to do it; otherwise, Sia would get a chance to run away from him. Sia already knew Ronith was teasing her. Sia told him, she could hear stories of Sam and Ronith all night long but at that time he should have freshened up and relaxed. Sam introduced Ronith to Sia's family and to his friends as he was his real brother. Almost everyone knew who Ronith was, as all had seen that news about his discovery and his achievements. 

Everyone welcomed him and congratulate him for his achievements.  Sam was going with Ronith to show him his room. There he saw Aakriti with Sia’s grandmother. She was talking with her quite frankly and was laughing and enjoying stories of Sia’s grandmother.  It was a bit strange for Ronith to see that every young one was either dancing to songs or were playing Holi with Haldi or were busy clicking pictures. But she was one odd one out and was accompanied by grandma. He could not help but notice her and asked Sam, “Who is that girl? That girl sitting beside Sia’s grandma.” Sam replied, “That is my fake friend, and her name is Aakriti. And it is a long story that she really is. We will discuss it later on.”  Aakriti was sitting with Sia’s grandmother and she did not want to participate in the dance party, where Sia’s friends and family were enjoying. Sia’s grandmother was telling Aakriti about her days of marriage and about how she got married and how difficult it was in her days to save money for the wedding. Aakriti was listening carefully as she was asked to write down an article about old wedding days. She even told some of her stories about her wedding day and Sia’s grandmother was amazed after hearing that. For grandma, it was cool to get wed near the mountains and in the lap of nature. 

Sam showed Ronith, his room, and asked him to take a rest as they had a lot to catch up on before the wedding. After taking a long nap, Ronith felt freshened up to attend the rest of the evening. In the evening, of the Haldi ceremony, Ronith joined the dinner party with the rest of the guests of Sia and Sam. Sam had millions of people around him but he was waiting for Ronith for so long to spend his evening with. Sam had so many things on his mind which he needed to tell him. The dinner party was just a gathering of guests and did not have anything else so Sam, Sia was free to roam wherever they wanted. Sia was busy with Aakriti and was showing her all the clothes, jewelry, and sandals she was going to wear on her wedding day and other rest functions. Ronith came downstairs and greeted Sia’s parents and sat with them. As soon as Ronith came, he snatched him and took him to a quiet place. 

He began asking how Ronith was feeling and if he were in a mood to hear some dramatic story. He was about to tell him all about Vynace village and those diamonds and about Aakriti. And as he was a geologist, he would definitely know if any of those things were true. But one of Sam's friends came there; who was going to shift in Bristol, United King and wanted to learn everything about United King and started asking questions about London to Ronith. Ronith at first gave a positive response and answered all the questions, but when he continued and continued asking questions that were when Ronith got frustrated and started to wish when he would leave him alone with Sam. Sam understood from Ronith's eyes and expressions that he wanted to be left alone so he could talk with Sam. Sam asked his friend, if he had eaten anything or not. And that friend somehow got the hint that he should leave from there and let those two guys continue. That friend left in awkward silence. Sam and Ronith sat on a bench. Sameer told him everything about Vynace village, about Aakriti, about Aakriti's Family, her failed marriage, and that meteorite of Diamonds and everything.  At first, Sam thought that Ronith would not buy his story at all and would scold him for letting a strange woman stay at their home and in their wedding like that. But out of all his surprise, Ronith actually took interest in that matter. He believed that what she was saying might be right and that they should help her if there were any possibilities of being that thing true. If there were chances of it being true, Ronith wanted to go and see for himself. Ronith began to tell, Sam that how it was one of the possibilities and he had some experience in those researches and excavation and about mining; they should definitely go to Vynace village and see what reality was. Plus Ronith added that he too had heard stories about the floating diamond in space. He believed that Aakriti was a villager. She might have not accessed the internet and other services to know that some diamond was floating in space, so could not make up some story like that on her own. If she was saying that, in the village, there were or are diamonds, that must be true. One cannot make up a fake story if one does not have any idea about its existence. We cannot make up a story about life on Venus, because we do not have any such information to do so.  Ronith wanted Sam to believe in Aakriti’s story too. Sam told him, if he believed it or not, it did not matter as Sia wanted Sam to believe in the story so he had to. Ronith had reasons to believe in Aakriti’s story, Sia had emotions in believing Aakriti’s story and Sam had to without logic or emotions. Sia came there where Sam and Ronith were sitting and asked, “What are you guys talking about? Planning to freak me out with some fake cruses of Sam?” Sam told her that, “I just finished our most fantastic story of Vynace village and told him all about the diamonds and Aakriti”. Sia said it was a good thing that Sam told Ronith everything, as she was, was going to ask Ronith to come with them anyway. Because Sam was going to get bored if he would not be accompanied by Ronith. After that, Ronith could not stop imagining those diamonds and was a little lost during that evening. His way of looking at Aakriti was changed, he got a little bit emotional about her, as she had a rough childhood without love and care, so did Ronith had. Ronith never had lovable parents and he could see how unfair Aakriti’s parents with her. When the pain is the same, emotional attachment is natural, and that same happened for Ronith. 

Though he was lost, a lot of girls were staring at him and were smiling and laughing and blushing away if he would watch one of them accidentally. Sia’s friends and cousins were playing a little bet that when he would smile when he would look at them, where exactly he was looking when he would check on his mobile when he would turn around and all. Ronith was actually struck and his eyes were only meeting Aakriti. Why would not they all watch him? Yes of course one of the reasons might be, that he was single and Rich. But he had some added advantages too. His high status was magnificent enough from his branded watch to lavish shoes. He sat on the bench quietly as he was wearing Red traditional attire borrowed from Sam. He had a light short stubble beard grown up on his bright skin. His muscles of bicep had emerged up from his traditional Kurta. He had rolled up the sleeves of his Kurta.  The fragrance of Expensive deodorants was coming off from me. He was rocking in his new Haircut, he just had gotten haircut as he had to attend the wedding of his brother Sam.  He had a dominant body language and open body posture. He had one of those killing smile which had been weaknesses of many, smile with dimples. He was used to it, as people and girls specially used to give a sudden pause and observe him. His almond-shaped brown eyes were moving constantly and recklessly as he was thinking about that Vynace story. It was a lot of attention he was getting from girls and some jealous boys too who wanted to be like him and were jealous as girls were checking out him. He took out his mobile from his pocket and began searching on the internet about the village to see if he could find something. But he realized it was not the very subtle thing to do as he was there for Sam and not for Diamonds. So he instead decided to join Sam and Sia.  Amongst all, tall heightened, bright skinned, muscled up Ronith was every girl’s dream to be with.  Despite being handsome and rich he was very humble and modest and did not take any pride in his looks or money. His money was proof of his hard and his hard work would define him, not his money.