We meet under the most unfortunate of circumstances; too strained, almost hostile. In retrospect, our first significant interaction was almost Bollywood-like; I hated you the minute you opened your mouth.
It's almost laughable since the one place you hardly ever go to is the one place you were that day.
The library.
With my friend.
Now, my friend... she was pretty and almost every single guy in our class had tried their luck with her in the first month of College. I peg you as another one from the bandwagon in the first few seconds itself.
(I was a judgmental bitch when we met. That and extremely messed up.)
To be honest, the situation was complicated with my friend. We weren't close. I was reserved, she was reserved and well, it was hardly a month since I had gotten to know her. But I pretended otherwise. I pretended that we were best friends and that I had a right to know everything- because pretending helped me to forget how lonely I actually was.
That presumption probably led to our tensed interaction that day. As I take a seat beside her, I learn that you had messaged her the previous night and like the best friend I pretended to be, I snatch her phone and try to read your conversation.
"I will spit on your hand if you try to do that," you exclaim, suddenly.
I am too flabbergasted to respond. And disgusted. I recoil instinctively and gawk at your visage.
You look serious. I believe you.
(College lunch break, 2 months later)
"I swear I will spit on you Chubbs if you don't give me my phone back."
I give a cheeky grin. I didn't care if you spat on me anymore. Especially since I knew they were nothing but empty threats.
As expected, you simply huff and cross your arms.
___
I won't lie, I had seen you a lot of times before. But I never cared to notice you... until that day.
After your grand declaration of how you'd spit on my hand, the three of us had left for the market nearby to get lunch.
All the time you are with us, you keep using terms such as "gang bang", "sex", "kinky"; you get the gist.
I am annoyed. First, because you were an unnecessary addition to our duo. And second, because I was a prude and your usage of certain words were bothering my sensibilities.
I peg you as a crass, dirty-mouthed jerk who was interested in my friend.
Before leaving, you fist bump her and then, me. I chuckle. I realize that you are at least a little friendly. Though the prospect of being friends with you doesn't cross my mind once.
(gap)
The next time I see you, you are with a bunch of guys from our class.
Your semi-group crosses paths with my semi-group that day and both the semi-groups walk towards Pizza Hut to get something to eat.
It is the same. You continue making sexual quips and almost everybody laughs. I snort. Sometimes, I chuckle too. Dirty- minded or not, your jokes were funny.
(10 PM conversations, 14 months later)
"I think we'd have explosive sex."
You stop. You stare at me, wide eyed.
I laugh. At least, now you were not talking about who'd win if Sherlock fought with Joker.
(Sherlock. Always Sherlock. Even if you think it is Joker.)
You tear your eyes from mine. You still don't say anything.
"Is the conversation awkward enough for you now?" I ask. I am enjoying this.
"Yes. I should leave. I feel uncomfortable."
"I was kidding, of course. God, stop acting like a 16 year old, teenage girl with raging hormones who blushes when someone mentions the word "sex"."
You shake your head.
"I am innocent, okay? I don't even have a sexual fantasy. I haven't even watched po*n. I refuse to think or talk about this."
I click my tongue. I knew all of that. I knew how much you pretended to be a crass person to probably educe laughter from people, but you were not really. Your dirty mind was strictly metaphorical and figurative, never literal.
"You are strange," I comment.
You stare ahead and start walking away.
___
During the course of the next few days, we are amicable enough to exchange pleasantries. A 'hello' here, a 'hey' there. We acknowledge each other's existence and I am content with that. I had always been a polite and mild-mannered girl even when I thought the said person was a nuisance.
(10 AM in College, 12 months later)
I see you after a month. I freeze. You had stopped coming to College because you had an internship. But now, you were back. You smile at me. Our friend informs me that you decided to come back sooner than we expected. I am overjoyed, yet, too shocked to respond appropriately.
You get up and wrap your arms around me. I hug you back. We stand there for the longest of times.
I realize that we didn't even say a hello.
I realize that a simple hello wasn't enough anymore. I like this better.
___
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