Letters to my beloved [Complete]

Chapter 8

Kong's POV

I kept staring at the piece of paper. The response being significantly longer and rather unexpected. How did the conversation about comic book villains suddenly jump to having an existential crisis? And even more shocking was the fact that it seems the man on the other side had dived deep into my consciousness and almost read my thoughts and then penned them for me to read. And the more I read his note the more I was a 100 percent certain the man had a direct line to my soul.

"I had a really weird day today."

Me too!

"You know the kind of day when you expect it to go a certain way and then after the first hour everything and everyone goes berserk."

YES!! Exactly the same.

"And then you spend your entire day wondering if it was you that was the crux of all problems or if none of it is in your hands and you are just a tiny pawn in the game of life and no matter what you do things just keep happening and all that is left for you to do is react to it all."

So true! So true!

I found myself nodding away in agreement to the man's vague and yet so deeply profound statement.

"Wow! I didn't know I was capable of so much rambling."

Rambling? Was the man nuts? This was the most coherent way I could ever imagine someone describing my own thoughts to me.

"Didn't think Magneto could turn into an emo teenager did you?

I officially crown MosquitoMan as the cooler super villain."

I think the man has no freaking idea how insanely cool his little personal note sounded right now. Just like those philosophers you read in books. Not only was he funny and interesting, what with having struck up a conversation with a complete stranger rather than just ignoring the stupid doodles, the man seemed to even have some character depth. And to top it all he decided to share his weird day's experience with me. Although even I could tell how stupid I have been behaving by treating his random thought like it was some enlightened sage's life altering words. Obviously they were not. But somehow they hit so damn close to home. This was literally exactly the emotions that have been running through me all of yesterday.

Barring the fact that I was annoyed at P'Arthit and his ridiculous mind games, cause there is really nothing new about any of that, and frankly I didn't even blame him all that much. If I had his semi-naked pictures in nothing but tiny pink towels I would have done a lot worse blackmailing than running a few ridiculous errands for breakfast and lunch and dinner. And having said that, as much of a hard-ass he pretended to be, it was quite apparent that he was literal mush on the inside. I doubt he would even have the guts to post any of our pictures. And I can almost guarantee he wouldn't extend any of these silly 6 am errands to my friends. After all whatever our issue was, it was firmly between him and me.

Which now begs the question, what were Wad and P'Prem punching each other for. And to make matters significantly worse the rest of them had joined in instead of breaking them apart.

What the fuck was their problem now? I thought it was nothing but fun and games for them. Sure being the butt of a prank is no fun but I always assumed to them it was nothing but amusing pranks. When the hell did all this animosity between the rest of them begin?

And it all felt like it was my fault. After all everything had started because of me. And now my friends were involved in fist fights with the seniors. So when P'Arthit had shuffled everyone in the gym yesterday, fully prepared to scream his lungs out, it was only reasonable I assume the responsibility for creating the mess. Perhaps I should figure out a way to transfer out of here sooner and put an end to this entire mess? Well not before I figure out what diabolical plan Wad was hatching against the seniors though. I swear listening to some of his ideas actually sent a shiver down my spine. Is there no one as innocent as me left in our city?

Well, that's not entirely true is it? I am currently staring at the note written by atleast one more soul as pained as mine. Am I being overly dramatic? Perhaps. But that isn't going to stop me pouring my heart out to this complete stranger. And who knows at some point he might not even remain just that. After all people make friends in all sorts of odd ways right?

I had just finished writing down my equally lengthy response, rather excited about having sort of made a friend thoroughly unconnected from the drama of my real life. I shut the book and began walking towards the shelf when I walked straight into a wall. Or so it felt.

"Kong?"

"P'Arthit?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh..studying. What...what are you doing here?"

"Ummmm....I...uh...none of your business."

And then after looking at me awkwardly for a few moments he abruptly turned around and began walking away. I let out a sigh of relief and was about to bring my hands forward from hiding the book behind my back, thankfully making sure he hadn't seen the set of books and notes in my hand. I know I didn't want P'Arthit knowing I was studying Economics, but why the hell was he behaving so awkwardly? And this thought had barely crossed my head when he did a literal about turn again and marched right up to face me.

"Did you talk to Wad and the rest of your friends yesterday? What the fuck were they doing?"

"My friends? P'Prem was the one who instigated them."

"But Wad was the one who threw the first punch."

"Yes, but..."

"Fine, fine. I don't want to argue about it."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and let out a loud sigh before continuing.

"Ok, listen, I want to offer a truce of some kind."

"Truce?"

"Yes, truce. All of us have exams coming up soon. We need to seriously get down to studying, and from what I have heard Wad is in pretty deep shit with his grades too. So, what do you to say to a cease fire until exams are done? No pranks. No bullshit. I will make sure all the pictures are deleted, and Prem isn't going around instigating anyone. And you make sure you and your friends aren't pulling anything funny."

"And after the exams?"

"Everything is fair game again. As long as no one ends up fighting in the middle of campus."

I contemplated for a few minutes. This was probably the most reasonable suggestion I have ever heard. Atleast this would force Wad to focus on nothing but studying for the next one month. And me too. The one thing I was dreading more than anything was having to keep a shrewd eye out on my friends while I could be doing some sweet ole homework revision. So I nodded at his proposal. Accepting the temporary cease fire. Yet little prepared for when he extended his hand towards me, waiting for me to grab it.

"Shake on it?"

I swear sometime he behaves so odd I have to doubt myself if I truly know him at all. I stared at the extended hand for a few moments before I tentatively placed mine within his, and he immediately engulfed it. Shaking it a few times.

"By the way, do you come to the library often?"

"No. No, I...uh....this is my first time. I just wanted to check it out."

He nodded. A weird expression taking over his face. Pondering on something that I couldn't pinpoint. After a few minutes when he had yet to release my hand, I cleared my throat, pointedly looking at our joined hands, when he hurriedly let go and walked away.

Uh, I am not sure what just happened.