me.
‘Madhav, please understand, I’m not comfortable with all this,’
‘I really like you, Riya. You mean so much to me. You are the
reason I’ve survived in this place.’
‘So appreciate what we have. Don’t spoil it.’
‘What do we have? What am I to you?’
'If we kiss, we have something; if we don’t, then nothing?’ she
said.
I kept quiet.
She looked at me for a few seconds. She shook her head in
disappointment, turned and walked off. I saw her reach the main gate
and get inside her blue car, Only then did I realise I still held her
cardigan in my hand.
*
I didn't know if she would come to play basketball with me after
the cardigan incident. To my surprise, she did, all svelte in a new Nike
top and white shorts. We played without much conversation. Usually,
we would stop to chat every five minutes. Today, she focused on the
ball like a soldier does in combat with an enemy/.
'I am sorry, okay?’ I said, Playing with her wasn't as much fun as
before.
‘It's fine,' she said,‘Let's not talk about it again,’ I put on a sorry
face for the next twenty minutes. Finally, I held my ears and stood in
the centre of the court.
It did the trick. She smiled.
'Sorry, I also overreacted,' she said, 'Friends?' she said.
Ban this word, I tell you. ‘Yes, friends,’ I said.
She came forward to hug me. I gently pushed her away, ‘What are
you doing? ' she said.
'I'm not comfortable with this. Please don't spoil what we have,' I
said, mocking her high-strung tone. I stomped my feet and walked off
the court. She followed me.
Ignore girls and they can’t leave you alone. Strange. I didn't look at