One Day At A Time

Chapter 3 - First Impressions

August 1991
Pune

"So, Anjali, Payal, you, Akash and the rest have always been together?" Mehr asked curiously as she climbed the tricky slope with great difficulty, all the while cursing herself for having agreed to meet up for a hike up a hill when she could have been at any other romantic place with Arnav right now.

"Yes. All of us have attended the same school and have known each other for quite a long time." Arnav replied with a smile as he reached the small plateau on the top of the hill. "The girls, especially, have been together since Year 1 of school and are very close to each other. We all live close by, so it's easier for us to hang out together often, especially on this hill. This place is our favourite one."

The hill was a place the friends all came to often since they were kids along with some friends from the neighbourhood. Usually, they would take a hike up the steep slope for a picnic on the plateau or engage in a precarious cycling round on the lower side of the hill when felt a bit more adventurous. The rugged terrain or the fact that there would be casualties most of the times they climbed the hill never seem to deter them from revisiting it regularly.

The hill was beautiful but oddly shaped. It had a small rocky plateau at the top, the escarpment fell away sharply on one side, and had a rocky slope on the other. The jagged slope tickled the fancy of many who wanted some challenge and thrill in their life. Thick grass covered the hill during the monsoons, and it looked pretty when the entire hill was dressed in green. One could see almost half of the city from the top, making it a sight to behold especially when the sun coloured the skies in brilliant shades of oranges and reds, broken by intermittent wisps of white and grey. It was a place they all related to, where memories and friendships were made and cherished.

"We call this one 'Crooked Hill'. It's Khush's name for the rugged terrain the hill boasts of." Kabir laughed as he joined the couple at the top.

Kabir had been watching the two for a while as they made their way up the hill, choosing to stay behind, keeping a safe distance from them. Mehr Wadia, the new girl in college, was quite a stunner but seemed to be a big pain in the neck. It had been a week since Arnav and Mehr had been seeing each other, and Kabir couldn't understand why Arnav had chosen her. There was not a hint of kindness in her behaviour. Arrogance oozed out of her fair skin, highlighted her light brown hair and seeped into her fake smiles every single time. She was unbearable. Or simply put, she was everything that Khushi was not, and she was painfully aware of it. Of late, for him, every girl ended up looking pale in front of Khushi, and he didn't even know why he bothered to compare anymore.

"What a silly name! I am sure the hill has a name of its own!" Mehr scowled, earning a chuckle from Arnav.

"I don't think it is silly. It is apt! Imagine a name like Chhatrapati Shivaji Hill, Pehwa Hill, Indira Gandhi Hill! Now that sounds silly!" Kabir chuckled as he kicked a pebble high up into the air, waiting impatiently for the rest of the girls to join them.

"Seems like your Khushi has some magical powers, Kabir. She manages to appear in every conversation in this group in some way or the other." Mehr gibed, making Kabir and Arnav exchange a look that didn't last for more than a second.

"Yes. Khush is magical," Kabir whispered almost to himself and smiled, which made Arnav turn around to look at him with a frown on his face.

What was going on with this guy, Arnav wondered often of late. Kabir's feelings for Khushi had taken on an entirely new meaning ever since she, along with Payal and Anjali, had joined junior college a year ago. It felt weird. Did he think that once a girl stepped out of her school uniform and started attending college, she was grown up enough for --was Kabir attracted- no! He dismissed the thought quickly. It was not possible. They were good friends, Kabir would never --