The waiter immediately left to enquire the reason for the delay while Virat kept staring at Kavya after her sudden outburst. The waiter brought out the dish the very next moment and Virat was about to ask for the bill when Kavya shouted again, ‘Manager, see the oldie there. Oh god, I think he’s dead.’
A middle-aged guy in his mid-30s was sitting adjacent to them and was resting his head on the table after having a drink too much.
Kavya thought of annoying the guy and continued, ‘Manager, I am serious. See this old uncle here? He’s dead.’
Virat was used to her antics, especially when she was drunk. They laughed as the people sitting around them started looking at them as if they had come from a different planet altogether. After sometime, when the situation was under control and that oldie had left the place, she insisted they leave the lounge without paying the bill. Virat didn’t agree in the beginning but then thought of trying it for the thrill. They tried to act casual so that the waiters didn’t catch their attention.
‘I am going to quietly move out by pretending to be on a call. Once I leave, you can join me in a couple of minutes. You can even come later as they don’t really question girls.’
Saying so, Virat moved outside pretending that he was not getting network coverage in the room and slowly walked towards his bike. When he saw no one was noticing him, he sat on the bike and ignited it so that they could run away as soon as Kavya came out. He kept the ignition on just in case they had to make a quick escape. After some time, Kavya came out and casually walked towards the bike as if nothing had happened. As she came closer, she increased her pace.
‘Fast…sit…sit…sit…’ Virat whispered.
She quickly sat on the bike and they sped away. She turned to see the guard running out of the lounge with the bill in his hand. But Virat raced the bike at bullet speed.
‘How did you get out so smoothly?’ Virat asked.
‘I asked for directions to the washroom and slowly slipped out instead. The manager seemed to doubt me, but I maintained my cool and walked at a casual pace so that the guard standing outside wouldn’t stop me.’
They high-fived each other and screamed loudly in joy.
Friendship isn’t about who you have known the longest. It’s about who came and never left your side even when you committed a crime. In this world where everything seems uncertain, only one thing was definite: Virat and Kavya’s friendship…beyond words, beyond time, and beyond distance.
After returning from the lounge, they went to FC road as Virat wanted to eat chocolate paan. Kavya saw a man selling soap bubbles on the road.
‘Virat…even I want to blow those soap bubbles,’ Kavya said in a childish manner pointing towards the vendor selling them.
Virat obliged to avoid the similar chaos that had occured a few minutes ago at the lounge. He knew she would create havoc if he didn’t buy her those soap bubbles. Little did he know that there was no stopping her and that she would go wilder with each act. As soon as he purchased it, she started blowing bubbles on passersby and troubling them. It became difficult for Virat to control her but even amid this chaos, he couldn’t help but laugh at her childishness.
Eventually, Virat took her by the hand and dragged her away from the scene before she could make life miserable for other people. She continued blowing the bubbles sitting behind on the bike. She saw two girls on a scooty parallel to them. The bad girl in her awakened and seconds later, she started bothering them.
‘Are you lesbians? You want to try a threesome?’ she teased the girls.
‘Yeah, please take her along with you. Make her sit between you. She is in a real need of a threesome,’ Virat added and started laughing.
Without speaking a word, the girls raced their scooty and ran away. Virat and Kavya had fun eve-teasing all the bikers they crossed, till they reached his apartment.
‘What a day it was. I will never forget this my entire life,’ Virat sighed as he parked the bike.
‘Seriously. We had an awesome time together. We should do this more often,’ Kavya laughed trying to walk properly. The effect of alcohol was taking its toll on her. Virat helped her by holding her hands and taking her upstairs.
‘You are staying here tonight. I am not letting you go home in this condition.’
‘No, I have to go. Bye,’ said Kavya trying to push Virat away.
Virat threatened to inform her parents. He took her inside and made her sit on the couch. She relaxed a bit and started laughing again, without a reason. Virat freshened up and decided to make some Maggi for the two of them. Kavya always loved her Maggi with a seasoning of oregano. She never missed an opportunity to eat it whenever she stayed back at Virat’s apartment. While Virat was in the kitchen, Kavya opened his laptop to browse through the folders.
‘Virat, where are my Accounts assignment’s pictures?’ she asked.
‘Now why do you need them at this hour? Don’t tell me you are going to write it now,’ Virat shouted from the kitchen.
‘No, I just wanted to see them.’
‘They are in the Daily chores folder, E drive.’
Virat poured out the cooked Maggie from the saucepan into a dish and was about to put ketchup on top when he realized that the folder contained some B-grade movies. He kept the ketchup aside and ran into the bedroom to stop Kavya from accessing his folder in time. But it was too late!
‘So these are your daily chores?’ Kavya teased, turning the laptop towards him.
Virat tried to snatch the laptop away from her but even in her tipsy state she wouldn’t let him take it easily, and put up quite a fight.
‘Kavya, this is not fair yaar. Some things are really personal and even you should not touch them,’ he pleaded.
However, Kavya didn’t show him any mercy. She in fact insisted that they watch one of the movies together while eating Maggi. Virat flatly refused but ultimately gave up when he realized that arguing with Kavya would be futile. He made himself comfortable on the bed, next to Kavya, and played a random movie from the folder.
‘I don’t want to watch this one. Play the other one which had…’ Virat stopped her short saying all movies had the same content and it didn’t really matter which one they watched.
With every noodle she slurped, she watched the movie with more curiosity. It was the first time she was watching anything like this and was enjoying herself thoroughly.
‘See, this guy looks like you,’ she said pointing towards the hero of the movie.
‘Shut up. Look at the girl; she looks exactly the way you were looking in the morning wearing that sultry dress,’ Virat laughed.
Before Kavya could finish her Maggi, Virat fell asleep. She shut down the laptop and smiled thinking about all the fun they had together. Though Kavya behaved like a kid, Virat loved the child in her. She would always say, ‘I don’t need anyone who is mature enough to stop me from acting immature. What I need is someone who can adore my immaturity and maturely understand me.’ No one, except for Virat, would be able to tolerate Kavya’s childish behaviour post drinking. Similarly no one could tolerate Virat’s untidy nature but Kavya. They were perfectly made for each other; friends who did silly stuff together, laughed at each other when they fell, and lived life their way without giving a damn to the people around them.
More Than ‘Just Friends’
‘Mahek, I heard you’re participating in the dance competition. Is that true?’ Virat asked her as they walked around the college campus.
‘Yes, I love dancing and want to pursue it as a career option. So I gave my name for the competition,’ Mehak answered.
Mehak was the college hottie and Virat had fallen head over heels for her the moment he laid his eyes on her. She was looking ravishing in a white dress that day. Her thick black hair fell loosely on her shoulders. Her dazzling chocolate brown eyes framed by long lashes that she flicked constantly could brighten anyone’s world. Her cherry lips looked like a frozen rose, dangerous but beautiful, and her milky white skin
could mesmerize anyone. She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, like a painting of a goddess brought to life. When she smiled, the world would sigh with contentment. When she laughed, the world would laugh with her. And if she shed a tear, the whole world would want to comfort her. She wore the same perfume everyday—Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue—and one could get a whiff of her from a mile away. She was full of confidence which reflected in her cute smile. She was fond of dancing and dreamt of becoming a salsa trainer, and eventually starting an event management company of her own.
Mahek had enrolled in the dance competition that was going to take place between the Junior and Senior Wings of Biosis College. The winner would get a chance to join a professional salsa group, which was really something. Virat had no interest in winning but decided to participate as it was the perfect opportunity to get close to her.
‘I am participating as well. I hope we win,’ Virat said gazing at her eyes, pretending to sound confident.
‘We, what do you mean “we”?’ She seemed puzzled.
‘Yeah. We are going to be partners, right?’ Virat muttered in a soft voice.
‘When did I agree to that?’ she asked and started to walk ahead.
‘Oh, come on. I am not that bad at dancing,’ he stated.
‘I have seen you dance at the club with Kavya. You are not bad. You are terrible.’
‘You can teach me, perhaps…’
For the first time, Virat feared talking to a girl. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was in love. Though Virat and Mahek had been going to the same college for over a year, they had never really interacted much with each other. Kavya did talk to her often, and was friends with her, but Virat hardly did. According to him, she was not meant for casual dating, but someone to fall in love with. He had dated many girls in the past but chose to stay away from Mahek and the likes of her. However, the idea of being serious in life made him fall for Mehak eventually. He wondered why he wanted to be in a serious relationship in the first place, but never found the right answer. So he assumed it to be love.
‘What’s wrong, Mr Stud?’ Kavya asked patting him on his back. Mahek had left by then.
‘Nothing,’ Virat said as he continued walking alone, lost in his thoughts.
‘Maybe I can help you. I’m good friends with her,’ Kavya added.
The moment he heard Kavya say she was friends with Mahek, he jumped up in joy. His happiness had no limits. He pleaded with Kavya to make a case for him with Mahek so that she saw him favourably.
‘What will I get? I deserve something in return,’ Kavya winked.
‘How rude! You can’t do something this pint-sized for your best friend?’ Virat pleaded.
‘No. If you are willing to give me whatever it is that I ask for in return, I’ll do it.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘I need a promise from you. Promise me that once you get into a relationship, nothing will change between us and you won’t act like one of those emotionless guys who forget their friends once they find a girlfriend to love. We will still act insane at pubs and run away without paying bills. We will continue teasing bikers late at night, and you will never stop making Maggie for me. Promise me, everything will be the same even after you’re committed to her,’ Kavya said.
Virat hugged her and assured her that nothing would alter his love for her.
‘Don’t worry. When I’ll ask her out, I will clearly mention that along with a smart, handsome guy, she’ll need to deal with a stupid, dumb, and idiotic girl too as a complementary gift.’
Kavya pinched him and smiled. They walked together towards the classroom and sat beside Mehak. There were no lectures as they had to submit their assignments in college the next day. Kavya had already plotted a plan to get Virat and Mehak closer and started to implement it on Mehak. They were chit-chatting when Virat joined them. Mehak gave him the cold shoulder, making Virat feel uneasy. Just then, he received a call from his uncle and went outside to answer it. In the meantime, Mehak and Kavya continued talking, Virat being the topic of discussion. Kavya flaunted his positive attributes to impress Mehak although in reality, Virat couldn’t even keep his room tidy. She kept praising him in front of Mehak till Virat returned.
‘Let’s leave, buddy,’ Kavya told Virat as he walked in.
‘Where to?’ he asked in a surprised tone.
‘I am taking Mehak and you out on a date. Up for it?’ Kavya teased him.
Virat felt like hitting Kavya with a hammer that very moment.
‘Chill, we are going for a movie. I hope you don’t mind,’ Mehak said in her sweet voice looking at Virat.
‘Are you mad? Why would I mind? I am on cloud nine,’ Virat added, elated.
‘What?’ Mehak said giving him a puzzled look.
Kavya nudged him with her elbow and signalled him to come with them. Virat followed both the girls out without uttering a word. There were no lectures all through the day so Kavya had planned for a movie to give them an opportunity to spend some time together. Though they had to submit their assignments the next day, it hardly bothered them. It really doesn’t bother students unless they want to impress the professors.
All three of them reached E-Square cinema and booked tickets for the next show of 500 Days of Summer. Virat was overjoyed since it was his first outing with Mehak. He prayed it would turn into a date in the future. She swept him off his feet whenever their eyes met. For the first time he felt special, like he had been searching for someone special all these years and had finally found her. But he felt a void inside since he didn’t know how to act around her.
‘Let’s go eat something. We still have an hour left,’ Virat said looking at his watch.
Mehak agreed and all of them went to the food court.
‘Mehak, you’ve never had a boyfriend?’ Kavya asked her on purpose.
‘No, I am kinda afraid of relationships,’ she said resting her hands on the table.
‘Me too. I think we’re a perfect match for each other,’ joked Virat.
‘Relax. Mahek, he thinks he’s a stud. In reality, his brain is the size of a peanut. Ignore him,’ Kavya replied.
They had a good laugh and spent some time getting to know each other. Virat found that he was extremely similar to Mahek, personality-wise. They had the same taste in movies, food, sport etc. and even had the same attitude and perspective towards things. Though he was never too loud or outspoken, whenever he talked to Mehak, he would metamorphosize into a completely different person. The glow of her electric personality energized his brain as well as his heart.
It was time for the movie to begin, so they went inside the cinema hall and took their seats. The theatre was normally vacant on weekdays, and almost all the seats were unoccupied.
The movie turned out to be really boring and they soon started to feel sleepy. Kavya saw a couple who were seated one row ahead of them and they were busy making their own movie. They were so engrossed in kissing each other that they hardly looked elsewhere. Both of them had closed their eyes and were feeling every inch of each other.
‘Look at those dumbos,’ Kavya whispered and continued, ‘Virat, you should lend your flat on rent to such couples who are unable to find places to have sex.’
‘Yeah, why not. I will even install a condom machine next to my door. Happy?’ Virat said sarcastically to which Mehak smiled. This brought a smile to his face too. He felt like he was on top of the world.
‘I think we should videotape them on our phone. What say, guys?’ Kavya added.
‘Have you lost it?’ Virat said, annoyed.
‘Awesome idea. It will be fun. Let’s tease them later during the interval by showing them the video,’ Mehak said excitedly.
Virat was shocked and felt trapped between the two girls. Earlier there was just Kavya, and now even Mehak had joined her troupe of crazy girls, it seemed. Mehak took her cell phone out and started recording them in the act. She angled the camera in such a way that both were clea
rly visible in the frame. The couple didn’t have the slightest clue about what was happening. They got wilder with each passing minute and were almost on top of each other. Looking at them, all three started to laugh loudly.
‘Hey, what are you doing? I will complain about you,’ screamed someone from the back seat.
Mahek dropped the cell phone in fear and it rolled down a row.
‘What are we doing? Look at them. We are just protesting,’ Virat shouted to show that he was not afraid of the person who was threatening them.
But their luck was terrible because the guy actually went to the authorities and complained about the three of them and the racket they were creating. The authorities asked them to delete the video of the couple and threw everyone out of the hall.
‘Don’t you have a place to have sex, you assholes?’ Kavya screamed on their way out.
‘Should I book a room at a nearby hotel for the two of you?’ Mehak added. She seemed to be having fun teasing them as well.
The trio ran to the parking lot towards Virat’s car as the authorities were hot on their heels. They laughed thinking about how they got thrown out of the hall for shooting an MMS. Virat hadn’t expected his first meeting with Mehak to turn out to be so adventurous.
As Virat drove the car, he kept checking out Mehak several times through the rear-view mirror. The smile on her face transported him to a dream world and her naughty eyes made him crazy for her. With each passing minute, he was falling for her more and more, while Mehak was drawing close to Virat and Kavya; she was starting to enjoy their company. When Virat had met her for the first time, he wasn’t planning on falling in love. He wasn’t even looking for another best friend. But she changed all that. Everything started with a little crush and slowly turned into something stronger. The attraction was electric and unexpected. She entered his world and turned it upside down. His mind tried to take control, but his heart would always win over the mind.
The next morning when Mehak reached college, she was slightly tensed as her assignments were incomplete. Kavya had finished writing Virat’s assignment so he was in a relaxed frame of mind. When Mahek expressed her concern to the both of them, they laughed it off and told her about the plan some students had come up with.
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