"Toh kya Kshiteej....?"

"Please Shweta...tum please yeh chodo" he giggled and continued.

"Please jaldi batao...kaun hain yeh?"

"Woh actually..." I started revealing the secret.

"Woh actually Kshiteej...

Teri Jupiter ke front tyre ko... (I was unable to control my laughter)

Teri Jupiter ke front tyre ko, meri Vespa ke back tyre - pe serious crush hain!"

I laughed very loudly, standing on the roadside, while he was flabbergasted.

"What...?" he screeched.

"Haan Kshiteej - 

Teri Jupiter ke front tyre ko, meri Vespa ke back tyre - pe serious crush hain!"

Lekin mere tyre ne, tere tyre ko REJECT kar diya -

Isliye - tere tyre ki fatt gayi aur woh puncture ho gaya!"

I couldn't control my laughter - while he stood like a statue - at the same position - looking towards the ground - and then towards his own Moped.

(Moped - this refers to two-wheelers, like Activa, Vespa, Jupiter etc)

"Shweta...I need your phone" his voice was indeed serious.

"Kyuuu?" I asked suddenly.

"Shweta...mujhe ek bohat important call karna hain - please tumhara phone dedo."

This seemed to be indeed serious, so I removed my phone, from the pocket and handed over to him.

"Please unlock kar ke do" he was giving the phone back to me, when I replied -

"Password is 4-1-2-3"

He unlocked the phone, opened the call logs and questioned again - "Aunty ka number, kis naam se saved hain?"

"Kaunse AUNTY ka?" I giggled again.

"Tumhare mom ka...?" He asked again.

I moved my hand forward, to fetch my phone back - but he hurriedly moved backwards still facing towards me - giving a smirk.

He rushed on the road, with my phone - still in his hand - as I followed him behind. 

Now it was more of a police-chor/ pakda-pakdi/ or whatever running game you call.

Though, I was the one - chasing him - still I was very happy - since it were only two of us - me and my Infatuation.

"Kshiteej...woh mera phone hain" I shouted, and stopped chasing him.

"But KAAM mera hain Shweta..." he exclaimed loudly.

"Tujhe kya bolna hain - pehle mujhe bol - phir phone karna mummy ko!" I spoke, as I again started walking towards him.

"Main pehle aunty ko bolunga - tab tum sunn lena - toh simultaneously tumhe bhi pata chal jaayenga." He walked backwards, without looking behind.

After taking a few steps, I suddenly stopped beside the car at my right - and screeched - "OUCH". 

Kshiteej rushed towards me, whereas I placed my hand on the window of the car, as if I was taking the support - and lifted my right leg - to see - whether have I got hurt.

"Kya hua...kahan lagi?" He exclaimed, standing beside me - whereas I screamed in his ears - "MERA PHONE DE".

"Ohhhhhh acting...." "Not bad Ms. Kalantry" he sensed that I had simply put up an act of injury - to get him back to me.

Whereas, I sensed that he is careful and concerned - since he rushed all of a sudden, when he heard me shouting - OUCH.

"Acha chal thike, tujhe joh baat karna hain - mere saath, mere saamne khade rehke kar." I had no option, but to agree to his terms and conditions, whereas I blushed - in my heart though.

"Waise bhi mujhe aunty ka number mil chuka hain" he unlocked the phone, and he seriously called my MOM.

Now, when he seriously held the phone, near his ear - I was tensed - as to - what was this guy, going to speak.

My mom picked up the phone, as I could see the call duration increasing from 00:01, 00:02, 00:03 and so on.

"Hello Aunty...main Kshiteej bol raha hoon" He started speaking, whereas I was tensed, this time.

After 3 seconds, he continued -

"Actually aunty - ek bohat important information deni thi aapko -

Aunty, aapse request hain - 

please SHWETA ki tuitions change kar do,

yahan padhai ke alawa - sab kuch karwa rahe hain!"

"Yahan kuch sahi nahi ho raha hain 

aur bachon ko crush, relationships ki baatein karwa rahe hain"

He spoke all these statements, at a very high speed, and I shouted - "Aeeeeeee"

I snatched my phone back, and declined the call - without even looking at the phone.

He was laughing madly, sitting on his Moped - while I exclaimed -

"Yeh kya tha...?" My serious look made his laughter stop and he gave an explanation -

"Exactly, YEH KYA THA?" he repeated my words.

"Tumne mujhe apna sentence bhi complete nahi karne diya" he started giggling again.

"Kya...are you mad?" I screeched.

"Arre Shweta...tension mat lo - maine jis speed mein sab kuch bola hain - aunty ko shayad hi kuch samjha honga." He tried to persuade me.

"And what if - mujhe mummy ne - ghar pe - iske baare mein pucha?"

"Tab main kya jawaab dungi?"

He suddenly stopped laughing,  came towards me, and with an intense look, narrated -

"Toh aunty ko bol dena ki -

Kshiteej mere liye bohat concerned hain, isliye usne aapse baat ki thi."

For the next few seconds, I was speechless, just like a statue with a mere smile on my face. He walked back and opening the stand of his two-wheeler, he again started laughing loudly.

"Shut up Kshiteej!" I exclaimed happily.

He sat on his Jupiter and was about to start the engine, when I spoke -

"Gaadi ka tyre toh puncture ho chuka hain, phir tu gaadi kyu shuru kar raha hain?"

He answered -

"Tumhaari gaadi ka tyre, itna bhi acha nahi hain, ki mera tyre puri tarah fatt jaaye...

OH, I mean Puncture ho jaaye -

das (10) metre toh chal hi sakta hain, mere ghar tak!"

He started the engine, and I moved a step back, planning to exclaim a BYE, since he would leave.

I was about to turn, when he suddenly called my name -

"SHWETA..."

I turned back with a glowing smile, just to look at that guy. Walking towards him, I stopped near his bike, while he continued - 

"Yeh CRUSH se mujhe yaad aaya -

Tumhara school crush kaisa hain?" 

I was dismayed and aghast, about which crush was he talking about?

"Mera...kaunsa...CRUSH?" I exclaimed.

"Arre wohi...ahhh....woh tumhara...ahhh...woh tumhara school wala SECRET..." I could sense laughter in his words, as he tried to make a random story about an unknown person.

"Ek second Kshiteej...

Mujhe kisi pe crush nahi hain!" I spoke, in a straightforward and blunt accent.

"Oh Okay!"

"Toh kisi aur ko, tum pe crush honga...us SECRET ka naam bata do!" This time, he asked for another name.

Both of us, simply stared at each other and laughed.

"Mujhpe kisi ko, crush nahi hain" slowly and steadily, I stated.

"Tumpe...kisi ko CRUSH nahi hain?" in an interrogating tone, he questioned.

"Haan...shayad.

I mean, mujhe abhi tak kisi ne aisa kuch bola nahi, aur naahi mujhe, kisi ke through, aisi koi baat pata chali hain"

"Okayyyy!" that 'okay' which he stressed seemed like an end to our conversation, as he was planning to leave, while I suddenly stopped him,

"Ek second..." though I called him, it seemed strange.

He dragged his vehicle 1 metre or so, behind and stared at me, while his phone rang and it was his mother's phone, which he purposely silenced.

"What about you?" I asked.

"What about me?" he smirked.

"I mean...kya tumhara koi aisa SECRET hain?" 

"Ohhhh....Secrettttttt" now, both of us knew, that it was his turn to spill out his secret, or basically reveal his crush or if someone had a crush on him.

"Haaaaaan..." 

"Mera koi secret nahi hain waise" His smile was wicked enough, to guess that he was lying.

"Tere chehre pe likha hain, ki kuch toh hain!" I exclaimed as he laughed and switched on the engine of his vehicle, which he had off, a few seconds ago.

"Ahhhhhh....Sach bolu toh...sirf ek hi secret hain, mere pass" this increased my excitement.

He waved his hand, and asked me to come closer and this felt capricious, as I though how secretive his words might be!

I walked towards him, and then, he slightly moved forward and whispered in my ears -

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.