The girl who made my life heaven and hell like

Chapter 5

Kiran did not make it to the inaugural function. Not even after that. I finally caught her with Vijay, during the lunch hour. She was looking very pretty in a sunset yellow saree neatly draped around her slim figure. I wanted to compliment but held back my tongue when I saw Vijay, I did not why.

"Where were u Kiran? I did not see you for almost the entire first half of the day," I asked Kiran.

"Oh Varun, I am sorry. I had gone out with Varun. We took some real cute pics, see", she babbled on thrusting the camera in my hands. But I was lost - lost right after her first sentence. She had gone to take pictures with her boyfriend when she knew I would be expecting her; when she knew I had no pals but her; when she knew she was my strength. I couldn’t bring myself to blame her. After all, I tried to shunt her and selfishly needed her only when I wanted - not when she wanted. At that point, I knew I was beginning to lose something precious from my life, right in front of my own eyes.

The days that followed confirmed my premonitions. She hardly texted me, and was hardly seen out of Vijay's company. Seeing her with Vijay hurt me. I was hopelessly waiting for my birthday, the day being the only chance I could get to ask Kiran, without gathering attention to my recent uneasiness, to spend some time with me. The day finally came - March 19th. Kiran waited for me in the college bus stop, welcoming me with her warm smile. For once in many days, she was not with Vijay, I thanked internally.

"Happy birthday sweetheart," Kiran said brightly. I felt compensated for all the days I lost with her. She gave me her own personalized gift - a painting of the two of us. It was so beautiful. A droplet of tear peeked out of the corner of my eyes, seeing the smile we shared in that picture that spoke thousands of memories. I looked at her and before I could open my mouth, she said , "Keep your thanks to yourself. I want something else in return"

"Anything," I said, without a second thought.

"One day of yours," Kiran said.

"But.. Vijay?," I said. I wished she said no.

"No, I told him already that this day is for you; for us, only," she said. She made my day.

We bunked classes and headed to a mall near our college. We had our brunch together and watched a bland movie after. We filled each other with talks we couldn’t catch up due to her recent commitments.

"Can you believe we are only two months left to graduate?," Kiran said, when we finally ran out of new news.

"Finally!! I can't help feeling glad though" I replied curtly.

"Won't you miss me?," she said, pouting her lips like a child, turning my face away from the screen.

"You will be the only one I will miss about my college days. But you will always be my best friend, no matter we graduated or not," I said, expressing myself for the first time. My own voice sounded unfamiliar to me. Kiran looked at me quizzically for few seconds, then shook her head gently, smiling, as if she was correcting herself mentally.

I returned home like I was returning from college. I felt guilty of hiding my bunking classes to spend time with Kiran, from mom. I managed to muster a half-cooked lie that I went for a movie in the afternoon with friends . I so wished I could show mom, the painting Kiran gifted me. But I felt I rather did not upset her. I was never forbidden from befriending, nor was I allowed to entertain too much of friendship. Kiran's gift was well qualified to get us exposed in that category. So I hid the painting in my cupboard and accompanied mom to her evening walk.

Nothing could have made my birthday better, I entered my room smiling to myself. I reached for my mobile and saw I had two messages from an unknown number. It said , 'Hi, Do you have Professor Gibran's number?' and 'This is Pia More, second year, from same department as you are.' She had texted me three hours before. I texted her Gibran's number and typed another message - 'Hi Pia, sorry, I just saw ur msgs. I couldn’t get you the number quite immediately. It was my birthday today and I just entered my room, after a looooong day'.

When I was thinking why did I even tell this girl about my birthday, let alone, the informal reply, I got a reply from her. 'Oh, good there is still half an hour left for the day to end. Many Happy birthday Varun sir. And no worries, I got the number from someone else. How was your day?' (Junior girls sometimes addressed their senior guys 'Sir').

She added smiley at the end of every sentence. 'It was a heart-filled birthday. No words, just that I am feeling on cloud nine', I replied back.

I got her reply in less than two seconds later. 'I am glad for you. Do u think u could meet me after college tomorrow in the bus stop?'. I was not prepared for this spontaneity. But, I found myself agreeing to it in the reply I furnished her back.

Next day, I completely forgot about the plan and left with the guys, after college, when they nagged me to throw a party. When I crossed the bus stop some two hours later, I saw Pia waiting in the bus stop.