“It’s been some time since we met Sandy”, she grins.
I nod, feeling uneasy.
Somebody rescue me, please.
“Yeah. It has”, I smile.
“Nikhil is working here too. I’m sure you probably know though”, Ananya shrugs.
“Yeah. We see each other quite often”, I smile.
I was surprised to see Ananya waiting for her brother outside the hospital. Though I was startled, I couldn’t stop myself from greeting her.
Even though the initial few minutes of conversation flowed quite smoothly, I felt awkward now.
I’m talking to the sister of the guy that was my friend turned marriage-proposal-guy turned friends-who-kissed turned friends-that-like-each-other-but-don’t-do -shit-because-the-girl-has-no-clarity-over -her -feelings.
I couldn’t just leave too, I think it’ll be rude.
So we just stand next to each other quietly, lost in our thoughts.
“I really wished you were my sister-in-law.”
I flinch. Talk about awkward.
“Anu, I-“, I pause.
“It’s okay”, she squuezes my hand, “I understand. You must have your own reasons. But please… don’t give him false hopes”, she ends quietly.
My throat feels dry. Did I just get roasted?
I simply nod at her, wondering why I felt rubbish.
The girl’s looking out for her brother, Sandy. What’s wrong in that? You know you would have been jailed long ago if someone broke Sneha’s heart too. Ananya is at least polite about it.
My mood plummets. I don’t know if I’m turning negative or if I’m just wrong or if everyone just has a problem with me.
Snap out of it. Don’t do this victimizing crap. It doesn’t suit you. Heart break is normal, natural. Sneha didn’t go beating on Dhruv’s door when he broke my heart. Everyone deals with… love differenly.
Granted, Sneha doesn’t know about it. But that’s not the point.
Nikhil frowns when he approaches us, assessing the situation, probably.
“Bye”, I force a smile, nodding at the both of them.
I’m still in hearing range when I hear…
“What did you do?”, Nikhil asks.
“I didn’t do anything.”
I walk away faster, not interested in eavesdropping.
One should never eavesdrop siblings’ and best friends’ conversations.
***
“I can’t run anymore”, I try to take deep breaths, my sides hurting.
“Come on Sandy”, Anshu starts marching on the spot.
“Why couldn’t we just go to the gym?”
“I wanted to run today.”
“Heard of treadmill?”
“Run in nature’s lap.”
I fake gag at the line, “Your alternate career is definitely not a poet.”
“Whatever”, she rolls her eyes.
“Why are we running so far from campus?”
“Stop asking so many questions”, she looks around.
“What are you looking for?”
“Water bottle”, Anshu exclaims, “Wait here. I’ll get water for us before you irritate me further.”
“But I hav-”
I don’t finish the sentence as she runs off.
I sit on the stone, stretching my limbs as I admire the beach.
“Sandy?”, I hear a startled voice.
“Hey”, I’m equally surprised.
“What are you doing here?”
I glance at my workout clothes, yoga pants, T shirt, and shoes, “What do you think?”
“So far from campus?”, Nikhil frowns.
“Yeah. Anshu wanted to go fo-“, I stop mud sentence.
I look around, trying and failing to find her at the stall she went to get water to.
“Do you usually jog here?”
“No”I say, “Do you?”
“Yes. My apartment is close by. ”
“Oh”, I say.
“Where’s Anshu?”
That’s when my mobile pings.
Don’t kill me. You can come back with Ehm ehm.
I glare at my mobile.
I need a new best friend.
Just you wait, Anshu.
“Sandy?”
“She… um, got a call. So she had to leave.”
“Oh. Care to run with me then?”, Nikhil grins.
“Sure”, I smile.
I act like I don’t see Nikhil looking at me from his peripheral vision as we run quietly.
How do I know that?
I’m looking at him too.
I clear my throat, shaking my head.
I feel my breaths becoming shorter after another five hundred meters, but I continue to run, unwilling to show that I’m tired.
You and your huge ego, my calves cry.
“Tired, Sandy?”
“No”, I grit my teeth, continuing to run.
A stupid smile blooms my face when Nikhil starts running slower, the run turned to a slow jog.
I look at him, giving him a small smile, the palpitations in my heart having nothing to do with his answering grin.
“Thanks”, I smile at Nikhil when we reach the hospital campus.
Nikhil smiles as he walks me to the hostel.
“It’s fine. Go home.”
“I like walking with you, Sandy.”
I ignore the slight double meaning as we continue to walk.
When we were almost near the hostel, my calves decide they’re done with me as they start to cramp, making me sit on the bench nearby.
“Your legs hurt now ?”, Nikhil grins.
I give him a sheepish smile, laughing.
As we near the hostel in sometime, I pretend to not notice how I feel Nikhil’s eyes fixed on my face.
“Stop staring”, I mumble, almost inaudibly.
I pocket my hands, clenching them, resisting the urge to do something.
My smile falters when Nikhil tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, “Bye Sandy”, he whispers, turning around, walking away.
Emotionally, I don’t know. But physically, I’m finding it harder and harder to stay away from Nikhil.