“Stop staring at me like that.”
The fools in front of me continue to grin like they’re on crack.
I’m horrified when the things I call friends start to make embarrassing sounds.
“Stop it you guys”, I hiss.
The noises only get louder as I look around, thankful that there’s no one in vicinity.
“I’m going to leave if you continue to act like this.”
“To make out with a certain someone?”, Avyukth cackles.
I punch his shoulder, “Why did you tell him, Anshu?”, I accuse my best friend.
My face is red when they make kissing faces.
“Get lost”, I stand up, too conscious of me friends’ teasing.
“Come on Sandy”, I make an oof sound when Avyukth pulls me back by my bag, wincing when my butt makes contact with the hard stone bench.
“Stop overreacting”, Anshu rolls her eyes.
I narrow my eyes at my best friend, “What?”
“It was just a kiss. People kiss all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
I lean towards Avyukth when he whispers something in Anshu’s ear, “Don’t underplay it so much too. Sandy will think it’s just casual and happened in the nick of the moment.”
I roll my eyes.
Anshu and Avyukth have gone crazy.
“So, Sandy?”
“Hmm”, I hum, scrolling through instafeeds.
“You spoke to Nikhil after that right?”
“Hmm”, I continue scrolling through the feeds, bored of talking about Nikhil 24*7.
“Didn’t he try anything?”
I glare at Anshu, “What the heck?”
“I mean, it’s been a few days since the… last time”, my best friend shrinks into her boyfriend’s arms as I glower at her, “Just wondering”, she shrugs.
“It’d be weird if we kissed every day Anshu. And we’re talking fine. It’s been about a week-”
“You’re counting days I see”, Avyukth smirks.
“You will start counting your days if you continue speaking nonsense”, I punch his shoulder.
“Why get violent?”, Avyukth mumbles.
I roll my eyes, looking at my watch, “When are we leaving?”
“We’re here”, Anshu shrugs, “It’s only your guy that’s missing.”
“Okay stop it. He’s not my guy.”
“Yet”, Avyukth smirks, high-fiving his girlfriend.
I groan, looking towards the heaven when I receive a message.
I’m already outside the hospital. The four of us can meet there and go from there?
“We should go. Nikhil’s waiting outside”, Avyukth says.
“He texted you too?”, I ask, bewildered.
I’m annoyed when Avyukth pinches my cheek, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, “Why? Are you jealous?”
I slap the back of his head, “No. Just surprised.”
“Aww. It’s okay. You can say it.”
“You guys are ridiculous. Let’s go.”
“Yeah yeah. Of course”, Anshu pipes in, “Let’s not keep loverboy waiting.”
I mumble to myself about bullying best friends, squealing when they both start to bump my shoulders as we walk in a zig zag fashion, laughing.
We decided to go to ‘The Escape Room’.
I’m excited as we enter the room after instructions, all of our Detective modes on as we look around for clues to escape out of the room in sixty minutes.
“Yaaayyy. Look. Look what I found”, Anshu screams.
“Come here. Show me”, I grab her by the arm as we read the clue, Avyukth and Nikhil behind us.
Find something with B.
All of us look around, frantically searching for some item, this time Nikhil shouting, “There!”
We find a book on the side table, flipping it around as we look at it’s cover.
Avyukth opens the book, reading the next clue out.
If you skin your knee and feel bad, stick me on and you’ll be glad.
The four of us frown, wondering what it could be.
“Umm. Gauze?”, I offer.
“Let’s look around.”
We look around for the next few moments without success when the staff hints us a clue about the clue.
I come in various designs, sizes. I’m also called a plaster.
“Uh”, I frown.
“Bandage?”Anshu says.
“Yes. That should be it. Let’s see.”
I squeal when I find a big dupe of bandage, another clue written behind it.
***
“That was so much fun”, Anshu exclaims, “I actually felt like a detective solving a case, for a while.
“Yeah. It was amazing!”, I grin, “We should do it again some other time.
“I’m so hungry. Should we get something to eat?”, Avyukth looks around, searching for the food court
“Yeah. Where do you want to go?”
“Pizza”, Anshu jumps.
“But I want a burger meal”, Avyukth pipes in.
“I’m in mood for some spicy Biryani”, I shrug.
Nikhil laughs, “I think we should just split, get whatever we want and meet in the food court?”
“Yes”, Anshu gives me a sly wink, “Come with me Avyukth. We’ll buy my pizza first, and then your burger”, she holds her boyfriend’s hand, dragging him away.
Nikhil laughs turning to me, “Anshu is something.”
I wince, “She’s too obvious sometimes.”
“I don’t mind”, Nikhil grins, “Let’s go.”
“What do you want to eat?”, I frown.
“Sizzlers.”
I nod, “Biryani Zone and The Good Bowl are close to each other, I guess.”
We walk in silence, standing quietly as I wait for my order to be placed, jumping when I feel a hand on my waist.
I release the breath I’m holding when Nikhil gently pushes me to the side, my back touching his front, letting me give space to the person behind me to receive his order.
I don’t dare to turn around when Nikhil places his hand there for a beat longer, relocating it back to his side.
I sigh in relief when the both of us get our food, receiving a message from Anshu that they’re already and texted me where they were sat.
I stiffen, an impish smile forming on my face when Nikhil intertwines our hands as we walk back to our friends.
***
I’m positive my friends have to take acting classes when they dash out of the car in the blink of an eye as soon as Nikhil parks, giving a lame excuse about how the both of them should be somewhere asap.
I wince when Nikhil gives me a weird smile.
Talk about making things so awkward.
We walk side by side, a smile growing on my face when Nikhil wraps an around my shoulder, his own widening as I shift closer, fitting under his arm.
“Uh. Okay”, Nikhil says, when we reach the hostel gate.
I’m certain I’ve lost my mind when the next few words blurt out of my mouth.
“Do you want to hang out for a while? ”
“Sure”, Nikhil grins.
My senses are heightened when Nikhil looks enters my room, the proximity making my palms sweat.
Suddenly, I feel like inviting him wasn’t a very good idea.
I steer him clear of my room as we settle on the couch in the hall, manners kicking in as I ask him if he wants some water.
“Nah. I’m good.”
I internally kick myself at least three times as we just sit next to each other, the situation painfully awkward.
“Um. Should we watch a movie?”, I offer.
Some noise can kill the awkwardness.
I don’t think he’d appreciate it if I kicked him out.
“Yeah. Sure”, I find myself calming down when Nikhil gives me a reassuring smile, squeezing my hand.
We settle with watching the Parasite.
I’m acutely aware of our close proximity as the movie starts, our body heat seducing the others’. I hold my breath each time Nikhil raises his hand, setting his hair sometimes, reaching for the volume sometimes, his mobile sometimes, leaving me relieved but also letdown for some strange reason.
I start to relax halfway through the movie, my back not as stiff, my movements looser when I’m positive he’s not thinking about the stuff I’m thinking.
“I’ll just be back”, I say, getting up to pee after sometime.
Nikhil nods, pausing the movie.
Nikhil is stiff, his jaw clenched by the time I’m back, making me frown.
“Is something the matter?”, I ask, bewildered.
“No”, he presses his lips thin, although his gaze moves to the key holder on the wall.
My frown deepens, “Nikhil?”
He sighs, shaking his head, “It’s nothing. Let’s watch the movie.”
I let him pull me to the couch, as I try to analyze his odd change in behaviour.
“Why won’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”, I ask when there’s too much tension for me to handle after a while.
I jump in place when Nikhil snaps, “I said it’s nothing.”
I’m too confused to respond. What’s with him?
He takes in a deep breath, “I’m Sorry. I didn’t mean to come off as rude.”
“It’s alright”, I frown, “But what happened?”
“I’m just being unreasonable. There’s nothing that happened. I think I should leave.”
“Nikhil”, I hold his hand, “Talk to me if anything’s the matter.”
“It’s-”
“I’m not going to keep asking you”, I snap, “Tell me what happened.”
My confusion turns into realisation when Nikhil turns to the key holder again.
“You’re upset about the key chain?”
“I’m Sorry. I have no right to be.”
My gaze wanders to the heart shaped key chain I’d forgotten to throw, Dhruv’s gift. The key chain had a locket with both of our names on it.
“Nikhil, I-”
“You don’t have to explain anything”, He forces a smile, ” Really.”
“No, listen. You’re misunderstanding.”
“Seriously Sandy. I’ll be fine. It was just a moment, it will pass. And it’s just a key chain. We don’t have to argue about it.”
“Can you just stop it?”, I snap, “There’s nothing wrong if you felt bad about it. I can understand where you’re coming from. You must be wondering why I still kept my ex-boyfriend’s gift, not cool, I know. But I actually threw everything Dhruv gave me. This one, I forgot, because I don’t use those set of keys anymore.”
Nikhil nods, looking embarrassed, “I’m Sorry.”
Goodness. Is Nikhil a jealous person?
Another thing to worry about.
I couldn’t help but feel a little upset. So what if I’ve kept the keychain. Why should he get upset over a keychain? It’s not like I have feelings for Dhruv if I kept the key chain. Why didn’t he think I kept it coz I just like it?
Unlikely, Sandy. Nikhil knows yours’ and Dhruv’s names are carved on it. There’s a reason to be jealous.
“Look, Nikhil”, I reassure him, “I don’t like Dhruv anymore. So please, understand. I just-”
“It’s my mistake. I know I shouldn’t have been like that. But it just made me a bit upset. I have no right to. Probably. What you choose to keep in your room is your business. It was just a fleeting moment. I’m secure in the knowledge that you chose me this time, inspite of Dhruv asking you. I’m Sorry if I came out as doubting. I’m not. It just felt strange. That’s all.”
I nod, maybe I would be upset too, if I see his any of his ex’s gifts lying around, even if it’s as small as a keychain, “It’s fine.”
“Are you sure?”, Nikhil holds my hand.
“Yup”, I nod.
I think it’s natural to react a bit, no?
But as long as we’re clear about the others’ feelings, we shouldn’t have any problem.
“Talk to me if you feel… this way “, I say softly, “I cannot put your mind at rest if you don’t tell me how you feel.”
“I will, usually”, Nikhil says, holding me by my shoulders, “But this didn’t have to be addressed. I know feeling insecure about a keychain is childish. There’s nothing to worry about.”
I place my hands on his, “Big issues start off small.”
Nikhil cups my face, “You’re right. I just didn’t want you to take me wrong or be upset. I’m not… jealous. It’s just the immediate reaction of ‘Why did she still keep it?’ I can think rationally about the situation. So don’t worry, okay?”
I nod, although uneasy.
“But…”
“But?”
“I would like it if we speak to the other if we feel like this”, I shrug, “You may rationalise the situation, I know. But you can’t deny that it feels good to be reassured. I feel like these small things will just be piled up if not addressed”, I say, “Like, you know”, I give him an example, “If we have a fight and you say something like, ‘You still keep your ex boyfriend’s gifts’, it will hurt me. That will turn toxic. Are you getting what I’m trying to say?”
Nikhil frowns, his breath hitting my face, “I would never say something like that Sandy.”
“I’m just giving an example”, I shrug, “Bottom line is, I want us to just talk to each other, communicate, however big or small the issue is. Just please, don’t be like,’I’ll be fine in sometime anyway. What’s the point of discussing this with her and making her upset too’. Just like it matters to you if I’m upset, it matters to me if you’re upset too.”
“Actually”, Nikhil frowns, “I think you’re right. We should address any disturbance we have, minor or not. We should talk it out.”
Hurray, finally.
My eyes shut when Nikhil kisses my forehead, pulling me into a hug, “Should we continue watching the movie?”