Crossing The i's And Dotting The t's

(XXIV) Cold War Z

Radhika and I ended up going to bed at three that night, after we had completed our marathon of crappy young adult movies. I finally understood the hype. Their trope about ordinary girls hooking up with near-perfect guys while kicking ass and saving the world from an evil dictator in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic society got addictive after a while.

Needless to say, we both resembled apocalypse causing zombies when we arrived at the lobby, at six-thirty the next morning, groaning about missing breakfast.

"Here." Kian handed us a packet of chips and sweetened buttermilk bottle each while bending down and pecking my cheek. I was almost too sleepy to take in this boyfriend-like greeting.

Almost being the key word.

As the hotel's bell boy loaded up the trunks of Jaspreet chachu's Inova — that man owned way too many cars — my tired mind frantically underwent a process that was far too familiar to me.

Yes, I was over thinking, yet again.

We were not a couple right? Granted, we acted like one pretty well these days, making out whenever an opportunity presented itself, holding hands all the time (even right now he was playing with my fingers) and having long conversations about anything and everything. But that didn't mean I was his girlfriend right? It shouldn't. It couldn't.

It did. My conscience was quick to offer her two cents. She was right, like always.

That still didn't make us official. And I was glad. After only just witnessing the state of Radhika and Vivaan after their breakup, where one was acting excessively snappy and the other was sporting a permanent scowl, I sure as hell didn't want to go through the same thing.

This wasn't a fear of commitment; it was a fear of aftermath. I was certain that the future of any lasting, for the lack of a better word, relationship, with Kian would lead to a horrible, heartbroken, bitter aftermath.

We were friends. Friends who went on dates and occasionally, alright, frequently kissed and friends who were attracted to each other.

Friends with benefits you mean? That annoying part of my brain chirped.

No! I growled in response to this ridiculous conversation with myself. There is nothing more than snogging and it's going to stay that way.

Too lost in my own inner battle, I barely noticed the tension in the car. But when I finally came back to my senses, I realised that the former love birds were glaring daggers at each other and everyone else was looking visibly uncomfortable. Aryan, fidgeting with his phone, was periodically whipping his head back and forth, not knowing what to make of this situation. Seemed like he had no clue what had happened.

Strange, I thought, for he was staying with Vivaan. That meant that my friend's ex had not told anyone anything from his perspective.

Karan gave up after ten minutes and stuffed his cut of his hearing by stuffing earphones in his ears. Kian gave me a puzzled look.

"Later," I discreetly mouthed.

Thankfully, we reached the railway station before either party could rip each other's head off. Radhika marched ahead as soon as the driver handed her suitcase to her, pulling my hand and snatching me away from the rest when she stormed inside.

"Hey! At least let me get my bag!" I protested.

"Oh stop worrying, lover boy would fetch it for you. You know that." She stopped short at platform five and huffed out an angry breath, her hair all over the place and her face flushed red. She looked positively furious. "God I can't stand him anymore. He has some guts!"