At the corner of the canteen, Dhruv and Tia shared gossip over there soft drinks. The well-known beauty made Dhruv forget that he promised to meet Khushi when his punishment was over. Who so ever passed by in canteen watched Tia and Dhruv at least once.
“Dhruv, my friend request is still pending. Is there any problem?” Tia asked to spark conversation.
“I'm sorry,” he replied. He smiled to try to make up for his carelessness.
“At least, you could have replied to me once,” she said softly.
“I am really sorry. I've been very busy and haven’t checked my profile for a long time,” he said.
“Forget it,” she dropped the topic. “How's your studies going?”
“I think you're my enemy now,” he blurted, as he pulled a stick of gum from his pocket and offered it to her. She popped it into her mouth.
“Enemy?” she said chewing the gum.
“Yeah, I vowed that whoever asks about my studies would be my enemy,” he adjusted himself on the wooden chair which formed the part of ancient canteen. His smile was intoxicating. He lowered his head and gripped the sides of his coffee mug.
“But you're good at your studies. Then why?” Tia asked. She brushed the library books to the side for a clear view.
“Is there anything else we can talk about?”
“What about girl friends?” Tia asked. She wound a long, dark strand of her hair around her finger. “How many do you have?”
“Outside of parties, I don't care. I'm sure there is a girl waiting for me,” Dhruv said rolling his eyes.
“Whose waiting?” Tia asked flirtatiously.
“I don't know.”
Tia looked surprised. “You don't know?”
“Pairs are made in heaven,” Dhruv said. “I am sure there's someone, somewhere made exclusively for me.”
“Good! But how will you come to know who she is?” Tia asked.
“It Clicks! That’s all,” he said.
“What if she is near you and you don’t know?”
“Near?” Dhruv said surprised. “There is nobody.”
“I am near you. Maybe I am the one.” Tia's lips tightened.
“You??”
“Yeah! Me Dhruvhhh,” she said stretching the ‘h’ in his name out.
“You're kidding, right?”
“Just kidding!” Tia said coyly.
“Khushi has been with me for a long time. Does that mean she is the one?” Dhruv asked.
“Might be, God only knows, but I personally don’t think Khushi is your kind of girl. She is simply so boring” Tia replied with bitter tongue.
Khushi had been searching every corner of the school before she found Dhruv and Tia sitting in the corner of the canteen. She stomped angrily towards them.
“Dhruv, there you are are!!!” she shouted angrily.
She pushed the empty chair next to him, and ignored the cracking sound that hit the floor.
“Hi! Khushi?” Dhruv smiled.
Khushi had huge eyes accentuated by wide lines of mascara. Right then, they were bulging at him. She wore the funny sideways grin she always got when she was really upset with Dhruv.
“Hi? What hi? I told you to meet me when your punishment was over. Instead, you are having fun here with Tia. I told you I was worried about you. Why didn't you come?” she muttered.
“We are just talking casually,” Tia said angrily protesting her thought “We have a right to talk.”
Khush clearly heard what Tia said. She started blankly at her for a second and continued expecting some answer from Dhruv.
“Shit! I'm sorry Khushi,” Dhruv apologized.
“Dhruv, you always do the same thing. It doesn't matter if you promised me or not,” Khushi complained with a frown.
“I remembered.”
“Remembered? If you remembered your ‘promise’ you would have come!” Khushi countered.
Khushi's hair tapered around her face and over her shoulders. Her hair was a dark brown color that was just a shade away from being black. All the hair in the front but her bangs was pushed back with a thick, white headband. Her hair danced and flared as she scolded Dhruv.
“Actually…” Dhruv started.
“What actually? You don't seem to have much priority for your best friends. That's what I see these days,” she continued.
“I'm his friend, too,” Tia chimed in impatiently. Her protests went unheard.
“No, it’s nothing like that,” Dhruv said. “You will always be the same for me.”
“Really? That’s why you are here?” Khushi said sarcastically.
Tia felt ignored in the presence of Dhruv and Khushi. Khushi was obviously angry with her for sitting with Dhruv, but she was the one who told her that Dhruv was being punished in the first place. Angrily, Tia began to leave.
“I have to return these books to the canteen,” Tia said to excuse herself. She hastily picked up her books and started off.
“Wait a minute, Khushi.” Dhruv then called out, “Are you going Tia?”
“Yeah, I Think I should leave you guys alone.”
“No, It’s not like that,” Dhruv said. He didn't want her to go.
“Sorry Dhruv, I’ll met you some other day. I have to return these books.”
“Yes, you go, Tia. He can talk to you later,” Khushi blurted.
Tia's face flushed with anger. Tia knew, however, that if she said anything against Khushi all her dreams of becoming Dhruv's girlfriend would be ruined. She managed to leave quietly, but thoughts of revenge against Khushi rattled in her mind.
“Why were you punished?” Khushi asked.
“Would you like to have something?” Dhruv said, changing the subject.
“No, tell me what happened first,” Khushi continued.
Dhruv sighed.
“I was busy doing something on my phone in Ghosh's class,” he replied.
“Ghosh ma'am!” Khushi said as her eyes widened. “Lady Hitler?”
“Yeah,” Dhruv said with regret. “That’s why I got punished.”
“Are you crazy! Why would your bring your cell phone into Lady Hitler's class?
“I know.”
“You're even crazier for actually using it in her class. Are you insane?”
“It was urgent,” Dhruv said.
“You deserve to be punished for being such an idiot,” Khushi said. “What could be so urgent that you would do such a dumb thing?”
Dhruv's face suddenly changed.
“What?” Khushi said worriedly.
“Khushi, has anyone ever fooled you before?”
“What do you mean?” Khushi asked.
“Has anyone ever played with your emotions,” Dhruv continued.
“Why are you asking such a silly question. What's this got to do with anything?” Khushi said with bewilderment.
“Come to the garden with me, and I'll explain,” Dhruv gripped Khushi's hands between his own and practically began dragging her towards the garden.
Dhruv dragged Khushi past a sea of people.He had never touched her before, and it felt like the B-Major chord of her heart had been plucked for the first time. Khushi blankly stared at her hand. Khushi was confused by the questions Dhruv threw at her about being cheated and played. She was usually the one with the questions. Dhruv hardly ever asked questions. His soft hands were like the pure white fur of a rabbit. Her thoughts carried away from herself.
TO BE CONTINUED..
