The Chuckle

I'm staring at the ceiling of my plush single room apartment. It has four walls, a beautiful white ceiling, a tiled floor and a suitcase filled with clothes. I lie flat on the floor to make my ceiling-watching experience more comfortable. What more could I ask for? I have everything. I am certainly not one of those losers - those idiots. I just need one more thing.

At least, that is what people would think if there were any around. Commoners will not realize that the ceiling-watching is just a hoax. I am in fact having a very intellectual debate with my friends, my thoughts. I am in my room, undisturbed by my thoughts. How could I afford to have them disturb me, they are the only ones with voices around me. They are my only friends. On second thoughts, if I go by the definition of a friend, even my thoughts aren't really my friends. True friends don't judge you. They know you and resign to accept you, usually owing to a lack of choice.

Not my thoughts though. They've not given up yet, despite knowing that they are my prisoners for life. Right now, I am having a heated discussion with one such friend and none of us is ready to budge. "She's just playing with you. You're her puppet. You are weak and she knows that.", it says. I take a deep breath and gather words to put across my point. "All-she-needs-err--needs--is-that-ring.. I-can-buy-it-for-her... just-a-small-loan.."

I suddenly hear a muted chuckle. I look around and realize it is a friend, trying to do a “you-are-an-idiot" act. I ignore him. My muffled words had somehow convinced me and I felt realistically optimistic. "Just a ring and she'll be mine!" I go to a bank, the best actually, request them for a loan, run to a jeweler next to my house and pick the biggest ring. I ask him to wrap it in delicate red satin. "It is for someone special", I say while putting up the best possible smile.

I return home smiling at every passing soul, even the dogs. I look at the ceiling again but somehow my friends seem to have gone out. I just hear one voice, my own. "I'll call her first thing in the morning. She needs to see what I've bought for her", and on that note I lazily fall into emptiness. I sleep like every content man does when he's achieved something on a particular day.

I wake up to a bright sunny day. People seem happier.

One ring..two..three.. "Hello Raghav"! It was the sweetest voice I had heard and the brightest face I had seen. I was standing in front of her house, staring right into her face. My rehearsed hand seemed to reach deep into my pocket. Why did they seem deeper than usual? My hand dived in deep again with more resolve, fetched that red box and gave it to her. Not a word said, melancholic silence followed. After what felt like a few beautiful years, her face lit up and she chuckled, "Hey! My engagement was a secret, a family affair! But I'm so glad you are here now! By the way, what did you get me?"

My long lost friends, my thoughts, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and were chuckling in unison.