Outside - On the Road, Towards the Hotel
It was already past eight at night. The city streets were gradually emptying out, but seven friends walked together with wide smiles, wrapped in the warmth of friendship.
Swarnendu said,
"There's a Chinese-Indian fusion restaurant just nearby. Their fried rice is amazing!"
Jitendra smirked and replied,
"I don't know about that, but if you cooked it, I'd still eat it tonight. It's Anurag's birthday and he's treating us-that's what really matters!"
Anurag smiled gently and said,
"The fact that you all love me so much-that itself is the treat."
Rahul immediately added,
"Oh, here comes our poet sir! Leave chemistry and start teaching Bengali instead!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Anirban looked softly at Anurag and said,
"You smiled... that itself is the best gift of the day."
Rishikesh nodded and said,
"Hey, isn't friendship the real chemistry of life? Am I right or what?"
Anurag gave a slight smile and nodded in agreement.
---
They all walked into a modest restaurant. The place was clean, dimly lit, and a few people sat quietly eating. The group settled at a table in the corner-and even in the low hum of the surroundings, their laughter stood out.
A waiter came by and handed them menus.
Rishikesh said,
"Today, Anurag will place all the orders."
Anurag protested,
"No, no, you all eat whatever you want."
Swarnendu was about to say something, but the others hushed him and insisted again,
"No. You decide. We'll eat whatever you say."
Anurag thought for a moment and said,
"Then let's order Hakka noodles, chili chicken, and a veg sizzler? Will you all eat that?"
Everyone eagerly nodded and agreed.
Rahul laughed and said,
"And a cold drink too-we might not get drunk on your birthday, but at least we'll have chilled water!"
Time passed in laughter and banter. The food arrived, they shared everything, talked, recalled funny memories from the past, and even discussed future dreams about teaching.
Suddenly, Rishikesh said,
"Do you know, there are already rumors about you at school!"
Anurag looked surprised.
"What do you mean?"
Rahul winked and said,
"Come on! A handsome, calm, serious guy like you-girls are bound to fall for you! The girls' school students must've already started weaving stories!"
Everyone laughed. Anurag looked a bit embarrassed but didn't say anything.
Anirban, though quiet until then, gave a faint smile. He thought to himself,
"This is just the beginning. From now on, let's see who all start developing feelings for Anurag."
Just then, Subhradip spoke up,
"You're right. The two most handsome guys in our group have become teachers. And we're still all unemployed. But one thing's for sure-Anurag is the most handsome among us. On top of that, he's calm and composed. Of course the girls are going to be smitten with him."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Subhradip continued,
"Do you all remember how crazy the girls were for him at university?"
He laughed, and the others joined in.
Rahul added,
"Yeah! Any girl I liked would turn out to be madly in love with Anurag! Bro, you completely ruined my love life!"
Everyone roared with laughter.
But Anurag didn't laugh. As always, he remained quiet.
Anirban kept watching him.
Jitendra suddenly said,
"By the way, if you wanted, you could've dated so many girls. A lot of them had crushes on you. Why didn't you? What's the point of being so loyal? In the end, you ended up breaking up anyway."
Anurag stared sharply at him.
Jitendra flinched a little.
Anirban quickly interjected,
"Hey, let's drop this topic."
That night continued with dinner, mild arguments, warm laughter, and some unspoken emotions.
After a while.
At the Hotel, 9:30 PM
Everyone was still sitting around the table. With menus in hand, Rahul, Rishikesh, and Subhradeep kept placing orders one after another-Tandoori Chicken, Butter Naan, Paneer Tikka, Chicken Biryani, Cold Drinks. Excitement, laughter, and teasing filled their faces.
A little earlier, Anurag had looked at everyone and said-
Anurag: "Order whatever you want, guys. Don't think about me. I have enough money. I just want to make this day special for you all."
Anirban had tried to protest, but Anurag silenced him.
Everyone sat close around the table. With menus in hand, Rahul, Rishikesh, and Subhradeep were enthusiastically giving orders-
Rahul: "Shall I ask for some Tandoori Chicken? And yes, we have to get Butter Naan too!"
Rishikesh: "I want Paneer Tikka. And we must have a Chicken Biryani!"
Subhradeep: "Get Cold Drinks for everyone! Anurag already said 'Don't worry.' Isn't that right?"
Excitement, laughter, and friendly teasing echoed across their faces. Even amidst the light background music, the warmth of friendship stood out clearly.
Anurag (smiling lightly): "You guys are ordering as if you haven't eaten in ten days! Eat whatever you want-today is all about you. Don't think about me; I still have a full wallet."
Still, behind the laughter, Anurag stayed quiet. Sitting at one corner of the table, he watched everyone's joy silently. But in the corner of his eyes, there was a faint hint of melancholy.
Waiter: "Your order, sir?"
Anurag (softly): "One plain paratha... and mixed vegetables, please. That'll be enough."
Rahul: "Come on! Who eats that? I'm saying this because I care-order something more."
Anurag (with a faint smile): "No, I really won't eat anything else. Honestly."
Anirban, sitting quietly beside him, kept glancing at Anurag. His silent eyes lingered on him.
On this special day, seeing Anurag so withdrawn felt painful. Though he said nothing, Anirban could sense-something was stirring inside Anurag. Maybe, because it was his birthday, old memories were crowding his heart more than usual. He knew Anurag's family... his past... together, birthdays were never truly happy for him.
Anirban (thought silently): "It's his birthday today. Such a big day at school too... and still, his heart isn't at peace. Surely, something is buried deep inside... so many unspoken words."
Once, Anurag used to be surrounded by Kolkata's riches, grand birthday celebrations at five-star hotels, expensive gifts-he had left it all behind. Now, here he was, sitting with friends in a modest restaurant of a small town. Far from his family. Life had taken him through many storms. He had endured so much.
And yet, Anirban said nothing. He knew Anurag didn't like talking about these things.
After a brief silence, Anirban softly asked-
Anirban: "Are you okay?"
Anurag looked up, startled. For a moment, his face seemed like it wanted to say something-but he didn't.
Anurag (with a light smile): "I'm perfectly fine. Just having you all by my side-that's the most important thing."
---
To be continued...