I tagged along my guy friend to buy kitchen items. For
the beginner, I need those essential and basic things to settle down. I am
going to start living myself, independently. We hopped from shop to another
looking for something good but unfortunately ‘something good’ turns out to be
very expensive and those falling under the range of my budget weren’t up to the
marks. I needed the best one at reasonable price (Wink). Welcome! To real life
of independence, where you started to own ‘spoon’ bought from the hard-earned
money of yours.
One point, we dropped by internet cafe to buy ‘movies’
though I must admit that things have changed since I started working. I can
hardly complete a movie without falling asleep; there were times when I used to
stay whole night watching series, next day directly attending the class. I must
have been ‘super girl’ at that time. It costs Nu. 50 per movie. ‘Whoahhh’ it is
too expensive, I told him how we used to download every latest movies in the
college. Meanwhile transferring, we casually talked with the owner of an
internet cafe and my friend asked from where we can get gas stove in the
market.
He replied question to us “Newly married? I immediately
corrected “No…no…just friends” by laughing off and my friend too was laughing.
It was not his mistake to think like that, we gave the impression of it; a guy
and a girl shopping for the basic things to settle down, if I were him, I must
have thought the same. It is the flaw of the society; no guy and a girl can be
just friends, a society made a trend of judging that way. He is more of an
elder brother to me than a friend, a caring one in fact. He addresses me
‘Chungku’. I can say a brother from different mothers though it will question
the fidelity of my father, jokes apart.
In one shop, I met a friend of high school; she was
also with a guy, buying buckets, ladle, cups and all. Seems, she too was
settling down like a dancing dust after vibrant youthfulness in the sky. She
asked me “Your husband?” Gosh! I thought “really?” what was wrong with the
people. I said again “Just friends”. It turned out; a guy she was with is her
husband. I congratulated them and went venturing the things I needed to buy.
My friend said his father was in town and he had some
work with him. I didn’t accompany him knowing it will give only ‘one
impression’, an impression of a couple. He didn’t ask me twice, may be knew how
a mind of an old man works. I chose to wait for him in a bookstore nearby which
led me to buy books though it wasn’t in my priority list at that time.
The next day I had to go and get gas cylinder early in
the morning, so I was going for a sleepover at friend’s house that was going to
accompany me. I couldn’t take things with me, so I had to keep things with
someone I know. That Uncle notoriously asked “Boyfriend?” I shake it off and
said “Guy friend.”
He wasn’t convinced because he asked about the other
guy, confused, I asked “Which one?” from the way he looked I understood what he
thought of me. I at least had a curtsy to answer his questions. I was little
infuriated with the way some people thinks. I felt sorry for those who got only
one track thought. He has a shop below my office; from there he can clearly see
me walking up and down. I got couple of guy friends who sometimes drop by my
office, sometimes in a group and other time alone. I always walk them till
basement simply because they are my friends. I enjoy a company of good people
that I don’t mind hanging with them in a bar till midnight even if I am an only
girl. I feel so secure with them because they are the people worth trusting. What
others think about me is none of my business, so I am letting it pass. An only
thing matter is what I think of myself.
By the way being ‘just friends’ between opposite gender
is the trending fashion in the world of friendship.
