STILL MY MITRON
Viha stayed late at the office, buried under files of work. By the time she stepped outside, the streets were almost empty and it was already night. She tried booking a cab, but no one accepted her request. After a few failed attempts, she sighed.
"I guess I have only one option," she thought, and called Agast.
"Hey, can you pick me up?"she asked.
"Ofcourse, I'm coming,"Agast replied.
Within minutes, he arrived on his bike.Viha got on,feeling a little relieved.As they started riding,her phone rang.
"Yeah, I got more work at the office," she said on the call."Let’s meet on the weekend. Is that okay?"
"Okay," came the reply.
After a few seconds, the same person asked, "It's very late...should I come there?"
"No, no need,"Viha said."Agast is dropping me. I'm on the way."
"Alright, take care."
"Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up. Agast, curious, asked,"Who was that?"
"Usreen,"Viha replied casually.
"Oh.. okay. So you have plans this
weekend?" he asked.
"Hm, yeah. If you're free, we can all go together,the three of us," she said.
Agast shook his head slightly."No, I was just asking."
There was a brief silence, then Agast spoke again,"Did you eat? Or should we stop somewhere?"
"Let’s stop," Viha said."We'll eat and then you'll drop me at my flat.
They pulled over at a small hotel nearby. Sitting across from each other, sharing a simple meal, the tiredness of the day slowly faded.
After dinner, Agast dropped Viha at her flat. She thanked him, went inside, and quickly fell asleep after a long, tiring day. Agast returned to his room, thinking about their conversation, but soon drifted off to sleep as well.
The next morning, Viha's phone rang.
"Hello..." she said sleepily.
"Viha! About tomorrow's meeting,should I bring Naina along?"Usreen asked.
"Yeah,okay...but why are you calling so early in the morning?" Viha replied, half-asleep.
"Early? Viha, it's not 7... it's already 9! You're going to be late again!"
"What?!" Viha jumped out of bed."Okay, okay... bye Usreen!"
She quickly hung up and immediately called Agast.
"Can you drop me at the office? I'm getting late again,and this is because of you!" she said in a hurry.
"Me? You're the one who overslept,"Agast laughed."Anyway, I'll be there in 15 minutes".
"Okay, come fast!" she said and ended the call.
Viha rushed to get ready, barely managing everything in time. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she sighed.
"Every day feels like a task just to reach the office,she muttered.
(AFTER 45 MINUTES)
Agast dropped Viha at her office and left for his work. She rushed inside, already late, and got busy with her tasks. Hours passed quickly, and by afternoon, she finally got a small break.
She picked up her phone and called Usreen.
"Hey, where are we going tomorrow? At least tell me,I need to inform Agast,"Viha said.
Usreen laughed."Okay, okay... we're going to the beach. And we'll stay there for two days. That's it."
"Beach? For two days?" Viha smiled, feeling a little excited."Okay."
After hanging up, she leaned back in her chair for a moment.
"Oh my God...I already have so much work at the office, and in the evening I need to go shopping too,"she said to herself.
That evening, Viha and Agast went shopping together.The streets were crowded, lights glowing everywhere, and despite her busy day,Viha felt relaxed. Agast helped her pick a few things for the trip, teasing her choices, while she laughed and argued back. It was simple, but it felt special.
The next day, everything felt different,lighter, happier.
Viha, Agast, Usreen, and Naina were all ready for the trip. Somehow, the four of them felt perfectly balanced, like they were meant to be together,different personalities, yet connected in their own way.
Viha got ready quietly. She chose a pure white dress. It was simple, but when she looked at herself, she felt confident. When she stepped outside, everyone noticed.
"You look… stunning,"Agast said, a little surprised.
Naina smiled,"White really suits you."
Usreen just nodded,"Perfect."
Viha smiled softly. For a moment, everything felt calm,the rush, the stress, the overthinking... all gone.
They finally started their journey and reached the beach after a long, fun ride. The sound of waves, the cool breeze, and the open sky made everything feel peaceful. They laughed, clicked pictures, and played near the shore like carefree children.
After some time, they headed to the hotel to rest.
"I'll freshen up," Viha said,"then we can go eat. And... shall we go back to the beach for the sunset?"
"Yeah, I was about to say that!"Naina smiled.
"Perfect plan,"Usreen agreed.
They all got ready and gathered in the hall, waiting and chatting. Meanwhile, Agast quietly walked into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" Usreen asked, peeking in.
"Just making something light for Viha... and for all of us," he replied casually.
Soon, the soft aroma of simple food filled the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it felt warm and comforting. When Viha came out, she noticed.
"You cooked?"she asked, surprised.
Agast smiled,"Just a little. You didn't eat properly yesterday."
Viha didn't say much, but her smile said everything.
They all sat together, sharing the food, laughing, teasing each other.
That evening, at the beach, the sky slowly turned golden as the sun began to set. The waves moved gently, and the cool breeze made everything feel calm.
Usreen and Viha sat on the sand , watching the sea.
"So... what about your future plans?"Usreen asked.
Viha smiled softly."No perfect plans. I just want to go with the flow...and with you all."
Nearby, Agast and Naina were busy taking photos, laughing and calling out to each other.
Usreen looked at the waves and said,"Life in our campus was so good... peaceful. Now everything feels so fast and busy."
"Hm..." Viha nodded.
After a small pause, Viha spoke, her voice calm but deep.
"I don't know if there will be better days in the future or not... but I feel like this is the perfect time to say this."
Usreen turned towards her, listening.
"In a world full of fake people, I saw something real. Not about personal things... but just the presence. It made me feel light. Like there's still a place for true people in this world."
She continued slowly,
"In college, we saw so many people...some were not honest, some were just passing time. But what we had,it was different. Pure."
Viha smiled faintly.
"Those four years taught me a lot. They gave me memories, laughter, and real friends. Our friendship didn't end there... it became stronger. Permanent."
Usreen's eyes softened.
"I still remember all those days... the talks, the stories, the laughs,"Viha said.
Just then, Agast called out from a distance, "Viha! Come... let's take photos together!"
Viha smiled."Yeah, I'm coming!"
She stood up, feeling lighter than before, and walked towards them.
As the four of them stood together, laughing and capturing moments under the sunset.As the sun disappeared, they walked back to the hotel, still talking and smiling.
After dinner, the night felt calm and peaceful. They went downstairs and sat near the swimming pool. The lights reflected softly on the water, creating a quiet, beautiful atmosphere.
After some time, Usreen and Naina decided to go for a walk, leaving Viha and Agast alone.
Viha looked at the water for a moment and then slowly began to speak.
"I met him in college,"she said."I don't exactly remember what I felt when I first saw him...but I knew one thing,he was genuine."
Agast listened quietly.
"In college, I saw so many people...relationships, cheating, people not being real. It felt confusing sometimes. But Usreen...he was different. I don't know about his personal life, but the way he treated people,it felt honest."
She paused, then continued.
"He helped me when I needed it the most. I didn't even ask anyone...but he was there. He treated me with respect, like a true friend. Maybe I wasn't his best friend...but he always treated me like one."
Agast nodded slightly.
"I still remember one day," Viha said with a small smile."He encouraged me to participate in a program. because whenever I tried something new, I felt like I would fail."
She looked down.
"And yes...I did fail that time too. But he told me it wasn't a failure. He said it was just a small experience... something to learn from. He made me see things differently."
There was a soft silence between them.
"That's how we became good friends," she said gently."And even now...after everything... I can say one thing..."
She looked at Agast and smiled.
"He is still my mitron."
