Shuttles And Stars

Neeraj

As I walked Sia to the gate, our conversation still lingered in my mind. The night had gone better than expected. We'd exchanged numbers, shared stories, and laughed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd crossed some invisible line. I waved goodbye to Sia, who smiled politely before turning to leave. The cool night air did little to calm the buzzing thoughts in my head.

"Neeraj!" I heard Abhimanyu call out from the car, snapping me out of my reverie. He was leaning against the door with that familiar smirk on his face, clearly having seen the whole exchange.

I walked over, trying to play it cool. "Let's go, man," I said, sliding into the passenger seat.

Abhimanyu got in and started the car, but his teasing began almost immediately. "So, how was the farewell, Mr. Dixit?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Not too emotional, I hope?"

I chuckled nervously. "Shut up, Abhi. It was nothing."

He shot me a knowing glance as he pulled out onto the road. "Oh yeah, sure. 'Nothing,' except you looked like you were about to propose marriage back there."

"Come on, man!" I groaned, leaning my head back against the seat. "It's not like that."

He snorted. "Right, because chatting with a beautiful army officer at midnight is totally just friendly."

I stayed silent, a smile creeping onto my face despite my best efforts. The truth was, I was thinking about her-more than I should have been. Her quiet confidence, the way she laughed without holding back, her reluctance to embrace the civilian life she'd left behind-all of it intrigued me.

We were halfway home when my phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. It was my sister.

"Neeraj," she said, her voice bright. "Don't forget about the success party on Sunday. We're expecting all your friends there. And you better show up on time this time!"

I reassured her with a quick, "Yeah, I'll be there," but as I hung up, an idea popped into my head. Why not invite Sia to the party? It could be a casual way to see her again, without making things too obvious. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I started feeling nervous.

I pulled out my phone, about to dial her number when Abhimanyu, ever the meddler, caught on. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I'm thinking of inviting Sia to the success party on Sunday," I admitted.

Abhimanyu's eyes widened, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Are you serious? You're going to call her just like that? Dude, you'll sound so obvious."

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the call button. "You think so?"

"Trust me, man. You need to play it cool. Why don't you invite some of her friends too? That way it won't look like you're singling her out."

I sighed. He had a point. "Fine," I muttered, scrolling through my contacts. "I'll invite Netra, Meera, and Vikram too."

With a deep breath, I pressed Call. The line rang twice before Sia's voice came through, a bit confused.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sia," I said, trying to sound as cheerful and casual as possible. "I know this might sound sudden, but I'm throwing a success party this Sunday. I'd love for you and your friends to join-Netra, Meera, Vikram. I think it'll be fun."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sigh. "I'm not sure, Neeraj. We have a lot of responsibilities, and I don't know if we'll be available."

I felt a twinge of disappointment but quickly recovered. "Oh, of course, no pressure," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "I just thought it'd be nice if we could all hang out."

"Right," she mumbled, her voice cooler than I expected. "I'll let you know."

The call ended, and I leaned back in my seat, feeling deflated. Had I been too intrusive? Should I have even called her? I glanced at Abhimanyu, who was watching me closely, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Well?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"She said she'll let me know," I muttered.

Abhimanyu burst out laughing. "Dude, you sound like a schoolboy asking his crush to the dance! You've got it bad."

"Shut up, Abhi," I groaned, feeling the heat rise in my face. "It's not like that."

"Oh, really? You've been talking about her nonstop since last night! I swear, if I hear her name one more time, I might jump out of this car."

I chuckled despite myself. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"You are absolutely that bad," he teased, shaking his head. "You're in love, my friend. And you know what? I'm happy for you."

I shot him a glance. "Yeah, well, don't be too happy. You know how complicated this is."

Abhimanyu nodded. "Yeah, yeah, army, distance, all that. But hey, if you really like her, it's worth trying, right?"

I didn't respond. My mind was already spiraling, wondering if I had crossed a line by calling her. Did she think I was being pushy? Was I too eager? My thoughts were a whirlwind, and by the time I snapped out of it, we were pulling into my driveway.

We both stepped out of the car, and as we approached the door, I was still lost in thought when my mom appeared at the entrance, arms crossed, glaring at us. "Do you two know what time it is?" she scolded. "I've been waiting!"

"Aree, aunty," Abhimanyu said with a grin, clearly loving the chance to make the situation worse. "Neeraj was lost in someone's eyes, what could I do?"

My mom raised an eyebrow, her stern expression giving way to a knowing smile. "Oh really?"

I groaned. "Mom, it's nothing like that. Abhi's just being dramatic."

Abhimanyu laughed, winking at my mom. "Dramatic, yes, but not wrong!"

We all laughed, though my cheeks were burning with embarrassment. My mom shook her head, clearly amused. "Alright, alright, go get some sleep, both of you."

As we headed upstairs to our rooms, I couldn't help but replay the conversation with Sia in my head. Had I been too forward? Did she really not want to come, or was she just busy?

Before I could get too lost in my thoughts again, Abhimanyu slapped me on the back. "Relax, man. If she's meant to be there, she'll show up. Now stop thinking about her for at least five minutes."

I nodded, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I was too far gone. As I collapsed onto my bed, one thought filled my mind: I couldn't wait for Sunday.

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