Playing Her Lover

Part 13 - The Proposal

Sunday. Indu was up finishing her assignments, as Sunday nights usually went. She sat down on her bed, having come inside the room after finishing her dinner. She opened her classwork and her laptop, determined to start her work. But her thoughts kept going back to the weirdness of her week. Sameera was speaking with Raghav and Nur again, but she had been doing her best to talk to her as well. Things seemed happier. But Indu had a creeping feeling of discomfort every single day. Sameera seemed to have lost all her energy. She didn't talk as much, good or bad. She avoided talking about Raghav and constantly seemed to keep everyone at an arm's length. The smile that Indu had seen had also been replaced with a more artificial, stage-like smile.

Indu glanced at the clock and had to do a double-take. It was already 2 am, and the assignment for biology was still half-done in front of her. She realised with a start that she had spent almost 45 minutes mulling over this new situation with Sam. She vigorously shook her head, went to the kitchen and poured herself another cup of coffee, and dived deep into her work. It was refreshing, not having any thoughts other than her work, and biology was a favourite - the work got done by 3:30. As she closed her books, she prayed her mind would allow her to rest when her head hit the pillow.

Sameera was sitting in her usual place the next morning when Indu boarded the bus. A small smile and a single movement of the hand were her acknowledgement of Indu's arrival. Indu reciprocated and sat in her seat as well. She turned back and saw Sameera's legs shuddering, and her eyebrows furrowed in worry. When they reached school, Indu waited for Sameera to get down, so she could ask if anything was wrong. She had been wanting to do that for the past few days, anyway. But to her surprise, Sameera saw her at the foot of the bus and brushed past her, in a great hurry. She saw her run up to Nur and Raghav, who were sitting together at the far end of the field. Indu worried for her physical health as well, since she could swear she had seen Sameera having a completely flushed and sweaty face. Well, she'd have to wait till class then.

Sameera was, in fact, slightly ill. She had come down with a mild fever the last night but insisted on going to school that day. It had to be Monday. She had to do it now. So she got up early and, through the chill, did herself up even more prettily, choosing to remember each thing that Raghav said he liked, and doing away with everything that Raghav had ever criticised. Her hair was up in a small ponytail, perfectly slicked back. Her lips were a tint of peach, the shade that she had worn when Raghav had once complimented her. Small but delicate pearl earrings - the real deal, of course. She painted her nails as well, though she knew the school would punish her for them. She added a flush of pink to her cheeks, disregarding the growing hotness in them. Tucking in her skirt, she decided to show her freshly shaved legs off. Even her droopy eyelids got adequate attention, with a slight brown eyeshadow that enhanced her crease and winged eyeliner.

The bus ride had been hard, as her body was desperate to fall asleep, but she could not - not today. She had to look and be perfect when she reached school. No drool on her face, no smudged eyeliner or lipstick. She had noticed Indu look back at her several times, obviously concerned. It somehow put her mind at ease, even if it was by a fraction. When the school building came into sight, however - there was no way she could put her beating heart down. She was quite sure that all those around her were able to hear her heart perfectly.

She got down in a hurry, mind focused on finding Raghav. She had barely passed the school gates when her eyes landed on him, and her feet rushed her till there. Her eyes fell on Raghav's face - boyish, yet not so childish that he may be mistaken for one. A few freckles and moles over his face, and of course, the normal teen acne. A cocky smirk forever imprinted on his lips. For joy, for exhilaration, she searched her soul. She waited for the smile to creep up her lips, as it happened in so many movies. It never came. All that came was the mechanical drone of the plan she had drawn up the night before. 'Go talk to him the way you would, Sam. Why are you hesitating?'