Name of The Man (NOTM): Baboo, why don’t we invite my
colleagues for your birthday tomorrow?
Name of the thing (sometimes known as ‘the woman’ (nott)): For
my birthday? (did he just say that?)
NOTM: Yes. It’s been so long since a celebration.
NOTT: But, if we are celebrating MY birthday, why are we
inviting YOUR friends? For that matter, why invite anybody at all?
NOTM: (there she goes. The island is talking again) Umm. Okay,
if you don’t want to, then i won’t.
NOTT: (what do i dream about tonight?)
NOTM: (blank)
NOTM: NOTT, don’t you think we are meant to be together?
Gobsmacked, NOTT tries not to look gobsmacked.
*Error: Oh, that was a pathetic attempt*
NOTT: No, NOTM. We definitely aren’t meant to be together.
Gobsmacked NOTM, doesn’t try to hide his feelings.
NOTT: NOTM. NOTM. NOTM.
You’ve got to breathe.
NOTM: How can you say that?
NOTT: it comes easy to me. Spelling out the truth. Especially
if asked for it.
NOTM: But... (deep sigh) why do you say that? What is it
that you don’t have?
NOTT: What I have, has nothing to do with what the two of us
as a team/pair/ couple/partners, lack.
NOTM: (sitting upright) What am I doing wrong?
NOTT: You are good. So am I. Only, we are good in our
separate worlds. You are kind. So am I. But I am not your kind of kind. And neither
are you close to mine.
NOTM: You are doing this deliberately.
NOTT: (sitting upright) doing what deliberately NOTM?
NOTM: You know i get confused when you speak fast. And when
you speak that language so fast, I’m lost.
NOTT: English leaves you confused?
NOTM: Philosophy spelled out in English, leaves me confused.
NOTT: See, now if you were my idea of ‘right’, we wouldn’t
be having this conversation. And if i was your idea of right, i would be
speaking pure Hindi in English (it makes sense to me. It should make sense at least
to me).
NOTM: (may be if i dig my grave a little deeper, i will have
enough space to toss and turn) Why can’t our worlds be the same?
NOTT: Because.
NOTM: (blank) because...?
NOTT: Nothing NOTM.
NOTM: Finish it.
NOTT: It’s finished.
NOTM: When did that happen?
NOTT: Can we go to sleep?
NOTM: No. You’ve got to tell me why we aren’t made for each
other.
NOTT: Don’t push me please.
NOTM: I’m waiting.
NOTT: Good night.
NOTM: Tell me.
NOTT: You want to hear something more interesting?
NOTM: (not too sure) Um... what?
NOTT: I’m going to have an affair. I haven’t met the person i
will have the affair with. But i will. And when i do, i will do all those
things i wish i had done with you.
NOTM: We can do that too.
NOTT: We can’t do that. It must come to us. It’s not a
planned thing, this chemistry that I crave for. Like moisture in an oil
container, we can survive, but not become one. And I’m as responsible for it as
you are.
Later that night, he dreamt of NOTT having an intimate
conversation with his best friend, while she had a nightmare that she was
cleaning herself off her maggot infested stomach. Her friend said, going by
Sigmund Freud, she wasn’t following her ‘gut’ feeling.
