Parallel Lines

Ch 4 Siddharth

Underneath the deceptive clarity of the sky, the air was thick with the promise of rain. Maanvi and I ambled towards our class, her voice a soothing melody against the backdrop of the bustling campus, as she regaled me with tales of her friends back in Delhi.

 Dhruv's presence was palpable before he came into view, my gaze instinctively drawn to him. He was ensconced within a group of his friends, and Maanvi's eyes followed mine.

With a casual grace, Maanvi slung her arm around my shoulder, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Isn't he just irresistible?" she asked.In response, I gestured towards a random passerby, countering, "He's not. Let me show you who is."The stranger turned, his eyes locking with mine. A moment of frozen anticipation passed between us. But instead of responding, he shot me a dismissive glance, spun on his heel, and disappeared into the crowd. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, a wave of relief washing over me.

Upon entering my class, I scanned the room. My usual spot had been usurped by the very stranger from earlier. A few of the girls greeted me with warm smiles as I navigated my way to the bench, settling next to him with a sense of unease.In the ensuing silence, we both began to speak at once."About this morning..." I started."You're smitten with me, aren't you? I can't have another girl falling for me," he cut me off."Eww, no," I recoiled."Then why are you sitting with me?" he laughed."I've been sitting here since yesterday, so technically, this is my seat," I retorted."You called me attractive in the middle of the road, I'm flattered," he continued."Argh...I don't like you, nor do I find you attractive," I glared at him."Then why did you say so?" he questioned.I explained that I was trying to convince Maanvi that Dhruv wasn't attractive."So you basically pointed at a random guy just to prove your point," he laughed."Yes, I did," I admitted."You're really funny," he chuckled. "Who's Dhruv?""A nobody," I replied."Do you like him?" he probed."We forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Sejal," I deflected."I'm Siddharth, you can call me Sid, I won't mind," he responded.There was something about him. He seemed like the kind of guy who would buy you flowers, the kind of guy you'd hold hands with. He was distractingly handsome, and I noticed girls stealing glances at him. Maybe he was right; the girls did love him.I spent the next three hours trying to concentrate, resisting the urge to check my watch or notice the girls sneaking glances at Siddharth. When the recess bell rang, he slung his bag over one shoulder and asked, "Would you like to come with me to the cafeteria?".I agreed, hoping to run into Maanvi. As we sat down at a table, I noticed everyone watching us, as if we were dating. It felt strange, being the center of attention. While Siddharth went to place his order, I spotted Maanvi at a table three rows away, clearly disinterested in her classmates' conversation.I approached her, "Maanvi...""Roaming with your 'hot guy,' huh? Not bad, Sejal," she teased.I turned to find Siddharth looking at me. I thought he wouldn't approach, but he did. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend?" he suggested.

I dismissed him, "."Not interested." 

Just then, I noticed Dhruv entering the cafeteria. Maanvi noticed too. "Did Sejal tell you about Dhruv, her beloved?" Maanvi chirped."The bell's going to ring soon, I need to go, bye," I excused myself and dashed off.As we entered class, everyone was giving us looks. Some guys waved at Siddharth, and he joined them for a chat. "How long have you known each other?" a girl named Tanvi asked me."Four hours, I barely know him," I scoffed."That's weird because everyone thinks you're dating," Tanvi's eyes widened. "Maybe it's the way he looks at you, or maybe because you sit together, roam around together.""Is that what everyone thinks?" I was taken aback.Just then Siddharth came back. He leaned back in his seat. "You know what, people here think that we're dating. Why don't we date for real?" he said, and I glared at him."Relax, I was only joking," he said, his laughter echoing around us. "You should see your face right now."In response, I punched him in the stomach. "You're such a jerk," I retorted, but Siddharth just continued to laugh.The next two hours passed in a blur, and before we knew it, the bell rang for lunch. "Do you want to sit together at lunch?" Sid asked."I'm a hostelite, I'll be having my lunch in the mess," I replied."Oh, okay," he said, looking slightly disappointed. As I made my way out, I noticed a flock of girls rising from their seats, their eyes fixed on Sid. He was a ladies man, after all.The last hour of the day was painfully dull. The class was unusually quiet, and the thing about the last hour is that it's impossible to focus. You're hungry and exhausted, and all you can think about is the end of the day."Are you listening?" I scribbled on Sid's book."Nope," he scribbled back."I have a bag of chips in my bag, do you want some?" he offered.I nodded, and he handed me the bag. I stole a few chips, savoring the forbidden thrill of eating in class. There's something about it that makes the food taste even better.Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the teacher to catch us. We were both thrown out of class, and we stood outside, laughing and leaning against the wall. It wasn't a bad day, and I found myself enjoying Sid's company.I noticed Maanvi coming out of her class; their teacher had let them out early. Dhruv was right behind her. The bell rang, signaling the end of the day.

"Goodbye, Sid," I said, loud enough for Dhruv to hear.                                                                                                                             

On our way back to the hostel, Maanvi teased, "Couldn't you say bye to Dhruv too? Didn't you see his face when you were saying bye to Sid?" .                                                                                                  "Shut up, will you?" I retorted, and she burst into laughter.

Dhruv-Sejal-Siddharth who likes whom, Confused? Stay tuned. If you enjoyed reading please vote and drop in your comments.Thank you for reading