With Mangoes And Chocolates | ✓

17. Tiff.

"You do realize that this is the last year for any of us to have any kind of fun, right?" I frowned at Kartik, digging my hands deeper into my pockets. "Tell me the damn name, K."

It was day two of the event. We were sitting under a shelter, on the grass. It was break time. 
"I don't have a name, Manasvi," he told me. His eyes held regret, as if he didn't like whatever he was saying. "I don't know her name."

"Bro," Arav joined in. "That sounds pitiful."
"Pathetically," Bhavuk added.

"It's okay, don't listen to them." I said. "Where did you see her?"
"Seen her many times. Never paid attention. But one day, in the library. . .I saw her searching really hard for a book. Now, I don't usually strike a conversation with strangers, but she seemed. . .well, weird. So I asked. She said that she wanted to read Six Easy Pieces. It was by Richard Feynman. And you know what? I didn't know about the book but she did. Imagine that."

Okay, that sounded cool.

"Something concerning Feynman and you didn't know it?"
"Exactly. I felt super dumb." He grinned. "I liked it."
"Do you know her class?" Bhavuk asked, even though he'd been listening to everything rather absent-mindedly. So was Arav. Friends, really?
"Tenth-C. I am only guessing."

"Let's go see her and set you up." I chirped.
Kartik looked at the two of them and they stared back. I wasn't telepathic, so I didn't know. Perhaps they were.

Was I being annoying? Was I interfering? 

"I haven't really prepared. . ." his voice faltered while he scanned through the spectators. "That's her. That's her."
We tried to follow his vision but failed. At least I did. "Which one?"
"The beautiful one," was the answer.

"That's such a unique identification, dude. I can clearly see her." Bhavuk rolled his eyes. I chuckled. 
"Fifth row, first column. Long hair. Alone."

I saw. Her hair were done into pigtails and they went even below her waist. They were thinner than mine, and tinged with brown, unlike mine. That was all I could make out. 
"Looks good." It wasn't me, it was Bhavuk who said that, his gaze fixed. 

Kartik replied something to which they laughed, but I couldn't hear it. I tried to plaster a smile but kept failing. I stepped back.

There were moments when I had felt extremely self-aware. I had compared myself to other girls all my life. But none of those times did anything to me like this time. 

I didn't take much for me to bury myself into my heap of thoughts, all of them giving me instant reality checks. There were people better than me, there were girls better than me. And nothing, absolutely nothing constricted him to let go of me and never look back. 

I watched in silence as the two of them struggled to convince Kartik. He was freaking out, obviously. Little did he know that he was too good of a guy for any girl.
"It's okay, Kartik. It'll be fine. The worst she can do is. . .say no. And I know she wouldn't." I combed his hair with my fingers, adjusted his glasses, and corrected the neckline of his jersey. "Good enough."

He grinned. Did he have a sister? If not, I would happily take the role.

🧩

My body burned with exhaustion. 

Every part of it seemed to ache. How in the world did people even play sports? I got tired just by watching.

I bought momos from the cafeteria and took a seat from where I could see the basketball court and other people I knew. Ishita stood at the corner of it, smiling widely at Anay. She had made no efforts to talk with me today. She forgot, maybe.