The Wrong Number

35

If Alankrita had left class earlier, she would've been able to avoid being body-slammed into the wall.

She didn't see Anu until she smooshed her against the hard concrete.

"Anu, what the hell was that?!" Alankrita cried, rubbing the back of her head. Anu answered in an urgent whisper, "No Alankrita, what was that? You and Ruhan were doing the optical equivalent of feeling each other up."

Alankrita choked on her saliva. "What?" She spluttered, "Are you crazy?Move out of the way or I'm going to be late for Biology!" She wrestled against Anu's grasp in vain.

"Ally, we've known each other for thirteen years," Anu said, her voice level with a hint of annoyance, "and I know when you're full of it. I'm not moving until I hear the whole story."

"It's a really long story."
"Well, we don't have much time, so start yapping."

Alankrita's patience dipped with every second that passed by, as did the likelihood of her making it to the biology lab three floors above her on time. With a weak sigh, she said, "Okay, I promise I'll tell you everything during lunch. But right now, all I'm going to tell you is that Ruhan and I have been texting each other. A lot. And he doesn't know the person he's texting is me." Upon hearing this Anu's eyes widened in surprise. Immediately, she began to bombard Alankrita with questions.

"Since when? About what? Why? Wait if he doesn't know it's you, how does he have your number?" she asked, shaking Alankrita by the shoulders. "I'll... Tell you... Later!" Alankrita gasped, and was finally able to calm down Anu.

Anu grinned and let go off her, who immediately scuttled to the biology lab hoping Professor Ravi hadn't begun yet.

One lab period later, Alankrita, clearing her biology things off the table, shuffled towards the door of the lab with the rest of the biology students. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Anu standing outside, panting violently, clutching Alankrita's lunch box as well as her own in her arms. "H-how," Alankrita stammered, staring at her with wide eyes, "The computer lab is in the basement. How did you manage to go to class, keep you books there, get our lunches and climb up three floors to wait outside the biology lab before bio ended?"

Anu grinned, and shoved Alankrita's lunch box into her hands. "Did I ever tell you I'm part Jamaican? Now come on, time is of the essence," and ran towards the stairs, dragging Alankrita along by the collar of her lab coat.

They entered the cafeteria on the first floor with Anu listening intently to Alankrita narrating everything that had transpired between her and the boy who was currently standing at the chaat counter letting a few girls touch his bruise (they were doing it with so much fascination, Alankrita almost found it cute) over the past few weeks. They found a free table and sat down, and began to tuck into their lunches.

What followed were probably the most uninterrupted minutes Alankrita had ever endured in Anu's presence, who interjected only to ask questions like, "when was this?" Or, "what did you mean by that?" and even, "have you sexted him yet?" the last one to which Alankrita replied with a glare and snarled, "No, I have not and have absolutely no intention of doing so."

After Alankrita had finished, there was pause as Anu exhaled heavily. She asked, "Are you planning on telling him it's you?"

Alankrita shrugged uncomfortably, vigorously chewing the last of her aloo paratha. She'd asked herself this question too, and more often than not she'd come up with no answer. "I don't know," she mumbled, "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Either way, it doesn't really matter."