Two heavy steps pounded the ground in a steady rhythm. People parted to make way, alerted by the huffs and puffs from a few feet. Dressed in shoes, running pants and an L size t-shirt, Rashmi was one of the few young jogging on the track around the cricket ground that morning. Rest of the crowd, being elders, preferred to walk.
People walked in both directions, and the track was not very wide. She would slow down every once in a while to allow others to cross, and at times sprint to make it through a closing gap. It was irritating. She had almost given up running over it. Then Sarika convinced her it actually added to her exercise and could be beneficial.
After Five rounds around the garden, she found Sarika at a bench beside the walking track. Rashmi settled next to her, straightening her shirt and tightening her hair-bun.
“Mornin’!” Sarika beamed as Rashmi wheezed and nodded.
“How was the party last night?” Sarika enquired.
“Music was good,”
“Did you dance?”
“You think?”
Sarika grinned and shook her head. Rashmi took a break from panting to swallow, and looked around, as if looking for someone. Or something.
“He’s not here yet,” Sarika quipped.
“Who?”
“That cute guy you liked the other day.”
“Aw, that’s sad.” Rashmi said blankly.
Her phone rang with a new notification. “Aishwarya,” she unlocked the phone and said, “added a photo with you.”
“Oh, show me?” Sarika peeped.
“Ugh you will hate it,” Rashmi declared, “it’s like a photo studio picture – two faces lit by the flash, standing in front of a crowd dancing their worries away in the dark. It’s the worst place for clicking photos.”
“You could have got some nice candids there if you had your DSLR.”
“Yes, they would be published for a listicle titled ‘hundred pics to teach you how not to dance’.”
Sarika giggled and turned to the phone again. “Look at this! Fifty likes already and it’s not even 7-30 yet.” She took Rashmi’s phone and scrolled through the list of likes. “You know any of them?”
“No,” Rashmi looked at the list and felt her heart burn a little. She knew who the likes were for.
“Who is she?”
“My colleague at work.” Rashmi said.
“Clubhopper, Fitness freak, Paint it Red,” Sarika read from Aishwarya’s bio. “3000 followers! That’s cool!”
“That’s obsessive,” Rashmi corrected, “You should see how obsessed she is about her profile. Says she won’t stop before 10k followers.”
“You think she can make it?”
“Why not?” Rashmi dismissed her, “a, she looks good; b, she looks good!”
“I know man, look at her figure, I bet you can’t get there in your life!” Sarika brandished the right of a best friend.
Rashmi stared at her hard like a ferocious big-cat, and then pounced to snatch the phone from her hands.
Sarika dodged her and shifted the phone from one hand to the other and then back to the first. As Rashmi tried vehemently to seize the phone, Sarika held it in her hands, locked between her back and the railing of the bench. Rashmi gave up and cursed.
“You lose your cool too soon ya,” Sarika said playfully, “spoils the fun,”
She held the phone up before Rashmi. Before Rashmi could understand anything, it face-unlocked to show another photo from Aishwarya’s profile. Rashmi moved quickly to snatch it again, and failed.
Sarika laughed heartily and stood up away from Rashmi, opening the comments section of a photo. “Ayesha says, looking gorgeous; Jagdeep says, nice pic… Okay this pic isn’t steamy enough. Lemme check… Yes! Rajiv says, whatsup baby hawru.” Sarika took a moment to cackle before continuing with wild hand gestures for effect, “Pranav says, pretty – exclamation exclamation – fire emoji! Arpita says, my glowing babyyy – heart. Okay that’s just her mom, ignore. Poorva says, Pweeetyyy – exclamation – heart-eyes. Okay another one – smita says, really loved it.”
“oh, *uck you!!” Rashmi gestured as she shot up to her legs and walked away, hell bent on ignoring Sarika. Sarika followed her close, but keeping a short safe distance.
“Pallavi says, amazing details, I mean look at the colors! Sachin says, full on 90s vibes bro, keep it up! Nihar says, there is a lot more to this place, lets plan something here! Vanessa says, Stunning photo, the textures, light and colour are sublime! Shardul says, I really, REALLY like the architecture of this place. There is nothing like a …”
“Wait wait wait wait,” Rashmi stopped and turned around to Sarika, “are you reading the comments from MY photos? Why are you reading comments from MY photos under HER name?”
Sarika smiled mischievously and walked backwards to maintain her distance. “Tell me!!” Rashmi almost shouted and ran after Sarika. Sarika shrieked and set off in a sprint, swerving to avoid crashing into the lady behind her. The lady, and others around, looked at them like they were a public nuisance that they knew no way to fix.
They sprinted half the track around the ground, dodging irritated comments of the people. Sarika then took a detour into the grass, but Rashmi caught hold of her shortly and they fell to the ground – struggling with each other.
“What are you going to do? Hit me?” Sarika challenged her as she laughed. “Ugh!!” Rashmi seized the phone from her hands, trudged a few feet away and then sat down again, panting hard.
“I wonder –” Sarika remarked with sarcasm and heavy breathing, “How could you tell – the comments on your photos – from the comments on her photos?”
“Because I’ve read them before.” Rashmi said in a complaining tone.
“Really? – You sure you are a crazy narcissist – who remembers every comment on her – 300 odd photos?”
Rashmi looked away – still irritated with Sarika, while both of them took time to catch their breath.
Sarika swallowed hard and continued, “There is a pattern, Rashmi, in what comments she gets, and what comments you get. Everyone chooses to flaunt their own prosperities. Some have money, some have beauty, some have talents. Everybody wants to have what they don’t have – but those like us often forget, we wouldn’t give up what we have to get what we wish we had.”
Rashmi looked at Sarika, and smiled. “Okay… Socrates!”
Sarika smirked back and let herself fall flat on the grass. Rashmi stared at her feet and then looked up, around her, as if searching for someone. Or something. But there was nothing new today. The season being summer, there was no fog either. Besides, she had clicked enough pictures of here already.
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