Intricacies of Love

Chapter-20.1

The room was brightly lit. It had a three-tier bunk bed on the right, whereas three closets rested against the left wall. The walls were a tint of pastel and adorned by various murals depicting a forest. There was a door in front.

She was standing near the window, viewing the scene in front of her. Turning around, she faced the window. A cool breeze caressed her cheeks and her hair strands danced with the breeze. It was like a breath of calm in a turbulent sea. The mild afternoon rays fell on her angelic face. She desperately wanted to talk to someone. Taking out her phone from her pocket, she called her best friend.

"Hello Surbhi. Long time, huh? How's everyone there?"

"Everyone is fine here. How are you? Your semester is over, right? Please come here. Everyone misses you here."

"I want to come too but I am planning to do an internship this summer. That would give me extra credits here."

Sighing, Surbhi replied, "Okay, whatever you feel is right. You know, yesterday Pia said her first word- Mumma."

"Aww I really want to meet her but..."

"Your studies are more important. Don't worry you can always meet her after the fall semester."

Humming in response, Saumya said, "So how are your studies going?"

"The usual fretting about before a deadline. All of us have decided to do group study this semester."

"That's a great idea."

Humming, Surbhi questioned, "Why are you so silent?"

"Well it's not necessary to keep on babbling always, is it? But this time you're right. I'm fed up of James and his cronies."

"What did he do this time?"

"He came along with his girlfriend and cronies in the basketball court. I was playing with Aashi and Sam. Standing in front of me he started begging me to be his girlfriend."

With rising anger and louder tone, she continued, "I turned around to leave. Liza, who had been clinging to his arm since the beginning, said, 'Oh don't worry, James. She doesn't deserve you. She is such an ugly fat slob.' My anger reached its zenith. No one has ever dared to insult me in public."

Saumya's voice boomed like a quake as she continued, "Turning towards her, I looked at her defiantly. I said, 'Hey Sam, have you ever seen a sumo? Because there's one standing in front of us who is clinging to James' arm.'

Surbhi gasped audibly as the two girls burst out laughing.

"I am used to handling such bitches and jerks but what irks me is that all such people only seem to trouble me."

"Well, you surely insulted her in front of a huge crowd. I am glad I never got on your bad side."

"Well, Surbhi, this treatment is reserved for those who get on my worst side. It was good to let it out though."

"Uh hey can I call you back later?"

"Akash has come, hasn't he?" Saumya asked, smirking.

She could almost feel her friend blushing.

"Yeah we are going to watch a movie."

"What?!" Saumya squealed. "He asked you out and you didn't bother to tell me."

"I have told you this umpteen times, Saumya. Please can talk less loudly. My ears may bleed any minute. Why do you always talk so loudly?"

Shrugging, she replied, "That's how my voice is."