Chapter 9
Revealing The Secrets
Three weeks went by. I had couple of chats with kesha but none of them acknowledged me of what happened between taral and jaimin. I was a little desperate now but asking her directly was not one of the possibilities. Anyway, 1st Semester examination was a week ahead. I had my own issues.
‘Are you kidding me? you choose to hangout with jaimin and taral all the time, and now you’re half-girlfriend kesha adds on to your group and the worst of all, I come to know it from the rumor bag and you think you can come to me when you want to learn how this Alpha ray scatters? I think I should think before calling you a friend.’ Said Sagar aggressively.
Yeah, Rumor bag! like every school has, we too had a particular person who knew everything about everyone and had no intentions to keep it to herself. For us, it was Nisha. As time passed, facts came to an end and she started spreading rumors. The rest goes as it does. Though sometimes she came with the truth but she already was named rumor bag, and that’s pretty much it.
‘okay look! I’m sorry. Taral was going from a bad time. You know that. I spent all my time being confused and you know I’m crazy about kesha, right? I was hardly getting any time with her and look I’m sorry, Okay! I said it. I’m Sorry!’
for most of the part he was right. I was being a dog. Sagar was on of the best guys I saw coming in my life. Though he was studious, he was smart, Like literally smart. he encouraged me to show my poems to kesha. He was a quite there for me and I was being a jerk. but still the fact stands, he was acting like a pussy!
‘Wow! I expected a crappy explanation from you but yes, that was better. but still you could have told me before.’
‘yeah sorry about that.’
‘I don’t always do that,..Do I?’
‘Crappy explanations? yes! An expert!’
‘whatever. Are you gonna teach me how that ray works or not?’
‘yes!’ he said and words started to faint away slowly as he explained me the rest..
As exams came near, we stopped hearing from kesha. His uncle was a strict little bastard and as kesha wanted to be a cardiologist, she had no option but to study hard. While I was busy going through the books my hands held for the first time in the whole semester, Taral was in ease. God, why’s she so smart? and Jaimin, oh wait, Jaimin had no exams coming because he chose commerce stream. He decided to join his father’s business after they got rich. It was sunday evening. Exams were starting tomorrow. I tried to freshen up a little. I called everyone to wish a last day luck. Sagar-’Thank you. I hope the same for you’
Kesha - # Nobody picked the call. Obviously.
Jaimin-’ Dude, you need some sleep. I’m in commerce.’
Taral, It was a long call.
‘Hey!’ I said as the clock skipped another hour.
‘Hey! gone through the books?’
‘Not all but quite some.’
‘good. So best of luck.’
‘yeah! same to you.’
‘ok. umm...bye?’ she said after an awkward pause.
‘No actually I was wondering to ask you something.’
‘what?’
‘It might be a little personal! ’
‘you’re gonna ask me even if I say no so skip the bullshit and jump to the question. I have to go to bed.’
‘what happened two years ago that broke you and jaimin? ’
‘ummm..that was not something I was expecting to hear! but that happened because jaimin kissed me without my permission.’
‘WHAT! Jaimin tried to kiss you? that can’t be possible. He seems gay!’
‘No he did...What? how does he look gay to you?’
‘I don’t know. He has a muscular body but he is kind. besides he has six pairs of shoes!’
‘and that makes him gay? wow! you know what, you’re crazy. I’m hanging up. Byee!’
‘Hey wait. Atleast tell me what happened!’
‘Long story short, like you know about it, he wanted to convince me to break up with dixit. I never was convinced. I asked him,
‘why won’t he get fucking lost? so he just said it.’
‘that he loved you?’
‘yes. ’
‘and he kissed you!’
‘no. I mean yes. I told him I was with dixit and I liked jaimin..’
‘you told him you liked him? and he kissed you? that seems normal. I don’t see his fault yet!’ I interrupted.
‘I was saying I liked him as a friend and don’t want to loose him! he kissed me before I could even complete my sentence.’
‘Oh God! that’s a lot to take on my little heart but this story is so funny. I’m literally glad we had this conversation right before the exams. So what next?’
‘I slapped him!’
‘you SLAPPED him? Hahaha!’ I started laughing like a mad person.
‘Okay it looks a little funny now and I get it but I was seriously mad at him back then.’
‘Wow! You never took the modesty to tell this to me before?’
‘you never asked me before.’
‘I was giving you your privacy and how come jaimin never told me?’
‘You and giving privacy? Shut up! and that must be because of that hard slap. I even asked him to never call me back for the rest of my life. he must have been heavily embarrassed.’ she joined me now and we both laughed for the next ten minutes.
‘I think I need to talk to him about all this.’
‘No, keep it between us. It’s been half a year and things have been better. I don’t want it to go wrong again.’
‘but..okay!’ I said.
‘So if this is what you were doing all day I hope you atleast pass!’
‘yeah whatever. I hope you pass!’
‘I will because I don’t start reading a day before exam! anyways, I need to wake up early so bye.’ she said criticizing me.
‘Yeah, okay. Byee. talk to you soon.’ I said ending the conversation.
Wow! I was seventeen, Genuinely more handsome than jaimin, smarter than him, not gay and I was still the guy who is never been kissed. It hurt my Male-ego! Anyways, Physics’ paper was to be given priority from all. I slept watching ‘Die Hard 4’ Instead. ;)
Two weeks passed. Neighbours asked me how did my exam go? It’s weird how our neighbours cares more for our result than our parents do! I, on the other side kept asking myself the same. ‘How did my exams go?’ who cared! I was like a saint. Marks, grades, I was over it. It’s all virtual. I believed in peace. Yeah, okay! I scored less!
Anyways, i was excited. I spent the last three weeks without having a single sight of the love of my life. Everything seemed so stupid and meaningless without her. I made everyone agree for a movie. Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. As ever, I reached the place early. I received a text from kesha earlier that day that she wanted to talk. I wondered what happened. maybe her papers went bad. maybe she had some problems. maybe she missed me in the past two weeks that she started to realize that she loved me.. that's just something I fantasize about. I entered the mall. there it was. “Cafe Coffee Day : A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee!” I wish. I pulled the door though it said push. A little Rebel I’m. As I crossed the door, my hectic eyes started searching her everywhere. my eyes rushed over to catch a sight of her so that the warmness of her sight could heaten my frozen heart. There she was. Right on the corner of my eyes. Watching me. And as I turned towards her, the rush inside seemed to ease. her beautiful hairs were covering her face and as I walked towards her she smiled at me tucking behind those beautiful hairs. Skip. Skip. Skip. My heart skipped so many beats I felt dead.
‘Hey’ I said as I sat.
‘Hiee. how are you? Long time na? btw how did the exam go?’
‘God! what’s wrong? why are you so nervous?!’
‘Not nervous, just excited! Haven’t seen you guys in like two weeks.’
‘16 days to be exact.’
‘you were counting?’
‘I was trying. turns out I’m good at mathematics.’ we both laughed.
‘and exam went fine.’ I said. she smiled.
‘so what was that you wanted to talk about?’
‘Oh yes. my mom came to town this week. I guess I’ll be spending the diwali vacation with them in diu. I promised Taral I’ll be with her. So how do I tell her? She’ll be mad at me.’
‘what? I thought we will spend it together. I mean we all. So why in diu?’
‘Oh you don’t know, right? Diu is my hometown. Dad owns a hotel there.’
‘So you’re rich?’
‘Not that rich but yeah. Nobody guesses that, right? I know. My expenses, my Scooty, I’m on a budget. They want me to learn life.’
‘hey I didn't knew that. that’s nice. So now that you’re rich, let’s fall in love!’
‘No but I've read that novel. It’s quite good.’ she giggled.
Damn! she’s just not that into me! and this is what you wanted to ask me? what is wrong with you. I thought you realized you love me..
‘So..I came across a secret.’ I whispered to create some sense of excitement.
‘yeah, tell me?’ she said.
‘Taral slapped jaimin as he kissed her when she was in a relationship with dixit. That was what broke them.’ I said excitedly. Oh I was such a bitch.
‘I know.’ she sighed.
‘what? how? I mean who told you?’ I was surprised.
‘you remember we decided to ask taral? I asked jaimin instead. he told me the entire story.’
‘Oh! you know what, I just lost my respect for him. how can you kiss someone without their permission? I mean yeah, no one talks about giving the permission but you know when to kiss someone!’
‘I don’t see what he did wrong. He loved her and she created the confusion by saying she likes him too but as a friend.’
‘you said the exact same words to me!’ I pointed out in a mild aggression.
‘It was different with us.’
‘care to explain why?’
‘Why do you want to fight over what is past and gone!’
Past and Gone? was that my love for her after all? was that all I ever proved? Past and gone!
‘I don’t want to.’ I said.
‘Okay so don’t.’
‘but why are you backing jaimin on this?’
‘so you seriously want to fight with me, right karthik?’
‘I just want to know you better.’ I said sarcastically.
‘okay. for instance, I’m Jaimin and you’re Taral. I loved you from last 8 years. yeah, eight years. and the years that consist of the time when no one had an idea what does people meant when they said they loved each other. from the time when spelling love was the hardest thing to do in love! won’t you love someone back who loves you that much?’
That’s just bullshit! children always say they love this and they love that. That doesn't mean the bullshit’s true. what’s wrong with this girl?
‘Would you love me back if I love you for the next Eight years?’
‘Why do you have to bring us in every conversation?’
‘because I love you!’
‘but I don’t! what do I have to do to make you understand that?’
‘tell me why? why don’t you love me?’
‘I just don’t! I don’t seem to have an answer for that. I just don’t.'
she walked away from me. I knew I had crossed the limits. I did the exact same thing I cursed jaimin for. I forced her! I was so sorry. I wish I had enough courage to apologize to her. she didn’t waited for the movie. Answering taral and jaimin was hard but the hardest part was to watch that movie alone. For the first time in my life, I was at a theater, watching a movie and not really watching it. I knew a day would come when this would happen but not like this. the reason I would not be watching should have been different. Very different.
