It was not rainy at all this time. It was not valentine. It was not the mating time of humans. It was shitty midterms exams when I met him.
He was a stupid crossing the road in front of Lecture Hall Complex with a handful of boxes and there is a car running towards him. Holy Shit!
"Get away it's a car", I screamed as I ran towards him and clutched him with both my hands. He is short heighted, having a beautiful smile with a little disfigured tooth which is golden.
"Are you okay? I saw a car running towards you? I am sorry for surprising you", I talked to him.
"Are you bleeding there?"
"No, it's just red acrylic colour I used during the fest decoration.... also, thanks for saving me. I couldn't see ahead because of my height"
"I am just happy because you are alive!"
He got a call.
"I am coming there with the box it is still 10 minutes for 2:15. Don't worry I will be there"
"What the Phak!?", I screamed in his ears and saw those big doe eyes glancing at me with a what-the-actual-phak look.
"I am late, I am 5 minutes late for the exam. I am leaving. Will meet you again later"
I started running at my all pace. Siding every other person coming in my way.
"Sorry professor!"
"What is your name? You skinny tall heighted person", someone screamed from far.
I just heard him for like 3 minutes and I can remember his voice amid the whole crowd.
"Aavahan", I turned, yelled, turned back towards Lecture Hall.
"Thank youuuu", he must have yelled from there, I can clearly hear someone saying thank you.
...
It was a fest that time. A long fest and a colourful one.
"Hey Aavahan, how did your exam go?"
Surely it wasn't him, it is not a boy love anyways.
It was my friend Rithvik.
"Dead, it stripped me slapped me and threw me into garbage after chewing", I said with the most annoying face.
"It was traumatising", Rithvik said consoling me.
"Yes, it was!"
"By the way, are you enjoying the fest?"
"Yes! I am. Played a few games and see I got my pronoun sticker too!"
"Lmao!"
"Ummm... must have been devasting right? Organising a whole lot of fest?"
"Yes, it is, but I have quite a few friends from Indra who helps me quite a lot. It is our collective which is organising"
"Thats pretty nice huh!"
"Rithvik! We need some more colours here!", someone from far was yelling
"No... No.... It can't be him! It can't"
It is not a boy love I am still saying. It is not possible right.
"Oh hi! I met you that day remember, you saved my ass out of that car", he said.
"You both know each other?", Rithvik was terrified as he always said the world is too small for this big world to come in.
"Yes, we do! That day when you saw me bleeding, Aahvan", he remembers my name, he remembers, wow, "saved me from the car that was about to hit me, I fell and hurt myself", he said to which Rithvik nodded.
"Wait what!? Bleed", that guy said confusingly.
"Ahh I am sorry, I lied that day because you were with bag, I assumed you had the exams?", he said, he is so caring, Omg, wow.
"Oh! you should have told me!!!!!", I said.
It is not a boy love. No! I should not. I can't feel this way. It different from what I feel towards Rithvik.
"By the way, sorry I forgot to ask your name that day?", I said breaming up my eyebrows.
"Rahim! From chemical branch", he replied.
"Oh hi Rahim from chemical branch", I replied with a teasing smile.
"Hi! Aavahan from Mathematics department", he said.
We both were laughing our hearts out. He knew my branch; I remember I never told him.
"I am sorry but I am a fujodan, spare my heart or I will bleed this time from my nostrils", Rithvik said to both of us with the shy face.
We both didn't deny. Why did not we deny. We are not boyfriends and it is not a boy love. Something is wrong. Atleast he should have. And why didn't I deny.
And in the meantime, Rithvik left for a coffee.
"Hey Rahim! Are you free after this? Do you want to catch up for a tea?", I asked Rahim.
"No, I am sorry", Rahim said.
I was upset.
"But I can for a coffee, I don't drink tea", Rahim said again.
I smiled at him. He smiled back.
"At 9 pm at Amul", Rahim said while he was running to gather stuffs and packup as it was the last day of the fest.
"Yes!", I said showing my teeth and that very stupid OK thumbs up sign.
...
It was 10 pm. He wasn't there. I was waiting from 8:30 pm. I didn't wanted to be late at all. I can't take risk.
Its 11 pm.
1.....
It's cold here.
My phone was dying out of battery. What if he will call me to tell me the reason, or if he will come here then he can't find me and will call me. I can't risk my mobile battery dying.
I was on my cycle and ran towards the nearest charging point in the CCD. My mobile tinged. He texted me a 1 time picture. I was stupid and had no patience and I opened it. I forgot I was on my cycle and my mobile battery was dying. And there was a lot of text in that photo with a good lovely background. The only word I could see was "LOVE".
I read it all. I won't tell you what was written.
"It will always stay between you and me, Rahim", I thought.
I read it all. A car ran past CCD and a car would have killed me that day. This is how I get to know Rahim more on my cycle. He was so sweet.
Now I could only see black screen. My mobile went out of battery. My eyes were brimming. I could not think of anything expect the fact that he said to meet him at Shivalik hostel. I kept my mobile away and doubled my speed.
The only thing I could see was the Shivalik hostel. I reached there. Dropped my cycle, I loved my cycle very much, it was a gift from my dad.
"Rahim!", I said to him, he was standing beside the wall painting. I could see him standing giving me a smile. His disfigured tooth. His short height always made me laugh and always wanted to make his fun because of that. I could only remember him talking on mobile while we met in front of Lecture Hall. He is still as nice as he was.
"Aavahan!", Rahim said breaking the 5 minute silence for which I have stared him for.
"Rahim! I didn't knew! Can we hug?", I said.
I clutched him in my arms for the last time that day.
"You don't have to reply now! Take your time! I am ready to wait for coming days, months, or even years", he said with those doe eyes again.
"Rahim!!! You know what the most reactive Flourine never reacts with the inert Xenon isn't it? The temperature will have to rise if that were to happen, creating wreck!", I said looking straight into his eyes.
It was not a boy love from the start anyways.
He was watching me saying this all. His smile was fading as if he knew the answer already. His real smile was slowly fading into a pretending one.
"I dunno about myself! It is so unfortunate that we are so incompatible, I didn't know about you or your feelings"
He was silent. Now even his pretending smile was not there.
I turned back. I can't stand his tears. He will break in front of me. I can't. I just can't. I turned back.
"Aavahan!", I could still recognise his voice amid the crowds of crowds.
"Surely those Xenon and Flourine never does react! But I am ready to handle that high temperature for the formation of Xenon diflouride", he said.
I turned back.
I can see Rithvik jumping over the bush. Coming to Rahim looking at me with the eyes that could have killed me. He hugged Rahim. Yes, that hug I could still remember. It was the only hug that was so close to me. Rithvik turned him to hug him but it cannot stop me from feeling those tears, he was crying, someone was crying for me for the first time.
I ran, I ran, with whole pace.
My cycle was lying there bare.
It was not a boy love anymore.