With Mangoes And Chocolates | ✓

9. Offer.

Our school was planning on a trip.

To a fair.

Which included a Ferris Wheel.

I've loved fairs since always, and Ferris wheels were a major part responsible for it. I loved that tickling sensation, I loved yelling out of the compartments of it, and the laughing. It was not a huge thing to experience, but that didn't make it less thrilling. 

I flicked my eyes around the classroom, and encountered everyone's lit up faces. Of course, everyone was excited; tenth graders didn't receive much enjoyments, usually. 

Back on my desk, I was yet struggling with Physics. The sudden breakout of the news had diverted my attention.

I tried solving the equation, canceling out and multiplying stuff from here and there, only to reach the same, incorrect answer.

"That's not how you do it." I rolled my eyes at the voice.
I didn't even have to glance up to know who's speaking. Who else spoke as confidently as Bhavuk?

He was staring right at my notebook, frowning, examining the question and then trying to figure out where I went wrong. The way he was so focused, it made me feel like my mistake was tricky enough to not to get caught easily.

Should I be proud?

"Enlighten me," that came out more like an imploration than a sarcastic comment.

He slid up the pen from in between my fingers. I moved aside and let him write. As soon as he was finished, he looked up at me. "You don't think you should first convert the units?"

I gazed back at him, dumbly. "Uh. ."
"And you don't know what's sixteen times twenty-four?"

"Silly mistakes, Mehta," he perhaps couldn't resist smiling at my pathetic expression. "Have I occupied too much space inside your brain to let you think straight? I apologize."

"I am very sure that you haven't occupied as much space in my head as much as I've in yours." I crossed my arms.
"You have," he accepted. "I think about you whenever I realize that only a small fraction of people suffer from low IQ. . but it might not be so rare after all."
"You're such a jerk, honestly."

While I was busy fuming, he was busy laughing. His laughter was suddenly not so melodious, instead, it was extremely obnoxious to my ears. 

"Hey, I was just kidding, really. You're a very useful person." He patted the top of my head, as if I was an enraged kitten. Our height difference helped him. It didn't feel as uneasy as it felt when he'd held my hand. I was getting so comfortable around him and that drove me nuts. 

"I'll kill you, Bhavuk Thakur, I will."
"How?" Impishness danced in his eyes,  with an intent to irk. "With these death glares?"

If we were not surrounded by scores of people, I would've yelled at his face.
"You're so frustrating!" I hissed. 

I genuinely hoped no one was staring at us, or were they? I didn't dare turn around. I saw him glimpse behind me, and then dismissing the sight. He was used to the constant attention, I was not.
"You annoy me. Very much." I scowled. 
"I can compensate."

His hands reached out to his bag kept on the bench of adjacent column, and in a swift movement, he took out what I couldn't believe was a. . Cadbury Silk.

This guy. 

He slid it towards me and I picked it up. "You bought me."

Let's be honest, I was grinning ear to ear. Not that I was a huge fan of chocolates, but I sure was a huge fan of his swoon-worthy moves. My annoyance evaporated somewhere, replaced by surprise. 
"Quite easily," he pointed out.
I tsked when the bell rang, indicating the start of our first class. "Yeah, I am kinda low maintenance."