Endless Road (Wattys 2015)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

16th July, 2008

       It was during Math class that it started. At first, it was just a harmless way to survive through an hour of the lecture. But with time, it grew into an obsessive, persistent habit that often times resulted in me losing attention in class. That Monday was no different; a piece of paper landed on my desk from my right, and I slyly ducked it under the table, unfolding the chit and reading the words written inside.

       'Saturday night movie plan?'

        I turned the paper over and scribbled on it, 'only if it's animated or about the destruction of the world.'

       I dropped the chit on his desk, and from the corner of my eyes, saw him reading it.

       'You're on. Your place?'

       'Okay.'

       'Okay. I'll rent a DVD.'

       'Seriously, you should look at the board now.'

       'I am.'

        'Liar.'

        'Well, you should look at the board now instead of looking at me.'

        I scoffed as I read this. 'Oh, please.'

       'So, what do you think of Megha?'

        I cocked one eyebrow. 'Why?'

        'I'm planning to ask her out this week.'

       'Ahhhhhh, I see. Well, she's totally your type.'

        'Really.'

        'Yup. Pretty, always talking, and she hates math. Your type, through and through.'

        Ajay read the note and chuckled. 'Yeah. You got that right.'

       Sometime during the back and forth of our chits, I caught Milli glancing at me from my left, her eyebrows raised questioningly. I ignored her reaction, and pretended to look ahead at the board as I chewed the end of my pen. It was one of those looks that demanded confrontation, something I wasn't very good at. I could guess what she wanted to tell me—probably that I should be paying more attention to my Math class than the notes that I exchanged during lecture with Ajay. Who would have thought we'd become chit-buddies? But so it was. And somehow, I was enjoying it.

       Instinctively, I turned to my right, and found him watching me. Caught—again. There were numerous times this week that I'd seen Ajay staring at me—in the classroom, in the school hallways, in the canteen, even when we studied at my house on alternate afternoons. Where earlier I'd been nervous at his stares, now I found them... flattering. I know, strangest reaction on my part. We'd become good friends. Good friends—it sounded so unlikely when I thought about us. I used to think he was a spoilt, unmannered, childish prank player who didn't care about anyone but himself. But he wasn't. It was a surprising discovery that he wasn't at all what I'd supposed him to be.

      I saw him scribbling something on the book before him, and I shook my head. This was going to be a long Math period.

***

       Milli gazed at me over the lunch table, her hands folded across her chest, leaning back in her seat. I squirmed under that unwavering look, and glanced over at Rishi for help. Rishi, however, was engrossed in eating his apple. I cleared my throat.