Packing day again

Feb 19th, 2024

fiction

(source - stable diffusion)

A knock on the door. Arjun gets up from sofa and paces towards it. Looking through the peephole, he spots Vaishnavi, holding a paper box. “I got held up, Arjun. Sanidhya dragged me into a last-minute meeting” she explained as she slipped off her sandals. “But I stopped by at Poetry and picked up cheesecake” she continued, handing over the box before enveloping Arjun in a hug.

“How’s the packing going?” Vaishnavi enquired, scanning the untouched living room. “It’s still going”, Arjun replied, pausing for a moment. “I took a break”. Vaishnavi glanced at the TV, where the last episode of Friends was playing. “Very apt” she remarked with a smile.

Arjun returned to the sofa and gestured to the kitchen. “I saved some Maggi for you, it’s in the kitchen” he mentioned. Vaishnavi walks back from the kitchen with her bowl and settled beside him. “Last binge session for us” she remarked casually. “No, last binge session for us in Mumbai” said Arjun. Their eyes met, exchanging a mutual smile.

As the last episode played, Vaishnavi noticed Arjun looking outside. “You seem low. What happened?” she asked, concerned. “Is the packing overwhelming?”

“Yeah Vaish, I am feeling rather mellow today. I emptied the almirah and laid out the clothes on the bed and since then I’ve been listenin to songs”, Arjun admitted. Vaishnavi guided his head onto her lap and gentyl stroked his hair. “I see” she whispered, pausing briefly before asking “I’m here now, Arjun. Tell me how you feel”.

“It’s a mixture of feelings, and I am not able to disentangle all of them” replies Arjun. A confused expression comes on his face. “First I don’t want to go. I don’t want to move to another city” argues back Arjun.

“No, Arjun, in this moment, you’re feeling that you don’t want to go, but it’s all you’ve talked about for the last few months. A new city, a new job. Remember how excited you were, telling me your plans for Bangalore?” Vaishnavi reminded him gently.

“I’m sad that we’ll be apart,” Arjun admitted. “Yeah, that sucks. I don’t want you to go either, but I know you haven’t been happy here. Plus, it’s only a few months until I shift as well. You better find a nicer apartment there,” Vaishnavi joked. After a pause she continued, “But really, I’ll miss you a lot. I’ll figure out my job situation in a few months. I’m optimistic they’ll accept my transfer request.”

“Don’t worry; it won’t take much time to pack. I’m here now,” Vaishnavi reassured him. “That’s part of the problem, Vaish! It’s been bothering me all day. It takes too little time to pack and leave, and I have a problem with that.”

“But that’s because you don’t keep enough stuff. If only you’d let me buy stuff for your room,” Vaishnavi quipped.

“This place was lovely,” Arjun murmured. “Yeah, it was,” Vaishnavi agreed, gently pressing both his cheeks with her hands. “What was your first impression of the house?” Arjun asked. “The first time I came to your apartment was our first date,” Vaishnavi laughed. “Do you remember how drunk you were? I had to come to drop you off,” she teased.

“It’s really strange to be leaving. All it takes is a few hours, and you’re done. I’ve lived here for two years, and not a trace of me will remain in the room after I’m done packing. There’s not a mark left of my existence here.”

“I’ve been listening to songs on loop to prolong the time, make it a whole-day thing,” Arjun confessed.

“I get that existential dread you’re feeling. It’s eerily easy to move on,” Vaishnavi empathized.

Arjun’s delved deeper into his thoughts. “I can’t help but think that this phase of life isn’t reaching a conclusion. I feel like I’m leaving things incomplete,” he admitted.

Vaishnavi pondered his words for a moment, her gaze fixed on a distant point. “I think who you want to become is a longer process, and it can’t be reached to a completion in two years,” she offered, her tone reflective. “I don’t even think Bangalore or your next job would make you feel complete.”

Vaishnavi reached out, holding his hand in hers. “Remember the Shawshank scene with Brooks was here written on the wall. I suppose he must be feeling what you are feeling in the moment” said Vaishnavi. “Things don’t keep a memory, but people do.” she reaffirmed.

“I suppose that’s why people want to live around other people” she continued, “Your existence isn’t easily forgotten.”