WE & MONSOON : Love vs Promise

|| BYCYCLE RIDE ||

(SUNDAY MORNING)

Smaran paces around his room, his phone pressed to his ear. Pick up, pick up. He listens to the ringing, each second stretching out his unease. Finally, the call connects.

"Hey, hello, how are you?" Smaran tries to sound casual.

"I'm fine. Speak." Sristi's voice is curt, direct.

"I was worried about you after what you told me tha—"

"Get to the point."

Smaran hesitates for a second before blurting out, "I need your bicycle."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"Well, ahhh... my scooter broke down, and I have to urgently go somewhere."

"Alright, come home and take it," Sristi responds, her tone indifferent.

"Please drop it by the school area. I can take it from there. You know why I can't come to your house," Smaran pleads, hoping she'll understand.

"If you want it, come home and take it." She doesn't wait for a reply, ending the call abruptly.

Shucks. Yaar, why every time she does like this. Smaran stares at his phone, frustrated and a bit deflated. Looks like I'll have to go to her place after all.

With a resigned sigh, Smaran grabs his keys and sets out to Sristi's house. The familiar path feels unusually long today. He knows she's doing it on purpose, forcing him to come to her place instead of making it easy for him.

Sristi and I used to be academic rivals in our school says. Sometimes she would perform well, and other times it would be me. Back then, I never thought that our friendship would last this long. It's not like I always have an issue going to her house; I have visited her home several times to study. Her mother is very kind and treats me a lot, even now. But there is one person there whom I have a problem with, or I should say, he has a problem with me, and that is her father. I feel like he doesn't like me at all. I have made many attempts to gain his trust, but it hasn't worked out. That's why I always try to maintain some distance from him. Sristi also has a younger brother who is four years younger than us. After listening to Sristi that day, I feel like her father will ask her brother to follow the same path as well.

The streets are quiet this early in the morning. He quickens his pace, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. Alright, I've reached. I hope Sristi's dad is not at home. Smaran knocks on the door. After a few attempts, the door opens, and Sristi's mother is standing there.

Sristi's mother greets him with a polite smile, "Oh Smaran beta, how are you? It's been a long time since I last saw you."

Smaran returns her smile, "Namaste, Aunty ji, I'm fine. Well, actually, I had some work with Sristi."

Sristi's mother gestures for him to come inside, "Yes, yes, come in."

As Smaran steps into the hall, his eyes land on a man sitting with one leg crossed over the other knee, reading the newspaper. Oh no, death.

Smaran's stomach tightens as he realizes it's Sristi's father, a figure he's always found slightly intimidating.

Smaran slightly bows, "Namaste, uncle ji."