Where it all starts

Or where all it could have started

Nina has always been close to her girls even though once every 2-3 years, there was someone new wearing the tiara of her best friend. That is one reason why she has a good number of friends, all with varied interests. She always learnt something new and experienced something different with each one of them, and when it stopped, their bond had to end as well. Eventually they came around (most of them) and now they all hang out together like mature, sensible and hot-as-hell grown-ups.

She stopped passing the tiara after school or maybe after the first year of college, and the last one to the throne was Saanchi.  She was accepted by all as Nina’s closest, and was a party to all of her secrets and speculations. She was the only one to have met, understood and consulted all her past boyfriends. Though she felt that Nina’s change of heart was quite frequent, she always remained sincere to her feelings. Even in their exchange of thoughts and feelings (though one-sided) with Nina, she would discover depths she had never known or felt. Saanchi never had a real boyfriend and was still a virgin at the age of 27. She thought that Nina’s love stories, no matter how short-lived, were not far from becoming epic.

When Nina told her about Abhay, she felt the jolts again – of fear and protectiveness. She seemed patient and tried to sound excited but balked when asked to comment. It was only after few weeks had gone by, and things were still smooth between Nina and Abhay that Saanchi let go of her protective grip. And then came a day when Saanchi got a chance to finally meet Abhay. Nina had almost anticipated their meeting; Saanchi being shy - talking mostly to Nina, Abhay cordial and warm – listening them earnestly, and Nina being the common thread – trying to do a good job at making them connect.

But that’s not how it went down.