Unexpected Turn of Events

Chapter 7

STILL 6 YEARS AGO

The next afternoon, when my biology class finished, I walked out of class heading towards the ice cream stand out on the road.

As I was walking out Hardik grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest.

"What the" I tried to loosen the grip of his and on mine but he just pulled tighter "get off of me you jerk."

He laughed "Come on babe, you see all these girls giving you nasty looks" he pointed at the girls that started to stare at him and I "they all want to be in your position right now."

It was true so many girls would die to have him hold their hands.

"I don't care what other people want I don't want this so leave me alone"

"No can do darling"

"All I wanted was some ice cream man it has been a hard class and if I had more energy in me I promise I would argue with you but please just leave me alone." The Bio class had been difficult and the professor has something against me so he makes my life hell.

"You want ice cream? Let's get you some ice cream." He pulled me to the ice cream stand while everyone watched. "Hi can I get one chocolate slurpy (Indian ice cream) and one old fashioned ice cream sandwich please"

"How do you know I like ice cream sandwiches?"

"I remembered. One day when I was with your best friend Meera I remember you telling her that"

"For the last time, her name is Maya and that was so long ago how do you still remember?"

"Haven't you noticed Jas, I'm always around you. I have always been with your friends or your acquaintance because I wanted you to notice me, but you never did until Manisha"

I didn't bother correcting him this time because I knew it wasn't worth it. But when I started thinking about all the rumors I had heard about him, it was true. He had only been with most of my friends and acquaintance.

Weird.

While I was focusing on remembering who he had been with, Hardik paid for me. When I tried to pay him back he said it was fine and I can pay him back later.

Back then I didn't know that he didn't mean that I will pay him back with money.

His payback was my humiliation.

He talked to me while I ate my ice cream sandwich, I just listened.

He was like a little kid, small things fascinated him. He made stupid jokes that I hate to admit laughed at, but in his talks what really got to me was how observant he was.

He told me that there was a problem between the most talked about couple in college by the way they were acting. No one else noticed besides him. I didn't want to admit it but he seemed right.

Later on, on that day found out he was.

He messed with a lot of my friends but nothing hurt me as much as he messed with Maya. She meant so much to me and I never wanted her to be hurt, but I would be lying if I said I didn't think about him that night in my dorm. He was way more than he let on.

For the next couple of weeks, he always found me outside of my classes to have ice cream with me. He took us to the same spot as we first had ice cream, he always paid, he always talked, and I always listened. I began looking forward to our ice cream session and his nonstop blabbering.

One night I heard a knock and sat up on my bed yelling a come in because I knew it would only be Maya at this time of the night.

Much to my surprise, it wasn't. Walking in my room was none other than Hardik freaking Pandya.

"Hey babe, couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about you, so I wanted to meet you. What's up what are you doing?" He walked in and plopped right on my roommate Neha's bed. Neha was gone to Amritsar to meet her family so I was in the room alone.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh she talks too, after our ice cream conversation or lacks thereof, I thought you were mute"

"Do you realize its 11:30! Boys are not allowed in girl dorms after 6! GET OUT!" I whisper screamed.

"Relax baby no one is going to see me, besides everyone else at this building is at my party."

"You are having a party?"

"God Jasmine people have been talking about this party since last month, where have you been?"

"I have school to focus on. Parties come and go." I needed to learn and be the best in my class so I could get a good job that paid me well. It took all my saving from working with Dr.Sharma to get here. She told me if I pass with a high enough grade and come work at the center time to time she will find me a job in America. No one knew about that conversation, not even my parents.

"I know I know. So tell me what do you want to do?"

"Pysiotheripist."

"Wow nice, maybe when I get on the National Cricket team I'll make the coach hire you."

"You really want to be a cricketer?" He was the cricket captain here in our college. If you saw him play, you would be impressed. But I didn't think he would want to be a cricketer.

"Yeah, but why do you sound surprised?"

"No, it's just a really big dream to live up to that's all. Also, not a lot of people make it."

"Yeah well, I will." He sounded offended "I don't even know why I am telling you all this I don't even tell my best friends that dream of mine." He got up to leave and I panicked.

"Wait, I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that" I don't know what got into me, why it bothered me so much that he was about to leave angry. I only literally knew him for a day but he grew on me. Way faster than I would have liked to believe.

He had his back still turned to me and I had this urge to make him smile or crack another joke.

"Everyone has their dreams. Mine is to go to America and work. That's why I study so hard. I work with this doctor and she told me that I would have to get very good grades and if I do she can make that dream come true. No one knows about this besides you."

"Not even Malika?"

I laughed. How could he still not get her name right

"Not even her" he smirked at me and we continued talking for the rest of the night.