The Wrong Indian Flag | LGBTQ+[ON HOLD]

|5| to friendships and daydreaming

I try to focus on the biology book in front of me, but it is to no avail. I cannot stop thinking about Alisha.

I'm surprised at how quickly she and I have bonded in just a week. Although we are radically different people with polar opposite interests, we get along quite well and have a lot of stuff to talk about. No one is more surprised by that than I am. My friendship with Tara is quite different.

Tara and I met when I was in the fourth grade. At that time, the only thing that bonded us was our mutual love of playing kho-kho and Chotta Bheem but other than that, she and I barely had anything in common. One would expect that over the years that would translate into a broken friendship but we just got along weirdly. The contrast in my two friendships baffled even me.

As if thinking about her has summoned her, I hear the doorbell ring from downstairs and then Tara's loud voice drifts up the stairs. Moments later she appears at the entrance of my bedroom in jeans and long kurti top, which strikes me as a little strange. She usually prefers skirts and long flowy dresses and rarely wore much else. It is her choice though, so who am I to judge?

"Hey, Shils. Remember me? You know your best friend since forever who you've ghosted the whole week because you chose to hang out with that new chick, Alisha. Like obsessively hang out with to a point that it almost looks like you're in love with her or something." Tara twirls a curl of her hair, peering at me with narrowed eyes.

My heart jumps to my throat and I try to quell my rising pulse at those words. "Wha...what? I'm not in... in love with her. What an absurd statement. That's so dumb!" I bite out.

Tara shoots me a quizzical look before walking across the room and plopping down on the bed next to me. The door slams shut behind her. "Ok, boo. Chill."

"I am sorry. I just got caught up in showing her around and helping Alisha catch up with school stuff. I know I've been a bad friend this week but I'll make it up to you, I promise. I am all yours this weekend."

"You can't expect me to forgive you that easily, you know." Tara gives me a smug smile.

I roll my eyes as I close my textbook, stuffing it away. "I know. How about we go get ice cream? My treat. Just you and me?"

"Sounds tempting but no. I am on a diet." Tara sheepishly looks up at me.

"Diet? Why are you dieting? You look fine and healthy. You don't need to lose weight."

Tara shrugs awkwardly. "Easy for you to say when you're a skinny legend. I feel like I'm too fat and I hate how my body looks carrying all this extra weight. I want to lose some of it."

"Alright. What matters is you feel confident in your own body, right? Do it properly though, ok? Don't go on some crazy diet or starve yourself," I chide.

"Yes, Mom," Tara scoffs out as she rolls her eyes.

Before I can respond, somebody knocks on the closed door. Tara and I exchange looks before I walk up and open it.