Is it just us?

We all have a friend we feel is the closest to us. Sometimes we think to ourselves and wish that it was just the two of us in the world and no one else. How peaceful would it be? How happy would I be? More than anyone could ever imagine, but I guess that’s just a wish, Isn’t it? I wish it was. I just wish it stayed that way. Last year on this day it was my reality. I hated myself forever for wishing for it. Every day I think to myself “why Sara, why did you ever think that?”

It was about 4 pm on a Wednesday. I had just finished school and after heading home I went to see my friend Aakash. He was my favourite, just the right amount of funny and not annoying like the others. I would talk to him for hours on end without being bored or tired at all. I hope he wished the same too, or why would he spend the same time with me? We did not fit into the other popular friend group, we just sort of stayed on the side on our own. I liked that about us, we did not need anyone else. I went to his house and as usual, he was eating an omelette. I don’t know why he liked it so much he just did. I would share it with him, but he’d get annoyed If I touched his plate.

We were sitting in his room watching a movie. Everything was great, it was all normal. Then suddenly we saw a lightning flash outside the window. The thunder cracked louder than any sound I had ever heard before. And then it was all silent, not a single sound around us at all. The television stopped working. The lights were not working. We went outside and his parents were not in their room. A flash of lightning and everyone’s disappeared? That doesn’t sound right. But that’s what happened to us.

Every single person around us had disappeared, where did they go? We would never know. At first, I was scared, alone, I didn’t feel like we would see tomorrow. Aakash didn’t care, he was happy almost, he thought those of annoyance around him had left him alone. He had the whole world to himself, the way he always wanted it to be. He went outside the house and began screaming. Anything on his mind was being projected to the world, or just the two of us because we were the only ones there.

He came back in excited, smiling as if he had won a lottery. He said to me “let us go to the mall!” I was confused, why would we go there it would just be empty. He said, “I have always wanted to see what it would be like without people, We could just do anything we want!” I went down and picked up my bicycle, thinking that’s how we would go. Aakash had already brought around his dad’s Jeep “Beep, beep” the car chirped, I was confused. He said to me “Nobody else is in this world, no accidents. We could drive as fast and as far as we want.” My smile filled my face from ear to ear, I ran as fast as I could and sat next to him in the jeep. The next thing I knew we were driving around as if there was nothing we cared for in the world. We couldn’t there was nothing to care about.

When we reached the mall, we drove the car right through the big front gate. The glass shattered everywhere, and I was angry at first, but I saw how much fun Aakash was having and let it be. He used to tell me before I don’t know if he was serious or a joke, but he would say it often and sometimes with the straightest face “I am god, everything here is mine, I made it happen. I will control it” I don’t know what he meant but with the control he had now I could see where he was coming from. He really wanted it all. And now he had it.

We drove through all of the stores we could never enter because they were too expensive. We tried all of the clothes we wanted; we took all of the shoes we wanted. Sat on the best seats at the restaurant, because well no waiting line. No one to serve us food but everything was just lying there. We took our spin in the kitchen. Made a few sandwiches, Aakash was a terrible cook but acted as if he knew everything. I don’t know how but, in the end, it felt like the best meal I had ever had. Not because of the test but because of how happy I was at that time.

We were lying down in the home furnishing shop, I always wanted to see what the display bed felt like. It was not as good or soft as I expected it to be. Aakash got a bunch of flowers and gave them to me, there was no flower store in the mall or nearby, so I was confused as to how he got it so fast, all wrapped and decorated, but it did not make sense to me at all at the time.

Before we realised we fell asleep, tired from the commotion throughout the day. The next morning when I woke up, I could not find Aakash. He was sleeping right next to me, but I had no idea of his whereabouts in the morning. Then I saw a note that said “meet me on the terrace of the office block” I assumed it was from him since there weren’t many other possibilities. The office block was the tallest building in our area. It took me a bit of time to get there even in the elevator, that worked somehow.

As I walked out onto the terrace, I saw him standing on the edge, it was as if Aakash had no fear of heights or falling, I had known him for almost seven years I had never seen him like this before. I asked him “what is happening Aakash?”. He said anxiously “I have to tell you something.” I was puzzled. What was so important or precious that it had to be said in this way? I walked towards him and said, “Tell me, what’s wrong?” he began to speak but before he did I knew what I wanted him to say.

He said “I did this, I made us the only two people in the world. I have been living in the mess of people since the beginning of time, but every time I was the only one I felt lonely and broken. I needed one true friend to be with me. You always seemed so happy to be around me, and the look your eyes gave me was not annoying. I thought it was time, I had finally found a friend.” I was enraged. How could he be so selfish? What about me? What if I wanted a world full of people? What if the loneliness I liked was just sitting separately from the other kids in lunch? I couldn’t believe him. “NO!” I screamed.

His face broke down, I was so angry I began questioning everything I thought of him and was almost glad he did not say what I wanted him to say. I began to cry. He began walking backwards off the building saying, “I’m sorry I thought you were the one.” Then before I could take a good look he disappeared into thin air. I heard the sound of the city again. I was back, back with everyone, everyone but Aakash. I went home and found my parents right where I left them, everything was just the way I left it, except he wasn’t there.

Some days I regret saying no, not because I thought what he did was right, but I realized here I was lonely despite being surrounded by people. Although with him I would have always been supported even with no else one around me.