Love In The Night Sky

IV. Jealous

⪼iv. jealous

I SMILE when I see the empty terrace to my left. I really had my effect. I check the other vital spots before humming and marching to see my guy. It has officially been 3 weeks since I met the guy and now, I'm totally in love with him.

I have never been in love with a guy whom I've never met or seen. But, oh this guy drives me crazy. My brother told me that the guy had a thing for his classmate, but broke up with her when she disrespected his grandparents.

"Hmm, I can treat your grandparents the way they deserve. Moreover," I turn and blow a discreet kiss towards the guy who doesn't even look this way. "I can treat you even better."

I wink and chuckle to myself at how crazy I am for this guy. If Esther hears about this, she will probably smack my head and suggest me therapy. But I'm too down for this guy to even think about anything.

I really should've let her suggest me a doctor.

15 minutes pass with ease and now, it's his break time. I blast 'Shayad' and lean over the wall, looking at the busy road. The shops are full of people, all sorts of students carrying their bags to their respective tuition centers. Oh, the days when the tuitions teachers told you last minute that there was no class that day, was the best feeling ever. Glad my school days are over.

I see the guy jumping from this to that corners of his terrace, heated with all the burn he got from walking. I really need to ask my brother for his name. Perhaps I should give him money. From where? Obviously from parents. But the questions? What about food? I can't even buy myself food.

"Perhaps I should tie him somewhere and get a katana."

Now that seems like a good and reasonable idea.

I walk here and there discreetly, but towards the guy slowly, to get a better view. He is leaning with both his hands on the terrace wall. His hair runs as fast as he turns his head to capture the view.

I scrutinize my gaze to find him lifting his hand. And he waves. In my direction. What?

"Oh my gosh, is he gonna flip me out? Is he gonna find out that I like him? Did he find me creepy? Is he really going to expose me like this in public?"

Does he feel the same? Does he like me? Is he going to go for a last minute stretch and reveal that no, he isn't a 20 year old but actually 52 years old? Is he going to rip his shirt and reveal that he is Iron Man?

I really need to call Esther to suggest a therapy doctor.

My cheeks feel hot. He is waving at me, at me. Perhaps, he does feel the same. Perhaps we are meant to be. We would confess and have a sweet walk at the beach, proposal at our new house, marriage in-

"Hi!" A female voice chirped from a nearby house. She waves and I can see her cheeks fill as if she is smiling. I look over to the guy and now, he is enthusiastically waving with both his hands. The woman's giggles fill my ears soon enough, and both are waving to each other cheerfully with no judgement.

Oh.

Oh.

I feel my cheeks blaze and turn to prevent my eyes from fliting towards the both of them. I march straight where the trees are located, and lean with both my hands, head down and mumbling curses.

"Oh gosh, I can't believe I thought all that in my head." I mumble. 'Shayad' is still blasting through my earphones but now, it sounds like a breakup song.

This is it. This is the part where I should start to move on. This is the part where I convince my mind that I should live my life and not look back.

"Am I seriously gonna cry over a mere terrace guy?"

I'm kidding. There are no tears.

"Maybe I should leave." I say to myself and look back dramatically at the both of them. Though the guy now started walking and the woman is nowhere to be seen, I sob (with literally no tears), clutch my phone tightly, and take the flight of stairs.

"What now?" My brother asks, looking up from his phone. I know he is asking about the old creep, but today, that was not the case.

"I drove the creep away. But..." I trailed, looking away from him so that I can control the embarrassment.

"What?" He asks as he now keeps down his phone as if this conversation can solve world hunger. This just fuels my embarrassment and stutter my words.

"W-Well, you know our neighbor from the back right?" I hesitate. He rears his mind and something clicks in his head. He stares at me with bored eyes before picking up his phone and resumes whatever he was going.

"She is married with a kid." He tells. "Her husband works as a doctor."

"That's impossible! He waved to her meaning that she is of her age!"

"Are you insane? Did you really forget Nalini?"

"Who is Nalini? Why are you all obsessed with Nalini?"

"We literally attended her marriage last year!"

"Okay, but what does that have to do with the terrace guy waving at her?"

"Our entire neighborhood knows her!"

"Why?!"

"Because she is aspiring to be an IAS officer!"

I pause. Think. And come to a conclusion.

"That Nalini? The one where mum went to give a gift to her for her baby shower? That Nalini?"

"Exactly! Who doesn't know her? Perhaps you, but any sane person would remember her."

I nudge his arm harshly to which he stomps my feet, not looking from his phone. So, that simply means that I was clearly dramatic and I misunderstood the whole thing.

"For a cse student, you sure are dumb." He mumbles and this time, I kick him hard on the shin. He keeps away his phone and stands up. I quickly swift through the house, giggling as my brother chases me.

"Stop fighting." Mum says but it falls through deaf ears, as she sighs for the umpteenth time of the week.