A bend in the road - Vol 1

47. The Sketch

"Hi"

Neelima closed her book and clutched it closer to her heart.

Geet however didn't focus on it, instead picked up the untouched fries on her plate and tossed it in her mouth.

It took them two months but they did strike a friendship. They shared a couple of common classes and when Geet saw a familiar face, she went and sat next to her and that was that.

Geet spoke for both of them, and Neelima liked listening to her talk, so it was going good so far.

"What are you sketching?" Geet asked making Neelima relax on her book as she opened it and showed it to Geet.

It was of a tree that was in the campus just outside the canteen. The white flowers of the tree were shedding, making it look like it snowed all around. It was beautiful.

The picture held the essence, of the shedding flowers, of the tiny breeze that was blowing.

"Wow" Geet said. "This is beautiful. You should sketch more often"

Neelima shrugged. "I think inspiration doesn't strike me very easily"

Geet stopped her fry Midway as she looked at her.

"I see" she said laconically and continued hogging on Neelima's fries.

"What were you going to say?" Neelima asked a little cautious.

"Nothing" Geet said shaking her head.

"It's definitely not nothing"

"If you promise not to hate me..."

"I don't hate you. You're my only friend"

Geet was touched at this confession.

"Okay" Geet said leaving a breath. "I saw your other sketch earlier. It was an accident. I wasn't snooping around."

"Okay"

"And I thought it was personal"

Neelima looked at her the same guarded expression back on place.

"Which one did you see?"

As a response, Geet picked up Neelima's book lying on the table, and with a quick flick, displayed the sketch that always made Neelima jumpy. She herself drew it, but still.

"Oh" Neelima said guarded.

"Still friends right?" Geet asked for which Neelima gave a small smile.

"Yeah"

"Oh thank God" Geet said and in her happiness took more fries from Neelima's plate.

"So what's the story behind it?"

Neelima pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.

"Should there be a story?"

"This one seems to have"

Neelima touched the book gingerly and looked up at Geet.

--

It was a busy day at the metro. Friday evenings are hardest, and especially the route she took was usually busy.

She didn't get into ladies compartment that day. Instead got in general, hoping to find a seat. She hasn't of course and the next couple of stations had took in more people than she expected in the compartment making her clutch her bag closer and stand there in the middle of a crowd, mostly men.

She had feared making the tiniest of turn scared she would feel hands on her body.

The announcement of each station was dragging for forever. With every passing minute she had started growing very uncomfortable.

It was then she had seen them...those eyes. Amidst the sea of faces, they were strikingly different. She could only see his eyes, amongst the hands that were clutching the rod, for stability.

There was another station, another set of people left, another set had come in. She shuffled her feet, her eyes never leaving his.

Even with a sea of people between them, even with the distance, it felt reassuring that someone is looking out for her. Maybe he indeed was or maybe she was just overthinking. Whatever it was, for the first time, she didn't feel nervous to meet his eyes, because maybe it gave her enough cover and that she wasn't alone.

Somewhere along, she felt him close his eyes briefly, as if to reassure her. She had snapped out of it then and had heard the announcement that her stop was approaching.

She had get down and turned only when the train picked up the speed to see him. His face was visible now, and she didn't need to be told who he was. She went to the same college as him and he was quite popular for running a Taekwondo class closer to the campus.

It wasn't the first time she observed how attractive he was, but that was the first time she felt in her heart that he was totally beautiful, inside out.

--

"Please tell me I'm wrong in assuming it is George"

"George who?" Neelima asked confused.

"George Wickham"

Neelima looked stunned for a second before she laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Who said it was his name"

"Himself"

"Okay" Neelima smiled. She had thought Geet and him were friends. She had seen them at his class once which was why she was a little nervous when Geet met her the first time. This was a revealation.

"He has a wicked sense of humor"

"And a sense to forget names. He calls me Lizzy for some reason. I told him so many times it's not my name"

Neelima laughed throwing her head back.

"We should do a sleepover sometime. There's a movie you should watch and I want to be there when you do"

Geet was surprised at the sudden change of topic but was excited nonetheless for she had never had anything like that.

"Come home with me tonight" Geet asked earnestly.

Neelima smiled. "Alright. I'll inform the warden"