Love in micrometer

~THE SORRY SORRY ~

Agasthya

“Bye”, she said to me. Does she not want to talk to me that she is indirectly asking me not to start a conversation?

I nodded and stopped smiling. I went back to reading my book fully understanding the signal. I am not going to lie, I actually wanted to talk to her. I am not expecting any full-fledged conversation or anything, just that I had to talk about Avi.

I continued reading my book, but for the first time, I could not concentrate or comprehend the textbook. I flipped through pages, and I could feel a small tap on my shoulder.

I turned to her, confused if I had mistaken it to be her, to realise I was not, because I could hear her bangles clink. I noticed her panicking, “Sorry, earlier I meant to say ‘Hi’ and I was thinking of something and misspoke, I hope you did not misunderstand” she informed me.

I wondered why she was explaining herself, which was absolutely not necessary given that we have hardly spoken.

“It is alright, I hope you are doing well” I said to calm the tension.
“I am sorry”, she said again.

I was confused and asked her why she had apologised.

She told me that she did not remember my name, and only known me as ‘Avi’s friend’. I could not help but smile and introduce myself to her.

“Agasthya…cool name, by the way”, she added and gave a big smile, which I felt cute, just like the one she gave when she was with her friend Priya the other day.

“You have a cute name as well”, I blurted out, which was unlike me. She was surprised by my comment, and I had to manage the crisis I had bought upon myself.

“Sorry, I mean nice name, nice name” I fumbled. I was really hoping she did not think of me as a creepy person until I heard her laugh out loud.

“Haha, you are also the cute type like Avi isn’t it”, Siddhi said with a wide smile, and I am sure she even brushed my shoulder a little by mistake. I could feel my face and ears turning hot.

“Woahhhh look at you, turning all red. I am going to have so much fun teasing you”, she exclaimed and laughed.
“I am not red. It is just that I am feeling too cold because of the AC”, I argued, bending my head and rubbing my ears.

“So, you do agree that you have turned red”, she countered. I had no answer. All I could do was just laugh. I realised why Avi is friends with her, she makes anybody comfortable. It was her bangles first, then her smile, hold on, what am I thinking. Nothing, I must think nothing, I stopped myself from getting ahead.

Luckily, it was my turn to get off the train. I told her that I was glad we could meet, shook hands, and got off. It was only my body that had left the train. My mind was consumed by the very short conversations we had and stayed behind on the train.