The Fourth Dimension

Chapter 9

Ansh rang the bell to Rithvik's house. The door was opened by Roli. She had a stony cold expression as soon as she saw him. "Hey," Ansh said, hoping for some warmth. But she just left the door open and walked in, knowing that Ansh has not come for her, but for his best friend.

Roli had not spoken to Ansh after that day when he broke her heart. She maintained her distance. She was dealing with her grief in her own way. And dealing with her newly developed desire for love. But first heartbreak is always the hardest. By the time she had stopped crying at night, a month had already passed. And by the time she was trying to think of any way to come out of the situation she is in, another month passed.

Ansh was not dealing with things so good either. He felt so bad about hurting Roli. He was unable to sleep at night. He lay awake thinking about her, and her tears and her last words to him...

He gazed after her as she retrieved to her room, and closed the door. Ansh went to Rithvik's door and knocked on it and entered. Rithvik was cleaning the room. He cursed about some coffee stain on the table.

"Why all the cleaning?" Ansh asked.

"Oh, hey..." Rithvik turned to him, "Do you know how to remove a coffee stain?"

"No. Why would I? Why are you bothering anyway?" Since he has known Rithvik his room has always been messy. "Is Dhun coming to visit or something?" He had known that Dhun was supposed to visit Rithvik's parents.

"Shh..." Rithvik jumped closer to Ansh. "Don't talk so loud."

"Why is it a secret?"

"What... Eh..."

"Wait.... Are you graduating to a man tomorrow?" Ansh asked, guessing the situation. He had also known that this was supposed to happen sooner or later.

"Shh... Stop." Rithvik said, "It's a secret." He looked a bit shy. "I am not even supposed to tell you. She told me not to tell anyone..."

"Yeah, of course. You are not supposed to publicize it." Ansh said.

"Yeah."

"Are you nervous?"

"A bit... But you know... excited too."

"I was not sure it will happen so soon though. It's been like what, only two months, right?"

"Yeah... But well... It's like I can't resist. When you hold her close you get all these feelings... There is like electricity. And things get long, straight and firm on its own."

"That is a cute way to put it."

"Shut up, you don't even know what it is like to kiss a girl. You have never kissed one." Rithvik threw a pillow at him. Ansh caught the pillow and was glad that he could hide his guilty face under it.

"Internet says I need to mix baking soda and toothpaste." Rithvik was going through his mobile phone.

"For sex? I don't think..."

"No, idiot. To remove the coffee stain." He said. "I think we have baking soda... I need to ask Roli though. But that will be a task. She is not really speaking to me these days. She is behaving so crazy. It is like I did something to her and I don't remember what that is."

Ansh just give a nervous laugh. "I'll go get it. The baking soda. I had seen it in your cupboard when I was talking to aunty last week. " Ansh said,

"Okay, thanks..."

Ansh walked out of the room to go into the kitchen. He paused as Roli was in there, drinking water. "Sorry, I did not know you were here," Ansh said in a quiet voice.