What I Felt About Her

'Give Me Five More Minutes..."

*Author's note: to understand the name of this chapter/part, please listen to 'Five More Minutes' by the Jonas Brothers.*

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Months had passed in flinch of our eyes. We were now walking out of the examination hall, giggling, as we walked. This was our final BOARD examination and now marked the official end of our life in school. Now it was time to search for the college we should be joining. Whichever college, I wanted Pratyusha to be with me. I had a necklace in my hand. A metal ring with a necklace around it. I just hoped she would like it. It was my proposal gift. People do it with rings, I'll do it with a necklace.

It was a Friday evening and I sat in my room, considering all my options for further studies. Just then I get a call. I've set a distinct ringtone for Pratyusha's number so that I can know if it is her without having to open my phone in front of my parents and reveal the name to them. Anyways, I pick up the call. "Meet me on my Rooftop". The voice was definitely hers, just not exactly in her normal tone. She seemed as though she had to tell me someone died. I didn't want her to feel any worse so I immediately told yes. I put the necklace in my pocket on my way up.

I could see her from my rooftop, but she faced the opposite direction so it was Garda to see her face. When I jumped on to her her rooftop I noticed something. She's wore her socks. "That's bad", I thought. Now stop wondering why didn't I think like that. She basically HATES putting on socks. Moreover, she LOVES being barefoot on her rooftop. "Hey!" I said from behind. For now I was prepared to hear about anyone's death. But then what she told was totally unexpected and direct.

"I'm leaving for Delhi tomorrow", she said. "What?" I was confused. "My dad decided that we will be shifting to Delhi tomorrow", she said. I stood there, more confused than ever. I had all these questions in my mind, like "what?" "Huh?" "Are you serious?" "Why the f-word are u wearing your socks?". But the only word that manages to come out was "WhAT????!!!!"

Once that came out, I started feeling frustrated. I left out many questions at the same time. "ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER. WHY ARE YOU LEAVING. AND WHY IN HELL ARE YOU WEARING YOUR SOCKS!!!!"

I was outraged. I didn't know if it was because she was leaving or because she didn't tell me earlier or because I didn't want her to leave. All these thoughts and yet I couldn't  distract myself from one question. "How must she be feeling?" 

I tried calming myself. "Deep breaths bruv", I told myself. "Now, if you are calm enough, I'll answer your questions. First answer, yes I'm serious. Second answer, I didn't tell u earlier because I didn't want to ruin those moments we shared. Third answer, we are leaving cause dad got a transfer option and he decided to take it cause of all the big institutions there. And for your last answer, I wore socks because right now, I'm going to my aunt's house and we'll be leaving to Delhi from there. I'm gonna wear shoes ", she said. I stood there speechless. I could see her dilated eyes and that answered my question. But even now, I wanted to ask if she would miss me. She looked at her watch and said "I don't have much time. I need to leave in a few minutes. If there is anything you wanted to say... anything?" She said, trying very hard to smile. I still couldn't pass on from my paralysed state. "Ok..." she said, and left, after waiting for my reply in vain. "I have a question", I said, and raised my hand like how we would do in kindergarten. She laughed and walked back towards me. "Will you miss me?", I said, now feeling stupid for asking this.

She didn't answer. She just hugged me and left out tears. That was an answer for me. "You know what?" I said, still hugging her. "What?" She asked. I pushed her to arm's length.  I looked her in the eyes, dead serious. More serious than ever in my whole life. "I really really really,... REALLY love you". She punched me in the stomach (like how we do when we joke). "Took you long enough", she said. I was once again in my paralysed state, this time by choice. I was just looking at her eyes, and then my reflection in her eyes.

"I need to go", she said snapping into her senses. I still couldn't. I honestly didn't even care for her reply, if she liked me back. It didn't matter too. I then snapped to my senses just in time to tell  her  ,"I have a parting gift". She turned. I took out the necklace. I'd never seen her blush like that, while she walked towards me. I stretched my arms forward ,with the necklace connecting both my arms. She made space for herself between my arms. She looked at me with glitter in her dilated eyes as I hooked the necklace with my arms on her shoulder. As I tried hooking the necklace, I tried to make a conversation. "I bought this as a proposal gift you know. And too bad you don't have anything to give me-" just as I hooked it, she stood on her toes, leaned forward, and kissed me, on my lips. It was a short one second kiss, which made me feel like a bomb which could explode anytime soon. "Don't worry, I have something for you too", she said, giving the sweetest look she could give. She took it out of her pocket. It was a phone cover. With her picture on it. "I know you carry your phone everywhere. So wherever this goes with you, I go too", she said. At this moment I had many desires. Kiss her again, hug her until my arms hurt, do both together. But I did neither. I just made her promise. I made her promise me that she would call me everyday, midnight. Skype, once in a week. She agreed. She hugged me again before going. 

I stood there in my terrace, watching her as she left, slowly, and slowly out of sight. Only after that, I felt like going to my room. Around two hours later, I get a call from Pratyusha. I picked it up. "I miss you already", she said. I thought of saying "me too", but where's the fun in that. "Who are you?" I asked, but I immediately started laughing. "I'm your girlfriend idiot."