JUSTIFYING THE HURT

“Shall I call you?” Rahul sent the text message.

He did not get any reply. He left the mobile phone in his hostel room and went  to the canteen. He had his Sunday breakfast and tea.

After about half an hour he returned to his room and checked if any reply had come on his mobile.

He could not find any message.

He locked his room and went to Sanjay’s room. Sanjay was reading the latest sports magazine. He was more than happy to have Rahul in his room as he had no other work to do. The case study work due for Monday was completed already.

They were doing their Post Graduation in Management and specializing in Marketing.

 “So Rahul how are things man?” Sanjay said.

“Not so good dude” He replied.

“Why? What happened?” Sanjay asked.

“You are aware that Vidya  is my friend. Over the past few months we have become very good friends”

Vidya was their batch mate and her specialization was human resources.

Sanjay replied “I am aware of it.”

“There is a good connect between us as we think alike. It all started when we both went to the debate competition as a team to the management meet. We could coordinate very well and won the first place amongst 22 management schools”

Sanjay got up from the chair and said that they should go out for a walk and discuss the issue.

Within ten minutes time they were walking on the lawns of the university. It was very serene as the university had hundreds of trees and was fondly called as the lungs of the city.

Rahul continued “I have developed huge respect for her.”

Sanjay said “I know about it. Why are you telling me these things now?”

They stopped at the tea shop and Rahul ordered two teas. Sipping the tea, they settled on the chairs in the lawn .

“Continue” Sanjay said.

“Today morning I sent a text message asking her if I could call her.”

“Did you speak to her after that?”

“No” he said and continued “Since two days she is not taking my calls. She is not responding to my text messages also. The morning message was the third since yesterday”

Sanjay looked at him and said “Something looks wrong. Did you say anything or crossed the limit anytime?”

Rahul was immediate in his response “I dare not do it. I am very cautious while speaking to her. I need to tell you one thing. She has been telling me that she is busy with project work and I should avoid calling often”

Sanjay smiled and told him “She is right. You both attended some debate competition together and she spoke to you well when both of you had time. you cannot expect the same response always.”

Rahul stared at him and said “Do not think that I am not aware of it. I have been trying to explain to her that I do understand that she is pressed for time. I wanted her to acknowledge the fact that I was a good friend and understood her situation. But I did not get a proper opportunity to say and I got hurt. I have been trying to justify the hurt and called her on her mobile few times”

Sanjay wondered what solution Rahul was looking for. It was a case of simple communication gap. Vidya had her project work and she wanted to be left alone. Rahul was trying to contact her and was getting hurt as she was not responding.

Sanjay asked “I do not understand as to why you are getting so much attached to her response. Have you started liking her?

Rahul’s response was immediate “Come on dude, never ever think on those lines. Her wave length matches very much with mine in the same way as your wavelength matches. She is my good friend and I would never dare think like that”

If it was someone else he would have thought that Rahul was a nut. Sanjay knew him since Pre University and Engineering days. He was a very soft guy and always gave importance to friends and friendship.

Sanjay patted Rahul on the back and said “Dude I know you very well. I also know Vidya well.

There is a child in both of you. Stop contacting her for some time. Let her complete the project work and feel free. I am sure that she would contact  and talk to you”

Rahul shook his head and said “I don’t think so. Sometimes you have to give up on people not because you don’t care but because they don’t”

Sanjay had no answer to the philosophical statement.

They got up from the chairs and went back to the hostel rooms.

One month passed and it was a Sunday again. Rahul came running to Sanjay’s room and said “Dude she has send me a text message. I told you earlier that I respect her a lot and she deserves it”

Sanjay wondered how amazing it was that one text message from a person could change the entire mood.

He got up from the chair and asked him to read the message.

He read it out “you should have lot of friends who understand what you say but you should also have at least one friend who understands what you do not say. I thank you for being with me for the past few days. I was very busy and you understood what I did not say”

Rahul said “Sanjay it was good that I did not send her any text message expressing my hurt. Sometimes it is good if we keep such things to ourselves and allow time to heal”

Sanjay smiled and said “My friend I hope you learn from this. Friendship is something which cannot be based on expectations. You expected Vidya to respond the same way always. She had her priorities set. The beauty of the matter is that the moment she became free, she contacted you back. Good friends need not talk to one another daily. Wishing once in a while is enough to keep the connect intact.”