1.1

"Kamalli ma'aa wala hatta' baidiam
Niki aldi hawa kamalli maaa
Kamalli b'ali uffal di walaa bansaa
Kamalli waa hishmillah hataa banu wayyaa" 

"That's my favourite song," I squealed up rubbing my eyes, I thought as if I was sleeping in my home, on my brother's, I mean, father's shoulder. Yes, Farooq Mallik, were my elder brother and you know that, and, I guess, I don't need to tell you that again.

I looked up to the guy whose shoulder I borrowed to sleep on, "who is this?" I asked politely rubbing my eyes.

"Vineet," the reply came, "did you forget me, Shaheera?" he laughed.

"I... I'm sorry, Vineet," I apologized, "I just slept on your shoulder like that, I'm really very sorry."

"It's okay, Tilli," a very familiar voice came from the opposite berth, "you slept on your best friend's senior's shoulder, it's alright."

"Abhi!" I exclaimed and jumped up from the seat to hug him and he hugged me back, and everyone in the coach was just looking at us, the ones who climbed from Jammu and didn't know me were just mocking me, I just ignored all of them and hugged my best friend, I met him after 3 years, "how are you Abhishek?" I asked him after detaching myself from him and sitting comfortably on the berth beside Vineet.

"I'm good Shaheera," he said.

"You're looking quite thin," I said, "didn't they give you something to eat or what?" I chuckled.

"I don't know that but, you look quite hotter than before," he said. 'Ugh, this guy, I'm telling you it's his normal self, from the day he returned from Delhi, his language got ruined. He started calling me babes, and all the fancy stuff which is unofficially banned in Kashmir.' He said and introduced me to Vineet AGAIN, "Vinu, this is Shaheera, my girlfriend," he said and I gave him a death glare, "I mean friend, since childhood," he corrected, "And Tilli, this is Vineet, my junior-cum-best friend from Delhi."

"Oh, so you're responsible for his ruined language, Vineet?" I joked.

"Yeah!" he laughed, "by the way, you can call me Vinu," he said.

"Okay, Vinu," I said and raised my palm for a high-five.

I love my nickname and the people who call me by that. I usually don't give liberty to anyone out there to call me Tilli, so, I didn't say that and, started to rant with Abhishek Prajapati, the IPS officer. He completed his degree in law from Delhi and then, started to prepare for the CSE there only. Abhishek's father, Raunak Prajapati was a legal advisor in our hotels and, used to be out of Pahalgam for most of the time. I and Abhishek grew together sharing each and every day together, sharing the same room, though, we had separate rooms but, you know, when you're already alone, you don't want to be more alone.

"Oh, so you both already know each other, Tilli" Abhishek said dragging me out of my thought process.

"Yeah, kind of," I said unreluctantly.

"You ok, Shaheera?" Abhishek asked quite concerned, "what? Feeling sleepy?" he asked and I nodded in agreement, "uff! This sleepy head, you know, Vinu, once we both went to Manali and, this girl slept all day long in the bus, I don't understand how can people sleep so much," he told to Vineet.

"And, I don't get how can a Kashmiri girl be so outspoken, and have a guy friend," the man who asked me to have some shame spoke gazing out of the window making him audible like hell.

"What? What did you say just now?" Abhishek patted his back and asked him.

"I don't get how can a Kashmiri girl be so outspoken, and have a guy friend," he repeated shamelessly.

"You don't get this as your mind is too narrow to accept it," I said savagely, "Janab, Ek aur lafz agar aapne muh se mere ya mere dost ke khilaaf nikala toh verbal abuse ka case file kar doongi," (if you utter even another word against me or my friend I'll file a case of verbal abuse against you, sir), I said politely yet firmly and, by the time the ticket checker came and enquired about the matter, I narrated the matter to him and he asked that person get off in the next station.

"How do you manage to do it so calmly, Shaheera?" Vineet asked quite surprised, "if my mother or sister would have been at your place, they would have hit him nicely," he added.

"She's quite good at Shayari, you know," Abhishek popped, "she knows how to do it politely," he added making me embarrassed in front of Vineet.

"Shut up, Abhi!" I said softly hitting his arm, "by the way, what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I got a promotion and, a transfer to Delhi, I was expecting Pahalgam in my transfer," he said, "as I was missing you a lot, Tilli, I swear, living without you became terrible for me," he flirted.

"Didn't I say, you cannot do anything without me," I said, "where are you staying, though?" I asked him.

"Maybe at the quarters," he said, "but, don't worry, I'll keep annoying you," and, we kept conversing.

Suddenly my eyes caught Vineet getting bored, "I guess, Vineet is getting bored," I said.

"Oh no," he lied, "I didn't get bored," he lied again.

"Oh c'mon, Tilli knows you so well, if she's saying you're bored you must have actually been bored," Abhishek said smirking at me and Vineet, "c'mon Tilli sing something for us," he said to me, "isn't it a good idea, Vineet?" he asked Vineet.

"Indeed, it is," Vineet said grinning ear to ear.

"What!!" I exclaimed, "why do you make me remember the days of the college, Abhishek," I said to him, 'my first-year college days in the Kashmir Law College were terrible, the seniors used to take ragging in this way itself.'

"Oh c'mon, you don't have an idea as to how the students are ragged by the seniors in Delhi," Vineet chuckled, "and, I am your senior's senior, you have to sing something now."

"Okay fine, I will," I agreed, "but, you both will give me a treat once we reach Delhi," I said. 'Shaheera, you're certainly missing on something,' my mind shouted, 'Oh yeah, Vineet, is he a lawyer too?' I asked myself, 'I should ask.'

"Vineet, you're also a lawyer, aren't you?" I asked him.

"Yes," he replied, "in the supreme court," he said with a straight face.

"Hey, don't stray us away from the topic, Tilli, you were going to sing for us," Abhishek said.

"Certainly," I said and started to sing and, it went quite well, both the boys looked quite mesmerised. Yes, Abhishek was also mesmerised. It had been years since he actually listened to me singing. I completed the song, Vineet was still gazing at me as if I am still singing.

"Vinu," Abhishek called out his name, "have chips," he said bringing out a packet of chips.

"Thank you," he said taking one from it.

"Tujhe nahin doonga (I won't give it to you)," Abhishek mocked jokingly at me.

"Mind if you come to my place to ask for Biryani," I said holding his dead nerve. Abhishek loves Biryani as hell and, that's the only dish I can make.

"Oh, have it," he said passing me an unopened packet of chips, "I got two."

This guy loves Biryani and, that which I have prepared so, whenever I had to borrow his projects in the 11th and 12th grade, I'd give him baits of Biryani and, in return, he'd not only give me his projects but, also the homework too.

***