Chennai Terminal || WLW Novel || Indian Sapphic

4. Promise

{present day}
I picked my latte with "Mandy" written on it. Name butchering.

I was bit of a celebrity now but this was New York. People won't care if Taylor Swift did a cartwheel in those open streets. Plus my comics are famous, not me. I called a Taxi and sat inside when this girl, a fellow Indian came up to me.
"Hello.. I.. lost my purse and I am new here" she said.

That was a little bit suspicious. But I agreed to help her... because she was indian. "Yes?"

"My fiance lives here, can you- uh- this is their address" she said and handed me a paper.
"Sure get in" I said and she got in.

We had a long chat about her life and guess what, her fiance was a girl. I attract lesbians.

After a long chat, she gave me an invite to their wedding. I was actually thrilled.

---

So I had class that day. Like it wasn't one of those free days, I actually had a class that day. And I was late. My dad was kickstarting the bike like anything but it wasn't turning on.

He looked so stressed for missing those classes. More than me. I had actually decided that I wasn't going that day.

"Ahh Suresh!" Dad suddenly yelled at this man who lived in Nayan's house.

"Can you do some help? Can you drop my daughter at her classes?" he continued. I was tensed because first of all, I was not ready to attend the classes, second of all, definitely not with him.

"Oh. Sorry uncle, I gotta attend my meeting right now...." he said and I sighed in relief. Nayan steps out and opens the gate for him to come inside.

A sudden yell came from him and it was
"Uncle, is it ok if Nayan drops her instead?", And boy was I nervous and blank.

"Double ok!!" He yelled back and pushed me slightly towards them. I was not prepared for this. But I felt my love balloons burst as soon as I saw her. She smiled at me the way your friend's mom would smile at you. And I fucking hated it.

Like her eyes said that she didn't even consider me as her friend and that I should just abandon the honeymoon dreams that I had of her last night.

Well I sat behind her in her Vespa.
I maintained a 5 inch gap with her. I didn't know if she could tell I was uncomfortable but she was looking back and forth in that side mirror and frowning. "So the route?" she slowly started. Her voice was warm and nice. Like always. But moving on...

"What? Oh- you have to take a right but that doesn't come for another few minutes so-" I mumbled it very slowly and looked down and stopped speaking.

"Mm."

"So? What class is this?" Nayan slowly starts.

"Accounting."

"Oh. What subjects do you have?"

"Accounting related."

"Oh. Ok." Nayan ended. I wish we talked more that day and I wish we talked about other important stuffs that was going on in both of our lives. But I think what I did that day was still an accomplishment cuz the whole way I kept thinking if my breathing was loud or if my loose hair was disturbing her. She was wearing red that day too. It's just a gorgeous colour on my woman.

She dropped me at my classes and I think she waved me. I just stared and walked like a robot into the building.

"Madhu?" My then accounts teacher said.

"Hello. Yes? Mam"

"Go to your class maybe?"

"I'm doing it now actually, mam"