Vishal and Layla - two notoriously competitive all-rounders, never shy to play dirty when it comes to winning. It's all grades and glares between them until one day, it's more.
Layla doesn't have friends. She just has people to who she talks to.
But her parents think she is a popular socialite. The whole class is invited to her birthday party every year and because there's free food and good music, no one misses it.
Today is Layla's sixteenth birthday.
In commemoration, I like to recall one incident that I can never forget about Layla.
I believe it was during the annual examinations in 9th grade. Layla got Vishal kicked out of the exam hall.
It was clever, the trick. And a little harsh. But you can't blame her because she was only getting back at Vishal for breaking her impressive model of India's crop pattern. Vishal, that sly guy, made it look like a total accident and got out of it without a consequence.
To get back at him, she cut out bits of paper and wrote down important years that has to be remembered for their history exam. She rolled it neatly and snuck it inside Vishal's pencil box, between the cracks of his exam pad and even in his shirt pocket. Vishal was caught with the chits and wasn't allowed to write his exam that day. After a thorough investigation the next day, he was excused to give his exam on a Saturday, with a much more difficult question paper.
What I admire about Layla is that if she sets her mind to something, she makes it happen. She is fierce, with a no-bullshit policy and dictates her own life.
The party is extra, with balloons no one cared for and streamers flowing down the air. Layla is so uncomfortable in the room, forcing smiles and faking niceties.
Vishal walks up to her.
"Bet you just want to sit in your room in your dirty pink hoodie, work out trigonometry problems and bask in the satisfaction of getting every problem right," he says.
"It's scary that you know me so well," she replies and then turns to meet his gaze, "or maybe it's because you're just like me. We are smart asses with no life. You can admit it."
Vishal bites back a laugh. "Please. It's you who lack the social skills. Not me. I have friends."
"Oh, really?"
"It's okay to admit it, Layla. You wish you were me."
She rolls her eyes. "Friendships are too much drama. I don't have time for that. Besides, it's not like I am a loner. I talk to people. I just don't know them for who they are. Well, except for one."
"Who?"
"You, dumbass."
Vishal laughs. "Oh, you are the dumbass if you think you know me, Layla."
Layla opens her mouth to argue but before that, he presses a gift in her hands and wishes her a quick happy birthday. "I thought I told you I didn't want anything," Layla says, turning the box in her hand.
"That's what I gave you," Vishal says, winking before leaving her.
Layla tears open the gift and bursts out laughing when she sees what's inside. It's an empty jar that reads 'because you wanted nothing' in black permanent marker.
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