#EXPOSED

CHAPTER - 11

Perfect Soulmate?

Sambhavna

Something is sketchy about these women. It's weird to be sitting here alone at a café-I wish I had one more person added to my lonely ballad. College used to be so easy a month ago, now it's a sick joke. I belong nowhere. I flip through the pages of a graphic novel and sip the cola from the can. None of them have been answering my texts and this feels like last year all over again.

Huh. I wonder how Mayank even likes one of these novels-they suck.

My gaze drifts towards the door as the familiar guy saunters into the room-what's his name again? Argh! Why can't I remember people's names for god's sake? This is such an annoying vice. He stands near the counter to place his order and I force my gaze to steer away from him as I get back to reading the novel. His laugh pierces through the air and I cringe silently.

Our gaze locks in the next beat and he waves his hand at me. Not knowing what else to do, I wave my hand back at him. He flashes a charming smile and saunters to my table. "Hey, you're friends with Ella, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah," I mumble as my brows knit quizzically despite myself and he takes his seat across me. Conversations by Lucy Rose plays over the speakers and I shut my novel quickly. "I didn't realize you know me."

"No, I've seen you around before," he says and I nod slowly. "I'm Jordan, by the way. We don't exactly run in the same circles but stuff seems to faze into each other these days."

"They sure do," I chuckle awkwardly and he smiles again. "I'm Sambhavna."

"I know." My brows shoot up in surprise and he laughs. "Any idea where Ella is?"

"Not really," I say and sip my beverage. "She must be busy with Aagnay." Because that would explain why we aren't catching up with each other lately. Jordan deliberates silently, looking away and I think I noted a flash of disdain cross his face but I can't tell. "Or I may be wrong," I quickly add and he snaps his sharp gaze on me. "We haven't talked lately."

"Is that Royal Blood, you're reading?" he asks, eyeing the graphic novel and I roll my eyes as I hand it to him.

"I'm sorry but I think it's utter garbage," I say before I drink the cola and he chuckles.

"I used to respect Alejandro Jodorowsky until he released this," he mutters, shaking his head and that makes me smile. "Didn't realize you're into graphic novels."

"I'm not," I confess. "I was reading this for a friend." He eyes me silently, urging me to go on and I bite my bottom lip. "This guy somehow likes graphic novels so I thought I should try...just to check the appeal but now I can't stand the fucking face."

That makes him laugh. "You know if you want to impress someone with things like these, then you should go for the safe bets."

"I barely know anything about comics," I assert sheepishly, lifting a shoulder meekly and he smirks. "Have you read this before?"

"Oh I love graphic novels," he beams. "But this one is shit. Fucker drew faces that are so punchable, my fingers twitch." We both laugh and his coffee arrives. He thanks the server and turns back to me. "You should try reading From Hell. It's this horror fiction novel by Alan Moore. I think you'd like it."

"Sounds cool," I admit and he blows the steam off the surface of his mug. "So do you often hang around with Ella?"

His gaze lands on me and his steaming mug halt midway near his lips. "Eh, not as often as you think." He sips from his mug. "It's rather a quite recent affair."