Walking back in time

“Can you believe, we are still friends, I mean after all these years…” Dechen pauses, as if trying to thread our eighteen years of friendship in one single neckpiece. “I told my office friends that I’m meeting the three of you today and they were surprised, I mean, people hardly remain in touch after High School.” She added with her bass voice. I giggled remembering how the boys in our class gave her the nickname, ‘soundbox’, back in the year 1994.
“What, you mean we shouldn’t be in touch after school days?” Rinchen spoke clearing her nose. I let off another giggle with another anecdote hitting my memory. Dechen ( not the same one mentioned above) always had a problem eating with Rinchen and her stuffy nose.
“But this whole length of time proves that we have always been true friends,” Dendup smiled and spoke at the same time. Dendup always have been all smiles. It was always her easy smiles that made her an easy secret box among all others. I giggled, yes! Another reminder from the good old days! Rinchen and I would always fight for our right over Dendup during our three years of stay in hostel.
“…And look who is doing the ‘mute’ role today!” all three of them snapped at me.
I giggled. Back in the High school days I was the most talkative and had that confidence of carrying myself high and among the achievers. But eighteen years, and how different life had molded us all!
We laughed. We shared stories from past. We filled in the present. But most of the time was spent in going back to past.
“If I am given an opportunity to go back in time, you know what?” Dechen laughed before she could even present her hilarious wish. “I would definitely want to go back in time but…” she eyed us with a naughty smile playing around her almost visible fine lines under her eyes, “…with a Hair straightener. I wouldn’t share it with anyone of you. I would enjoy my sleek straight hair while you guys go back with your copi hair.” She roared with laughter.
We shared another roar of laughter remembering our hairstyles back then. It was those 90’s punk bulk of hair cropped at the ears and amassed on the top. We loved our hair back then.
Rinchen wanted to go back to those days with the present day salary. “We can live the present lifestyles in those moments!” she reasoned out. Fair enough.
“I just want to take all three of you back to those ICSE days,” she smiled again, perhaps thinking of some of the naughty things we learnt for the first time during that time.
“Cooked! Let’s eat,” I emerged out of the kitchen.
All of them looked at me with their questioning glare. I knew they were waiting for me to add what I wanted to take back in time.
“Well, “I heaved heavily. “ I don’t want to go back to past, I want to take your time machine and go to the future and would love to seek revenge for all these years you guys made me cook for you all.”
“Teach us,” they grinned.
I laughed back at them. They know that they can never master my culinary talent no matter how successful they might be in life.
All four of us roared with laughter!