Not Likely

D for Defense

"Oh my GOD." I said slowly. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath in, closing my eyes to ensure that I had indeed read everything correctly.

Was what I read just real?

Or was this the side effect of self-diagnosing my problem by perennially imagining the wrong things and acting in a pre-emptive manner?

Okay, let's look at it again.

I cautiously tweaked an eye open and looked at my phone. The headline blinked back at me nefariously.

I shrieked and dropped my phone as I backed away from my bed, my heart hammering.

Oh no.

OH no.

OH. NO.

This was happening, this news was real. It was now out to the world.

All of a sudden, Ma's insistent calls and messages to call her back was starting to make sense somewhere in the dim corner of my mind. In the last 6 hours since my wallowing and weeping, a lot of things had changed. From 4pm to 9:55pm- the time of this goddamn press release- on this random Friday, SHIT HAS GONE DOWN.

And no one asked me about it!

Before I could do something insane like throw my phone out the window of the tenth floor, Dhruv called me.

"Hello?" I said, sounding like a rattled character in a horror movie.

"I'm downstairs," he said shortly. "Which room?"

"I'll come downstairs."

"Don't. Paparazzi. Ok, got your room number. Coming up." he cut the call.

I stared around the messy confines of my room with several discarded plates of fries and ice-cream bowls carelessly thrown near the bed. In a fit of nerves, I picked it up and stowed it inside the mini-bar and slammed it close.

I paced around the room, fanning my face to calm down.

Okay, this might all be a big prank. Maybe it was all a joke?

I glanced at my phone distractedly as Krish's name popped up on the notification.

Krish: Okay, that escalated quickly.

Krish: I mean...

Krish: Congratulations?

Krish: Out of 1 to 10 how freaked out are you?

Me: 10 billion Krish!

Me: WHat the FUCK

Me: the AUDACITY

Me: And my mother is texting me to call her

Me: Just a message would've sufficed.

Me: Hey, Dhriti, darling, I fixed up your engagement. It's gonna be national news soon.

Me: WHERES THE NOTIFICATION

Krish: Calm down.

I was about to type an explosive reply when I heard a knock on my door. I scurried to it and threw it open to find Dhruv standing in front of me, his face set and grim. He was wearing a navy sweatshirt and jeans and a grey cap that was pulled low over his unruly hair. When he saw me, his set posture because visibly tensed as he let out a deep breath and said, "Dhriti, I-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight, breathing in his wonderful woodsy scent as I buried my face into the crook of his neck. "I am sorry", I mumbled. "I Am sorry, sorry, very- very sorry-"