Junak Baruah wants to win the prestigious short film competition in his university. But with hundreds of participants and a stellar jury on board, winning means making a film that's never been made before.
And that means breaking the rules and taki...
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"Good morning, Junak-da," Jatin greeted as the older man walked into the backyard with a toothbrush in his mouth. "You look happy. Did something happen?"
Junak halted in his steps, blinking. "No. Nothing happened. Why will you think something's happened?"
Jatin eyed him curiously. "You're smiling and there's a skip to your step."
"There's no skip to my step!" Junak scowled. He stood up straighter and marched the rest of the way to the handpump.
Jatin laughed as he operated the pump for him. "You're being weird."
"And you are going to be late for your test." Junak rinsed his mouth, washed his face and pocketed the toothbrush. "Done with your preparations?"
"Eh."
"What's the sine of sixty?"
Jatin groaned. "You're just as annoying as Dikhou-da."
Junak blushed at that, he wasn't even sure why. He cleared his throat and turned to leave. "It's one by root two. I think. I'd check the book if I were you."
"You're not a very good tutor."
Junak resisted the urge to flip the bird over his shoulder and laughed instead. "Good luck," he said and made his way back towards the house.
"Thanks," Jatin shouted from behind him. "And you are skipping again, by the way."
Stupid teenagers. "I am not!"
He was. He couldn't help it. He was hopelessly and ridiculously giddy with joy.
I'm gay, Dikhou had said. I'm gay!! And from the way he uttered the words, it was clear he had never said that before.
Junak was the first one. The first one!
It clearly had to mean something. Right? Like, clearly there was something going on between them.
Right?
Junak wanted to believe that. Desperately.
But there was also a part of him that couldn't bring himself to. Maybe Dikhou just told him because Junak was also queer and so he felt comfortable to come out to him. It did not necessarily have to mean that he was into Junak.
After Junak had said I'm glad like a complete moron, they did not talk, just lied there, under the blanket, facing the ceiling. It was comfortable, of course. To the point that Junak did not realise when he fell asleep.
Waking up, Dikhou was gone. But the bed still smelled like him and the echo of his voice saying I'm gay was enough to keep Junak happy.
Maybe it was silly. But he would take what he got.
He was skipping through the house when he rounded a corner and stumbled straight into Dikhou.
See, if that wasn't a sign from the universe, he did not know what was!
