Just Friends?

While everybody else seemed to enjoy the afternoon, there was one person who grabbed my attention. Not because he was extremely funny or active, but because he was rather, quiet. I wondered how he could just sit there like a sack of potatoes, doing or saying nothing. It seemed practically impossible to a person like me who can never be quiet for more than 10 minutes. He was meeting us for the first time so it must've been really awkward for him to be around us, a bunch of completely insane and non stop blabberers. He seemed to be quite an introvert. He was wearing a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to elbows, paired with black trousers. So, evidently my first impression of him was of a formal person who doesn't open up easily. For the same reasons, I really wanted to know how it'd be like to hear him speaking.

It was my friend Sushant's birthday. As the ritual goes, every year we emptied the snow spray cans even before the cake was cut. This time, even before the birthday boy arrived (LOL) We looked terrible. Thanks to the snow spray. We played around Sushant's house and then at the terrace just like we used to, during school days.

Vidya and I, were always the first ones to spot the snow spray cans and hide it in a place only we knew. By this time, Sushant arrived and we cut the cake. After everybody else's cans were completed, we then brought the cans that we hid. ( *evil laugh*) We sprayed it on everybody, except, ofcourse, the not-so-friendly guy. He was wearing glasses , which tempted me to spray on them. I did! and he didn't say a word. I realised i shouldn't have done that to the poor fellow. But anyway. Like every year, Samarth and Raghav were very quick in snatching the cans away from us and emptying it ON us. While Samarth and Raghav helped each other in ruining my face and hair, I realised there were not two, but three guys who messed me up. To my surprise, it was that innocent looking guy involved with them. I stared at him in amusement. He smiled.

Now that we'd initiated a litttle move towards each other, he came and sat beside me. We talked (finally) about our college, friends, and about how weird Sushant was when i first met him. Sushant has been the same since school days, lame , funny, yet cute. I asked his name again, because i didn't get it in the first time, or TBH, didn't pay much attention to Sushant while he introduced him to me. His name was Karan, a rather simple name to remember. He was courteous, and had all the traits of a gentleman. Also, as opposed to my first opinion on him, he TALKS. And talks sense. Suddenly, all the assumptions that I made about his personality now seemed to be the other way round. He was probably just waiting for someone to make a move first.

Sushant decided to give us a treat at a restaurant nearby. We were a group of 7 people so we booked a cab for 4 and the rest would come by bikes. As the cab arrived, Karan, without much thinking, announced my name and then added 2 others to come along with him in the cab. I don't know how, but I quite knew it beforehand. His gestures and the way he talked, evidently showed his liking for me. I was liking it too. I had never talked to a stranger with so much curiosity. While we were lost in our own world, we didn't realise our friends had noticed that something was brewing between us.

We talked for more than an hour, without caring about the lunch that was served and waiting for us to relish it. He was a vegetarian by caste, and so was I, by choice. Unfortunately, the food that he had ordered was bland. He tried having some of it, but the food in his plate hadn't moved an inch. But shockingly, when the waiter asked him if he wanted to replace the dish, he insisted not to. We made fun of him for ordering nothing but a tasteless salad. By the time we all were done eating everything on the table, he sat there gulping teaspoons of the food he ordered. I was curious to know why he didn't get his order replaced even after the waiter asked him, unlike typical youngsters who make a fuss about everything (that includes me) He couldn't finish it obviously, so he asked them to get it packed. My friends laughed at the mere thought of his to get it packed for anybody else. We booked a cab, and again, Karan and I were the ones who were sent in first. Which was his idea again, ofcourse.

He sat in the front seat, while I sat at the back with Malini and Cherry. The girls talked about how bad the food was at that restaurant, which was still better than that of Karan’s, though he had no complaints. Karan and I resumed talking and we couldn't stop until an old woman knocked my window at a signal. She looked weak, hungry and was homeless. I didn't know how to react, so I just turned towards Karan. To my surprise, he was already looking at me with the parcel that he had got packed from the restaurant. He handed it over to me and I gave it to the old woman. I wanted to tell him that I really appreciate what he did, but I couldn't. It didn't look like a big deal to him. He probably did that everytime he had leftover food on his table. He was humble and kind hearted, an ideal man.

We reached Sushant's place. It was raining, so I had to stay back for a little longer. By this time, Samarth and Raghav left, but none of us, not even Karan went to bid them goodbye. We were tired hence, lazy. Karan wore socks, which was probably why he didn't go with them until the main gate of Sushant's apartment. After an hour or so, I had to leave as my sister had come to pick me up. I had to walk a little to get there as she didn't know where exactly I was. Sushant offered to accompany me till the bus stop, and so did Karan. I didn't expect that from him, as he had to wear his leather shoes again to cover up his socks (as it was raining outside) It might not have been big deal for him, but for me it was. He hadn't gone to drop any body else. We crossed the road together, with Karan being ahead of us because neither Sushant, nor I were capable enough to do it (cause’ we're both idiots to have not learnt it already)

Two days passed. I couldn't stop thinking about that day. I kept swiping our pictures in my phone, Sushant's snowy and creamy face and our teethy smiles. I zoomed in at Karan's face, and noticed that he had dimples on both sides. (Isn't that cute!?) Apart from being gentle and kind, he also had good looks.( I know I know, it took me a while to actually notice that) I decided to upload our cutest picture on facebook and instagram. I tagged everybody, except Karan. He wasn't my fb friend yet. After an hour or so, I had a notification which read- "Karan Mehra requested to tag your picture". I immediately accepted it. I was excited to learn that he wanted to be a part of us, or simply because we were still keeping touch. We then started chatting on fb. We exchanged funny memes and tagged each other in relevant and irrelevant posts. Within two weeks, we gradually switched from Facebook to Whatsapp.

After a month, we planned for a movie together. It was the first time that I went out for movie with a guy I barely knew. We met several times after that, alone. Every time we ordered something, we split the bill. Just like I wanted it to be always. It's a two way street, after all.

There was no apparent reason for us to see each other so often. We were not friends or acquaintants. We were just two people who had similar interests and liked hanging out together. Isn't that enough?

I later realised it isn't. It's been more than a year since we first met, and we've been in touch ever since then. We remain friends (or whatever) and make sure to text each other once in a while.

A story that began but never ended..

Isn't that something that has happened to all of us at some point in our lives?

Or is still happening?

Comment below to share your views on my story, also if you have a similar story to share! Would love to hear it from you :)

- Saumya Sadanand