Oh No! Not Again!!!

Another blog .. really????

I ask myself as I write this down. It may be a coincidence, but each of my multiple blogs have come at a critical juncture in my life. Two of them coincide with completion of a degree, including this one.

Done with my Master's and looking to keep myself busy before joining corporate life once again, I dug into the pages of the scratch-pad that I have kept to note down the "creative" ideas that I get when I am extremely busy with other stuff with no time for anything else. Most of the ideas don't make much sense later, but inadvertently some do.

Four years ago, I decided to give a try to a not-so-short story in the form of multiple chapters and I got a pretty decent response from friends and readers. I feel like trying another longer story this time, but instead of creating a separate blog for each of these stories, I have decided to create this blog that would have all these longer stories. I would be adding the story I wrote four years back as the first story in this blog. I have a couple more up my sleeve that would be posted in the coming days as I try and get back to writing fiction, a hobby that I tend to neglect for extended periods of time, but it gives me a great deal of joy nevertheless.

Does that mean I would be stopping my main blog ? No chance. That would still have the short stories and my rants. This one would be dedicated for slightly longer stories which would be put up in multiple chapters one by one. As always, I don't know whether I would be regular in this regard, or if it would end up incomplete and abandoned like so many of the stuff that I try, but the intention is to go the distance. 

I will try to keep things as interesting as I can, and I do love feedback both positive and negative. Knowing that people actually take out some time to read something that I have written makes me feel humbled and criticism helps me improve my writing. So folks, at the beginning of a new (and hopefully interesting) journey I am adding the first story that was written four years back titled "Is It A Love Story?" as the first story on this blog. For those who would be reading it for the first time, I do hope you enjoy it. It is a very special one for me since the encouragement that I got from my friends on this one fuelled my passion to write more and different types of stories. So hop on, and hopefully the ride would be enjoyable. :)

Snatch - Part 1

Jenny stirred the coffee absent mindedly. It was late evening and there was a steady flow of people in the CCD in which she was now sitting with Suraj. They were sitting in their usual corner which shielded them from the banter of the groups of college students who would frequent the place most of the time. It gave them a bit of privacy, though there was no need of it today since there wasn't much crowd anyway.

"Say something." said Suraj.

"I don't know what to say Suraj. I don't think I am ready for anything more than friendship." Jenny replied, still stirring her coffee.

"I don't believe that is the reason."

"You will get somebody way better than me. I'm no good at relationships and you too know that. You are smart, good-looking and have a great job. You can have any girl you want."

"The classic friend-zone argument. I am ready to accept rejection, but I would like a good reason. The 'you deserve better than me' has long gone out of fashion. Out with the truth."

"You think it is easy for me to say no to you? You are one guy I can trust my life with and I really like you. But be practical. After some time you too will get bored of me. And even if you don't, how do you expect our parents to agree to this match?"

Suraj placed his hand on hers across the table.

"I'm not one of those people who would give up on you. I really love you for what you are. And what do you mean about convincing our parents? An inter religious marriage is pretty commonplace now. We will talk to them and convince them. I'm sure about myself that this is what I want. If you too want to spend your life with me, then I can't understand what is stopping you from doing it."

"Suraj you are really sweet and I appreciate you putting your heart out in the open. Do try to understand that mine has been broken too many times. I don't have it in me to love anybody selflessly now. Your love is too much for me to take, and I don't deserve any of it. Its best that we stay friends as we have always been and keep it that way. Nothing would change."

"Try as much as I would, I don't think things will remain the same. Its always one person who cares too much and the other hesitant to take the next step. Not that I am convinced with your reasoning for refusing me, but I respect your decision. It would take me some time to accept your decision, but I will come around to doing it. In the meantime, think about reconsidering."

"I don't think there is anything to reconsider. It is for the best. Please try to understand".

A few minutes later, Jenny was driving back home. The conversation played over in her mind. She tried playing some music from her phone to get her mind off it, but the battery had already discharged and she had forgotten the charger home. She was feeling rotten. She had just refused a proposal from one of her best friends whom she knew for around 3 years. The reason? She couldn't point out anything in particular. Yes, they belonged to different faiths, but that was not really a concern to her personally and if required she could convince her parents. Maybe it was the utter failure of her past relationships that had rendered her unable to love any other person now. The normally soothing breeze blowing from the car window was not so pleasant today. She closed the window and switched on the air conditioner.

As she parked in the garage, she noticed that her father's scooter was not present at its usual spot. She knocked on the door of her apartment and her mother opened it. Martha let out a scream and hugged her daughter sobbing loudly.

"Thank God you are alright. We were so scared." Martha cried.

"What happened Mama? Why are you crying? And where is Dad?" Jenny asked, confused with her mother's reactions.

"We got a call a couple of hours back from a man saying that he had kidnapped you. I don't know the details, your father spoke to him. There was some talk of a ransom and your father rushed out with a suitcase. Why didn't you pick up your phone? We were trying for so long!"

"The battery was dead and I didn't have a charger. And who was the man who called? Did he give any name? How can you just believe anybody saying that he has kidnapped me?"

"Your father was very upset. I don't know where he has gone. He just rushed out. I am really worried Jenny."

"I am going to try and call Dad. I can't believe he fell for such a prank."

Jenny picked up the landline phone and dialled her father's number. But he did not pick it up. His phone was ringing right in front of her next to the landline.

To be continued ....

Snatch: Part 2

A few beads of sweat trickled down Robert's brow, and the heat was the least of the reasons for it. It was late evening and the man on the phone had told him to meet in the parking lot of the Panaji city bus stand where he was currently standing. He had ordered strictly not to tell anyone about this or else Robert's daughter, Jenny would suffer the consequences. How long he would have to wait until the man arrived, Robert had no idea. His instructions were clear, get the money and be at the designated spot within an hour.

It had happened all of a sudden. Just a couple of hours back, Robert had returned home from his job in the bank and had sat down to relax when the phone rang. His daughter had been kidnapped and the kidnapper had threatened dire consequences for her if he did not receive 1 crore rupees within one hour. Apparently the kidnapper knew everything about Robert and his family. When Robert argued that he could not arrange so much money so fast, the kidnapper had chuckled.

"You take me for a fool, Mr. Costa?" he had said. "Among the various keys you carry around with you, there is a key to the cash vault of the bank. You are also in charge of closing it, which means you can open it too. Problem solved?"

Robert gripped the suitcase containing the money tightly. How was he going to explain the missing money to his bosses? If somehow his daughter was saved and both of them got out of the situation unscathed, he would most likely be booked for theft. Worry about it later, he told himself. His duty as a father came first. He prayed continuously that Jenny be unharmed.

Somebody tapped his shoulder from behind. It was a lady wearing a burqa. She motioned him to follow her through the crowd.

"Where is my daughter?" he demanded. "I want to see her first."

She put a finger on her lips.

"You are not getting the money before I see Jenny."

"If you want to see her you'd better come with me quietly." It was a man's voice behind the burqa.

Robert followed him quietly. After a five minute walk through the crowd, they stopped in front of a Maruti Omni van.

"Get in the car." said the burqa-clad man.

"Where are we going?"

"You ask too many questions. Keep your mouth shut and get in. Don't make me force you inside."

Robert got on to the back seat and the man in burqa sat next to him.

"Now, we are taking you to your daughter, but as per our rules, you are not supposed to see where. So... "

There was a loud thud as something hard hit Robert's head and he blacked out.

***

"So you are saying that the person who called supposedly kidnapped you, but you were out?" 

"Yes, Officer. He demanded a ransom from my father and threatened to kill me if it was not given to him fast. My father then rushed out and we don't know where he is. He forgot his cell phone home so we are unable to contact him."

"But if you weren't kidnapped, why would he demand a ransom?"

"We have no idea why. As I told you earlier, my phone battery had discharged so my parents weren't able to call me."

"Why were you out all by yourself so late in the evening? Don't you know that the city is not safe for ladies, especially late? You people act irresponsibly and then we, the police get blamed when something happens."

"For your information, I was not alone and was with a friend. But what has that got to do with my father going missing?"

"Just see how this situation looks. A random stranger calls your home and demands a ransom for your so-called release. Without telling anybody anything, your father just leaves the house and leaves his phone behind. It has been just about an hour since this happened and you are here to file a missing complaint. For all you know he may be back home right now waiting for you."

"Officer, don't you feel that the call is fishy? I mean somebody is demanding a ransom for a kidnapping that never happened. Are you just too lazy to look into this matter or are you plain stupid not to understand the gravity of the situation?"

"You can say whatever you want to me, madam. But if we start putting our meager resources to every silly complaint that we get, there won't be any police force left to protect the people where it is actually required. You can file a report here and we'll see what we can do."

Jenny entered her house totally distraught. How could the police be so indifferent? 

She saw her mother on the phone. Martha saw her daughter enter and burst out crying.

"What is it Mama?" Jenny asked. 

Martha was unable to speak. She handed the phone over to Jenny.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jenny. I realize that you are very worried about your missing father."

"Who the fuck are you? What do you want?"

"No time for decency eh? He is safe with us so don't worry about him. I understand that you also met the police regarding the matter. Now decide what is more important for you. The life of your father, or us getting caught by the police. I will call again later explaining what we want. Till then stay put in your house and don't bother telling anybody else about the matter. I hope I am clear enough."

The line disconnected. Jenny banged the phone down and collapsed on the couch unable to control her tears.

Is It A Love Story? - Part 1

PAYAL SPEAKS

I was nervously elated, being selected after quite a strenuous procedure for the western dance team. It was a warm July evening and we were awaiting the arrival of the music system in the hall so that we could start with the choreography and the dance practices. Swagat, the fresher function was to be held in a couple of weeks and I was one of the selected 12 first years (6 girls and 6 boys) who would be dancing to the tunes of the latest hindi and english songs. The second year coordinators would be organising the whole dance and we just had to blindly follow their instructions without questions.

We were in the middle of practices that day when I first saw him. A tall, extremely thin person and seemed quite subdued to be a third year which he was. Besides him was another guy, short with long hair and a duck-foot walking style. This guy had an expression as if there was dung under his nose. It was obvious that he was a dominating person. He was later introduced to us as Arun Kumar, the senior-most member of the team, the final year.

What made me notice Amit that day was the fact that his eyes seemed to be bubbling with energy even though his mind seemed a bit distant. He was standing alone in a corner, flipping out his mobile phone every now and then, browsing through something and then shoving it back into the pocket of his jeans in frustration. It was quite evident that this frustration had nothing to do with the poor mobile phone. Those energetic black eyes which gave an appealing contrast to his fair complexion were darting continuously around the huge MP Hall as if he was waiting for something or someone. I never knew what exactly it was that was bothering him until about two years later.

Other than formal introductions, we didn't really talk that day, but that night those eyes did haunt me in my dreams.

AMIT SPEAKS

It was yet another frustrating day for me. The lethargic accountants of our college were just making me run helter skelter for my scholarship cheque which had definitely arrived from the Government, but it was quite apparent that these people wanted a bribe in order to release it, and that was something I was never gonna do. Just to release all this tension, I decided to chill out at my favorite spot in the MNNIT campus, the Multi-Purpose Hall, or the MP Hall as it was more commonly known. The dance practices for Swagat had already begun and the second years had phoned me earlier that day to just drop by in the evening and give my suggestions for the dance. And to MP Hall I went, never knowing that that day was going to be such an important one in my life.

I met my senior, Arun at the stairs where he stopped me for a chit-chat. Arun was one person I loathed ever since I knew him from my first year days. He was the second year coordinator when I joined the dance team and since then, my impression of him was that of a self centered moron who always put himself first before anything else, no matter what the situation might be. That chit-chat turned into a irritating blabber about how the new team entrants should be managed, how they should be taught to respect the seniors, and most importantly how the first year guys should be prevented from becoming friendly with the girls so that they are "left" for the seniors. This narrow minded attitude always got on to my nerves and I pretended to make a very important phone call just to change the topic and avoid him for sometime.

After some time we entered the hall where the practices were going in full swing. I had by then decided that I would give the motivational talk that I was expected later when Arun had left since I usually contradicted his views and he never liked that. So I just stood aside in a corner while he blabbered on to the freshers.

Actually there was another reason why I was there. Vidya, one of my closest friends had called me there as she wanted to discuss something important. I had no idea what exactly she wanted to talk about and was quite eager to know. As I was standing all by myself, I had a look around at the fresh faces of our dance team. It was then that I first noticed Payal. She was looking in my direction, at least I thought so, most probably bored with the senior talk going on there. I checked my mobile again for any message from Vidya as she had not yet arrived and she was one of the most punctual persons I knew. None. I shoved the mobile into my pocket and looked at the bunch again. As usual, this batch had that enthusiasm which is always present in the beginning and it was left to be seen how many actually retain it later. Again Payal caught my eyes. I won't say she was gorgeous or hot, but she had a strange appeal to her. Those brown eyes had a determination I had never seen in any other person earlier. She was light skinned, her silky hair brushing her chubby cheeks every now and then. I gave her a small smile as our eyes met once again but instead of smiling back, she turned her head away. I wasn't very sure whether she had noticed me at all.

It may not have been the perfect first meeting, but that face and those eyes had got noticed. She should be a person worth knowing, I had thought to myself. Maybe I would get a chance to speak to her the next time, when I would be giving my talk to the freshies. Who knows, maybe some sparks would fly ...........

Is It A Love Story? - Part 2

PAYAL SPEAKS

I couldn't make out much of him in the first meeting. He seemed to be just another guy lost in his own world, maybe something up his sleeve, but an introvert all the same, not bothered by what people around him felt or behaved. But this opinion was soon to change a couple of days later when we came to check out our practices a couple of days later.

This time he had come all by himself, no sign of the duck-footed Arun around him. We were just having a small break between practices and he had a chat with Nitin and Ayesha, the two main 2nd year coordinators of the dance while all the first years were sitting on the ground. After a few minutes, he turned towards us and stated that he wanted to see one practice. All of us got up and stood in our formations as the music began playing. While everyone was prancing around, he moved inside the formation to take a closer look at everybody's dance moves. I felt my pulse racing as he came close to me and quietly observed my moves and those of my partner's. A small smile flickered on his face which I guessed meant that we were doing fine. After the music stopped, he made all the sweaty and panting 12 dancers sit down in a circle and he kneeled right in the middle of it.

"First let me tell you that your lot has been the best that I have seen in the last three years at MNNIT." he said. "All of you seem to be very good dancers, so I don't need to comment on your dancing abilities. But I felt that something was missing. When I see the dance from a distance, everybody is dancing good and in synchronization with one another, but that energy which makes the audience jiggle along with you wasn't there. Dancing on stage just doesn't mean that you do your steps. You have to bring in that grace, that vigor, which will make the audience feel that you are having fun out there and make them dance with you. And the best way to do that is ? Obviously, just enjoy yourself while you are dancing. There's no need to be afraid of anything or anybody when you are there. We, as seniors are not here to rag you or punish you. We are here just to guide you through the way to setting the stage on fire. And if average dancers like us have done it in the past years, then it would be a cakewalk for the amazing dancers that I see around me right now."

Throughout as he spoke, his face had a single expression, no sign of emotions anywhere. Just that determined look, the look which made you want to achieve something. His husky voice had a hidden energy that would get transferred to the others when he spoke. Soon after that talk, he received a phone call and left the hall.

A few minutes later, we were right in the middle of another practice when Arun entered the hall. Inspite of the playing music, there was an eerie silence filled inside the hall. We stopped dancing and greeted him, as was customary for juniors to do so. Arun turned around to the coordinators.

"So this is the shit you'll have been teaching them to do eh ?" he gave a small pause. "Is this dance even worth showing to the sweepers or the construction workers? Everybody thinks that this is a joke."

Everyone had their heads bowed down. Heart rates had gone up, and I could hear mine clearly in that silence.

"You!!" he pointed right at me. "Come right here."

Head still down, I slowly walked towards him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here, jumping around like that. This is dance, not gymnastics, do you understand ? Next time I see you dancing like that, you may pack your bags and go back to your hostel. We are making a dance team here, not a circus troupe."

I was on the verge of tears. Quietly I went back to where I was standing earlier. This man seemed to be perpetually disturbed, and it felt that he was venting out some other frustrations on us. Still, there was a way of speaking, and nobody had a right to talk that way with anybody however big or small they may be.

What a stark contrast it was, on one hand a man who though silent most of the time could fill the team with a dose of energy, and on the other, who could compete equally from the other side and suck out whatever enthusiasm was left. After this experience, everybody was rather disturbed and the 2nd years seemed to have lost their usual knack for organising the dance. Arun left after several minutes and the second years then tried consoling us, desperately looking out for positive aspects in his outburst. The spirits were down, enthusiasm drained and it was decided to call it a day.

But was the day really over ?? Well, at least not for me. For me, that day just began when I exited the hall with my bag slung over my bag, and what a day it was to be..................

AMIT SPEAKS

After her initial phone call, Vidya seemed to have disappeared into oblivion. She hadn't come to the classes for a couple of days and her phone was switched off. I was beginning to get worried when suddenly that day she called me again, this time she wanted to meet in the college cafe, more popularly known as Nesci. I went down to the cafe to find her sitting at the corner table, her favorite.

"Coffee ?" I asked her. She nodded back and I got two cups for the both of us.

"So where the hell have you been for the past two days ?"

"I wasn't feeling well. Just some mild fever." she replied.

"Did your phone also have fever ? Why was it switched off ?"

"The batteries discharged, dumbo."

"Now listen to me." I told her. "I know you are hiding something from me. If you think these excuses of yours are convincing enough for me, then I am sorry to disappoint you. So let's get straight to the point. What has been bothering you?"

"I don't know. I don't know whether it is really worth bothering about. Instead of bothered, I'd rather say I am confused, confused as hell. Let's look at it this way. Consider two amazing chocolates, say one Hersheys and one Toblerone. What you personally like is the Toblerone, but to get it you have to walk a particular distance and it can require time. Now Hersheys has come right up to you and you can have it then and there. What would you do ? Would you take the Hersheys ? Or will you walk that extra mile for Toblerone ? The fact is that Hersheys is as good as Toblerone in many aspects, but you like Toblerone, and by the time you reach it, there is no guarantee that any Toblerone would be left for you. What would you choose Amit ?"

"All this chocolate talk has activated my sweet tooth. Just wait for a second, I am buying a KitKat. Would you also like one ?"

"Sure."

I went to the counter and bought two small KitKats. Didn't really have the cash with me for the bigger ones. I returned with the chocolates back to the table.

"Here is you KitKat. So where were we ?" I asked.

"Hersheys or Toblerone ?" she replied.

"Hmm. That's a tough choice really. Let me guess. Right now for you, these two brands stand for two entities, correct ?"

She nodded back.

"I get it. Now I am not sure about what or WHO Toblerone actually represents, but I think I'm pretty sure who Hersheys is."

There was a pragmatic pause before I spoke again.

"It's Ravi, isn't it ?" I asked.

She looked down and there was a nod. Ravi was another close friend of ours who had been having feelings for Vidya for over a year, but never spoke about it.
It seemed like at last he had.

"So would you do the honors of telling me who Mr. Toblerone is ? Or do you want me to stretch my guessing ability to its limits?"

"I think it would be better if it remains a secret as of now. You can refer to him as Mr. Toblerone."

"What exactly do you expect me to say at this very moment?"

"I am just too confused Amit. Maybe I just want someone to tell me what to do for a change. I am not able to decide on this. Yes, I do like Mr. Toblerone a lot, but I can't find anything amiss in Ravi. Then why do I feel the need to say no to him. Toblerone may be my dream, but then, all Computer Engineers don't get placed in Microsoft and Google, do they?"

"No, they don't." I said. "But just to be fair on him, don't take a decision which you might regret. I know him, and he will definitely understand. Just tell him the reason properly if you are going to say no."

She smiled weakly at me. I understood that what she really wanted was someone to confirm what she felt she should do. I felt sorry for Ravi, the poor guy was just being honest to her. But then, one could not blame her. I wondered who that silly Mr. Toblerone was. He'd better be worth it, I thought, since Ravi was a really nice guy.

We sat there for a few more minutes and then she left for her hostel and I decided to check out on the dance practices. I wasn't that much worried about the dance part, the second years were capable enough of doing their job well. It was actually the case that I had an urge to see Payal again. And that I did manage.

While supervising the dance, I went through everybody's performance and couldn't help spending a few extra moments on Payal and her partner. The poor fellow was trying very hard to match her dance and it was quite funny the way he would glance every now and then at her to see if he was doing the correct step. On one occasion, he missed a beat and then almost fell down in his attempt to catch up. I couldn't control a smile from forming on my face.

She was as graceful as ever. Those determined eyes still burning with the fire that I had noticed earlier. I don't know what exactly was pulling me towards her, but I had to control myself from gazing continuously at that face, lest I be considered indecent.

I soon left the hall after giving one of the motivational talks. I had to be prepared to console Ravi after Vidya had talked to him. Maybe she wouldn't do it today in a haste, I thought. I went back to the hostel, thinking about Vidya and Payal alternately, about who Mr. Toblerone could be, about how I can start a casual conversation with Payal. Maybe I could approach her, talk about simple things about the dance, and then change the topic to more general one. Maybe that bloody Toblerone would surface up and show his face and Vidya would build the courage to tell him.

Now I was getting confused. Maybe it was too much thinking for one day and I should rather take it as it comes. But little did I know that life had quite some surprises in store for me, and all of them wouldn't be wasting any time in coming.................

Is It A Love Story? - Part 3

Note: The narration style changed to third person from this chapter.

Amit sat on the table opposite Payal. It was a very awkward situation for both of them. A million thoughts running through both their minds.

'What am I doing here all alone in a coffee shop with a person I haven't even talked with properly before?' Payal thought to herself. Never before in her life had she been so impulsive. But then, she had never seen a more intriguing person before.

On the other hand, Amit was confused. He wasn't sure if it was even a crush. Still he had shamelessly asked her for coffee. And now that he thought of it, she had readily agreed to it too. Was there an invisible force which was bringing them together like magnets? Well, time would only tell that.

"So what will you have?" he asked, in an attempt to break the silent deadlock.

She looked up at him with a sigh of relief that the silence was broken at last.

"A hot Cappucino should be fine." she said with a smile.

He ordered two cappucino's to the waiter who left with a grin.

"So, how do you like our dear ol' MNNIT?" he asked, unable to think of anything else to start the conversation with. It was the first time he found himself tongue-tied with a girl.

"Do you want me to rant about how good and nice everyone is? Or are you asking my honest opinion?"

"Say whatever you feel comfortable saying."

"Frankly, I feel that we are just convincing ourselves that we love this place. We make friends and then somehow ignore the reality. The hostel conditions are quite pathetic considering that the institute has a stature of being an NIT and such wonderful food which ends you up having diarrhoea every week. What's there to like about it anyway?"

"My God, you really know how to criticise. Sorry for asking such a sensitive question, but that was the best I could come up with."

"Is this your first time with a girl in this coffee shop?" she asked without trying to appear too inquisitive.

They heard a chuckle at the bill counter. Amit glared at the manager and turned back to her.

"Apparently not. I come here quite regularly with my friends, which includes girls too."

"But it is your first time all alone with one, right?" she teased him.

"To tell you the truth, yes." Now was there a tinge of crimson on his cheeks or was she imagining it?

"So, why do I get this honor??"

"Hmm, so now you want praises to be showered on you, is it? It has got nothing to do with honor or anything. Just consider it as an attempt for friendship. It's not illegal or harmful as far as I know."

"That's left to be seen based on what you do from now onwards. So you mean to say that this is a friendly cup of coffee and not a date."

"That's exactly what I want to say."

"Ohh, and I thought there was a guy interested in me. My bad luck I guess." she made a mocking sad face.

"Well, who knows what's in store ahead? I was trying to be humble. Actually I am quite fascinated by your attitude. We haven't really met, I find you walking all by yourself on the road and I ask you for a coffee. Without a second thought you agree. Any normal girl would refuse such an attempt by a stranger guy."

"Damn you! For a few moments I thought you were not one of the normal chauvinists. Guess all men are the same. If you think that I have any intentions of hooking up or sleeping with you, then we'd better stop it right here. First of all, you are the one who acted shamelessly by asking me out without knowing me. Why I agreed? Because I hardly have any friends here and wanted to make some, and a cup of coffee seemed inviting after the dance session. So what do you say? If you feel I'm acting like a slut then it was good meeting you sir, I can pay for my coffee myself."

"My my. You are one real energy pack. If I have insulted you in any manner then I'm really sorry. I'm not one of those persons for whom girls are just meant to be objects of pleasure and I do believe that guys and girls can be friends. So I deem it fit that I pay for the coffee this time, you can do it next time. But I think I'll have to clarify one thing. I am really attracted towards you, whether it is just a friendly attraction or something else, I don't know myself. But you can be sure I won't misbehave anytime. So, friends?"

Amit extended his arm for a handshake which she accepted with a smile. As the coffee was finished, they got up and went to the counter to pay the bill.

"So that was it huh." Payal said. "A hot cup of coffee to make friends with a hot girl. You technical guys are really pathetic when it comes to courting. Since I have accepted this friendship, I deserve an icecream at the least."

"I had just offered my finger and now you are grabbing my whole hand. Fine, its okay this time." And grabbing two icecreams, both of them went out into the street. 

Is It A Love Story? - Part 4

The sun was on its journey down the horizon by the time Amit was returning back to the hostel. The sky was a beautiful picture of orange, yellow and violet streaks. A cool breeze was blowing his hair upwards. Was it really happening or was he in a dreamland, he thought. The sun went down everyday, breeze blew all the time. But it was only today that he realised the beauty of these simple things. The flowers seemed brighter in color, the grass greener. Could life be any better?

As he was walking along the lane, he received a thump on his back. He turned around to see three of his classmates walking besides him.

"So at last, the silent Amit's got a girlfriend huh? Man, we really thought you were useless in this aspect." joked Abhinav.

"Dude, it was just a friendly coffee. No need to get hyper." Amit replied.

"Oh yeah. A friendly coffee that ended up in 'licking' fashion, with the icecream of course." Raju said with a wink and all four burst out lauging.

"You can justify all you want mister, but the crimson color of your cheeks and that silly smile is totally giving you away. Awesome, so today we have some gossip news for our online group."

"Go on, boil your heads, fry your necks assholes. If you start putting up any nonsense about me on that group, you just beware." said Amit and walked away.

He knew they were just pulling his leg and never meant to do any such thing. But could it be true? Was he really falling in love?

By this time he had reached the hostel and was walking in the corridor when he passed room number 154, which was Ravi's. Had Vidya told him already? he wondered. 

Amit knocked on Ravi's door. After several moments, the door opened. Ravi was standing still, glaring at Amit.

"Hey, you alright? You don't look so good." Amit said.

What happened after that was so quick that Amit didn't have any chance to react. The blow landed flat on his face and he stumbled down on the floor.

"You bastard. You knew it all along. Still you played with me right? Wanted to see some fun did you? How's that? Is it funny enough or should I add some more humor?"

Ravi was fuming. Amit staggered to his feet. He could feel the blood pumping in his cheek as it began swelling.

"I guess its better you vent out whatever anger you have before I do any explanations." Amit mumbled.

"Explanations eh? What the fuck do you think you can explain? Can you explain why you let me fall for Vidya while all along both of you were together? You knew it all along. Still you never confessed to me that both of you liked each other. No, you wanted some entertainment. Let Ravi propose to her and get rejected. A perfect television soap scenario. Then you can be the hero who wins over the heroine. Screw you!"

So this was what the Toblerone and Hershey's debate was all about. Damn you, Vidya. What the hell have you done? Amit went slowly and held Ravi's hand. Ravi pushed it away and leaning on the wall he let himself slip down on to the floor and suddenly burst out into tears. Amit went and sat down beside him.

"I guess its someone else who has to do a lot of explaining, not me." he said.

Payal sat down on her bed in her hostel room. She just stared at the floor, her mind racing with thoughts. Had she just had a date with a guy she barely knew? This was crazy. Nothing made any sense at all. The supposedly studious and career-minded Payal had just had a coffee and icecream with a senior guy. Oh God, what the hell was wrong with her?

Just then, her roommate Neha arrived. She closed the door behind her and jumped with glee. 

"Mission successful!!!!!!!!" she screamed and began dancing. 

Payal looked at her and smiled.

"Not yet sweetheart, but the path to success has just begun." she said and both of them danced together in the small cramped room.