Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 20

August 2016

"I have never felt more emasculated!"

I glare at him from the ground as he paces the side of the road aggressively. "I told you we should've taken the bike."

He simply side eyes me while texting a response on his phone. "You're wearing a dress. And your hair looks nice. I didn't want to ruin it." He kicks the front left tyre of the car. "And I didn't know this wretched i10 would ditch us like this."

I tighten the final bolts as the music changes to Highway to Hell.

"Aish, do we need the music right now?"

I begin to get up and shrug nonchalantly, "Sure. Would you like to change the tyre, then? Man up?"

He flits his eyes around the almost deserted road. "I refuse to succumb to the pressure of toxic masculinity. I also admire the empowerment that this is giving you. Seeing a young, teenage girl change a car tyre all by herself is the image of feminism this world needs! As opposed to the girl who glares at people all the damn time."

I crouch down again and glare at him, "You want me to do this? For once, say something nice about me."

He scoffs, "I'd rather die stranded here, in lap of wolves."

I pretend to leave again but keep my leg on the lever, applying pressure on it. It's admittedly a bit difficult to do with stilettos on. Not that I would let him know that.

"Alright, alright!"

I stand in front of him with my eyebrows raised expectedly and he keeps mumbling to himself.

"Uh... you look really nice in that biker outfit, you know? The all black leather jacket, shirt and jeans with boots and stuff. You look nice. And that hair flip thing you seem to naturally do is the reason people fall in love with you most of the times. Karthik told me you have a fan club here in Topper."

I smile and crouch down again, "I do have a fan club. Although I think it's majorly because I'm the only good looking topper around."

"Hard to argue that."

"Continue with the praise, please."

He groans and puts his head in his hands and I throw my head back and laugh.

*******

When Anuj said we were going to a party, I didn't realise said party was being held in a hidden club of sorts. I didn't even know there was a hidden club in Kota. Though I suppose that would be ironic if I did. It was supposedly an invite-only place in the basement of a run of the mill shopping complex. The complex itself was deserted and had an eerie vibe to it. We stood at the entrance as he shot a text on his phone.

"I'm going to get killed today and nobody will ever find out." I start pacing to keep my growing anxiety about the place in check. He just rolls his eyes.

"This is the exact location he said to come to."

"Couldn't he just throw the party at a resort or his house or something like a normal human being?"

"Where's the fun in that?" answers a deep voice to our right as we turn and Anuj starts grinning. My memories of him do not do any justice. Paritosh Bhaiyya is in an all black suit, which looks so damn expensive that I feel underdressed for a second. But then I realize I'm wearing a Zara dress. I glance at Anuj and even he's wearing dark blue jeans with a white shirt and a casual black blazer. I'm good.