Meant To Be

Chapter Ten | Sameer

Sameer

I sigh and enter the room to see that Aryan is still asleep. I didn't put an alarm in my phone last night so that Aryan stays asleep while I could wake by myself and go out to the deck for the sunrise, and you know, maybe for that girl too.

But no. She wasn't there. No one was.

I waited there for long, till the sun was high up enough, but she didn't show up. Well anyway, who cares.

Thinking of it, I plop on the bed with all my weight plus the applied force, that wakes Aryan up in a shock.

"Good morning, Aryan. Don't give me that expression. You didn't come back from dead, you were just asleep." I remark.

"Hmm." He says, still sleepy. "What time is it?" He scratches his head.

"Nine ten." I answer.

"What?"

"Nine hours, ten minutes, fifty five seconds." I elaborate. "No, sorry, it's nine hours, eleven minutes now, with seconds increasing per second."

He rolls his not-so-rollable-eyes and gets off the bed.

***

We four boys after having our breakfast, go to the gym area which has so much to see. I mean, to do.

We go around touching and poking each and everything there. Aryan is the one trying on everything. Sid and I start playing table tennis while Jake is on his own.

After a while of fun with Sid and Jake, I hear my phone ringing in my pocket.

Mrs. Verma , It says.

It's Aryan's mother calling on Skype. I pick up the call and her face comes into view.

"Hello Aunty," I smile into the camera. This is the freaking Indian culture to call all the elders of your parents' age group, your uncle or aunt. And it sucks bad time. And it is a pain in the butt.

"Hello Sameer. Can I talk to Aryan? He is not picking up my call." She tells me.

"Sure," I say and look around for Aryan.

"Hey, where is Aryan?" We get out of there to search for him.

Till that time, Mrs. Verma and I talk about how we are here and did we reach and stuff.

We get to the deck out of the hallway, just as we see Aryan standing outside. Jake goes out and brings back him.

"Your mother is on the phone," I say as he takes it from me and we slowly walk back to the gym. I stand beside him while he talks to his parent.

That's the time he gives me that very smirk. The smirk.

I narrow my eyes. Hmm, something's up.

As the guys go back inside, I make my way to the deck again. And right outside the glass doors, sitting by the pool, with a younger girl - her sister probably - is her.

I see her through the glass as she makes paper boats with her sibling and puts them in the pool.

She is one hell of a beautiful young girl. Her hair isn't let loose like it was on the upper deck the day before.

The sister after a while, in her rushing speed, barges in from the door as I pretend to look elsewhere, leaning on the counter. Once she is gone, I look at the airplane-girl again. She is now sitting in a lounge chair reading a book.

She is just peacefully reading a book and here I am looking at her. I am such an idiot. But I only want to know her a little bit just because, just because... just because?

Idiot.

After a while, she looks here and there, gets up and just leaves the place, walking in the glass door just as I stupidly turn to face the empty counter.

Wow, did I just hide? What a stupid dumbass I am.

Once I am sure she is gone and won't come back, I go to the pool and pick out the paper boats that she had scribbled something on.

One reads, 'bless you because you picked this up (not if you are a worker cleaning the pool cursing at this childish stuff)'
I chuckle. Just as it strikes my mind that she could have signed it, I see '-Anonymous' written in the end.

I wish I knew her name.

I pick the second boat which reads, 'I am capable enough to swim or drown on my own. I don't need your help.'

Third: 'I was tired of walking the path, so I started floating around.'

Fourth: 'It is okay to let go of the anchor that holds you, and just float.'

I bend down to pick the last boat from the pool but it just gets farther from my touch. I lean further down but it distances more. Now that troubles me.

How to get that thing out without getting in?

I look around and spot a leaf-skimmer used for cleaning the pool. Leaning down with my arm completely stretched and along with the skimmer, I drag out the almost drown paper.

On unfolding it carefully, I read, 'What a curious cat you are that you took so much trouble to pick me out. I have a reason to like you (only if you weren't cleaning the pool).'

Wow this exactly read my situation aloud right now. Maybe well yeah I was using a cleaning equipment.

I officially like this girl. I didn't know how she was until now except just her appearance and actions, but now I know that she is that funny cool kid kind that I like. And she is actually interesting now.

I read the wet papers again before finally getting up. That's when I notice a book on the chair.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

She left the book she was reading.

I pick it up blankly.

I have her book. Damn I have her book.