Evading Love

19. The farmhouse

Twinkle: "Why do you look tense?"

"Bri asked me to spend the weekend with them at some farmhouse."

Twinkle: "So? Go. What's the big deal?"

"But I don't wanna!"

Twinkle: "Do you not want to go, or are you scared?"

I mutter, "Scared."

Twinkle: "Why?"

"What will I do with them? I'm not friends with them."

Twinkle: "Have fun! It doesn't matter if you're not friends. Yet. What are you so intimidated about?"

"I don't do well with groups. I feel like an outsider. Like I won't fit in."

Twinkle: "You've spent time with them before."

"That was circumstantial, not intentional."

Twinkle: "Brinda has invited you, so clearly, she wants to talk to you. You've talked to Ram before, and you can do it again. You can talk to the rest or not. They've been friends for years. No one expects you to fit in. You socialise with them per your capacity."

"Hmm."

Twinkle: "So, are you going?"

"As if I have a choice. Bri threatened to drag me by the ear if I tried to back out."

Twinkle: "I like her."

"Yeah, she's nice."

Someone knocks on the door.

F***.

Bri: "Hi!"

"You scared me for a second. How did you find my cabin?"

Bri: "I have my ways."

"Why are we going so early? What about the rest of them?"

Bri: "They'll join us after work. Since you're free after lunch today, and I want to get to know you better, I left early."

"Lucky me."

Bri: "Twinkle, do you want to join us?"

Twinkle: "I'm sorry. I have some chores lined up. After that, I want to lie on the bed and do nothing."

"Can I join you?"

Bri: "Don't make me do things you don't want me to do."

I raise my hands in surrender, "Fine! Let's go."

Twinkle: "Have fun!"

Bri: "You too!"

Mindlessly observing traffic can be soothing, given that you're not in a hurry. Sitting on a comfortable seat in an air-cooled car helps, too.

A little girl is relentlessly trying to sell flowers at the signal. If she's bothered by the people shooing her away, she's doing a good job hiding it. Before the light turns green, she finally finds a customer amongst the people itching to get their vehicles to move forward, annoyed by her presence.

Surviving this life is tough. More so, when it has become so crowded, and everything is so expensive. Why do people keep procreating more children than they care about or can afford? It's baffling.

Maybe people are selfish, rich and poor alike, because who the f*** wakes up and decides to bring a child into this cruel world and gift them multiple issues to grapple with for the rest of their lives?

Bri: "Where are you lost?"

"Nowhere."

Bri: "Someone might think that I blackmailed you into coming with me, which I kind of did, but you look like you'd rather be dead."