Locked in love

Chapter 7

Ruhi screwed her face and shot him a quick glance.

"I should have known," Ruhi stated softly.

"What?" Vicky questioned.

"You are a proper Bengali right, a communist in your political ideologies. You don't seem to appreciate the efforts of our prime minister."

Vicky quirked his eyebrow.

"It has got nothing to do with my proclivity to communism. This is just an utter waste of time and energy," Vicky said as he ruffled his hair with his fingers and then rested them over his temple. The whole pandemonium around grated on his nerves and the headache he had anticipated earlier had now become a throbbing reality.

Vicky's lips were set in a grim line and a slight frown rested on his forehead. His palms gripped the railing tight and the criss-cross veins on the back of his hand stood out proudly. Ruhi had a sudden urge to roll those green -tinged blood vessels under her fingers.

"You, on the other hand, seem to be having a lot of fun."Vicky observed.

"Why don't you sit down for a while , er ..I make you a cup of tea?" Ruhi suggested trying to hold back a smile.

"Thanks." Vicky sat down on the bean bag.

Ruhi was standing near the railing after having enjoying her cup of tea. Intermittently she was waving and smiling at someone. Suddenly, she resorted to some sign language which Vicky couldn't comprehend.

Who was she waving at?Vicky knew for a fact that she didn't have any friends or even acquaintances nearby. He kept his empty cup on the wooden stool in a corner and stood up.

On the terrace of the adjacent building, which was at a much lower level ,he saw a boy. His shoulder length unruly hair, faded T shirt and pajamas didn't impress Vicky at all. Moreover, the boy even had a brow piercing that lent him a freakish look.

"Stop it," Vicky gave Ruhi a soft warning.

When Ruhi didn't pay him any heed, he continued his lecture."You live here alone Ruhi, you don't know how these guys are. Bloody

"Vicky please stop talking to me like I am a teenager".

"He could be a drug addict for all you know. What if he started stalking you?"

"Jesus, don't exaggerate things. He is a harmless guy." She whispered as if that boy would be able to hear her.

"And how exactly have you come to that conclusion?"

"I just know."

Vicky drew his arms up in air in exasperation. Such naivety was detrimental for her, he thought. He remembered the day when his sister, Maya ,had come crying to him, ask him to beat a couple of guys to pulp because they had eve-teased her. Vicky had not launched any physical attack on them, much to Maya's disappointment, but he did lodge a complaint in the local police station.

"You only seem to have a problem with evil men like me , ain't it? You were so uncomfortable to let me stay here but you seem to have absolutely no qualms about chatting to some random guy who looks like a hooligan in the making." He snarled.

Her eyes flicked to him and caught his twisted expression.

"Fun fact, I know what is right and what is wrong," she replied coldly that got Vicky furious with her and himself.

'The hooligan in the making' meanwhile noticed the 'lovers' squabble' from where he was and quietly slipped away.

***