Lover Is A Day

Chapter 18.2

It has been a week now and Shubham had still not talked to me. I had overthought about all the ways I could approach him, and sort this matter out. But soo far, I had failed. All because of a simple misunderstanding. And all because of her- And now she was bragging to me about her relationship.
‘It’s not fair that I had my first kiss with her, and I wasn’t even fully sober!’, she said
‘That’s nice’, I said unenthusiastically.
I balanced the phone on my shoulder while washing the dishes. It was a weekend. And it’s been a whole WEEK since he hasn’t talked to me.
‘Are you listening?’, she asked
‘Yes’, I said halfheartedly
‘What’s wrong?’
‘He isn’t still talking to me’, I said
‘Because of me?’, she said
‘Yes. And why haven’t you told him yet that you two are dating?’, I said
‘He hasn’t spoken to me either., and I guess Neha hasn’t told him yet. But why are you waiting for us to tell him., why not just go and talk to him first?’, she said
‘Because-’ I put the phone on speaker mode and kept it on counter, so it’ll be comfortable to talk
‘I honestly don’t know what or how I would tell him’
‘That you are gay and I am a lesbian, and that you are in love with him?’, she said
‘I’m not in lo-’, I said, ‘You know what forget it’
‘Ugh…you are difficult! Just talk to him, is it that hard?’
‘…’ 
‘Gotta go now, I have to meet Neha, and remember’, she paused ‘If he is jealous, then he probably likes you!’, she said
I cut the call.
Could he be jealous…?
I will just talk to him in college. I head-fisted into the pillow.

And… I was in college again. The weekend was over, and I had plenty of time to think. So, I thought of ways to talk to him. I just need an opening, and I will clarify the misunderstanding. I just need to approach him somehow. I won’t ask him about why his changed behavior, because that will be weird. Instead, I will be causal, as if I didn’t even notice.
And just as I was thinking, he appeared infront of me. It is not the first time that our paths had crossed in college. But now he was here, and I should talk. I walked closer to him, and just as I was about to speak...
Somebody came up and slung their hand on my shoulder. It was Abhi and next to him was Mayur, he nodded at Shubham.
Ofcourse, someone had to interrupt just when it was the opportunity to talk.
Shubham excused himself and went his way, and I went mine with Abhi and Mayur.
Then in the recess break, I looked for him, but this time, he was eating lunch with his classmates. And I too was with Abhi and Mayur. So, I walked away.
After the lectures, I stayed, hoping to talk to him after his cricket practice and my basketball practice. But Abhi told me, that Mayur already left because today there is no cricket practice!
So, Shubham would have also left.
I give up. I should think of something else.

I left halfway through the practice. Nothing was interesting today, I will just go to my room and sleep. I walked out the gate, and almost didn’t see him- standing there, to my right, Shubham.
He was equally surprised to see me, as I was him.
‘What are you doing?’, I asked
‘I was actually waiting for Mayur, he told me to wait for him after college’, he said
‘He already went home’, I said recalling what Abhi said to me
‘What?’
What?

‘He texted me to wait for him after college, so we could go home together., and now you’re telling me that he has already left?’, he said
‘Yep’, I said ‘Abhi told me that he already went home because you guys don’t have cricket practice today’
‘That’s weird… I will call him’, he said
He put his phone to his ears and hand on his hips and looked in the other direction. I decided that it was only proper to wait.
‘He isn’t picking up’, he said after sometime
‘…’
‘I guess I will go home then’, he said to me
I nodded. He did not ask me to accompany him, so I will just go by myself. But I spoke before leaving
‘Neha likes Zenna’, I said ‘That’s what she told you right?’
He didn’t answer, instead he looked at me
‘Well, they are dating now’, I said and walked ahead.
I thought it was only appropriate for him to know this much, nothing more, nothing less.
He stood in his place, confused. I didn’t see him, but I could sense that he was connecting dots.
I purposefully walked slower than I normally would, and he did catch up to me. Smiling.
‘They’re dating?’, he exclaimed ‘and they didn’t even tell me!?’, he was obsessed with it
‘Ask them’, I said and glanced at his phone
‘No no no, I believe you!’, he said, ‘Whoa… I should congratulate them’
‘…’
‘I am glad’, he added
‘Why?’, I raised an eyebrow
‘Because they liked each other for soo long… and they’re finally together now’, he said plainly
‘Right’, I said
‘Also, you’re free now, I won’t tease you by Zenna’s name anymore’, he said
‘That’s a relief,’ I said
We laughed. And we walked back together.
‘I can’t believe I was third wheeling this whole time!’, he said