Protagonists:
Suravi Shome
Ketan Kaushish aka KT
So this time when I couldn’t put off going to the dentist any more, it turned out that I had waited a little too long and needed an immediate root canal. Suravi and Kinshu were my reinforcements that day. After the procedure, Suravi was at the edge of her seat ready to burst into the clinic and pounce upon the doc and Kinshu was the oh-so-worried dad from “Father has a rough night” pacing up and down talking to HIS mom for some reassurance.
After this ‘incident’ I decided not to make my friends undergo the terrible torture of a visit to the dentist and hence, go alone. Even then, Suravi insisted to come along. She had been really busy lately and I really didn’t want to make her lose out on more precious time, but the thought of the fights and frowns afterwards about how I ignore her or don’t let her come along made me think otherwise. Plus, I thought, it would be a sort of pathetic break for the overloaded placecommer. So KT, Suravi and I set off for the clinic. KT gave us a ride since he stays virtually next door to the dentist. Now at KT’s place I cleverly made Suravi stay with him and walked down to the clinic for the next set of painful procedures. It was much better than she squirming in the waiting room, God bless her soul.
The noisy construction work in my bucket cavity took a good one hour. I walked out of the office feeling guilty about wasting Suravi’s and KT’s time. I called her up and asked her to come down so that we could grab an auto. She said, “Why don’t you come upstairs for a bit”. I figured it would be rude to just go without meeting KT’s mom. So I went upstairs and rang the doorbell. Aunty opened the door and led me in. I turned into the drawing room to find no one. Aunty told me that they were in KT’s room. I walked in to greet my dear old friends who always watch out for me and tell them that all went well, when my jaw dropped. Both of them were sprawled on separate twirling chairs with their mouths half open, staring into the TV playing, wait for it, a video game. It was one of those one-on-one fighting games where you mindlessly press all keys and laugh like retards. Dragon-Ball Z was it? I’m not sure. It was the same game my brother used to play when he was 13, though. So when they finally noticed that someone had walked into the room, they said a quick high and went back to beating each others’ asses and pointing and laughing. They had great strategies in mind – from which player to pick, to which scene to choose. As if it mattered.
After I while I mentioned, “By the way, I’m ok”. And then came another brilliant ideas in their underprivileged minds – “Appu, you should play!” I politely declined. After their much coaxing, I said, “As tempted as I am, I choose not to deteriorate my grey matter with this - thing” So they resigned to calling each other more names.
Then a thought occurred to me – Suravi was supposed to go back and finish up the tomes of pending work. And I felt it was my duty to remind her of it. So, the good friend that I am, I did. And was I in for some serious brickbats. So I succumbed to just watching two 25+ professionals belonging to a post graduate programme in business hit each other aimlessly on the screen with a Zombie look on their faces.
After they were done with the series of One-last-game’s Aunty laid out the most delectable Idlis on the table which I just couldn’t refuse. They were so good that afterwards I forgot to give Suravi a piece of my mind. What the heck – after all, one shouldn’t be harsh on juvenile delinquents.
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