WHEN FATE BRINGS YOU HOME

CHAPTER 28

Why is it extra hot today, given that it rained so heavy? I kick my white bedsheets out of my body again. Sweat flowed down on the back of my spine. It's still too hot.

My body is reacting a little late to what happened earlier. With flushed cheeks, I kick the air above my bed this time.

"Aaarrgghhh."

I cannot think straight. It burns on all the places he touched me, like he left traces of warmth all over me. It's not soothing or relaxing anymore, it's-

I couldn't enjoy the sparkling liquid crystals to water that poured down, which I've been waiting to experience after coming here. But I did enjoy something else... I should really stop doing that.

All I can think of is his sincere approach and efforts to talk to me about it. All those time, I pushed him away from me, pushing myself away from this comfort of knowing the truth.

He said he won't apologize because of this? What the... And the tapes-

My brain is trying really hard to process all the information all at once. This type of confession is new to me, especially it's freaking me out since it's coming from Shaurya. He says he cares about me. In what way? A brotherly caring? A friendly caring? Or.

What will I do tomorrow if I meet him? Ignore like I did the last week? Or act mad? Or go back to being the bet rivals?

I shouldn't concentrate on any of this. Especially not on the way he held me close, not his intense eyes, not his protective warmth that's still lingering around me in this chilled weather, not the words that came out of him (I don't think he lied today), not his thumbs tracing my cheeks.

Concentrate on the music. Yes. I'm trying to fall asleep here, my brain. Please do not show me any images or sounds related to you-know-who.

As I have read before, our brains cannot comprehend the negations directly. It will concentrate on the normal sentence then process the 'not' part of it later. For example, if someone says do not go hit on the tree, the brain will show us images of being hit by the tree then it will process the 'not' part, that's how we know why we shouldn't hit the tree, since we already thought about hitting the tree. Similarly, every time I try to not think, obviously I end up thinking, which is frustrating.

I wake up my phone screen by double tapping. 3:09 A.M.

It's been long since I am awake in my bed at this hour thinking about a man. The last time it happened was like five (almost six, I don't why I can't admit the times changing) years ago. I was lying similarly that night after I came back from my workshop, thinking about someone I didn't even know, a no name, no face guy. It was his personality that kept clinging to me, that made me think about him again and again for an endless next days. I don't know why my brain is picking up useless stuff from years ago.

I really hope I don't run into him tomorrow.

_____________________________________________________________________

"You're already here?"

I thought Krish would call me before he arrives at the university gate with his car. Now I have to rush through finishing up the experiment and freshening up at the same time. I hang up the phone and put it in my pocket. I tie my hair real quick in a neat pony, snatch my jute tote bag from the counter, switch off all the electric stuff, fans and lights, lock the lab and run through the stairs down.

I spot his car and walk towards it. On the way I see Neil walking to the canteen.

"Hey."

He shows me his middle finger in return. Frank as we are to each other, this never gets old. Not in a very good mood, is he? Keeping the embarrassment to myself, I continue to the gate. I double check the numbers on his license plate before getting in.