It was half past 7 when we reached home and I was already sleepy. It was one of those really good days that I didn’t know I needed. After finishing up our brunch well before 3 o’clock, Apoorva and I decided to go shopping and then ended up watching a movie too. It felt like one of those old days when we used to do such things often. We have not seen a single movie together since Apoorva moved in with me earlier last year. To my luck, there was a Marvel movie going on in the theaters which I really wanted to see. I am pretty sure Apoorva hasn’t seen anything beyond Guardians Of The Galaxy Part 1 in the Marvel universe. Honestly, She is not in the superhero stuff, whereas I AM GROOT. Apoorva agreed to tag along with my choice only when I told her that the story is kind of standalone. The story was not exactly related to other movies of that universe but I found it fascinating. I will make sure to discuss the story with Vrushabh, the only younger cousin I have; and is also someone who keeps me updated with the good stuff when it comes to movies and series and makes sure I am not missing out on interesting things. I will text him. I like the kind of bond we have, we aren’t always in contact nor we were close growing up but somehow we found our way to each other; maybe because we are so close in age and we both have vast hobbies and interests which is why we always have something in common, to do or to discuss.

In all truth, I suck at keeping in touch. Most people in my life knows this and have accepted the fact that I will not reach out to anyone out of the blue just to bitch. It is not that I have some emotional baggage or I am too shy or that I don’t miss anyone. It is just that I am built that way; I am a person in present, I am 100% where I am; I don’t dwell on the past or imagine of some dreamy future. All the boys I have dated complained that I don’t open up but I don’t know how that actually works. If someone asks me something, I will be honest to tell but somehow that has never been enough. I am not a shallow person either but maybe I am not as good at expressing as I am at understanding. The people closest to my heart, do not hear from me regularly. I am weird that way; I cannot be called an introvert because I can talk about several topics to just about anyone, even to a perfect stranger. I just need them to be in person.
I have lost too much because of this strange trait of mine. When Shivin hugged me today, and I saw that big grin on his face, I knew I have not lost him too. However, I know I will not be hearing from him anytime soon. He is a busy man and besides from what I know, Winters are photographers’ pick season. I wonder what was he doing here in Pune and not shooting some big-shot wedding. Probably he has a team in place to cover when he needs out, I don’t know!! I will have to ask him when I see him the next time, and if he decides not to ignore me again.

I am sitting on the beanbag in my room when I heard a knock on my door. I looked up to see Apoorva holding two cups. She does not have to tell me that it is green tea. It is an unspoken rule or something that whenever we spend our day eating out, we must have green tea before bed. I think it started as something of clearing our conscious thing at first but now that I think about it, it became more of a habit on weekend nights. I got up and she sits opposite me. The tea is still too warm but I like the feel of it in this cold weather.
“Your friend, he looks so good, where have you been hiding him?” Apoorva commented smiling.
“Firstly, I didn’t know he turned out this good, and second, you ask him where was he all this while, from the looks of it, He is not at all interested in talking to me” I voiced dramatically

I have to agree with Apoorva, Shivin looked good today. But I have to be honest, I wouldn’t have noticed it even if he looked the same during college. When we were in college, we used to talk every day. Be it about my new crush every week, a really boring lecture, an upcoming college fest, or when to bunk labs in order to catch a cheaper movie show. I suppose we all have that one person in college we bitch to on daily basis, it was him for me. Honestly, I would have fallen for him at the very beginning of our college days but I did not; It was a conscious decision on my part. It was not hard to notice that he was friends with everyone, He was the person I used to bitch with but I was pretty sure I was not the only one he was bitching with. He was that kind of person you know, who’s everyone’s favorite and go-to person, and I, I wanted someone all for myself. As far as I know, he did not have a girlfriend back then and when I asked him about his crushes, he denied having any. At some point, I even joked about his sexuality but Naah, I couldn’t get anything out of him in that matter. I, on the other hand, liked a few during college but was either too shy to approach them myself or looked too bossy to be approached. It is silly how giddy I used to get talking about my ever-changing crush and how stupid it all sounds when I think about it now.

“You do realize, I have no interest in him whatsoever. He is yours!” Apoorva said it breaking my chain of thoughts.

I almost coughed the little sip I took as I heard that, ”What makes you think I want him?”

“You know, just the way your face lit up when you saw him, and his too if I am being honest…It is not every day you see a grown-up man smiling like that, and man, he looks so good… You know I thought.., maybe…” Apoorva said it nonchalantly.

“You have never seen me with my old friends, I have had some of the best ones. They, make me happy, even today!” “Shivin, …he has been a good part of my college life, and really, life before office did not suck so much. I was a happier person and he brings back good memories and I am sure it is the same for him.” I argued.

“Yeah, okay, whatever you say. I just wanted to put it out in the open that I have got nothing on that guy even though he is cute!” Apoorva said it with a mischievous smile.

“Thank you but no, thank you!” I declared

I got up; took Apoorva’s empty cup with me and headed into the kitchen.

To be continued…

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