Forever : The Cream Sweater | COMPLETED | Part 1

Chapter 7

"You have crossed the line this time. That guy there is deeply hurt." Ishaan looked annoyed. 'As if that wasn't expected after the stunt you pulled huh! You shouldn't have done that Ahana, you are such a bad friend' I have got into this habit of taunting myself.

Just the other day I was busy reading the second book in Ram Chandra series 'Sita' by Amish Tripathi. I don't know why but I kept on twisting and turning in my sofa chair and got my feet stuck such that my face was towards the back of the chair. In what can be termed as a failed attempt, I tried to wriggle my legs off the chair. It simply misfired and I fell back. Ask me what it takes to come back to a decent position when you are upside down on a chair with your legs stuck between the seat and the backrest.

When I finally managed to come out, my right foot was twisted. I went upstairs to my room to grab the balm tube from my drawer. Trust me, it's not easy to climb 10 steps with one foot twisted. By the time I was in my room, I felt like I have climbed Mt Everest. Everest looks a lot like my room, did you know that?

Anyways, I got the tube from my drawer and there, I saw Abhaas in his window. I went closer to the window and waved my hand. While waving, the tube slipped. The superheroine in me thought I could catch it before it falls. So I literally jumped out of the window and landed on my dear flower blossom on the ground floor beneath my balcony. I wasn't hurt much, but my mini garden. Ugh!!! Letting out a frustrated groan, I screamed,"I can't believe I'm the sperm that won."
"Nor can I." Abhaas replied from his window.

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Honestly, everybody has a right to do stupid things but I am abusing the privilege. So now that it was time to clear the mess that I had created, I decided to go and talk to Abhaas myself.

I knocked on the door twice before entering. Abhaas was sitting on the bed, back towards the door.
"Abhaas, I'm sorry. We really shouldn't have done that. We didn't mean to hurt you or anything. It was all my idea, Ulka, Tara and Snehal were just helping me. It took us quite some time to realise our mistake, but now that we have, please find it in your heart to forgive us."
"Quite a speech you prepared. How many practices did it take for perfection?" He was still angry.
"None. I really mean it. As spontaneous as it was, so are our apologies. Will you forgive us?" I was genuinely apologising.
"Yes, but promise me you won't do that ever again, never again."

I went forward to hug him tight. It feels good to know that I'm not losing this bond for some petty reason. Well not so petty, however, not serious enough to break us apart. We broke the hug and Abhaas went towards the chest of drawers to wear his watch. So he's finally coming out. A smile made its presence known on my face. The shadow of confusion and distress that was looming over his face since last night was gone. My friend is back.

Towards my left was a full length mirror. I looked at my reflection in it. I looked good, but a little fat.
"Do you think I have grown fat?"
"Do you think I'll let you off so easily?"
"Huh? I didn't get tha-"
Before I could realise what was happening, he pulled the rug under my feet. For a moment, there was no land under me and the next moment I landed on the same land. He stood there, laughing. He was waiting for the right time for revenge. He may be smart but I'm smarter.

Never let down your defences in front of Ahana, especially when you yourself have pranked her and she's waiting for any moment to get back at you. Didn't his mom teach him that? I bent forward to pull his leg towards me and enjoyed every second of his journey from land to air to land.

He fell near me.
"You didn't answer my question. Do I look fat?" I asked, lying on my stomach near him.
He smiled at me. "You are perfect as you are. Don't let anyone make you believe the other way, not even yourself. And never prank me like this again." He replied as he looked at me while he still had his back on the floor and face before me.

He looks cute upside down. I could smell the fresh shampoo in his hair. For a long time now, I associate this smell to security. I don't even know why, but I trust this guy, to be honest, I trust him a lot for my own good.
"I'll remember both the things." I replied.

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After dinner, we sat down in the guy's room to play cards. After 3 rounds of us losing and Ulka winning, we kinda lost the interest. "Let's change the game. What else have you got Ishaan?" Snehal was our savior in this time of crisis. Ulka the demon was not only winning every game, but feeding on our self esteem one piece at a time.

"How about business or ludo? I've got cluedo as well."
"Bring any game you can losers, you are sitting with the master of board games and her sidekick, luck."
It's hard to admit but she's right. I don't remember defeating her in any board game ever. The dice is as if her pawn, acting as per her demand all the time. She's the modern day Shakuni, and we five are the Pandavas. Fair enough!

There was certain kind of brouhaha outside. Enough to alert us all, Abhaas cautiously opened the door. Standing in front of us was Myra, wearing neon pink shorts which are too short to be termed shorts, a yellow camisole, a glass of what I suspect to be booze in her hand and nervous looking minions standing behind her. Something was off.

"Myra, what are you doing here so late?"
"Shhh... lemme talk! I'm here to talkkkk."
"Myra I don't think this is a good idea. Let's leave." Nisha, one of her minions looked worried now.
"WAIT!!! You! Abhaas Kalieeeee. I throw myself at you and you reject meeeh! Wear a bindi and lipstick from tomorrrrrow. Then dance on some item song." She started singing some cheap song in her slurry voice.

Oh my god! I must appreciate her skills at insulting. Though she was demeaning Abhaas, which was supposed to make me angry, I wanted to laugh. I saw Snehal capturing Abhaas's shock in her phone discreetly. That will prove helpful for later but now, we need to finish off this business. This girl isn't going to remember anything tomorrow so why not have some fun. I signalled Ulka and we started our very own fun.

"Firstly Nisha, Mehek, I hope you understand that Myra is breaking dozens of rules right now which can surely land her in trouble tomorrow. We won't open our mouth if you promise to keep mum about the things we might say now." Great start Ulka. Now my turn.

"So Myra, as it is you are done puking words in this room. Why don't you go back and trouble the bunnies, wax the ponies or do whatever creepy thing you do being you. Just spare us of the lunacy."
"Yeah having the Boogeyman disguised as Myra in dreams is the last thing we want now." We both successfully washed our hands in the stream of Myra's embarrassment.

"Leave." Tara ordered in a cold dogmatic tone. I didn't expect that. What made her so angry? This girl is unpredictable. She's like this single ray of sunlight dancing in the room. Any situation like the current one acts like a prism and multiple hues of her personality disperse before us. It will take an army of Sherlock Holmes to find out all of her personalities. And still some grey shades of her personality may never be found.

Myra left the room with her friends and Abhaas.... well, he was left at the mercy of our sarcasm. For some time, there was a blanket of silence all over the room.
I, Ulka and Ishaan burst into a fit of laughter.
I can't believe what just happened.
Ulka said,"Cherry red lipstick will suite you."
The embarrassed self was slowly turning red, precisely cherry red.
"That was the best insult I have ever heard and recorded!!" Snehal exclaimed.
"Please guys don't do this to me. Snehal, delete that recording." Abhaas was pleading.

"Hey, Abhaas we need to go!! How could you forget that? We're getting late and here you are wasting time. We need to reach before the shops close.", Ishaan said, shaking Abhaas' shoulder.
"Woah, where are we going?" Abhaas asked.
"Saree shopping!" I was practically crawling on the floor, searching for my lost breath as we couldn't stop laughing. I could see Ulka crying out of laughter. Snehal and Ishaan were laughing as well and so was Abhaas. But when I saw Tara, I froze. She looked angry.

One by one, all of us stopped laughing and we looked at her. With slow, measured steps, she went towards Snehal and grabbed her phone.
"Tara what are you doing? Give me my phone!" After a moment Tara almost threw the phone back at Snehal.
"Hey what's wrong with you?" Ulka demanded. Tara kept mum.
"Tara, are you okay?" I asked, honestly concerned. But instead of replying, she stormed out of the door which closed with a bang. The rainbow had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a black shadow.

*****

So, what do you think about this chapter? Different shades of Tara's character are in queue to meet you. Do vote for my story and feel free to comment and share.