You come home from the office all right, but you don't come back to me. I think you're tired, so I don't call. But when you post movie reviews late at night, I realize the fatigue isn't from work, the fatigue is perhaps...
I don't call you these days, I just don't have the courage. At least before you used to cut the call, now you don't respond at all.
I saw you at the coffee shop the other day, with Nibedita. But you'd said you found her unbearable. These days I see you sitting with that unbearable person, burning your lips on hot coffee! After three years of trying, I still couldn't become as unbearable a person as Nibedita!
'I'm feeling low.' I'd messaged you last Sunday. You saw it this Wednesday. I watched the typing indicator for a while; thought even if you scold me, at least you'll write something, that would be enough for me! I waited a long time, the message never came. Do you type messages and then delete them these days? Of course, we supposedly understand each other so well that there's no need to call or message. And meeting up is out of the question!
Oh right, good news! I heard you got first class in your MBA? You didn't tell me? People tell even their enemies about good results, so am I not even an enemy anymore? I got my usual second class, but my CGPA dropped even lower. If you were here, you'd say, 'Ugh, you missed it by just a little!' or 'At least you have to study before exams!' — something like that for comfort. You know, these days I even miss the consolations you used to give me!
I deliberately had Oni pass along news of my illness and poor results to you. 'Bodies are like that, sometimes good, sometimes bad!', 'Any result is fine!' — hearing such responses, even Oni was taken aback. I laughed when I heard. Ha ha ha! I laughed after so long. I can't quite understand what this feeling is.
Even when you cast someone away, you can say, 'Why did you cast me away like this!' But when you keep someone alive through neglect and indifference, what is there to say?