2.1 | Vishal and Layla

rivals to lovers 101

The following day, Vishal and Layla didn't talk. At all. We went to the zoo, traveled in a ship, and tasted food we'd never heard of. Somehow, both of them remained in the far two corners of the crowd. Vishal didn't approach Layla because he wanted to give her space and Layla didn't approach Vishal because the gears in her head were still spinning with his name echoing.

I spent quality time with Anjali. She was right beside me the whole day and we had a lot of fun. But every time I caught myself laughing along with her, I reminded myself that this can never happen the next year. We will be in different cities. We might never see each other.

You see, I think a lot about my future. My grandmother always smacks my head with the back of the TV remote whenever I worry about the future. You will waste your best years dreaming about the years to come and when it comes, it might not even be what you half-expected, she tells me. But even if I try, I can't seem to shake that anxiousness off.

And that's how I ruined the fun day. With all my thinking. I know, I am not proud of myself either.

The next day, the teachers announce that there is a change of plans. We aren't visiting the historical palace and the local museums. We are going to an amusement park.

The new-found excitement is almost suffocating as my fellow schoolmates act as if they've been personally invited to meet Taylor Swift. In the corner of my eye, I see Anjali jumping up and down along with Layla who seems to be in a good mood today. She is smiling and letting herself be jostled by Anjali's manic behaviour.

Maybe today is judgment day.

Vishal has a fanny pack on him as he wears a turquoise t-shirt and black shorts. I see Layla's gaze touch him and return like lightning. A second later, there is a faint smear of pink on her cheeks and a shy smile on her lips.

It is so weird to watch Layla smile with such shyness that I second-guess my decision to bring them together.

When we reach the amusement park, I see Anjali gathering a group of girls and talking strategy to try all the rides within the given time. I shake my head. If she only used this effort to score better in physics...

Vishal drags me to try our luck in a couple of arcade games and we move on to some other rides. We go on the rollercoaster together. I think I nearly bust Vishal's ears off with my screaming because when we climb out, he announces that he's never going on the rollercoaster with me ever again.

Fair enough.

At one point, the girls' group and we meet. Vishal keeps glancing at Layla the whole time and Layla does the same. Stuck in between, it's becoming tedious. I just want to pick them up and put them in a room so they have no choice but to talk it out.

"Layla doesn't do well with spinning. Tell Anjali not to force her on this ride," Vishal says.

"Tell that yourself," I say.

"Come on, man. Don't you want us to get together?"

I sigh. "I am reconsidering that, yes."

But I do tell Anjali and Anjali leaves her alone. Instead, she drags me for the ride. While the other girls can't stop snickering at how I squeal like a kid throughout the ride, Anjali has no complaints. That makes me appreciate her more.

As we walk to the next ride, I spot a photo booth. It seems like it's made out of a shipping container but it has two booths facing each other. The photo prints get spit out from the part that divides the booths. "I didn't even know amusement parks had photo booths. I've never seen them before," I say.

Booth. Room. Same thing. An idea pops into my head.

"Hey, Anjali. Come on, let's go take pictures," I say, taking her along with me to one of the booths.