Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 6

15 June 2016

"Ah...Aah...Aaah... Aaahhhh."

I quickly glance around to make sure nobody heard Muskan practically moaning.

"Dude! Somebody could hear you!?" For someone who looks like a panda soft toy, her voice is surely contradicting.

"Aish we're in Topper! You think these himbos even know what moaning is? They would probably think I have a sore throat. Kota or Ahmedabad, Toppers are NERDS."

"We're here too." I try to remind her as we enter the building. I fix my t-shirt self-consciously. She's right. Even I used to be a nerd. Probably still am.

"Yeah but we're cool. We're like exotic fishes in a pond of goldfish. You're a shark, I'm a dolphin. Dolphins are cute, aren't they?" Why am I a shark?

"Of course they are. Why were you moaning?"We start climbing the stairs to our classroom.

"I cannot understand Jaanemann Aah. Is the jaanemann going aah? Is the boy aah-ing over the jaanemann? Or are they both just moaning and decided to make a song about it? Who certified it? My little sister saw it on the TV and then ran around the home singing JAANEMANN AAH all day! Can you imagine?" I give her a grin, imagining a mini Muskan running around the house, almost moaning.

"We have to assume that the guy is aah-ing over her. Obviously. But you were singing it wrong." She looks serious, as if we've been discussing an issue of International importance.

"Obviously. How else am I supposed to sing it?"

"Put some more passion into the aah and," I turn at the junction of stairs, "Go like, JAANEMANN AAAAAH" I sing and run straight into some guy. I back up ready to apologize when I see who I ran into. Hardik Tiwari. Grade one asshole and my arch-nemesis. I hated him with everything I had. It felt like he was the kind of person who did everything I stood against. He would shout his answers loud in class before anyone could even solve them. He would waste the entirety of a lecture trying to prove himself correct. He was stuck up, arrogant and narcissistic. Unfortunately, he was good at academics. REALLY good. Probably because he didn't have a life. But thankfully, the feeling of hatred was mutual.

Before he could make a snarky comment, I try to beat him to it. "Watch where you're going, Erectile Dysfunction." Muskan starts laughing in the background.

"You ran into me. You watch where you're going." Smart.

"Evidence of that is circumstantial. Go oil that stick up your ass or whatever it is that you were going to do."

"Har Har. Aren't you a pleasure to be around, first thing in the morning?" He smirks in that way I hate. It feels condescending.

"Hi Tiwari!" Muskan grins from where she's standing and gives him a wave. For some weird reason, she's always defending the guy. I think she has a soft spot for him. Why? I would never understand.

douchehead actually manages to smile at her in a not-so-condescending way. "Morning Muskan! Atleast one of you isn't a grumpy ass." He glares at me again.

"Hilarious that you think you can talk about asses, given you have a pan for an ass."

"That's objectifying. I should feel offended."

"Go cry to your wife Bharat about it." I push Muskan towards the door as she yells out a "Bye Tiwari!" while giggling.

*******

I splash my face with water and look in the mirror, making sure I don't look like someone who just threw up their lunch. I wipe my face and exit the bathroom as I check my phone. I feel really uneasy and have a severe headache. On top of that, I have to stay back after classes to catch up on the work I missed during my trip to Rishikesh.