The Gift

The Gift

May 26th
It was the first monsoon rain in berminganam, a small village in kottayam district, kerala.
Kerala monsoon, something which every keralite misses when not in kerala. The first rain with the smell of earth spreads happiness and love. You can hear the birds singing with joy. Even the crow’s voice becomes sweeter. It’s the time when you feel like thinking about people you like most.

George as usual was sitting in his balcony with a book. He was neither reading nor enjoying the beauty of the rain. He was in his own world, thinking about Rachel.
Rachel Philip, his Best friend, or to be more correct, who was his Best Friend. May 18th is her 22nd birthday. Twenty two years back, the day when his best friend was born, the day when God had send his dearest angel in heaven to earth as his Rachel. Yes, she was truly an angel.

Rachel was everything to him or may be still she is. He was bewildered, if he should get her something for her birthday or not. They were no longer friends now. Few months back, they had parted vowing they won’t care for each other anymore. Still he cared for her.

Finally he decided he will buy her something.
But what?

He didn’t want buy her the usual gifts that a boy gives to a girl.
He wanted to give her something special.
He knew her likes and dislikes, after all once she was his Best Friend, a friend with whom he shared everything.
He was cogitating about things she likes most and there was only one thing she loves more than anything and that’s Classical Music.
She had started learning Classical Music, when she was 3 years old. From that day, music was her religion.

So he started researching on classical music.
First thing he always does when he hears a word which is not very familiar was to Google or search in Wiki. He didn’t have much idea about classical music.
Whenever he asked her to sing, she used to sing some film songs because she knew George. That’s how she was; she perfectly knew what he likes and what he dislikes.

After searching for about an hour or two, he finally found a DVD, a concert video by a famous classical singer in e-bay. For the first time, he was buying a serious gift like this. George’s usual gifts were always something funny.








May 29th

He was still very ambivalent about giving the gift. After much thought, he finally gave her a call.

He said “Can I see u today; hmm in our usual meeting place, wanna talk; won’t take long; just 5 minutes”.

Suddenly her tone changed and he told “Don’t worry, nothing big”.

She said “ok”.

And they met.

He was sitting on the bench waiting for her with the gift.
He saw her coming from a distance looking down. She smiled at him. There was a time when he was ready to do anything under the sun to see her smiling. Even now, he had not changed much and that’s exactly what he is doing now.

She sat beside him and he said “Happy Birthday”
She smiled n said “Thanks”.
He looked at her eyes and
said “ I think I should give you something today, right? “
He took the gift from the bag and gave her. She was a bit shocked because she never expected George to do something like this after what all had happened.

She slowly started opening the packet. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, wondering what the gift was. When she opened and saw the gift, she was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly she started laughing hysterically. Not laughing exactly, she was half laughing and half crying. George just sat there looking at her without uttering a word. He wanted to speak, ask her if she liked the gift, but couldn’t.

They didn’t talk for sometime. At times silence speaks more than words.









Rachel was not a quiet girl. But sometimes, they used to sit like this without talking. If George breaks the silence and asks “Why are u not talking”
She’ll say “Stupid, if u can’t understand my silence, how will you understand my words”.
So George will try to assume what she is thinking.
Most of the times, poor George will go wrong.
And she will shout
“U assume too much
Consider the word ASSUME...
By assuming u make an ASS out of U and ME both... ASS-U-ME... Get it! “
saying that she will start laughing.
George used to think
“There is nothing as complex as a girl’s mind.
Ho God, tell me anything, ill do;
But to read a girl’s mind, sorry I can’t”

This time, George didn’t break the silence.
After sometime she looked at him and asked “U still care for me George?”
He said “I am afraid, I think I do”
He paused for a sec and spoke
“I can’t stop caring just like that, am like that”.

Then they had some general chat about life and work. She asked him “Why are you becoming slimmer day by day, can’t u eat properly you idiot”.
He smiled.
That’s how she is, very caring. That is exactly why George couldn’t stop caring. He did have many close friends, but no one was as caring as Rachel. He could talk anything to her and she used to understand him perfectly.

After sometime George said “let’s go”.
He didn’t want to go. He wanted to talk for some more time. He wanted to say how much he cares for her.
But some things are like that; can’t be explained.

She slowly got up, to part once again, may be forever.
He said to himself “May be we may never sit and talk like this again”.
And they walked.
When she reached her place, she looked at him
and said in a very low sweet voice “ Take Care”. George could make out with how much care she told those two words. All his friends do say those two words often but when Rachel tells that, she really means it.
He said “U too take care”

“Ill always care for you Rachel, no matter what happens” he said to himself and smiled.