Chapter-2 (Edited)

Aashi, I've always been honest with you.

I love you, Aashi. I've always loved you.

Rohit's words echoed in the back of my mind. And he said that he had good intentions when he tore me apart.

"Really?"

"Uh. . .huh?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm. . .yeah. What did Arjun say?"

"That we're official."

"Oh my god. That's good news, Rii."

"And you're coming with us. Okay? He invited you to the movies too."

"Why do I smell a setup? Scratch that. Is it a setup Rii?"

A short lull falls over the static. I can imagine her biting her lower lip in anticipation.

"Huh. . .maybe. We'll see," I add when she says no further.

"Not falling for it, Beyonce. You are coming with us."

"B...but?"

"No buts, okay? I'm seeing you ripe and fresh on Saturday. Because it's the weekend. Everyone hails to the weekend. Baby, it's the wee-eee-kend."

"Boy, you sound way too happy for my taste. It's the love drug," I say.

"Or it could be sex's drug. Sex is a drug. Hallelujah!"

"Omg Ria, what has Arjun done to you?"

She laughs a poignant laugh into the phone and pauses, "are you okay, Aashi? You've been awfully silent these past few days. Even, Arjun noticed it."

"He sat with us for just one freaking lunch. How does he know that I'm not just deaf or dumb?"

"Maybe because all those midnights he called me, we talked about you and Rohit instead of phone- sex."

I don't know whether to laugh or cringe. Are people still having it? Which millennia do they belong? 

So being the good friend I am, I cringe, "Ewww, Rii, too much information."

"So, are you coming with us?"

"Yeah. I think so, I have nothing to do, anyways. Other than killing myself with reruns of HIMYM which I've already seen a thousand times."

"Ehh, be ready by four. We'll pick you up. Wear something with your boobs spillin' out," she laughs.

"So, this is a setup? Haa?"

"Mami needs to get some action."

"Lol. See you."

"I'll see you, too. Roger that."

I put the phone off with a smile on my face. She definitely cheers me up. My best friend and her ever so crazy conversations.

                         ****

So many conflicting emotions run through me, as I contemplate on what to wear. What are my friends up to? Setting me up. With whom? Have I spoken to the guy? Or not.

My thoughts spiral around Rohit's last words, every alphabet being dissected throughout the neurons of my brain.

What did he mean by that?

Does he really love me? Or did he ever love me?

Am I something to just pass the lonely times with?

Or is he using me physically?

What did his last hug meant?

Does my ass look huge in these white jeans?

Fuck, periods.

Maybe I am overthinking because mother flo decided to visit me in the middle of the day. The flow was fast, so hard and I'm wracked with cramps. My mood is downright sullen and sad, I keep snapping at myself everytime I peer at my bloated image in the mirror.

Lose some butt, you butthead.

To top it all off, Ria had called me seven times since the morning, fudging seven times, to be ready on time. I haven't even decided on clothes to wear, let alone make-up. There's just an hour left and they still haven't disclosed who my secret date is. What is to being so effing mysterious to it to begin with!

When I asked Ria the last time she called, she practically rolled her eyes over the phone and told me to suck it up and put on the blue dress she gifted me last Christmas. She said that it hugs my chest well and well, if my boobs will look right, the guy won't even think about concentrating on my ass way too much.

What a theory, Ria! Sometimes, I don't give my best friend the credit she deserves.

Whatever, I take her advice and put on the blue dress with black flats. I was in no fucking mood to wear heels and cramp my legs any further. Whoever this guy was, he can go and suck it!

I brush my hair when a chirpy notification pops up.

I swipe my phone, and read the adjoining message.

RIIAA

Babe, your chariot awaits. And yeah, we're not coming to pick you up. We've sent your Prince Charming. He's someone you hate, so, kiss and make up. xo

What the fuck? Who is this guy? I hate him? Who do I hate?

My head fires a single question every second that I take a step towards my room's window and what I see momentarily stuns me. I freeze; my legs planted and burying deep into the bedroom floor. My head is fuzzy and my feet turn into mush. I catch hold of my nightstand table to keep me upright.

It's no one else than Neel. Fucking Neel!

                         ****

It was sixth grade. I had started putting a lot of weight since the beginning of the year. Lots of things were happening at home and in my life that I chose food as a much needed let out.

I ate to run away from my feelings. At that time, it didn't seem like such a big deal that I ate a whole pack of bread and butter in one go. A bag of chips with a butter dip. My favorite cookies till I finished the jar. It all seemed so innocent back then.

Until, school started after summer break and I couldn't fit into my school's skirt and I thought I've grown out of it. There was no one to complain to. My father didn't seem to care and overall, he was angry because whenever he took me to buy my clothes, the best clothing stores didn't have 'my' size for a kid of my age. Once, there was no jeans my size and I fought the jeans up my thighs in the changing room but couldn't get out of it. I was bawling my eyes out, when a female sales person who would peek in the changing rooms once in a while when you took too long, heard me.

She knocked on the door, and I let her in. She helped me get out of it and smiled at me. No snarky remarks and nothing to increase my shame. But, school was a stark difference. 

One of the days after school commenced, I found myself fighting to get into my skirt as my school van was to get there in fifteen minutes.

There was not a lot of time and my father would not stop yelling at me to get ready. So, I did what any girl would do; I secured the sides of my skirt with safety pins and pulled the zipper up as much as I could. I untucked my shirt to hide the sides of my skirt.

The van arrived, hence my day began.

When it was almost the lunch period, I heard a group of boys snickering behind my seat. The bell rang, marking the arrival of lunch period, and I stood up to get my lunch out of my bag. A ball of paper hit my head lightly and I scrunched my eyebrows to look at the culprit. I crouched down and the shirt hiding the tear slides up, leaving my safety pins in full display.  I picked up the paper and stood back upright and smoothed the paper in my hands to read. "Fatso. We can see what you've done to your skirt", it read.

Tears started welling up in my eyes but I did not want to cry in front of them. From the corner of my eyes, I made out Neel laughing with the group of boys. I didn't see a lot of faces because I could not muster enough courage to look at them and accept it.

They had hit the mark where it hurt the most.

I ran out of the classroom, untucking my shirt to cover me up as much as I could. I knew it would stay with me for a long time, if not forever.

                          ****

Now, as I'm still standing with hands placed on my study table for support, sad memories flash through my mind and I start to choke because the hurt Neel made me experience hits me ten times harder.

I take one last look from my room's window and see him standing with his back hunched over, almost sitting on the hood of his car, gazing ahead.

There are only two ways this can go. I hate this date already now. I know what I have to do. I won't give him the satisfaction of trampling all over me once again.

So, I do the sane thing; the sanest thing a badass bitch like me can do. Change out of the blue dress and put on my favorite red dress and black stilettos to give him a taste of his own medicine.

                        ****

I take extra twenty-four minutes to slowly put on my makeup and mix it. Good thing, Ria knows me so well that she sent Neel to fetch me up one hour ago.

Let's see how this plays out. I slowly drag my stilettos and the small pebbles crumble underneath me as I walk towards him as languidly as possible.

"Hi," he quirks an eyebrow and pushes his hand forward for me to shake. Good thing, I put on a lot of hand lotion to make my palms silky smooth.

"Hey," I shake his hand, nonchalantly and check my phone. He opens the passenger side door of his Nissan to let me in. I sit in my seat, my eyes still hooked onto my phone's screen. I put my phone in the cup holder to buckle my seat belt in place, then go back to taking selfies to post on Instagram.

"I've seen you in school before?"

"Maybe. I used to be in your English class in sixth grade."

His voice doesn't give anything away when he speaks next. "Could be. I don't remember a lot of things from that year."

"Hmm. . ."

He grows silent and I don't make any efforts to strike up a conversation.

Soon, my phone rings and I pick it up. Ria's excited voice breaks the chilling silence inside Neel's car.

"Are you guys coming? Are you on your way? Or, Neel charmed you before the date and you guys are b- b- bu- ssy?"

I laugh a short, sarcastic laugh. "Not a chance. We're on our way. Be there in ten. I took some extra time getting ready."

"Cool, we've gotten your tickets. You and Neel can buy popcorn and stuff."

"Done deal. See you."

"See you soon," and Ria hangs up. I can practically see the gears changing in her head, or she's charging her battery for a fun ride. Yikes.

"Was it Ria?" Neel breaks the silence while I zone out.

"Uhh. . .yeah."

"You look amazing by the way."

"Uhh. . .thanks."

What?!? He's calling me amazing now. What has gotten into this guy? Maybe he's preparing for his next kill. Not a chance in hell. Two can play this game.

"You scrub well, too."

He pushes the hair out of his face and flashes his incorrigible, inappropriate smile. Inappropriate because you know, it's quite sexy and that's how he charms the stupid girls. That leaves me to think that he is indeed, thinking of me as his next deer. Okay, let's see Neel, what you've got.

"Thanks."

"Yeah and Ria wants us to get popcorn and stuff when we get there."

"Sure, we're almost there."

Soon, we park in the mall's parking space and I saunter towards the entrance where my friends are waiting, leaving Neel to park his car.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Ria's mischievous grin was reaching her ears, "you look h-oooo-ttt."

"I know," I roll my eyes at her.

"You look stunning, Ashu. I wish I was your date, today. Let's exchange." This lands him a slap on the shoulder from his anguished girlfriend, "Sorry baby, you know how much I love you."

"All eyes on me you asshole," Ria seethes and we both laugh.

"Where's Neel?" Arjun looks behind me as he enquires and then his face lights up with a familiar smile, "Ah, here he comes."

We turn around in the direction Arjun's pointing at once, and a lot of pink flashes before our eyes.

What we see next, makes our eyes almost fall out from the shock we experience.