The Tete a Tete

Triingggg...Tringggggg

"who is it??" I said in a small voice. Silence..."who is it?" This time I detect a note of trepidation in my tone and as I tiptoe downstairs and peep into the eye hole, I see a blur of colors, but not the face." Who is it? what do you want?". "Cant you recognize me? how can you forget that today we were supposed to meet? you were the one who invited me over, don't you remember?" Somehow the voice sounds familiar and then it hits me. "Ahhh its you Bambi!! please come in come in".. I eagerly unlock the door and the swirl of colors rush past me and takes a seat at my favorite seat by the window. "Whew it was a tough journey, and made even tougher by you not letting me in. But you know me, I am a tough nut. I dont give up easily". Bambi smiled, but I was not paying attention to whatever was being said. I was too mesmerized seeing the details of the brilliant hues that Bambi was wearing, the brightness of the face made all the more brilliant by the sun rays coming in from the window. In the midst of my trancelike state Bambi interrupted me gently. "When's princess Fui coming??".."is she coming at all?". I detect a peculiar tone in Bambi's voice..something akin to derision mixed with sympathy. To confirm my thoughts, Bambi continued. "You know I can never understand what that Fui is up to at times. Sometimes she is happy as a bee sometimes she is glum, sometimes she is lost. What is wrong with her?". I nod my head indicating that I too am as lost as Bambi regaridng this matter. "Well, all said and done I have been looking forward to this tete a tete for quite sometime. You know we have lost touch with each other and its always good to reconnect. And all because of you". Bambi smiled. I blushed. I have never thought that praise could sound so sweet and genuine, and looking at those sparkling eyes, it was hard to believe that Bambi was feigning. Just then we heard a knock on the door. "O why cant Fui use the doorbell, its louder and clearer!! really that one needs a good shaking", Bambi commented in an exasperated voice and before I could move my feet, bounded across the living room and opened the front door. "There you are!! but Oh dear what a mess!!" I heard Bambi's shocked exclamation and hurried to join her. There stood Fui with her hair all unswept and she looking weatherbeaten. From the looks of her swollen red eyes, there was no imagining that she had been crying for quite some time and the way she clutched her bag and held on to the door was enough indication that she had gone through a terrible ordeal. "Whats teh matter princess? what happened?" I tried to sound sympathetic, but to my own ears my words sounded hollow and lacking in genuinity. "I..I....I...ddoooon't knnooww whhaatt happpened..i-i-i-mm sso....hic...connfuuu-hic...sed". With great difficulty thus spoke Fui. Bambi and I exchanged looks, mine worried and troubled, bambi's- exasperated and amused. "Well well, dont start crying standing in the front door. At least come in and sit down". Before I could say anything Bambi had taken charge. she took Fui's expensive bag from her hand and led her to the living room. Fui sat down on the black leather sofa and looked glum and Bambi sit down in her previous seat. I sat between them, thinking whether it was a good idea to call all of them for this gathering...was I better off having lost touch with them? I looked at the two of them hoping to gain some solace, but saw all of them lost in thought. To end the UNCOMFORTABLE silence I cleared my throat and began.....


To be continued...........