Party And Prejudice

2. Back On Track

"Mishti, pass me the water bottle no", Joshua asked.

Unlike everybody else in the car (excluding my boyfriend Reyansh) Josh, was sweet with me. I had known the guy for only a couple of weeks now but I was convinced that he was not as wacko as the rest of my lot. That, added to the fact that he and Zoya were going out together now, really endeared me to him.

"Sure", I said passing one of the last out of the two dozen mineral water bottles we had carried with us.

Our call for help had been answered and two superheros were now fixing the car while we all stood on the side of the road that was free of traffic and filled with a picturesque view mostly of trees and green spikes guarding the flowers growing between them. Riya had now opened a tin of Pringles. The girl eats like a pig but still manages to look like Katrina Kaif.

"Why don't you walk around a bit instead of just standing here?", Josh asked me as he emptied the water bottle. My mind was busy calculating how much longer we could last with the remaining few bottles.

"No Josh...I like to save energy by remaining stationary", I said and grinned.

Josh raised his eyebrows, "You're a bit weird you know".

"Won't be the first time someone said that", I smiled.

Actually it's true. Most people found me weird. It was mainly because I loved to study. I was apparently not normal.

The truth is, there is no such thing as normal.

But most people didn't agree. How can someone love studying, this much? That was their question.

However, there were also some people who had absolutely no problem with my endless zest to study. My parents, for instance.

According to them the only careers that counted were medicine and engineering. Nothing else was worth dedicating a lifetime to. So they were only too happy to adhere to my desire to get into IIT.

I watched Zoya and Maya pull out a bunch of wild flowers and pick out the petals from each flower one by one.

"Don't do that. Your hands might start itching", I said.

"Oh please aunty ji. Let them have some fun", Riya said from behind.

I watched the car being fixed. Kichu bhaiya saw me looking and smiled.

"Just pray that we should reach Ooty safely beta", Kichu bhaiya said.

"We have help now bhai. The car will be fixed in minutes. What is there to pray?", I said impatiently.

Kichu gave me a surprised expression.

"Mishti doesn't believe in God", Riya added helpfully as she chewed her chips.

"Doesn't believe in God?", Kichu bhaiya's eyes widened and the disgust on his face grew more prominent. He slapped both sides of his face with his palm.

"She is a practical person", Riya explained.

"What is practical?", Kichu asked.

"She is an atheist", Riya continued gleefully, bitch. "She believes in science and nothing else. You see, she studies too much".

Kichu bhaiya shook his head in disbelief.

See this is why I don't tell anyone about my beliefs. There is so much judgement. Riya really had to blab, didn't she?

"You packed deodrants for me too right?" Reyansh came upto me and asked.

Six of us were going but it was me who had to prepare a travel list and make sure everyone packed everything. And in case someone didn't pack something, I packed it for them too.

All this, when I didn't even want to go on this trip. How was this fair?

I was sick of parenting these people, man.

"Done done", I said.

Everyone was starting to get a bit restless. The car was being fixed for a long time now.

"Talcum powder?"

"Done"

"Hair spray?"

"Done".

"Breath mints?"

"Done"

"If the car fixing gets delayed further, could we use the time to kiss or hook up?"

"Done...what?"

Reyansh burst into laughter.

I smiled and shook my head.

"What are you two blissing about there?", Riya asked.

"Nothing", Reyansh said as turned around and winked at me. My mind went a long way from the roadside back to Mumbai. To the corridor outside 11 B where we had first kissed. And then kissed many times after that too.

"Children", Kichu bhaiya called out breaking my beautiful fantasy. Yeah we were hardly five or six years younger than him but he called us children. "The car is fixed", he said enthusiastically, "Come on. Get in all of you. Ooty in a few hours!"

Reyansh and Josh dramatically high-fived each other. Zoya and Riya broke into a hug.  Maya folded her hands and looked up at the sky in obeisance. It was as if someone had just diffused a bomb.

I was travelling with a bunch of loonies, I'm telling you.