Prithvi... [Vol 2]

Chapter 39

"We know….you are only comfortable talking to one special guy these days," Vrinda giggled.

"I'm not listening to this!" Nandini said, exasperated. And she quickly spun around to walk out of the canteen before the telltale blush gave her laughing friends more fodder to badger her.

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Nandini smiled and waved goodbye to her friends as the car drove away. She had expressed a vehement desire to study in the library to justify staying behind in the college for some more time.  When the car had passed through the gates, she breathed in relief and turned towards the parking spot for bikes, feeling very foolish yet unable to ignore her instinct.

A while ago, she had been standing with Vrinda, Nishi and several of their other common friends outside the college, discussing the fast approaching college fest, and the gradually nearing exam period. In the middle of the chitchat, she had seen Prithvi. He had been quite far away, and was accompanied by three other boys; all four were deep in conversation. She had started to smile and wave, before realising that her friends were nearby.

She had been maintaining a dignified stance against all the several mischievous comments about her relationship with Prithvi that had been coming at her all day. And this was no time to give her best friends more ammunition, especially since they were standing along with a large group of other friends.

But just before she turned away and returned to the laughing banter, his eyes suddenly met hers, then looked casually away towards the enclosure where students parked their motorcycles and then back at her again. All in the span of a couple of seconds before he and the other boys took the diverging path to another division of the college building. 

Nothing had been said or discussed, but here she was…..walking to the parking area. In all likelihood, he wouldn't be there at all. But she couldn't go home without confirming that she had misunderstood his sign.

She reached the spot that marked the beginning of the line of bikes and looked around the almost empty place, and her mood lifted.

She hadn't been mistaken. He was there.

He was pacing restlessly near his bike, and even as she watched in amusement, he absently kicked away a stone to vent his frustration at having to wait. At the sound of her steps, he stilled and turned, and the impatient frown was replaced with relief.

"You took your time. Come on, let's go." he retorted, getting onto the bike.

Took her time? she thought resentfully. How unfair was that, when he hadn't even asked her openly to come here. But that observation could wait....

 "What do you mean 'let's go'?" she enquired doubtfully. Was he under some misconception that she was going to be seen roaming around with him on the bike. And he had been the one who had ticked off Sankatmochan when the latter had suggested it that day, she thought crossly.

"I meant exactly what I said. Are you expecting me to pick you up and plonk you on the seat?" he asked.

Nandini looked skeptically at the impatient boy on the bike. "I am not sitting with you on that," she said indignantly.