New Zealand

It was raining abruptly and I was not in the sense of taking it seriously. It had been three months since I came to New Zealand. Every minute she was in touch with my heart. I couldn't even make an attempt to forget her. When I first saw her, the first thought of mine, actually it was a feeling, was to stare at her. Now there were no eyes, just dreams.

All of a sudden I didn't feel the rain falling on me. I turned around and found Chaitra holding an umbrella. She was panting. I grabbed the umbrella into my hands and walked away as she jogged along.

"Are you all right?" she grabbed thr umbrella from me and locked it.

"What are you doing?" I yelled, trying not to swallow the rain water.

She didn't answer.

"She's going to yell at you." My conscience warned me.

"Yeah, I just came to fetch some sandwiches. I am just coming back." I tried a soothing tone.

"There's a benefit of crying in rain, no one can see the tears." She said, eyeing away from me. She had a stern expression on her face.

"But I have this superpower, you see," she hissed. The rain was squeezing her words and was making it hard for them to reach my ears. "I can see them." This time she bent forward, staring straight into my eyes.

I hugged her and rested my head on her shoulder. I held her till I felt good. After a few long minutes, we walked to her car which she had parked two streets before. She drove to our house and the journey had zero words. I didn't dare talk after ditching her at dinner.

She parked the car inside the garage. "Take some rest and I'll get you sandwiches."

"I'm lucky to have you as my friend." I murmured.

"Is it the rain or the hug that made you emotional?" she always had this habit of adding sarcasm to pain.

I took a hot shower and changed into my shorts and t-shirt. Meanwhile she fetched the sandwiches.

We ate without much conversation. Later, I climbed onto the bed and started pondering about the past which I never expected to happen in my entire life. Though it pains, humans love to think of the things that had already occurred.

Two years ago, Mumbai

"I said eight coffee not eighteen." I yelled at the canteen manager. Annoyed at his dumbest brain, I paid the money and returned to my gang.

Chaitra was sitting with other two girls and six guys of our gang. By far, we were the best gang in our college. They were swimming in the pool of laughter over Chaitra's joke. I missed it and no one would repeat it for me. They knew I would spoil the fun out of it.

"Check that girl," chaitra nudge me. There was a girl opposite to us posing for selfies with her friend. She looked gorgeous in her orange color tunic along with a white legging.

"She looks like a candy," I said.

"Do you like that candy?" Chaitra mumbled.

"Don't stare at the candy, idiot." One of my guys shouted.

Her bright black eyes were the motivating me to stare at her. I wasn't listening. I was star stuck. My friends took me away from her, practically it was dragging. But I was confident that I could find her again.

And I was right. Our university cultural programs were forthcoming. I was waiting for Chaitra outside the room in which her rehearsals were going on. Then my candy-girl arrived with a friend. This time she gave a traditional look with red color salwar kameez. In the meantime Chaitra came out and I was still gazing at the girl without paying attention to her.

"Her name is Shreya and she's going to participate in ramp walk in traditional part." Chaitra said grabbing her things from my hand. "If you want that candy, go talk to it. Don't drool over staring at it."

Then all of a sudden Shreya came near to me and said "Bhayya, kya aap ke pas pachaas ka doo change hei." (Brother, do you have change for hunderd rupees?)

In that whole sentence the word 'bhayya' (Brother) was still unbelievable for me. I stood there with a burning expression on my face. Chaitra busted into laughter. I was just emotionless.

"He's your department guy. Most importantly we are from Andhra like you" Chaitra said, switching two fifty rupee note with a hundred rupee note from her.

"Oh! I'm sorry." she raised her eyebrows and stomped away.

I could sense hilarity in her voice. Chaitra was still snickering standing there.

"Don't laugh, I was already burnt enough." I hissed at her.

Chaitra was not at all trying to control her laughter. "If you say 'men will be men' then we also say as "girls will always be girls." Her words added the oxygen to my fire and I skipped to chase her.

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