Drunk in Love

Part 16

Chapter 15

The same day evening at around 8 p.m. Yibo went to Zhan's apartment and pressed the calling bell. The door was not opened immediately and Yibo had to wait for at least 10 minutes. Finally Zhan was there on the doorstep but as soon as he saw Yibo he blocked the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Won't you let me come inside?" Yibo asked patiently.

"No." Zhan was so rude. "Tell me what do you want?" He observed Yibo from top to bottom.

"I just.." Yibo hesitated for a moment and then he put his hand on zhan's hand which was on the door frame. "We need to talk Zhan."

"There is nothing to talk." Zhan removed his hand. "If you want to know how am I...then..I am fine."

"Why are you doing this?" Yibo was hurt. There was pain in his eyes. He could not understand why Zhan was behaving so adamant. "I am sorry. You can...kiss me."

"I don't want to. Don't you think you are disturbing my privacy now?" Zhan's face was emotionless though he was staring at Yibo.

Yibo was shocked. "Oh!" He uttered and lowered his gaze. The next second he turned around towards the elevator. He could hear the door was slammed behind him. He was confused. He felt like the tears were about to fall from his eyes. He came out of the building and took deep breaths. He walked absent mindedly to the bus stop.

Yibo was a person of high dignity and self-respect. No body except Zhan has ever humiliated him like that. Still he felt the urge to talk to him. He could not sleep the whole night and was thinking about Zhan. He felt so restless. The next morning he called Zhan and heard a sleepy voice. "Hello....?"

"Zhan, it's me." Yibo sounded calm as usual, though he felt anxious. He was not sure if Zhan would pick up the call or if he would want to talk to him. Yibo paused for a bit, as there was no sound from the other end, he continued. "Can we meet and have breakfast together?"

"I am busy." Zhan replied after a brief moment of silence. "Will meet you at lunch at the hospital canteen." He ended the call without giving Yibo any chance to speak. Yibo was trying to analyze the situation. He could not focus on his work during the day and waited impatiently for the lunch time.

Zhan was scrolling his mobile as Yibo came to the canteen. "Hi" Yibo said with a smile.

Zhan looked at him and again concentrated on his mobile phone.

"Why are you mad at me Zhan? Tell me what my fault is?" Yibo asked and looked at Zhan expectantly. He was determined to fix this tension between them. But Zhan just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's order. I have to go somewhere."

"What is it Zhan?" Yibo asked while eating the chicken rice. "You know that you are avoiding me. I am not used to it. Please."

"I am not avoiding you. We are still friends." Zhan said casually without looking at Yibo. His whole focus was on the rice bowl.

Yibo could not read Zhan's emotions this time. He felt so helpless. The word 'Friends' hit him hard. Were they only friends? Did Zhan consider him only as a friend? Did he treat all his friends like this? He had so many questions in his mind but he could not ask them as the other person seemed reluctant to talk on this topic.

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Since then Zhan always tried to avoid Yibo. Whenever Yibo called Zhan was always busy. Most of the times he did not pick up the call and did not even bother to ring back. It was only Yibo who tried hard to keep it in line whatever they had between them. He called almost every day, he tried to meet with Zhan but every time Zhan either denied or delayed or postponed it. Never in his life had Yibo felt so neglected. At the very beginning of knowing Zhan Yibo was angry at him. It was true that Yibo did not want to be in touch with a character like Zhan. But now he did not know how and when he had developed a soft corner for Zhan. He liked him. He liked to pamper him, he even thought, he understands Zhan. But at this point of time he was proven wrong, very wrong. He had grown fond of Zhan so much within this little time period that it felt suffocating to him. It was as if like Zhan came into his life like a gust of wind that blew everything away. His withdrawal was so sudden just like his appearance. How could Zhan avoid him for so long? The person who could not even bear to stay away from him for more than 3 days how was he so calm for the last 10 days without even meeting Yibo. There was only a week left for Yibo to go abroad. And Zhan did not seem to bother about the fact. In fact he even told Yibo over the call that he was busy with his new girlfriend. Yibo was hurt. He could not share his pain with anybody. He cried in the darkness of night all alone in his room almost every alternate day. He looked like he had lost all his energy. Should he not trust Zhan? Was Zhan hiding something from him or could it be that he never really liked Yibo? It was just a change of taste for him that he got bored with. The last week before his leaving Yibo almost pleaded to Zhan for a meeting and for Yibo's relief Zhan agreed. They were at a café sipping their coffees silently. Yibo broke the silence. "I'm leaving this Saturday."

"I know." Zhan said. He was unusually calm.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Yibo asked hopefully.

Zhan looked at Yibo who was already staring at him. For a split second Yibo felt like Zhan's eyes were in pain. There was no light in them. But the next second he sternly said, "I wish you all the success for your future."

Yibo sighed. He knew Zhan was stubborn. "You can tell me if something is bothering you. We can sort it out."

Zhan did not reply. Yibo looked at him intensely and asked again, "Are you ok Zhan? Is everything ok with your girlfriend?"

"I am fine." Zhan said emotionlessly. "I need to go."

The remaining few days went on like a blink of an eye. Yibo was really busy. Though he tried to speak to Zhan but Zhan never picked up his calls. Yibo expected Zhan to come to the airport to see him off. But when he did not find him there till the end of his time he called him only to hear an annoyed voice. "What?"

"I am leaving the country Zhan." Yibo was sad. He almost cried.

"So? It was your choice." Zhan could not control his anger. "What do you expect from me? To cry and beg you for not to go?"

"Will you?" Yibo's voice was muffled as he suppressed his sobs.

"Happy journey." Zhan cut the call.

Yibo wiped his tears and boarded the flight with a heavy heart.