The next day Preeti made a freaky
plan. Preeti wanted to see, up to which extend he would go to convince me. That
day she made me wear a gaudy pink dress against my own will and forced me with
everything in pink. She knew boys conventional perception regarding pink color.
We went for the bus as usual. I was looking like a strawberry-syrup ice-cream and was
afraid of tempting little girls to have a bite of me. It was late but Arnav hadn’t arrived till then. After a while when the college-bus
was visible far away racing through the other vehicles, I got tensed. What happened to Arnav? Is he okay?
Yesterday’s coffee didn’t look that bad to harm him so much.
I looked at Preeti but she was
also clueless. The bus arrived and the boys started to get into it. My heart
was sore. I hopefully glanced into the other end of the road and there I saw Arnav
was running towards the bus-stop. He extended his hand signalling to stop the
bus for a while. I got into the bus and peeked out of the window to see him. He
sprinted across the road and stepped into the bus with thumping noise.
Sweat was furiously dripping
from his forehead and his breathing was rough. He crossed us to the last seats
where his friends were sitting, hollering at each other. I watched him crossing
me silently. He wore a flashy pink shirt and black jeans. The shirt looked old,
faded and wrinkled. It did hurt to see him like that suffering just to prove a simple
point.
We were pretty sure after this
that the matching clothes were not the coincidence but just a simple signal
from his side though we had no idea how did he got to know what I was to wear
everyday. Did he get some agent behind
me? Or he is psychic.
Preeti sniggered quietly. “He
looks yummy..” She said while imitating with her tongue sexily swiped over upper-lip.
“Come on Preeti.” I scowled at
her. “Now for your stupid idea he has to move whole day wearing that pinky-pomp
shirt. You knew that he would wear it any how. Is it fair to assess someone
this way?” I looked Arnav. I seriously loathed myself for this. I held myself
responsible for this creepy situation. I felt sorry for it whereas he was
composed and easy, not at all vexed of it.
But I had to pay for it too.
The more we put him on test, the more intense and bewitching his gaze grew
towards me, wildering my feelings ensconced for him. As if he could hold me
with his engrossing angular eyes wandering with me everywhere I went. I was
captivated by his irresistible poised demeanour. Like dark deep sea I was merging
inside him little by little. The more I tried to escape from his lure, the more
tangled I found myself.
A single shot of him was enough
to melt me like wax on fire. It had an airy restraining effect that refrained
myself from me. I had lost my sense, thought, defence, preferences, taste even
my heart to him and never knew even after losing all of these, anyone could
touch the sky of happiness.
I was somehow convinced that he
would speak out his emotions soon. Preeti had even prophesised that the event
would be the party he was having on Sunday.
“Or else what’s the need of
inviting you to that party?” She told, occupied with her own thoughts.
“It’s just ‘coz I’m his friend.”
I replied.
“ Friend? Then does he
personally invite everyone taking them for coffee?? And don’t forget he said it’s
special.”
I nodded at her approvingly and
crossed my finger under the chair hiding from all and praying the prophecy to
be real soon. I was getting unbearable for me to keep the emotions covered. The
muffled voice of them was vanished and they were whooping inside me. They
wanted to be unleashed, they wanted me to run to him and fall loose cradling in
his arms. They wanted to be embraced, bosomed and kissed in his warmth.
I was counting every day on
calendar, pleading at each day to pass faster. Somehow I made it till Saturday,
an evil Saturday when I had to leave the town.
“Are we all supposed to go?” I
asked Mom. Of course there was pressure from family or else I would not even
step out home.
“Of course. She is your father’s aunt and really close to
him. Or else he wouldn’t ever hurry us for this trip.”
“Still then..I have my exam
tomorrow, Mom.” I lied to her. Though it was no less edgy than appearing
boards.
“Then I’ll tell your papa to
talk to your teacher and after that you return home, you will appear the exam.”
She stroked my cheek and again got busy in stacking clothes inside a big carry
bag.
“But..can’t I stay with Preeti?
I promise we won’t do anything demented. ” I tried to convince her with my sad puppy
eyes. But that’s my mother after all. She knew when I pretend something to her.
“No means no dear. I have told
you. Now get me clothes you want to take.”
“Hmm...How many days are we
gonna stay there?”
“Four to five days at max.”
Four to five... They
sounded like dinosaur digit.
“Can’t we reduce the days? I
mean can’t we return by tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow? Yeah ,we could only
if there was an aerodrome in that village where we would land in your private
jet.”
“Mommm..” I whined.
“No my dear, it’s not possible.
At least it will take three days. And if her condition deteriorates then we may
have to extend the trip.”
I returned to my room and dialled to Preeti.
“ What?” She was as surprised
as I was sad hearing the news.
“What do you mean by you can’t?
You know that tomorrow is a day you were waiting for a very long time. Now when
it came, you packed bag for outing? How ridiculous!”
“Not outing Preeti. It’s my
father’s aunt breathing her last. I have to go with them too.”
“Can’t you stay with me? I’ll
come over there and take permission from your parents.”
“I wish I could. I tried for it
too but mom didn’t agree at it. She said we all have to go.”
It was hard for me to decide.
In the same night we boarded into bus. All the way I was only thinking about
Arnav and staring out through the window at the bright gibbous moon hazily
illuminating the running sideways. How would he react over my absence in party?
I had told Preeti to convey my
personal apology to him and tell him how much I wanted to be there and also to
inform me everything happened in the party. I didn’t want to ruin Arnav’s mood.
So I kept silence and let Preeti to handle everything.
My father’s aunt lived in a
remote village of south. It took us to change two buses and in total thirteen
hours of journey. At the end of the journey my legs were cramped and sore and
my mobile had no network. The village was supplied with low-voltage electricity
and was almost swimming in dark. I could barely make out my path without
slipping on cow-dung.
As we reached there, my father’s
respected aunt of ninety years was bed-ridden. I felt pity seeing her wrinkled
skin and emaciated body. She looked fragile. But within next few hours she
charismatically got well. Everybody said it was my father whom she was missing
to hell. But they had no idea what it was for me to miss the party and Arnav.
Even after going to every
possible tall point, it was hard to get a proper telephone signal on my mobile.
For once I thought of climbing up the coconut tree but then again it sounded too
riskier. So as devastated and harried freak, I sneaked to a telephone booth of
village.
There were four people in line
before me. I waited there for twenty minutes before I got to hold the antique
round headed phone-receiver.
I dialled the number to Preeti.
After four long rings she received the call.
“Hey Preeti.” I told bringing
the receiver close to my mouth.
“Is that Ava?” Her voice was deformed.
“Where the hell have you been? I am calling you since morning. What happened to
your crappy phone?”
“Nothing. Just this village is
driving me crazy. No signal. No electricity. No running water. No roads. No
people who doesn’t smell of sweat. Just cows, trees, veiled women and nude kids.”I
whined her in English. Some people waiting behind stared at me in perplexed manner
showing their tobacco stained teeth.
“By the way, howz the party going?” I asked
her.
“It was nice.” She replied.
Was nice? “Aren’t
you at party right now?”
“Na.. I came home sooner.”
“Why? What happened? Is everything
fine over there?” It got me really tense.
“Yeah. Just that I wasn’t feel
good. I came home soon.”
“Oh! Are you fine now, dear?”
“Yeah.” She slowly replied.
There was something strange that had gripped her words. They were suppressed and low. I sensed something
not correct. I could tell at that moment that she was hiding something from me.
“ Preeti! Are you seriously
alright?” I intriguingly asked.
“Yeah. I am perfectly well.”
“Then did anything happen in
party?”
“Nothing serious. You just come
home soon. We will talk.”
“Preeti. Tell me what is it. Did
that bitch say you anything?” It was a chance with high possibility.”
“Nothing dear. You come home. I
miss you here.” She was depressed, I could bet on that.
“I miss you too Preeti.” I miss Arnav too.
I heard shouting people asking
for their turn.
“Okay Preeti. I’ve to go now. I
am trying to get out of here as soon as possible. But I don’t think it will be
less than two days. You take care of yourself and take some rest too. Stop jumping
around like monkey. Save that part till I come home.”
“Bye.”
I disconnected the phone and
paid the owner.
While on my way to home, I kept
pondering over the conversation with Preeti, analyzing each word she said,
trying to steer out any clue. What could
have happened in the party? The thought bugged till end.
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