Anyone Else But You... (10 page)

A few minutes later, Sahana and Sasha found themselves sitting in a bare park at one corner of the Mother Dairy outlet that was there nearby. Some old people occupied the only seats available, while what remained of dilapidated swing sets wasn’t even worth giving a look. So both the girls decided to stand next to the fence and enjoy their ice cream.
“So tell me. Are there
any hot newcomers?"
Sasha asked while
licking her orange ice-lolly.
"None. I am not kidding. Not even one. It's like all hot guys on this planet are dea
d. Each one of them is a withered geek or weird-faced
,
”
Sahana replied licking the trickle down her han
d from the lemon ice-lolly.
"So true. But
there must be someone who is moderately good?"
Sasha asked shifting her lol
ly from one hand to the other.
"I don't know, man. Maybe,
I d
idn't notice much. The whole day
there are workshops. That's it
,
” Sahana replied.
"Hmm...Good,” S
asha said taking
a huge bite of her ice-cream.
"Although...” Sahana said.
“What?” Sasha asked with excitement. “Remembered anyone?”
"Arree. Don't worry. He's not hot. He's ok
-
ok.
Kind of do-able. Though he's a writer,” Sahana said.
"Ooohh…writer! What book?"
Sasha prodded for more information
.
"I don't know. I don't remember the
book. He told me a week ago,” Sahana replied.
"
So you've talked to him? Whoa!" Sasha exclaimed.
"
He’s not a c
elebrity
. Stop getting so excited,”Sahana replied.
"
Chal koi toh hai
,”
Sasha s
aid, biting her empty stick.
"
Bakwaas na kar
. Let's go,” Sahana said, while pulling S
asha by her hand towards their home.

*

“
You should take tu
itions,” Mr. Vajpai said to his niece.
"Okay. But why?" asked Sahana. What's going on? What new
scheme have they thought over? She wondered.
"Because you need them,”
he replied shifting his weight from one side to another on the huge
brown sofa in the living room.
Sahana sat on the opposite side,
on the single sofa, thinking.
"Can I
tell you in an hour about it?" Sahana said, biding for time.
"Okay. An hour,”
he said with a stern voice.
 

Sahana got up and straight
away walked into the washroom.
She sat on t
he cold tiled bathroom floor.
She thought about why he was doing it. Why?
What possible help can going to tuitions be
in
this situation?
I guess, they don't want me in the house
, she thought.
She thought about the downside about going to tuitions. She to her own wonder could think of none.
She could only think of the pros.
The reasons I should go to tuitions
, she thought.
 

a) I get to get out of this hell.
b) I don't have to get involved in the drama.
c) New people.
d) Social life increasing.
e) No need to study in class.
f) Possibility of meeting h
ot guys.
 

Ah, hell. I am so going to tuitions
!
She opened the latch of the bathroom door. She walked towards the living room.
Her uncle was still
sitting in the same
spot, sipping his evening tea.
“I'll take English t
u
itions,” Sahana said.
“English?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes,”
Sahana replied. She wanted to keep the conversation
to the bare minimum.
"Why not M
aths?" he aske
d again.
"My father taught me Math already. I know Mathematics of Class 12
^th
since C
lass 9
^th
itself. I don't need it,”
she replie
d in a monotone.
"Fine. Where?” he asked.
"I'll
find out and tell you,”
she said and walked out of the room.
*

“This isn’t a very safe idea, you know?” Sahana frowned.

“What’s wrong with meeting a guy?” Rishav shrugged his shoulders. He looked around trying to assure Sahana that there was no-one present who could actually pose a threat to either of them.

“It’s not about people Sen! It’s about my aunt. She comes this way, every Thursday to the temple. Calling me here to meet wasn’t the best idea you know.” Rishav and Sahana stood close to each other on one side of the main road in Sector 33. As Sahana spoke, she slowly drifted more towards the interiors of the Sector, towards the cold-drinks stalls and
chaat waalas.

Dressed casually in a brown, wide necked tee and dark jeans, Sahana was perspiring profusely. As the two started walking aimlessly, Rishav tried to engage Sahana in a conversation
,
before she could raise the much pertinent question regarding the reason for their sudden meet.

“Why on earth are you perspiring so much?” Rishav popped in a question.

“I ran dude. I was already late by fifteen minutes, I was sure you’d be hell annoyed if I delayed you more. So I gobbled up the burger Aunty got for me and ran.”

“What excuse did you give?” he asked.

“Umm…I told her that I was going for stationery. Why do you ask?”

“No, just like that. Wanted to know how long you can hang around.” The road took a left-turn towards the gigantic main park of that sector. It was evening time and the park was crowded like hell. The dying Sun was
like
the perfect setting for
each and every person present there.

“You waited for fifteen minutes right?” Sahana inquired.

“Not really,” he smiled. “You can make that thirty.”

“Thirty?! Why? How?” she was surprised.

“Actually, I decided to come fifteen minutes in advance for two reasons…”

“And the reasons being?”

“Um, one I presumed that you’d be on time or maybe before time. So I didn’t want to have a situation where I had to keep you waiting and secondly…” he dug his hand into his left pocket. “…and secondly, I thought about arranging for some evening snack you know!” He pulled out two mini-chocolate bars that were a little soggy.

Sahana broke into a short laughter, “You bothered to do that? Stupid you are.” She smiled. “Who told you, I liked chocolates?”

“Well, you see
…
all I saw you doing on your birthday was eating and eating and eating more. And every time, only chocolates! I presumed, it must be on the top of the list of your favourite edibles. Huh?”

“Ah huh dumbass! You got something right for a change,” she casually smacked him on the head.

Now that’s what friends do
, Rishav said to himself. In the meanwhile, Sahana carried on, “…and ooooh! I also like Chinese you know? And McDonalds too....Indian kababs are tasty…”

“Yes yes, you like everything that’s edible
, you
Mother Earth’s load. Don’t you?” it was perhaps the most casual sentences Rishav could have ever spoken in his life. However, it warranted a not-so-casual response.

“Uh, I detest fat jokes. Okay?” she spoke with an absolute straight face.

“You aren’t fat, so why should you take this personally?

“Because I just did so
,
dude.” She seemed visibly annoyed.

“Point noted, but can we get over with the sappy stuff now?” he asked innocently.

“Sappy?”

Rishav shook the two mini-bars in front of her eyes.

“Oh that…” she said. “…sure, thanks!”

And they started
dirtying their hands and faces. It took Rishav seconds to get done with his bar but it seemed Sahana relished every inch of it.

“You have a tissue?” she asked.

“No. But I have a handkerchief,” he slid his hand inside his jeans pockets to get it out.

“No no, not handkerchiefs, they aren’t hygienic!”

Rishav made an expression that was hard to miss, “What?”

“Arr
e, they aren’t hygienic and it applies to
everyone, not you in specific
…
dumbo!”

“Oh!” he managed to calm down a bit.

“So you don’t have a tissue eh?” she confirmed again.

“Apparently not, but you can surely use my jeans to wipe the chocolate. It’ll go for laundry anyway.” Rishav encouraged her by wiping his own hands first.

“Oh and also…” he began.

“Huh?”

“…also, try and keep it restricted to your hands only. There’s chocolate all over your face too and it wouldn’t be too good for people to see you wiping you face on my legs you know?” he tried hard to be funny.

“Rishav Sen, did anyone ever point out that your jokes make no-sense at all? And are pretty lame?”

“Now, that was blunt!” Rishav replied.

“Do get used to it, as you’ll be in for more…” she flashed her trademark lopsided grin.

And while Rishav searched for an apt reply, Sahana preempted his move and followed it with another snide remark, “your hair, you kind of look dorky in it. Do push it back when you are around me?”

“Really?” he confirmed.

“Yeah, but again it’s a personal choice. If you
want
to, that is. Otherwise, I’d just avoid looking at your face.” She said.

“Oh so you’ll be talking to me looking straight at my chest, will you now? Now I wonder if I ever did the same when ugly chicks came in front of me, I’d be mauled!” he laughed at his own joke.

“Dude…!” she exclaimed.

“What?”

“…lame again!”
she smiled and moved her head in a circular motion.

“Damnit!” Rishav replied.

As they completed an entire round of the park’s perimeter, Sahana got reminded of the question she was supposed to ask in the first place. “Why did we meet today?”

“Oh, actually tomorrow is my dog, Ruffle’s birthday. I am kind of celebrating it on my own. Join me for lunch would you?” Rishav made up something obscure.