The Rebound Theory

10| Neel

She looks at me with a new- found kind of appreciation in her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Most of the time, he says he loves me, *only* me. But it's so obvious. . . he's still hung up on her." She waves her hands in a dismissal, "He thinks he can fool me? He can kill himself and I wouldn't care. And, now, since you said that, let him suffer."

I smirk, seeing all the pieces of the puzzle finally fall into place in front of my eyes as I drive ahead to Arjun's place.

              

                         ****

"Why are we here, babe?" Saheema interjects the reflective moment I'm having standing in front of Arjun's apartment door. And she does not even appear interested in whatever I have to say, as she's scrolling through her Instagram like an addict.

"Because Arjun texted me that he needs me. I don't know, why?" I blow out a long breath.

Saheema rolls her eyes, "Why did he  have to choose today of all days to need you?"

"I have no fucking idea." Well, I *do*. I act tensed, flexing my shoulders, but it's kinda baffling how calm I am in this moment. I don't have to act all chill and casual in front of her, if I want to make her believe what's going to unfold.

"You know I want you, right?" Saheema rolls a strand of her hair from the front of her face, leaving the strand to fall down in wavy ringlets. I have to say, for an indifferent schemer with no heart, she's looks so innocent.
Not to forget, she has nice hair.
If anyone ever asked me if I did fuck a girl with smooth hair, I wouldn't have to say no right. . .
Yes, this tragic sense of humor will someday put me in a hell lot of trouble.

I knock on the door again and wait for Arjun to open up. After two whole - minutes, I hear the front door clicking, and Arjun's bouncy ball of brown hair comes into vision.

"Where the fuck were you man?"

"Sorry guys, I was in the shower. I had the water running," He smiles at Saheema, "I heard the doorbell jingle, but it somehow got muffled."

"Still? Were you doing other kinds of things in the shower?" Saheema chuckles, raising a brow.

"No, no! I had to dress up before I could've opened up," Arjun turns away, smiling just a bit embarrassed, and leaving some space for us to enter inside.

I walk in but I don't miss how Saheema eyes Arjun from top to bottom. Her eyes linger from his chest to the crotch, safe to say that her eyes rest longer than it takes to acknowledge someone. Especially,  someone who claims to be her lover's friend . Arjun showed up shirtless at the door and has a towel hanging on his neck.

"You clean up well," Saheema flirts, but Arjun walks away to the kitchen, paying no heed to her comment. This girl is *trouble*. How did I not see her doing these things in the past?

Arjun ends up yelling, hooked inside his refrigerator, "you guys need some soda?"

"Yeah, we do." I say, locking the door behind me.

We all end up at the kitchen- table, and he sets down the glass of soda in front the three of us.

Arjun starts in a mock-ish bawl, "guys, Ria broke up with me."

"Aww. . .what happened?" Saheema moves over the chair next to him, rubbing his shoulders.

Arjun continues to wail and distract Saheema while I text on the group chat with my other friends.

AAMIR

*Man, his shit is expensive. Do you know he has a Tommy Hilfiger jeans in here lying in the backseat?*

ME

*I don't give a fuck man. Take it. Or, throw it in the dusbtbin. Just get the shit done.*

AAMIR

*Aye aye. But should I check more before I totally annihilate this thing?*

ME

*Is Ankur done with his task? Do whatever you want man.*

AAMIR

*YO. He's on the lookout now, though. We'll be done in ten.*

ME

*Then, stop texting and get it over with.*

AAMIR

*Dude, he's got condoms. Should I take them with me too?*

ME

*Shove it up your ass.*

AAMIR

*?*

I don't reply to Aamir's message, frustrated, knowing well that if I keep replying, he'll never be done.

"You know what, she hasn't even let me kiss her for the past few weeks!" Arjun is doing one hell of a job to keep Saheema interested in him, and while she thinks I'm not paying attention as I'm furiously punching on my phone, I'm more focused on how she moves towards Arjun.

She has now leant into him, and holy shit, I see her take a slow, inconspicuous sniff of Arjun's aftershave.

And to think, I really thought, that she loved me *once*.

Annoyed at this thought, I check my phone's screensaver, the time reads 5:30, which means that Rohit will be in the gym for hardly fifteen minutes more.

I slowly inhale and exhale and smile occasionally at Saheema and Arjun when he talks his heart out whilst sounding hurt, saying stuff like, "I didn't see this coming. I thought she was my forever."

Five minutes later, my phone vibrates and I get up from the kitchen table to place my soda glass in the kitchen sink.

I slide my thumb across the screen.

AAMIR

*We're done, man. Initiate PART two.*

An instantenous smile takes over my lips as I think about how much I'm going to enjoy this. A lot.