Is it forever?

Developing feelings

Esha and Tara were busy shifting Gao Zhan's luggage from the hostel to Bok So's house.

"Your house is quite big and spacious", Tara said examining the surroundings.

"Bok So you are here for so many days. You still haven't arranged the things properly. Your clothes are in the suitcase and in the basket, your books on the bed, other things still wrapped in the box. Can't you decorate your home?" Esha said, looking at the unarranged surroundings.

"How does it matter? The things are the same and I get it whenever I need and then put it back", Bok So reasoned.

"Then why did you rent the wardrobe, study table and these shelves?" Esha argued.

"It was my mother, not me. She wasted so much money" Bok So said.

"He is being logical", Tara supported.

"Both of you are lazybums. I feel bad for Gao Zhan, now he has to tolerate you", Esha sighed.

"Don't worry I will adjust", Gao Zhan reassured.

"Don't forget to remove your name from the hostel list else they might create a mess", Esha reminded.

"I was wondering what to tell my parents", Gao Zhan sighed.

"Tell a lie which is true" Tara chirped, busy opening a pack of chips.

"What true? That someone is jealous?", Gao Zhan asked, looking at Esha.

"No. Tell that the hostel is too small and crowded. The boys are dirty. You can't stay there. And you have a student who is a transfer student so you two have planned to rent a house", Tara suggested.

"They know I can adjust very well"

"Say that the guys in the hostel are nosy and irritating. Your living habits are different."

"That makes sense."

The four were engaged in decorating the house that they did not even realise it was past 8.

"We can actually chill here. Celebrating birthdays, festivals and also group studies", Esha suggested.

"We too should get some profit from our friend's house", Tara laughed. Her phone rang, it was her parents.

"I will be back", she excused herself as she went to the veranda.

Gao Zhan left to buy dinner, leaving behind Bok So and Esha alone.

"This is my mother", said Bok So to Esha as he showed her the photo frame, "and this is my sister."

"These are my childhood friends", he said showing another photo frame of his pictures with Kyung Hyun and Min Ji.

"This was our homeroom teacher", he said while showing the picture with Mr. Park.

"And this were my new friends- Se Ho and Soo Jung. She is the one who forced me to study and now I am here."

Seeing Bok So's gratefulness for Soo Jung, Esha felt anxious- it was a wierd feeling of possessiveness.

'Was Tara right when she said I love Bok So?' she wondered.

Bok So saw her staring at him, he could feel his face turning red with her stare.

"When will Tara and Gao Zhan be back?" he said, trying to distract her.

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Tara stood holding the grills of the balcony. The chilling winds hitting her face making it tough to keep her eyes open. But she felt no pain. She felt congested, her breaths getting heavier. She felt as if she had been tied tightly, her body was getting numb.

The conversation had started as a concerned mother asking her daughter about her hostel life but it soon changed into a shower of taunts and expectations. Tara had come to Shimla, thousand kilometres away from her parents just to escape it but it seems the pain had followed her here too.

She saw Gao Zhan returning with the food packets. A female figure came and stood infront of him. It wasn't Esha. On further careful observation, she recognised her- Erica. A feeling of fear crept up into an already suffocated Tara. Her irritation increased with Erica's increasing closeness with Gao Zhan as she kept her hand on her shoulder. Unable to tolerate it more, she got inside.

"I will leave for hostel now", she said without looking at anyone and took up her bag.

"Have the dinner and go" Bok So insisted.

"I am not hungry", she said, walking hurriedly towards the door.

"Wait for me, we were supposed to go together", Esha said but heard the loud noise of the door being forcefully shut in answer.

"Whats wrong with her?" asked a bewildered Bok So.

"She is never like this", came the response from a confused Esha.