The Kiss

She had always made fun of me.

Ever since the time we first met and I was too shy to share the chocolate mummy had bought for the two of us to embark on a friendship. Reason was never a requirement for her to make funny (in her opinion) remarks about me and burst out laughing, I remained silent. She would make fun of me about it and then go ahead and tie my shoelaces.

I was five years old. She was a year older and about three fingers taller than me. She could have easily taken me.

We were neighbours and her mom would let me sit in her lap and lay hands on the steering wheel of the Maruti Gypsy we would ride back from school in. In the evening mummy would take us both to the ice-cream parlour which she says has 'seen us both grow up'.

We had become friends instantly. Inseparable friends. We were together when I finally learnt how to tie my shoelaces, when she and I learnt to ride a bicycle, when she lost her first tooth, when she was bullied by some guy in her class, when her parents split, when she had her first period (the oddest day of my life so far), when I went for a movie in a theatre for the first time, when she was asked out on her first date…

And then her mom decided to stay with her grandparents in a different city.

We were sitting on the shed on my terrace (our favourite place). Hadn't spoken for over an hour. We just sat there looking around, the houses, the play ground where we had wrestled and our old school in the distance. We didn’t look at each other. We didn’t want to cry.

Her mom called for her from the driveway, they were ready to leave. I said we'll be down in a minute.

I looked at her. And then I did something I had never expected to do. I kissed her. Kissed her for the longest possible time. But something was out of place. She wasn't responding. Her lips were still. I pulled her closer, kissed harder. Nothing. I withdrew when I felt her tear on my cheek. She was expressionless. Silent. I wanted her to be make fun of me and laugh. She kept silent.

Her mom called again. I was in a daze. She stood up, I said goodbye. She still didn't say a word and climbed down. I sat there for a while wondering if I had done something wrong and fearing if I had ruined the only friendship that had ever mattered to me?!!...

I was fourteen years old then. It was my first kiss.

--------------------------

I was waiting for her at the airport. We had not kept touch in the last ten years, no communication at all. She had found me through the internet. She was going to be in town for a few hours.

The cricket match on the television in the waiting area could’t help me deal with my anxiety. I was pacing around impaiently. Some random guy shared his opinion about the state of Indian cricket team to which I nodded and smiled while in my head I was wishing that the cricket ball breaks out of the screen and hits him square in the head.

My shirt was tugged at and I turned around. And before I knew it, I was being kissed. It was her, and we were kissing. We stopped when we heard loud applause, India had won the match and people were celebrating. She laughed, just the way she used to. I picked up her luggage and we left the airport, arm in arm.

“That was how I should have kissed you back then” she said as we were getting in my car. “I hope I made up for it”. I could only smile.

We seemed to have picked up right from where we left. Drove around talking about the past and the present. She cribbed about the loads of work she has to do and how her mother has been after her to get married. She works for a law firm, is about to marry some top notch consultant guy and having a baby in the next few years is high in her priority list. I still feel like a kid she can make fun of :)

Dropped her back at the airport, all the apprehension has vanished and I have regained a good friend. Also the memories of my first kiss have become fond :D

*******
Just a story people ;)