Proposals Are So Overrated!
Do you know how it feels to spend your entire childhood with the same friend? It’s practically like you do everything together: same school, same tuitions, same sports team, confusing your parents which one is your own kid (because you spend most of your time in each other’s house).
Growing up together. Going to the same college together. You know almost everything about them, their hobby, likes, dislikes, daily routine, dreams, and even dark secrets. It’s like you were born to be each other’s best friends! You are each other’s partner-in-crime!
Our today’s story is the same. Mayra and Riya were like “made for each other” kind of best friend. They are so similar in their behavior feeling just like twins and they almost look identical too!
Mayra, the troublemaker, was always looking for new adventures in her life. She always had the confidence that no matter what she does, Riya will always save her from the consequences.
One summer day, Mayra was shouting at some random guy on the basketball court. Riya had tried her best to stop her from this stupidity, but Mayra had pledged that she’ll make sure that their team is the best basketball team for the season. She was so obsessed with the game that she would even dare to ignore Riya’s words while playing. The fact that this was their last year in the college was the icing on the cake.
Riya noticed that a guy was noticing them from the other end of the court! It was Sohail, one of the many guys whom Mayra had rejected because she was too focused on developing herself for the time being. Riya also knew that her bestie was more of a logical person and someone who hated Bollywood movies. But Sohail seemed to give some genuine vibes.
Sohail came up to Riya to ask for her help.
“See I can only help you out if you stop acting desperately!”, Riya agreed only because she trusted her own instincts. “Stop trying hard to impress her, you will only push her away. Try to act normal around her and not like modern Devdas. Try to be her friend. Spend time with her doing what she loves. And do not talk about how you feel at least for the next 4 months”, Riya said this as if she had already prepared her speech.
“But we are friends since the last 3 years of college. Why can’t I just confess her how I feel?”, Sohail needed to know what Riya was up to.
“Because proposals are so filmy and overrated!”, Riya said the blunt truth and it struck Sohail so hard that he felt out of questions. He realized that he was being unnecessarily direct with Mayra.
“It’s great to have feelings for another person because you are a human too. But expecting the same is like kind of forcing your feelings on that person. Instead of saying what you feel for them, make them feel it.”, Riya started saying her point of view mainly because she knew how her friend is.
“Be there for her more than me. Make her feel that she matters to you more than she matters to me! And I’m absolutely ready to help but only if you keep your word and stop telling her how you feel.”
Sohail was suddenly filled with so much optimism after listening to Riya that at this point he was ready to follow every step that she guides.
Sohail was good at playing basketball. So he started from there. He started helping Mayra with the practice sessions. At first, she was confused as to why is he trying to help. But seeing his dedication, she felt that he might be genuinely willing to help the team or be a part of it. They started spending more time together. Riya smartly avoided going to college with Mayra so that Sohail could pick her up. She helped him by being as much unavailable as possible. Mayra tried talking to her and wanted to know if anything is wrong. But Riya acted so normally because she was observing the efforts put by Sohail.
With Riya’s help, the circumstances led to Sohail and Mayra spend most of the time together: practice sessions, projects, walking to college, assignments, Sohail put his best efforts to be there for her and never let her feel the absence of her best friend.
But there’s nothing that can replace the bond of 19 years of friendship.
Riya received a text from Mayra “Today. Pop’s Cafe. 5 PM. Urgent!”
This was an emergency signal from her and something that can’t be avoided. She first thought of calling Sohail to check if everything was right. But then thought not to bother him.
At 5 PM Riya reached Pop’s Cafe. She was surprised to see Sohail waiting for someone there. On asking he said he received a similar text from her.
Just when they were trying to figure it out, Mayra entered the cafe.
“Please take your seat guys”, Mayra said in a very normal tone and ordered their regular milkshakes. She was enjoying the confused look on their faces.
“Okay! Let’s stop playing now. We all know what’s going on here. So who is going to explain everything from the start?”, Mayra asked and gave a cold look at both of them.
Riya still tried her luck, “What are you talking about exactly?” and gave a fake confident smile.
“Well-tried Riya! If there’s anything I’m sure of right now is that there’s something going on your mind and you have successfully failed in hiding that.”
“Mayra, I just wanted to be your friend, a real close one”, Sohail attempted to make a point but Mayra cuts him in the middle, “We all know the truth and I’m asking both of you to just stop pretending!”
“Sohail. Be honest and tell Riya how much you like her!”, Mayra said after a few seconds of pause. Sohail was surprised to hear this.
“Wait! What?”, Riya and Sohail exclaimed in unison.
“What? Don’t you like Riya? Isn’t it the reason why you wanted to be my friend? So that you could get closer to Riya”, Mayra said as if she knew everything. “I know this game. Impress the bestie and you get your girl!”
Then she looked and Riya and started saying, “You know what, Sohail is a great person. I realized it so late when I tried to figure out why he was trying to help me. I thought of releasing his burden now. Instead of impressing me Sohail, you should work harder to impress Riya! Anyway, I always wanted to find a perfect match for her”, Mayra finished her sentences and smiled at Riya.
Riya and Sohail were surprised. Riya burst out laughing. This was a chance for Sohail to play his cards.
“Mayra, could you just listen to us? What are you saying right now? Are you even hearing to yourself? Have you forgotten that it was you whom I had approached first? I had already messed up things earlier. Riya gave me the only chance I could ever have. Yes, she helped me a lot and her absence must have affected you, but believe me, this was never mine or Riya’s intention.” Mayra was shocked but still listening with full focus so he continued, “Last few weeks were very memorable for me. The time spent with you made me realize that how should one focus on themselves first. How one should fall in love with themselves first…”, and he ran out of words.
Mayra looked at Riya and said, “I was so against filmy twists all my life and what is happening! It took me some time and I had to fight my own selfish self to gather the courage to do this. Now that I hear it, I feel happy as well as ANGRY at you Riya. If you found someone good enough for me then why didn’t you just say it to me directly? Since when did we start playing this game of ignoring just to give a chance to someone? You could have just asked me to talk to him and I would have considered it”, Mayra was all prepared to do something they had not expected!
“Mayra calm down!”, Riya wanted to try her luck, “I knew Sohail is right, and I just wanted you to realize that. What’s wrong with that? If you don’t spend some time with him then how would you ever realize that?.”
“Well, I could have just felt that!”, Mayra tried saying something knowing she won’t make any sense!
There was an awkward silence for the next few minutes. Nobody had anything to say. Riya was finding that situation funny. She asked mockingly, “Who’s going to say sorry first?”, and all three of them burst into laughter, again.
It’s been 4 years now Mayra and Sohail are happily engaged and planning their wedding by the end of the year. Mayra accepts the truth that this love story of a troublemaker wouldn’t have started if not for Riya. Sohail now agrees to the fact that Proposals are actually very overrated!
