Arthit

" I am already in a relationship" that's what Nin had said.

Arthit felt like a fool for harbouring onesided feelings for whole summer. Why the fuck would you hint a relationship if you already are in one? Apparently because you had a fight and took a break from your previous relationship! Does this mean one can give someone hope just because they felt alone? And then just up and say ' I am really sorry if I gave you such impression. I hope we can remain friends'. Hell no!

Can't you just say you want to be friend. Why would you hint on something more? Subtly talk of a future plans which involved both of you ?

It's not like Arthit is devastated or something but he is hurt nonetheless. He really thought this was love.

Arthit went straight to his room, locked it from inside before he recklessly indulged in universal medicine of heartbreak.

One beer can turned to two .... two to three....... slowly Arthit lost the count of ..... beer cans... lost sense of time.... he was lost to attempts of his friends trying to cheer him up...... lost to resist friend's forcing him to eat.... trying to get him sober. Everything he lost sense of .

........................

Kong yanked Arthit up by his arm and dragged him under shower. He made sure water was ice cold and held the male firmly under the icy jet despite his resistance.

" The fuck Kongpob .... " Arthit yelled .

" Came to your senses yet? I had enough of your melodrama to last me a lifetime. Don't you even think going near a beer bottle or this time I will shove your head in a bucket of ice cold water. Now take a shower. I will be back with soup and some aspirin by then."

Kong had cleaned the room and had Prem buy soup and aspirin for Arthit.

" Here eat this. " Arthit made face seeing bland food staring back at him. " Not even a word..... Eat it " Kong glared. Prem snickered at seeing Arthit obediently picking up the spoon.

Arthit tried to sneak some spice in soup but Kong slapped his hand. Arthit looked like a kicked puppy. Being pampered by both his friends and family he was used to getting his way.

Afternoon went by very fast. That evening Kong and Arthit had dinner together very first time in whole timespan of them rooming together.

" Care to tell me what pushed you in to drinking spree? " Kong initiated conversation over dinner.

" Don't you know? Or are you trying to mock me now ? " Arthit gritted his teeth.

" No such thing. I was genuinely interested in knowing the reason that justified turning our room in a pigsty and yourself in a wine barrel."

Arthit was not in mood to put up with Kong.
" Wow, aren't you a sweet talker? Were you born with this talent or acquired it later? "

Kong wasn't bothered at Arthit's lame attempt of comeback.
" Sarcasm doesn't suit you. Just stick to swearing."

Arthit's bubbling temper flared within seconds " Can't you fuckin talk like a normal person Kongpob. You are getting on my nerves right now."

" Now that you are swearing like a sailor, I assume you are feeling better right now. Care to tell me what happened?"

" You are not going to leave it be right? Fine. She was already with someone. It was all onesided. I made a fool of myself. Happy now?"

Kong was like a stone statue, cold and blank in name of emotions.
" That's it? I thought something serious happened." Kong sighed in relief.

"....!..."

" Ever loved someone Kongpob? Have you ever had a girlfriend? "

" No I never had a lover Arthit. Love is too expensive. I can't afford it right now ... "

"Then you wouldn't know how I am feeling right now Kongpob."

" There are three things that I know Arthit. First you didn't love her,right now the reason you feel hurt is her rejection. You have hurt your pride not heart. Second you are a full scholarship student, you can't afford bunking your lectures anymore than you already did. Third you are a hazer now, one who hadn't showed his face in Sotus for three days I am sure your seniors are waiting to kick your ass. It's high time you get your act together. One needs to be practical in life"

Arthit glared at Kongpob " would there be any difference between robots and humans if everyone started thinking like you Kong?"

" Fine let's do it your way then. Let's choose love, you drink yourself up to neck. Stay cooped up in here, loose your scholarship. A few years later work as a mechanic in a dingy dirty shop somewhere in a forgotten corner of city. Sounds romantic?"

"....!....."

" Choose your career. "
May be too straight forward but Kong was somewhat right.

............

After dinner

" Astrophysics department is making observations today. Want to come? " Kong invited.

" Won't we need permission for that?"

" Not if you are with me "

........

Arthit and Kong were at the rooftop of Physics department with several M.Sc and PhD students. It had a 16 inches telescope fitted in a dome on a raised platform at rooftop.

They climbed up a short flight of stairs to see telescope up close. Quite frankly Arthit felt a bit sad, telescope was exactly like you see pictures - didn't look anything special up close. Only difference was it had several devices attached to it.

Kong had set a 8 inches manual telescope in one corner of roof. " I'll show you stars and galaxy through that telescope later. They are collecting observational data right now, we shouldn't disturb them. Meanwhile let's see moon and some planets through the manual telescope I have set."

Both Arthit and Kong sat on a blanket away from physics student. Kong had shown Arthit how to set telescope for different objects in sky. Though telescope didn't look anything special up close but seeing moon and planets live through telescope was totally another thing. It was thrilling, scary and overwhelming at once.

Arthit set the telescope as Kong had instructed, he was still struggling to focus the image. His Eureka moment came after half an hour.

" Kong see how finely I have set this, we can see Saturn's rings distinctly. Ain't I a genius?"

Kong chuckled seeing Arthit excited like a child. " Sure you are a genius... "

Arthit was now adamant on seeing all planets through telescope tonight. Arthit pointing the telescope randomly in any direction he pleased wasn't helping matter much.Though he was still struggling to obtain sharp focus on an image he kept trying. They had seen Venus, mars and Saturn till now.

Arthit shouted excitedly for Kong in his another Eureka moment. When Kong didn't came up to him so Arthit turned his eye glued to telescope towards Kong. Kong was curled up like a fetus sleeping soundly on the blanket with a hand under his head as pillow.
"Oh..." Arthit sighed.

A senior from physics P'Mook walked to them.

" Nong Arthit, we are done. Do you want to see star or galaxy ? You can see on another day if you wish, your eyes must be hurting already?" P'mook offered him.

Ofcourse his eyes were hurting. He was glued to telescope for nearly three hours. What do you expect?

" I will see na Phi" Arthit walked to the bigger telescope. Arthit was relieved realising that he didn't need to set this telescope since it was computer controlled.
P'Mook fed coordinates and telescope aligned it self to that particular patch of sky. Arthit was awestruck seeing clarity of images and vivid colours of stars. With naked eye every star looked white but world of telescope was really different.

" Nong Arthit, I think it's enough for one day. Continuous observations put strain on eyes. It's already 4 Am now, we can leave department in an hour and half. Meanwhile you can stay on roof or come to the lab downstairs for a short nap. "

" Kong is asleep Phi. I will stay here on the roof."

" Oh, don't worry about Kong. Mostly he sleeps here in department everyday. I am surprised he brought you here you know. He doesn't befriend people easily. Always keeps saying he has no friends, only people who owe him and people he owes to. "

" I am not his friend, I am his roommate Phi"

" oh, so you are Kong's roommate. He said you were ill these last three days. How do you feel now? By the way I assure you ,you are a really special friend if Kong disrupted his schedule for you. "

" What schedule Phi?" P'Mook was surprised at Arthit's question.

" Oh! You didn't know? Then it's not my place to tell you na Nong. But let me say this, you have a special place in his heart, cherish it. He is really nice person, just a bit rough around the edges."

More Arthit was listening, more perplexed he felt. P'Mook smiled seeing him widening his eyes in comic manner at nice word being attached to Kong.

" What you are confused about ? He may show he doesn't care but it's all just ruse you know. When I joined last year I really wanted to work on analytical data projects but I didn't have adequate knowledge about language and programming. While every one was jotting down the data, I sat at this exact place feeling bad for myself. Kong made me open up to him and taught me all I know about programming. On weekends he teaches those students who can't afford tutions to prepare for entrance exams. He has no need to Nong do thing like these , he himself has too much on his plate, still tries to lighten others burdens."

Arthit stayed silent. This was all new information for him. Kong knows coding? But isn't he a business student? He teaches on weekends. Arthit realised he knew nothing about his roommate.

P'Mook smiled " You know Arthit I think you are a good person and you care about Kong. If you want to know more about Kong observe him. That's how we science people solve mysteries, first observe then infer. "

Arthit returned to Kong who was laying on his back staring at stars.

" Oh, you are up?"

" Yeah. Did you see any galaxy ?" Kong asked

" Yeah. P'Mook showed me ."

" Isn't it thrilling seeing universe through telescope?"

" It is " Arthit agreed

" one of these days I will show you a binary star. One could say they are true lovers among stars...... devoted to one another. Both of them have eyes only for each other, they keep orbiting around each other, form a link by exchanging matter like lovers are linked through thoughts. Gradually they keep closing the gap between them one step at a time, slowly but surely merge into each other at some point of time then remain one for rest of their lives. That is real love. To loose yourself in your other half such that you will forget where they end and you begin. I sometimes feel envious that unlike us humans they get to completely loose themselves in their partners and become single entity. " Kong kept talking as if stars were real humans.

" Wow, you have interesting theories. One star is a single ready to mingle, binary are lovers then what are three stars moving around each other? " Arthit asked.

" Mènage-à-trois ? "

Arthit chuckled at that. He didn't expect such reply from Kong.

Their laughter echoed in utter silence of morning sky. Unknown to them something had shifted in their love-hate relationship.
..................................................................................

(A/N): Can someone plz tell me why does my draft has reads? I am so confused right now!

P.S: what do you think of the story till now? Did I squeeze in too much science scenario?