A Call… Went Wrong
This incident happened a few months ago. I had to meet a cousin named Zoya (name changed). I wanted to confirm her address. I looked down at my contact book, searched for Zoya, and dialed her.
Tring Tring.
“Hey, Priyanka, how are you?” Her voice was a little weird. ‘She might have caught a cold,’ I thought.
“I am fine, dear. Can you confff…” and before I could complete the sentence, she said, “I am so happy that you called. I thought you never would. I always thought of calling you but was scared you would not return my call.”
I could sense the excitement in her voice. At the same time, I was confused. For God’s sake, who did I dial? I checked the contact, and damn it. It was one of my friends with whom I had not spoken in years. We had some misunderstandings between us back then. I knew I was angry with her, but I could hardly remember why.
“Hello, are you there?” she asked curiously.
“Yes, oh yes,” I said sheepishly, trying hard to cover my awkwardness. I was too embarrassed to tell her that I called her accidentally. Instead, I decided to speak with her for a few minutes.
As the conversation progressed, we connected almost instantly. We spoke for a good one and a half hours. So much has changed in our lives. There was so much to say and so much to hear about. At the end of the call, I was content and happy and had relived a beautiful past. This was the best feeling in the past few days.
This incident left me wondering why it took me so long to call her. Was it my ego that expected her to call first, or was it her fear of rejection that I may not welcome her call? Whatever it was, I realized that my grudges against her were not as important as our friendship; my ego was not bigger than the years we spent together and the memories we built together.
Later that evening, I scrolled past my phone book, noting friends and family with whom I had not spoken in a while. It might have been my busy schedule, some conflict we had in the past, or the thought that WHY SHOULD I CALL FIRST that created a distance between these lovely people and me.
The second wave of COVID has taught me that life is very unpredictable. You never know what the future holds for you. It is simply stupid to hold grudges against anyone. Just forget and move on. So, without losing any more time, I decided to get in touch with all who drifted apart.
I started to connect with these family members and friends over the phone, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms. With some, we connected instantly; with others, it took multiple conversations, and some have yet to return my calls. I will keep trying while respecting their decision if they do not want to get along.
Ultimately, I want to tell them that they have been an important part of my life and are still important to me. It is okay if we have not spoken in a while; let’s do it now. Let us connect again. KYA PATA KAL HO NA HO, HUM RAHEIN NA RAHEIN, TUM RAHO NA RAHO (what if there is no tomorrow)
