5:32p.m. [Hey gorgeous! Wanna go for a movie tonight?]
5:36p.m. [What, just the two of us? Or Bhai and Behenji joins too?]
5:40p.m. [No babe, Om doesn't join us. As for behenji, I only promised Soumya that I will take care of her in class, not beyond. So just the two of us. Game?]
5:50p.m. [Sure, sounds like a plan! Pick me up at 9?]
5:53p.m. [Done ma'am]
Tia smirked after reading the last message on the phone. This Shivay was a charmer, she thought. They have become friends ever since they started college last year when her cousin Om and she ended up joining the same college for the same course - Shivay was Om's best friend from junior school. So naturally, they were sort of a group - of course the recent addition to the group was that behenji Anika - a total misfit thought Tia dismissively.
Anika was in the same class from the beginning, but they never noticed her until they started college this year. As luck would have it, Shivay's sister Soumya had joined the same college and she was Anika's roomie. Soumya for some reason had become fiercely protective of Anika seeing her docile nature and nerdy disposition - she realized Anika must be having a difficult time in the college, hence she had made Shivay promise her, that he will befriend Anika in class and let her hang out with them - in short taking care of Anika was Shivay's responsibility as per Soumya's demand. Of course, Shivay never said no to his tom-boy sister Soumya - so there was their revised group - Shivay, Tia, Om and Behenji.
***
Anika was furiously scribbling and making last minute corrections in the assignment - she couldn't believe that she herself had made so many silly mistakes in it, but of course by the time she had started working on it, it was past 3a.m. and she was really tired and sleepy - she had to learn to manage time better she thought to herself as she tried her best to drown out the constant chirpy voice of Tia sitting in front of her - gossiping over the phone about how fantastic her movie date with Shivay went last night. She needed to concentrate and revise this before the professor came for collecting their assignments - she couldn't afford another assignment going down the drain because of her careless mistakes. She was covering her ears with her hand and rocking on her chair and reading out her assignment softly to concentrate better, when she saw a long bony finger tap her desk - she glanced up to see Shivay looking down at her with an annoyed face.
"Why my assignment already isn't placed on the professor's desk Anika?" he asked with an annoyed expression.
"Woh..actually I was doing ---" but he cut her off.
"Oh, so this is how carelessly you do my assignment? Minutes before the professor arrives? And why have you scribbled so much on it? You're trying to screw me on purpose, right Anika?" asked Shivay furiously.
Anika silently turned around and dug out another file from her bag and handed it to Shivay. "This is your assignment Shivay, I finished it last night. The one I am scribbling on is mine" she replied softly not meeting his eyes.
Shivay took the file silently from her and flipped through the pages, it was neatly done and there were no scribbles. He still felt irritated, but he chose not to say anything.
"What is this yaar Shivay, at least listen to her once before venting out your anger on her. Firstly she does all your assignments and she prioritises your assignment over her's and this is how you behave?" chided an annoyed Om from next to Anika. Shivay turned back to face Om after he heard his remarks and was about to say something to Anika, when Tia who was sitting beside him, turns around and faces Om and Anika too.
"What bhai, if she was done with Shivay's assignment, then why could she not go and keep his file on the desk before only? Shivay wouldn't have got irritated then" finished Tia and smiled warmly at Shivay. Then they both turned around and started chatting, leaving Om and Anika to themselves.
"Anika, I really think you should stand up for yourself sometimes. Why do you even do his assignments?" asked Om for the millionth time, without expecting a reply. Anika just turned to him and gave him a small smile and continued revising her assignment. Om was her only friend in the group. The only one who stood up for her - but she couldn't leave the group either, she had her own set of reasons for that.
As the class chirped happily, the professor entered the class, and as expected, the first thing he asked for was the submission of assignments. Tia generously offered to take Shivay's assignment along with her's to place on the professor's desk - however Shivay turned around and stole a quick glance at Anika - she was still not done with her own assignment he remembered. But then he saw that she just finished turning the last page, with a silent relief he turned back. No one noticed this little gesture other than Anika, and it brought a small smile in her lips.
***
[Note: "Somz" and "he" will be used in Soumya's context sometimes - it is not a mistake or a typo]
(This story offers an unbiased take on gender confusion/crises – it is not meant to hurt/harm anyones emotion – just another aspect of the story – please read it in humour!)
It was past midnight, Rudra knocked on the door of his best buddie's apartment, no one responded. He knocked again, this time harder - this time there was a click of locks opening and a yawning Anika opened the door, rubbing her eyes.
"Rudra? At this hour?" she asked perplexed.
"Where is Somz?" he asked ignoring her question.
"She is sleeping in her room" replied Anika.
"HE you mean." He corrected and walked inside and knocked on his bedroom door.
"Yes yes, he I mean" murmured Anika and locked the main door and came inside.
Rudra started banging Soumya's door now, "Oye Somz! Open the door bro!" he spoke loudly. Anika smiled silently. In her initial days, when Soumya had moved in to share her apartment, when these things happened, it freaked her out - now it was cool - Soumya was a boy - so she thought herself.
Raised by her brother Shivay and tayaji the business tycoon tej Singh Oberoi, in a mansion that didn't have women, she never had any female influence in her life, so to gel with her surroundings, from a very young age she had convinced herself that she was a boy - Somz Singh Oberoi was her name - she had short cropped hair, she wore loose shirts, wore dog tags like her brother and she even used aftershave on her cheeks - she really was a boy trapped in a girls' body - that's what she had told Rudra when he was five and had newly moved into their neighbourhood. And among all her friends and family, Rudra was the only one who truly believed her claim.
So for Rudra, it wasn't a big deal to barge in at Somz's door in the middle of the night - though he did feel awkward around Anika, but Somz's mad family wouldn't let Somz move in with other guys and Anika was the only girl who didn't judge Somz or question his claim.
"What the f**k is up at this hour bro?" came Somz's voice from his room.
"Dude we are driving down the highway for tea with Ashish, Baji and Mastan, I just came to pick you. Hurry now!"
"Cool, give me five" came his prompt reply. And sure enough he was out in five, ready with his biker's jacket and key.
Anika stared at her, she was going to drive down the highway in the middle of the night for tea? That to with a bunch of guys? Was it safe for her? She knew she would be dead meat if she asked her that - Soumya loved Anika, she was the only woman who didn't judge her, but if she ever not take her masculinity seriously, Anika knew Soumya wouldn't spare her either.
"Somz, why drive down so far for tea? I could make it for you guys now right here you know?" she offered.
Somz and Rudra laughed at her statement and muttered, "Girls" in disapproval.
Anika tried again, "Hey Somz, do you mind if I join you guys?" she thought if she couldn't stop her from going, at least she could go along and ensure she was safe.
"Anne babe, it's a guy thing. It's not safe for girls. I will take you some other time" saying that Somz side hugged Anika and left the apartment with Rudra, as Anika stood there and sighed wondering when the day would come when Soumya would realise who she truly was.
***
"Tiaaa" shrieked Mallika from the bathroom of their hostel room. Tia freaked out and ran towards the bathroom door and banged on it. "What is it Mallika? Is it a cockroach again?" she anticipated with baited breathe. But instead if answering, Mallika came out of the bathroom with a brilliant smile on her face.
"Sweety I lost more weight!! I lost two more kilos!! The liquid diet has worked for me!!!" she screamed in joy. Tia looked at her haughtily.
"Well the loss isn't really visible though Mallika" she told her, eyeing her critically.
"You're just telling because the diet failed for you and you didn't shed any weight, hain nah?" sniggered Mallika good naturedly holding Tia's shoulder, and then she ran out of the room to inform her other friends of her new achievement - while Tia stomped her foot fuming. "I hate liquid diet" she muttered under her breathe.
***
It was later than half past one in the morning when her phone rang, she woke up with a start and received the call with a sleepy "Hello".
"Hi Anika, sorry to call you this late, it's Shivay" by the mere sound of his deep voice, sleep evaded Anika and she was wide awake, her heart was thudding treacherously loud and she prayed to God that Shivay didn't hear it. She breathed out evenly to control her senses and responded rationally.
"It's okay Shivay, I wasn't sleeping. And don't worry your assignment is ready for tomorrows submission too." She replied assuming that would be the reason for his call, usually he only called to inform her about his assignment deadlines.
"Thanks, but that's not why I called you. It's Soumya, is she around? I tried calling her, but her phone isn't reachable"
"Oh, no she isn't at home. Oops sorry, I mean, he isn't at home, he has gone for a drive with Rudra and the other guys" she told him. To her surprise he chuckled.
"It's okay Anika, you can call her a she in front of me, and I won't kill you for it. But why did she go so late? Didn't you try stopping her?" he asked agitated again.
"I did, but he, I mean she said girls won't understand the thrill and she left. Maybe you can try Rudra's number?"
"Yes, yes I think I will call Rudra. Thanks again and sorry for the late call" he reverted.
"It's no problem, goodnight" finished Anika with a small smile, but before she hung up, he cleared his throat. "Yes?" responded Anika with a thudding heart.
"Umm Anika, since you're wide awake, maybe you should finish your own assignment too now, instead of goofing around. That way you won't need those last minute intense revisions."
Anika's heart hammered inside her chest so hard in content and happiness that she felt it could choke her to death. She knew he cared, but he wouldn't show it - but maybe he cared a little bit because she was his little sister's best friend, nothing more.
"Yes Shivay, I will do it now. Thanks." And then there was a small clunk and the line got disconnected.
Anika got up from her bed and pulled out her notes to work on her assignment, all the time blushing in the shade of crimson. Thank God Somz wasn't around to tease her right now.