Let's Meet After School

CHAPTER 11: ARE YOU JEALOUS?

Jealousy... we all have felt jealous of someone or something in our lives. It's a basic emotion that can be felt when we feel insecure about something. A small kid can feel jealous if he sees his mother caring for some other child. A teenager feels jealous when he sees his/her bestie spending more time with another friend rather than you. An adult can feel jealous when he sees that the job, he always dreamed of... it's been given to a different guy despite working hard to get it. I mean there can be healthy jealousy and unhealthy jealousy as well. But we aren't discussing the bad ones and the good ones... we are talking in general.

I mean anyone can feel this emotion because we feel insecure about someone. Maybe there's a girl you want to propose and you like her a lot... but the thing is that someday you see her with another guy getting a bit friendly... you will feel jealous and it's completely normal to feel that way.

24th August 2015

We see Aarav waiting for Ankita as today is the last day of her social work campaign. After a while, he sees Ankita coming out of the school gate with a guy... at first, Aarav thinks that it could be just another friend or someone from the social work campaign. As he starts walking towards her, Ankita's guy friend gives her a side hug and leaves. Aarav stops approaching her and leaves as well.

After walking for a while, Ankita runs into Aarav and now they both are walking together.

"So... I know that I was away for a while with all the social work thing... you must have a lot to talk naa?" she says in a polite manner.

"Oh... nothing much happened during this last week... how was your experience?" he replies with a straight face.

"It was so great like I cleaned the streets, helped people with promoting social awareness and lots of things yaar."

"Sounds exciting."

"It was! I mean I even made lots of new friends during these few days."

"Friends... like best friends?"

"How can I make someone my best friend after knowing them just for a few days, Aarav."

"So, just friends?"

"I mean yeah, I will be in contact with them as we all have similar backgrounds and we share a lot in common. Still, no one's like you and Shreya."

"So, I and she are your only besties?"

"At this moment... yep."

"Oh... Okay."

"Aarav? May I ask you something?"

"Yeah... you may."

"Are you upset over something or someone... you seem a little off today."

"... (chuckles)... not at all... everything's normal and good."

"Uhm... you sure? You can tell me if something happened, I am here buddy."

"Thanks...buddy! But nope... I'm fine." he says with a forced smile.

"Oh...Okie."

"Yeah."

"... by the way... why didn't you wait for me today. You knew that my social work thing was over already and we could have walked together."

"Aren't we walking together?" he replies with sarcasm.

"Aarav... why are you acting so weird... and a bit rude as well. Did I do something wrong?"

"Uhm... have you done something?"

"I don't know... I'm meeting you after days and you seem a lot upset over something. I don't know what is it. Did you see something that made you upset?"

"I don't know just go ask your new friend."

"Who's my new friend?"

"The new guy who seems a lot friendly towards you."

"Wait... were you standing outside the school entrance and saw him side-hugging me?"

"... I did... you were smiling a lot as well."

"I suppose you're telling me that I should have given him a cold shoulder by rejecting his gesture."

"Apparently I feel you should have just given him a friendly handshake."

"Aarav... are you... are you jealous of him?"

"Pfftt... me jealous... me?"

"Yeah, you! Accept it... you got jealous because he gave me a sweet hug."

"That was just a side hug... no need to sugar coat it and say like a sweet hug and all."

"Aww... my cute little bestie is being protective over me... nope... he's just jealous as he wasn't the guy who hugged me first...right?"

"Just... my turn is already here... I'm going on my way... bye."

Aarav and Ankita part ways at the intersection, as they both are on their separate ways... Aarav calls her name and she looks behind.

"Yes... I was jealous of him and I wanted to hug you first when your social work was over." he runs towards his home after saying this.

"Gosh... now that's cute..." Ankita says this to herself as she stands there blushing like a red tomato.