Dear Destiny

4- Dear Date

*ARIV*

After dealing with all my bike errands, I finally got home. It had been a hectic day. First, there was that little Bournvita girl, Reet, with her delusional hopes, and then the run-in with that stupid policeman I'd just messed with.

As I entered the room, I saw Atharv sprawled on his king-sized bed, smoking with one hand and holding his phone with the other.

"I've told you a thousand times not to smoke inside," I said, waving my hand in front of my nose to escape the toxic air.

He looked at me with annoyance and then crushed his cigarette, tossing it into the nearby dustbin. He seemed focused on texting someone.

I sat on the bed and glanced at his phone. The name on the screen read 'KIARA.'

"Whos she? Your new girlfriend?"

"Nah, just casual friends. Once I have sex I'll leave her."

I sighed. This is the Atharv that our innocent Reet dreams about.

"Anyway, I want you to meet someone tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, I'm busy," he said, not even glancing up from his screen, engrossed in texting his new target.

I snatched his phone. He looked at me, annoyed. "What? Give it back."

"Listen, I don't care about your regular flings. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow morning near the park," I said in a menacing tone, dropping his phone back on the bed. "And you better consider it a date," I added before leaving the room.

I got back on my bike and rode off to another destination, not knowing where to go, just riding as if there was no tomorrow.

I rode until I reached the nearby temple. Okay, I might not seem cultured, but its just appearances. I know I've committed many sins and I dont really care about the karma I might receive. But one thing that means a lot to me is going to the temple every Tuesday. Atharv's mom used to take both of us there to pray for our blessed futures.

And yet, I wonder what kind of future we got blessed with, where we can't even find our own ray of happiness. We lost the only gem of our life, whom I could address as a Mom. Not biologically but very much emotionally

I parked my bike and heard a melodious sound of an anklet. Turning my head, I saw the same bournvita girl struggling to put on her shoes while holding an aarti thali in her hand. But blessed by her clumsiness, she accidentally twisted her ankle and fell flat on her chest. Ouch. That must have been painful.

"Ahhhhhh," she winced in pain. I watched her struggle to stand up, but she fell down again."Ahhhh, I don't know why I'm so talented at creating trouble that too for my ownself," she yelled in frustration.

Watching her struggle actually entertained me. I chuckled. She tried to get up once again but failed. Okay, it's my time to step in and help her. Even a bad boy has to do some good deeds now and then. Thanks to the temple right in front of me, or else I would'nt have even shown a bit of sympathy to her.

I walked over to her, and she didn't notice me. She was too busy cursing the road, the ground, her shoe, her anklet, the nearby buildings, and even a small cat that passed by. Everything was to blame for the trouble she had created for herself.

I offered her my hand, and she looked up, seeing my face.

"You again?" she said as if I had trespassed onto her private property.

"Yes, me again!" I mimicked her tone.

I expected her to be angry or to shout at me-of course, I had bullied her a lot in school-but to my surprise, she did something unexpected.