I watched as Akshara bent forward and down on her two wide stretched feet, fling her arms back and forth a few times before letting the ball go. Strike! The ball rolled directly to its target as it toppled over every single pin on the other end. Impressive. Very impressive.
"So Akshara says you're a doctor?" Reet, her friend asked me, interrupting my focus from Akshara unto her.
"Yes, that's right. A cardiac surgeon actually." I don't even know why I said that. I could've just let it stay as doctor.
I began to turn my glance towards Akshara when Reet spoke again. "So does that mean you are very good at dealing with matters pertaining to the heart?" She asked, leaning in to me.
"Excuse me?" I frowned, suddenly feeling very odd and confused about the entire conversation.
"I meant dealing with arterial blockages and heart failures and such. Why? What did you think?"
That you were flirting with me? I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, nothing. I thought nothing." I correct myself quickly. Nice. I had to be nice to Akshara's friends. "And yes, I do often deal with quite a few cases like that."
Before Reet had a chance to continue the small talk, two small feet stepped up to where Reet and I were seated. I looked up to see Akshara standing there with a bowling ball in her hands and a slight scowl on her face.
"Your turn." She sneered and flung the ball towards my unprepared self without any warning. I caught the ball in my hands —barely —as my hands pressed back into my chest because of heaviness of the ball.
"Oof. That could have hurt me you know." I jibed as I stood up, towering over her small frame.
"But it didn't." She scoffed, folding her arms around her chest, her nostrils flaring.
"But it could have." I stated simply.
"But it didn't."
Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I, Abhimanyu Birla, a world renowned surgeon would be arguing like a pre-pubescent child with a girl bald my size while holding a bowling ball in my hands.
It baffled me to see Akshara acting like a kindergartener with me over...over...over what exactly? What had happened to her? Why was she so out of sorts? And most importantly, why was she even mad at me? What did I do now?
I swear she had been perfectly fine a few moments ago. Was it...was it that time of the month for her? I mean that could be one reason to explain her mood swings. Happy one moment and frowning the next. Should I offer her some chocolate? Cake? Chips? Cookies? Or I could just offer her my neck honestly, to strangle. No, Abhimanyu, shut up before you get yourself into more trouble.
"Guys! Relax. Abhimanyu, why don't you go take your turn. And Akshara, come, sit." Reet played mediator between the two of us.
"Okay." I replied, nodding my head towards Akshara earning an eye roll in return.
As I walked up to bowl, I was stopped by Armaan. "I'm going to order beer, wings and pizza for dinner. You good with that?" He asked gruffly, more so making a statement than asking a question.
I had a feeling Armaan did not appreciate me being here and he was letting his displeasure be felt. The entire night I had felt his gaze follow me around, informing me that I was being watched.
"Yes, that's fine." I answered, politely.
I watched as Armaan's eyes shifted to the Akshara and Reet sitting behind me before he turned back to glare at me.
Akshara? Was he interested in Akshara. My mind went back to remember the moment I had walked into the bowling alley and Akshara had made the introductions. Armaan's smile had changed into s scowl in an instant when he'd seen me standing beside her.
Maybe he did like her. Maybe he did have feelings for Akshara.
But the real question —the question that was starting to bother me more than it should. It was if Akshara had feelings for him too. Did she? Did she have feelings for him too?
There was nothing I could do if she did have feelings for him. Not that there was anything I wanted to do. Friends. She and I were just friends. Platonic friends. And we were going to stay as such.
But then why did the thought of her dating someone else —or someone at all cause an irrational anger to bubble up inside me like lava in a volcano waiting to erupt? Why did the thought of her dating leave such a bitter taste in my mouth?
"Okay." He simply stated breaking me out of a dark hole of my own unwanted thoughts. I turned around to see him walk away and my eyes landed upon Akshara who was watching me curiously.
She raised her chin in a questioning nod and I shook my head slightly, giving her a soft smile whilst answering her silent question yet again.
How could it be that sometimes she can I could be arguing like incessant kids on a sugar high, bickering over the smallest of things and then turn into mature adults worrying about each other over the smallest of things?
I turned around to face my nemesis of the night. 10 bowling pins. I closed my eyes and instead of the 10 bowling pins I imagined the face of the one man here who was throwing daggers into my back —Armaan. I bent down and swung my arm back and forth eyeballing the perfect spot to stop the ball before I finally let the the ball go. The ball zoomed towards the pins and knocked every single pin over in the blink of an eye.
I turned around to see Akshara's mouth agape and her eyes wide open in shock making me smirk.
I turned around and started walking towards her ready to gloat. She was about to stand up and walk towards me too until my line of vision was interrupted by Reet, standing before me, eager as ever, holding a bowling ball in her hands. I looked over Reet's head to see Akshara's smile of wonder had been replaced with a mask of indifference.
"Wow! You bowled like a pro!" She complimented, leaning into me.
Calm Abhimanyu. She is Akshara's friend. You have to be nice to her. Remember? Nice!
"Thank you. It was just honest luck really."
"Oh stop it you! So modest." Reet giggled, smacking her hand onto my chest.
I looked behind me again to see what Akshara was doing when I came across Armaan sitting beside Akshara and the both of them were busy in deep conversation amongst themselves, oblivious to the world around them. I felt a low growl rise up in my chest as I witnessed the two talking. I hated that Akshara wasn't paying attention to me. And I hated Armaan even more for distracting her.
"Abhimanyu..." Reet's voice interrupted my train of thought.
"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" I asked, turning my attention back to Reet.
"I was asking whether you could show me how to bowl." She replied, flirting with me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Akshara peeking glances at Reet and I. I could see —even though it was quite subtle —the indifference on Akshara's face be replaced by a disapproving scowl. I saw Akshara trying very hard to hide her staring by only taking quick and small glances in our direction. Interesting.
"Oh. It's really easy actually. All you got to do is swing your arm back and forth while deciding where to drop the ball. Normally, you swing back and forth with enough force while eyeing the pins and drop the ball front center and the speed should do the rest. And 9/10 you tend to get a strike."
"Oh. But could you show me?" Reet asked sweetly.
I looked behind me once more to see Akshara was still busy talking to Armaan. The only difference was Nia had joined them. However, Akshara was too preoccupied in what Armaan was saying that Nia finally gave up on the conversation and started scrolling through her phone.
"Yes. Sure." I replied.
Reet and I walked up to bowling lane and I stood behind Reet, holding her arm and helping her swing the ball back and forth with accurate force.
"And on the count of 3, you swing and drop the ball forward. Okay?"
Reet nodded her head, "Yes."
"One, two...three." I pushed Reet's arm forward as she let go of the ball. The two of us watched as the ball knocked over every single pin except for 2 on the very left side.
"Oh my god! I've never done that before! Thank you so much!" Reet exclaimed as she turned around to face me in excitement.
"I'm glad," I chuckled. "Now go again."
She nodded her head enthusiastically as she went back and bowled for the second time, this time knocking over the remaining two pins with precision.
"Wow Reet, not bad." Nia clapped her hands, impressed by her friends sudden change of bowling luck.
"Thanks!" Reet replied proudly. "It's all because of Abhimanyu."
I turned around to face Akshara, giving her a broad smile, trying to gauge her reaction but all that I got back from her were furrowed brows and a contemplating look. What's wrong? I asked, silently, as I raised my eyebrows in question. She gave me a small smile. Nothing, she replied, silently, with the shaking gesture of her head.
"Food's here!" Armaan announced, juggling a pitcher of beer in one hand and a big box of pizza and wings in the other.
"Finally! I was starving!" Nia replied, as she opens the box of pizza and began pouring everyone a glass of beer. "And by the way Armaan, it's your turn!"
"Oh right!" He side stepped Reet, careful to avoid touching her as he went to take his turn.
I grabbed my beer and a slice of pizza and went to take a seat beside Akshara. It felt weird saying this, especially since I had known her for less than a week but somehow, somewhere she felt like home. She made me feel at ease. Free. Heard. In just a short span of time, Akshara Singhania had probably become one of the most important people to have bulldozed her way into my life.