Quarantine Love (EDITING)

Chapter 3

March 15th, 2020 
4 am, Utah/Pune
Sravni and Ansh POV

She had arrived at her parents house 2 days ago. As usual, her mother had taken on the project of making her gain a few extra pounds by preparing all her favorite foods. She could make most of these things but she was lazy and she could not never perfectly replicate the taste her mom's cooking. Sitting at the dinner table, she scrolled through Instagram, posting some photos of the last few days. She was not very active but these photos were too good to leave in her camera roll. After posting, she joined her parents on the couch, laying her head on her mom's lap to watch Darr. 

ANSH

He threw his helmet and backpack onto couch before heading to the kitchen for a glass of water. But even as the drank, he couldn't get Sravni's photo out of his head. They had remained in touch over the years, adhi parents pasun lapun PCOs madhe, mg cyber cafes madhun emails ani Orkut ani just recently WhatsApp. But we had both gotten busy with college and there conversations were limited to one words and seeing each other's occasionally story and post on Insta.
(First, they had hid from parents and talked on calls through PCO, then the emails and Orkut from cyber cafes and recently WhatsApp) 

He picked up his phone, opening Instagram and looking at her post again. Karu ka message? Pan kay message karu? Call lavu...nako nako, call karun bolu kay?. He thought closing his phone and heading towards the shower. He stepped out in 15 minutes, and before he could have second thought messaged Sravni.
(Shall I message her? But what do I say? Maybe I should call...no, no, what will I say on call?)

"Me dilela shirt changla distay tuzha vr. Kay chala aahe? Aunty la hi sang."
(You look good in the shirt I gifted you. What's up? Say hi to aunty)

SRAVNI

Sravni's phone buzzed, and her heart skipped a beat seeing who had messaged. Ansh. He was her closest confidant, but they had stopped talking and by the looks of his Instagram he had found someone--or maybe lots of other girls--who could not keep their hands off of him. She shook her head, trying to push away the emotions and opened her phone to check the message.

"Aai cha number aahe tuzha kadhe, lav phone ani bol ticha shi. Ani ha shirt tu dila hota? I don't remember."
(You have mom's number, call her and talk to her. And you gifted this shirt?)

That was a blatant lie that felt safer than admitting how much she still hadn't been able to forget that day. She remembered that evening when he had gifted her this shirt--the amusement park, the joy in his eyes, how he'd laugh when she screamed her lungs out on the roller coaster. That day had stayed in her mind, a special memory tucked away in a special corner of her heart.  Sravu, its the past. Past. Forget it. He has moved on you should too. She thought putting her phone on DND.

ANSH

He had sat down to watch Netflix, when he saw her message. She did not remember?  He had gifted the shirt but did she also forget that evening? It had been the most magical evening for him. They spent the day at the amusement park, riding all her favorite rides. Her laugh, the way she grabbed his hand during the dips of the roller coaster, the blush that crept on her face when he gave her the shirt--it was the little things he couldn't forget. She had frivolous kissed his cheek in the excitement. He had been about to confess his feelings, but her father had shown up and she had left with him. He ran a hand through his hair, tousling them as he looked at her message. She moved on. Must have moved on. Its been so long but how does he tell her he is still lost in her smile? 

"Let's catch up when you are free. Can I call you?"

SRAVNI

She saw his message, two hours later after the movie had ended. She stared at the screen, her fingers typing and deleting responses. What if this is just awkward? What if she is stuck in the past and bringing it up will just ruin whatever they have right now? She typed the simplest but daring response. 

"I am coming to Pune on 23rd. Catch up then? Or you can call whenever. I am on vacation." 

She added the last part on a whim. God! Meeting him could either be the worst thing or the best thing of her life. Sravu, no going back, she thought as switched off her phone. Opening the book she had picked up from the library upstairs, trying to force her mind on the book rather than Ansh's message.