I paused. Armaan was my ex-boyfriend whom I dated for over two years and later learnt that he is gay. No one except me and Atharv knew about it, as he was present there when Armaan told me about him been struggling to accept that he is gay.
I never had any incident where he behaved like a gay. I felt helpless at that moment not exactly knowing how to show my disgust.
Armaan was a studious student, who never missed any lecture and got good grades. Atharv and I had never noticed him until he asked me out in eleventh grade. I denied. When I told Atharv about it, he got me convinced to date Armaan so that he can put a proxy on mine and Atharv's attendance so that we both can bunk classes without fearing about being in the defaulters' list.
But as the months passed, I started to like Armaan. He was too good with me to be true, but he was. I had started taking him and the relationship seriously when he came up to me and told his secret. Who had imagined Armaan coming up to me one day and confessing that he is gay? I felt betrayed.
"Ask," I replied.
"Are you planning to tell Appu about him?"
I shook my head. Though initially I was not comfortable and had hatred for Armaan, later when my father spoke to me, I accepted Armaan. I supported Armaan and his decision of keeping it as a secret. He is a really good friend of mine and I couldn't break the promise I had made to him, of not disclosing his secret to anyone.
"Why did you ask about him all of a sudden?"
"I was just curious,"
"I am telling nobody and so are you. Or else I would-"
"You would break my bones, I know. You have warned me like thousand times," he cut me off.
I was done applying the antiseptic on his knuckles and wrapped the bandage around his hand.
"Let's have pavbhaji?"
"Ved didn't give me pocket money yet and I'm running out of money. And you have to save your saved money for your bills," I reminded him.
"I can use a small amount from my saved-saved money and about the bills, I am going to pay it tomorrow," he argued.
"Okay fine, we'll have it after your first aid." I threw my arms up in the air, giving up on him.
"Dhvani, I totally forgot about one thing. Remember you had asked me to talk to my sister about your script thing? I asked her for suggestions and she recommended a few publishing house names."
"That's great. I'll talk to my father and select the publishing house."
"Anyways, who are in the cricket team this year?" I asked, curious to know if Ryan was a part of the team.
Atharv had told me earlier that the coach and management would declare the new cricket team soon. As I told before, Ryan was not the best player of the team so I was curious to know if he was still in the team or removed.
"The team has all last year's players. Just that Nihal and Aryan are replaced by the freshmen."
"Oh,"
"And yeah, Dhiren moved out of the team because Ryan was declared as the new captain of the team. Ego problems you see." he added.
My mouth flung open on learning that Ryan was now the team captain. I was definitely going to have fun watching the new captain play on the ground.
"Ryan is so good in cricket?" I gawked at him.
"His tactics are good,"
Just before Atharv could ask me the reason why I was smiling sheepishly and start teasing me over it, my phone rang. I mentally thanked the caller as I pulled out my phone.
"Yeah?" I spoke immediately as soon as I received it.
"Meet me at Bites cafe right now," Apoorva spoke.
"Wait why?" I asked her being confused since I had not even attended any lectures yet.
"Dhvani, I cannot explain you everything on phone. Meet me real soon!" she almost shouted.
"Okay, fine," I said in a low voice.
I glanced at Atharv timidly as I slid my phone back into my pocket. He would be so mad when I tell him, I thought.
"Appu asked me to meet asap."
"So you're ditching me?" Atharv shot his icy glare at me.
"I am not dying, Atharv. And I'm not sorry for ditching you, you know that." I crooked my finger at him.
I glanced at the first aid box, my fingers fiddling over it trying to find the gauge bandage to go on Atharv's face wound.
"I am done with the knuckles and don't you touch it. For your forehead, just repeat what I did and then wrap the gauze around it. And once you are done-"
"It will hardly take you five minutes, why don't you do it yourself?" he cut me off.
"Now don't make that face, okay? I have to go. And do not forget to return this box to the nurse, okay?" I handed him the bandage.
"Alright, but remember that you owe me a pavbhaji for ditching me." he told as I turn to leave.
Ryan entered the clinic while speaking on his phone. How bad of me that I didn't expect him to come to the clinic, his best friend was beaten up by my best friend after all.
Now that Ryan was in the same room as me, how can I miss the chance of letting him notice me? I was such a creep. I returned back to Atharv. He was struggling to pour the antiseptic on the cotton ball.
I pulled the cotton off his hand, "Let me do it,"
"You didn't go?" he gaped.
"No," I poured the antiseptic onto the cotton ball.
"Don't wince, okay?" I cooed.
I gently applied it on his would hoping badly that Ryan would notice me. I wished I would have worn better clothes.
I had a peek at Ryan. He was speaking with Rohan about something that obviously I couldn't hear. I suddenly wished I had the powers of overhearing to people's conversation from long distance.
"Ryan won't notice an idiot like you. Stop staring at him and focus on me," Atharv caught me.
"I hate you," I chortled, pursung my lips.
After first aiding Atharv, I met Appu at the Bites cafe. The cafe was a walk away from my college, where I And Atharv used to hang out a lot.
Appu sat in the corner of the room, where I prefer to sit. It is really less awkward at the corner. No one notices you, even if you die.
"Hello," I grinned at her.
"What took you so long to come?"
"I was first aiding Atharv,"
She gave me a confused, questioning look and I continued, "He got into some fight with Rohan,"
"Rohan?"
"Ryan's friend, remember?"
"Umm yeah,"
I was about to ask her the reason behind her calling me so urgently, when the waiter kept pizza and the coffee mugs on our table.
"Thank you," Appu spoke.
"Are you paying for this? Coz I have not got so much of money in my wallet right now." I cocked my eyebrows at her.
"I am paying, relax." she chuckled and removed her phone out of her pocket.
It is her daily ritual to grab her phone and click pictures of the food she has in front of her to post on Instagram story. How can anyone consider clicking photos more important than having the damn food that's in front of you.
Appu slapped the back of my hand when I tried to grab one piece from the dish. I frowned at her, "You are not going to have it, then why are you even clicking pictures of it?"
"Who told you I'm not gonna have this?" she shrugged her shoulders like an obvious thing.
It was not obvious. I couldn't help but giggle in shock. Appu is one such unique woman who hated pizza to the core. I had an advantage though of never having to share pizza with her.
"I am glad that you are finally accepting a pizza, but it goes as one fourth share. Not just now, but in future as well,"
"Okay, so now would you tell me why you called me here so urgently?"
She dusted off her hands and positioned herself.
"Do you remember I had told you, I was searching for a new job?"
I couldn't recall Appu telling me that she is searching for a new job. But if I tell her, she would make me remind and just won't come to point soon. And I was already desperate to know what she wanted to tell.
"Yeah,"
"I didn't tell you guys that I was applying in Tulip Tourism for travel advisor. I gave interview last week,"
"And?"
Though I had a tiny idea of what she will say I wanted to hear from her. What if it was not that what I was thinking?
"And I secured the job," she grinned proudly.
"Oh my God," I said in one breath not able to hold my happiness.
Appu's parents were ignorant towards her that compelled her to come live with us. She had shifted to my house when she was in seventh grade and studied hard to get a good college. I had seen her struggling hard to find a job of her comfort and liking. She was not very much happy working in her previous company though they paid her enough salary.
"I am so excited to join the company!" she giggled.
"When are you joining?"
"This Thursday. I applied for resignation just an hour ago."
"You just have two days! Would your resignation get accepted so soon?"
"We can just hope it does," she shrugged her shoulders.
"You didn't tell aai and baba, which means I am the first one to know this news! I love you for that,"
"You are the second one to know, I told Ved just after I got selected."
"How can I forget him," I sighed.
"You know Dhvani? I feel so good today, I can finally contribute some good amount to our family's expenses."
I was so genuinely happy for my sister. She always wanted to give an equal share of our family's expenses. It was my father and Ved who did the expenses before. I still had some more time to give my share.
"So can I get another pizza?" I smiled sheepishly at her.
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