Neha was lying on her back under the soft whirring of her bedroom fan all alone, thinking. Were they doing the correct thing? Was a friendly bet turning out to be more than just fun? It seemed so, when she looked into Payal's eyes. No-one thought it was possible a month back when they had their first ragging experience. The snobby senior girl who taunted Payal's simple looks and plaited hair.
"Here is the latest guy repellant." She had said, those words still hurting like hell.
"You don't need looks to get a good guy." Payal had replied curtly. "I can get a much better person than you can even dream of, someone who would be mine because of what I am and not because of how I look."
"So you mean I cannot get someone like that flocking around me?"
"Maybe you will, but mostly it would be just people who would not think beyond your body."
"You are one arrogant bitch, you know that? Fine, you find one such guy and I'll have my head shaved off. How 'bout that?"
"In that case, you'd better take an appointment in the parlor"
These were the last words uttered by Payal before she stormed out pulling Neha along with her.
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"This Vidya seems to be one heck of a confused girl to me. But what are you so upset about?" Payal asked.
"You won't understand. Vidya has always been there for me whenever I needed her. Through my ups and downs in life. And this time, though I really want to help her, I can't. That's quite depressing."
"Maybe I won't. But if you have called me in this cafe just to worry about some Vidya's problems, then I have better things to do."
"So it does not affect you at all if some girl is so serious about me that she has rejected one of her closest friend's proposal?" Amit asked, his eyes voicing his feelings.
"What I am more interested in is, why are you not serious about her? If she has been so close to you, been there for you always, then why not go for it?"
"I have my reasons."
"And I would love to hear them."
Where was this leading? Amit was all confused. Would she understand if he told her the reason? Taking a deep breath he said,
"There is somebody I feel for strongly, and that's not Vidya."
"Woah woah woah. So now this is going into an endless loop. Ravi loves Vidya, Vidya loves Amit and now Amit loves somebody else. Sounds more like the story of some Hindi movie to me."
Ask me who it is. Ask me damn it. C'mon Payal, ask me.
"Maybe. But it's far from enjoyable."
"You know what, I would love to meet Vidya. She seems interesting though confused."
"We'll see if we can. She doesn't really hang out with anybody other than me or Ravi."
"Sure, now let's get out of here. Its becoming quite stuffy inside. Let's go for a walk around the campus. It's a beautiful evening, why ruin it in here."
Amit paid the bill and off they went. That late August evening was actually beautiful. The onset of the monsoons had the trees smiling a deep shade of green. Up in the sky, they could see various birds flying in different formations as if to celebrate the cool air. The scent of the soil was still fresh and the cool breeze just made it more pleasant.
They walked in silence along the long lanes of MNNIT campus. There were curious glances from the students hanging out on the stairs of the MP Hall, the teachers going out for their evening walks, the students playing basketball. Though it made him feel very uncomfortable, Amit decided to ignore them. He knew he would become the hot topic of discussions int the hostels, but being with Payal compensated for all that.
As they were walking, they reached the quiet lanes near the SMS building. Suddenly Payal stopped.
"I didn't ask you this earlier as I thought you might feel uncomfortable. But can I know who is the reason behind you refusing Vidya?"
Amit looked into her eyes. They yearned for an answer. An answer he wasn't very sure would yield the desired results for him.
"Payal, I really don't want to talk about it."
"But I do. Come out with it once and for all."
Slowly she slid her hand into his, entangling their fingers. Amit's brain was stoned. He could not think. He could feel the blood pumping hard in his body as she gripped his hand tighter and pulled him closer. It was drizzling, but he could not feel the drops. The world around him was suddenly out of focus and he could see only those hungry eyes. As if magnetised, he felt his face going closer to hers until there was just a tiny gap between them.
"Why can't you just muster up some courage and say it?" Payal asked him, her face just a few centimeters away from his.
"I don't know, my brain is all dizzy right now."
"I think I can cure that...."
Saying this, she closed her lips on his even as the drizzle turned into a downpour.
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