The Unnecessary Alliance

THE BARBIE

She immediately takes her arm away from mine and goes and stands next to Anika.

Traitor.

I bring my eyes back to Aadi.

"What are you doing here?"

"Watching a movie." He raises his two tickets in air.

Who is he here with?

"Oh! With whom?" I ask.

"Avinash."

He is lying.

I just met Avinash. He came to take his sister home, there was some issue at their place.

For some reason, Aadi has been acting weird since morning. When I caught him and Avinash talking, he turned all white. God knows what they were talking about. Avinash turned mute as soon as I entered the living room. I didn't even get the chance to register what they were arguing about.

And then at the School, when I introduced him to Raajveer.

"I don't see him. Did he become Mr. India all of a sudden?"

He checks his watch. "Must be running late."

"And what are you watching?" I ask.

He stares at me. Then, he looks around and glares at my friends.

The audacity this man has.

"Barbie." He says in a very low voice. Almost like a whisper.

Laughter builds up in my chest. I can't keep it in.

He is lying, he is not here with Avinash. He is here to watch Barbie, because I told him I was watching it. God! He is so cute.

I laugh hard, tears fill my eyes.

"I never pegged you for someone who would watch Barbie." I manage to say in between my fit of laughter.

"What did you peg me for then?"

"Oppenheimer." I say.

"Yes, you are right." He extends his hand forward and holds my arm. He drags me towards the ticket counter.

"What are you doing? You can't drag me like this" I say.

He lets go of my arm.

"Buying us a ticket for Oppenheimer." He says.

"I am not watching that movie. I am watching Barbie. You go and watch it with Avinash."

"He is not coming."

"Oh! Really. I didn't see you talking to him. Do you two have some sort of telepathic connection?" I mock.

"You didn't invite me."

There is a warm, fussy feeling in my chest. He might suck at using his words but his actions, God! His actions are always so expressive. He came to watch Barbie because I didn't invite him.