Manav

Chapter 10 - The Last Night Hitch

Everyone were busy talking to each other and I guess all of them had forgotten about those glasses. They had theirs in their hands, but no one discerned them. Well, I was beside Priyanka. But we didn't face each other. Everyone had started walking towards the door, and I was hoping that something should happen between me and her! I wanted an interaction. Few steps we took, but no interaction happened. My ears felt the sound of ticking of a clock with extreme bass. I felt everything was in slow motion. A moment of present was what I could sense, but in that moment, there wasn't any significant change. The typical 'hold your breath' moment was what I felt, because for one reason which I was predicting about that if nothing happened between me and her back then, then maybe I'd lose her forever.

Priyanka was continuing to walk without looking at me when she finally stopped when I did. We had eyes on to each other, maybe thinking of ways of how to end everything on good terms, but hardly could we match our eyes.

"I want to hug her."

"I want to hug him."

"No, she won't and its not appropriate right now."

"No it's not appropriate right now."

"But then, a handshake?"

"If not a hug, then a handshake maybe?"

"God, this is so difficult."

"It's so difficult!" we thought.

But then, for one more moment, our eyes clashed each other and they held that moment where we knew we wouldn't be able to say anything, but we actually wanted to. At least, that's what I thought.

"Oh come on! For god sakes, just tell each other!" Franky said form nowhere.

We looked at him.

"What?" she said.

"You were sleeping." I said.

"Yeah, but I wasn't dead. And how are you two guys! Ridiculous! Just become friends again, even I know you both want that to happen. What's all this fiasco about 'Oh god, I want to hug him; Oh god, I can't; Oh god, everything's over! Blah blah blah blah and blah! You guys are such a pain in the ass! All this awkwardness between you two has lasted since " he said.

Then I looked at Priyanka and she looked at me, and we were sort of in a moment where again, we wanted to say so many things to each other but we couldn't, for some reason.

"Oh god, not again! Forget it, I'm going back to sleep." Franky said. And that's when it hit me that no, I was dreaming. Franky didn't get up and blabber about all that tension between me and her. I was losing my mind into imagination. She continued moving out of the house. And I also followed her. We all were on the road outside Shlok's house. And yes, some guys among us were crazy enough to think of getting a local cab at that time of the night. But the moment was stirring differently for me.

In the silent and empty night under the yellow tint which was born from those street lamps, I stood in front of her. I held her hand and turned her towards me. I felt it necessary to decrease the space between us so I pulled her closer to me. So much closer that our lips...

* * * * * * * *

I jolted off my bed. The sun rays disturbed my vision through the window and the fan on top of me didn't really make any difference to cool me. In that typical everyday situation, I felt that worst ever thought of me kissing Priy...

It was morning then. And for a while I just tried to digest where was I and all. I rubbed my eyes and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What was I dreaming?!"