He'd returned her lab coat today...

Yesterday's lab he thanked her, held her hand and shook it, called her a great friend.

'You saved me man, or else sir would have had me outside for the whole period', he laughed, it was warm and deep, like the rumbling of the oceans and she shook her head at his carelessness, promising to always have a spare lab coat in her bag.

Friendship? She thought.. No.. What I feel for you goes beyond friendship. A walking talking green forest for sure he was. If not for the restrictions of her own mind, she'd have asked him out a few weeks ago.

Can you imagine, sitting on the last bench... Her mind couldn't comprehend it.. But she did. Just to see him.

She looked for opportunities to sit with him, she searched for a way to be a part of his world, her mind wrote fantasies that promised a future more beautiful than any romance novels she'd read.

He'd take her out for ice creams and she made them her own dates, laughing as the ice cream melted all over his hand and he attempted to lick it off. Before it got on his bag and he looked at her with a resigned face.

She laughed merrily, his idiocies her own comedy show. Yet when he smiled at her, her stars shone a little bit brighter, a little bit warmer. How else would she explain her red cheeks to her mother, if not for ' AC was broken mummy'.

But that was in her fantasies. His actions of chivalry were acts of interest for her. Him moving her hair out of the way as she ate her ice cream was menial for him, but romantic for her. But the rose coloured glasses of love were one sided, she knew. Yet she hid his name in her heart, one which rang on the tunes of ghum hai kisike pyaar mein.

All those late night conversations were loveable for her, but for him, it was an insomnia's words. Slowly he grew distant. But she knew. He must be busy. He must have work.

Replies to texts took hours, days. When one text reply took her not even a minute, her cheeks red and eyes bright when it popped up on her phone, for him it was one of the only people who understood.

Then she saw him playing the guitar...

And then she was gone.

Guitar? Passion... Kill her already. His nimble fingers thrummed on the strings, as if making her dance to her tunes... Singing 'Perfect' of all songs together was her last straw.. She's going to tell him tomorrow, she thought as she took the labcoat, resisting the urge to take in his perfume off it..

"See you tomorrow in class? " She asked and he frowned.

Frowned?

" I -" He hesitated, eyes closing.

"You know you can tell me... What is it? " She said in a soft whisper, heart beating faster than the hummingbird's wings.

" I- I'm leaving class. " He choked out, eyes shut in preparation of anger and confusion.

Her heart stood still, as if someone shattered the ground beneath her feet.

"W-why? " Was all she could ask.

'Don't cry don't cry. Still the same school. Still the same school'.

" My parents want me to focus on PCM and drop bio.. It's unnecessary."
He said, though it felt he was more annoyed by it.

" A-and what's your take on it? " She asked, hoping to grasp onto any tiny hope, the smallest of strands.

" I have no option really. They've already applied. I'm in this class for a week only... I just.. Wanted to let you know, that you won't have to keep the extra lab coat now, " He said, chucking softly and a small smile made it's way through her face as well.

"Well, it was good to meet you Arjun, " She said, raising one hand in greeting, she was about to hold it with her other hand to prevent the shaking, when his hand met hers, warm, enveloping and firm.

"I'm here for a week.. And even then... I'm going to come over every lunch break... You ain't getting rid of me that easily Mississippi. " He laughed, her name, Mishti, made into Mississippi...

She always wondered why he called her something longer than her name..

" Yeah." She said, when the school bell rang above them, jarring them into reality.

She dreaded that week, each eye contact was worse... A constant stab to the gut as she counted down days till Friday, the last day of that week.

As she moved to greet him goodbye, she saw another girl rush over to him, laughing as he pulled her into a warm hug, kissing her forehead outside the school gates.

She stopped short, the knife met her heart as ot twisted, pulling out her insides. All the memories, all the fantasies, the fantasy dance under the stars on 'Hunger', the imaginary picnic dates, the laughter, the banters, the competitions and the jokes, all were sucked out of her, as if a dementor stood in front of her.

But it was, as she'd say, what was meant to be. For after all, the most beautiful love stories are the ones we write in our minds.

As she went home that night... Not a single tear made out... For... Even then.. She was happy. That he was happy...

Wanderlust_Lavanya
Madhusudana_

This is my entry for the awards.

Hope you accept it and enjoy reading it. ♥