Blurry Bond Between Us

Chapter IV: One Sided Date

Today was the first day of our new friendship.

I started my day by making myself a little smart and a gentleman. I went to a male parlour to cut my hair and give a proper shape to my beards. The plan was for dinner so I spent my afternoon completing my college assignments. In the evening Suhani messaged me the restaurant address and time (9:00 pm). I became ready like I was going for a date but for me, it was more like a date.

I reached the restaurant at the given time where Suhani and Tiya were already present. They welcomed me by showing a hello gesture. That was one of the expensive restaurants in Delhi, and people like me who care for money had never visited earlier. I was a little nervous because big places required some uncommon etiquettes and I had no idea about those etiquettes. I didn't care about it and sat in the chair. There were four chairs on that table Suhani and Tiya were sitting on the left side and I was sitting on the right side and one was empty. Seeing that empty chair Suhani asked,

"Where is your that friend, didn't he come?"

That question made me think that How absent-minded I was? I genuinely forgot to call Nasim and I didn't know why? He was only the guy who made it possible to save Tiya.

I had multiple answers in my brain but only the answer I could extract was that I never thought I am going to meet Tiya. I was only thinking about Suhani and somehow that made me absent-minded.

"What happened, didn't you tell him?"

She asked me this again while all those messes were running around my head.

"Yeah! But he didn't agree because he had an appointment with the doctor"

I had to lie about this because I didn't want to prove myself as careless.

"Doctor! Is he all right?"

Suhani asked

"Yes yes, he had just gone for the seasonal checkup."

"Should we order something or you guys gonna continue the interrogation"

Out of that boredom, Tiya came up with those words.

"Yes, of course even I have got a crazy appetite "

I supported Tiya's statement because even I wanted to change that topic.

I took the menu card and started to turn those pages. I chose my dinner that was Chicken chilli with rumali roti and a masala coke. After that, I offered that menu card to Suhani.

She even chose some of her favourites and handed that menu card to Tiya. A waiter came up and took our orders. He told us to wait a few minutes for the food to cook. After that, there was a little silence between us as I couldn't find any topic to talk about. Suhani was busy on social media and Tiya was giving as weird expressions as she could because she knew I was there only for Suhani but she didn't make that situation weirder and spoke to Suhani

"Can you please keep your phone down?"

Suhani kept her phone down after listening to Tiya's words.

I don't know why but that moment realized me that Suhani's heart was filled with Tiya's soul. I can't say how was their friendship from both ends but from Suhani's end, It was unimaginable. She not only cared for Tiya but would also respect her words, her identity and even her choice.

"Ok Adil tell us anything interesting about your life story."

Suhani said this with her smiling face

"I didn't have an interesting life so there is no interesting life story.".

"I don't think so, Adil"

Tiya disagreed with my words.

"Why don't you start"

I insisted Tiya and Suhani also supported that

Tiya resisted for a few seconds but then she agreed and started to deliver her story

"Ok, I will share the funniest incident that brought both of us closer. So it was the second day of school and we were attending the first lecture of that day. I was sitting on the third row and Suhani was sitting on the sixth or seventh row. We had a little conversation on our first day when we introduced ourselves. Suhani wanted to say something at that time so she called me from behind but with a different name "Paridhi". She met so many faces and listened to so many different names on the first day of school so she was acting that dumb. Whatsoever, at first, she was calling with a low sound and I could listen to the call clearly but as my name wasn't Paridhi I didn't turn back to see her but at the end when I didn't respond after her various attempt, she called my name so loudly that even our teacher could hear that. I just turned back to discover who was that idiot she was calling but before suhani could say anything I deflected my vision toward my notebook.

This made her so furious and when the class dismissed she stood in front of me with an angry face

"How can you be such an idiot miss paridhi"

I looked at her burning face for a second and started to laugh

"Who is paridhi?" I asked

"You dumbo" she replied

"My name is Tiya miss angry" I concluded

And when she discovered that she was calling the wrong name the whole class, she even started to laugh."

Their story really story made me laugh uncontrollably and I remarked it by saying-

"I thought Suhani was an Intelligent girl but I was wrong"

By that time the waiter also brought the food and we started eating our dinner. During dinner we talked a little but nothing unusual. I and Tiya finished our dinner a bit earlier than suhani. Tiya paid the bill and I insisted them to drop to their hostel.

Suhani started to eat in a hurry because she didn't want us to wait for her and after she completed her meal we went to the parking zone to go back to our home but at the time I started my car engine Suhani screamed -

"Sorry! I forgot my purse in the restaurant"

And went back to the restaurant to bring it.

"She is so careless" Tiya remarked on her departure.

"But she takes better care of you"

"Yeah I know, should I ask you something if that doesn't bother you"

"Yeah obviously"

"Do you really like Suhani?"

This question I never expected from Tiya and so with the distorted voice I nodded Yes.

"But I guess She don't like me." I remarked

"Should I arrange a date for you both" Tiya asked gently and to which I replied

"That's impossible Tiya. Suhani will never agree with that idea"

"Hey you are unaware of the power of a girls bestie. I will talk to her about you and I am sure she even like you."

That conversation made me so happy. I thanked Tiya for her help but she replied –

"It would be my pleasure to see a good guy like you as suhani's boyfriend and I want to repay the help that you have done."

I couldn't speak anything after those words.

Meanwhile, suhani also returned with her purse and I dropped them at their hostels.