Intersecting Paths

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

VARUN

The sound of Varun's ringtone made him groan. He was already frustrated about being late to the first volleyball practice and he really didn't anyone reminding him that.

"Yes, I know. I'm late but I swear I just left my dorm." Varun answered the phone as he wore his red sleeveless gym shirt.

"Ten minutes, Varun" Jason warned him.

"Relax! I'm crossing the street right now." He grabbed his black and white gym bag and slung it across his left shoulder as he ran out his dorm.

Luckily for Varun, the boys hostel was closer to the gymnasium than any other part of the campus. He brisk walked through the streets, his eyes wandering from left to right. Varun blinked his eyes shut for a long moment and gave himself an imaginary slap.

Stop looking for her, idiot! You've been avoiding her successfully for so long, don't screw everything up now.

The last time Varun saw Alia was on that first day of school, three weeks back from today. It sort of killed him a lot. But at the same time, Varun wanted to curse himself whenever he thought about her too much.

You are avoiding her for a reason. Do not forget what you told Jason that day.

Talking to Jason in the library that day reminded Varun why he stopped talking to Alia.

"So when are you gonna ask out this Alia chick?" Jason asked quietly as he plopped onto the green couch in the library.

"I am not asking her out." Varun mumbled as he took a seat next to him. "She's just a friend..." He paused before he frowned at the last statement. "Actually, not any more."

"Did you break her heart or something?" Jason tried to hide a smirk, making Varun roll his eyes.

"No, I wouldn't ever try to. In fact we were really good friends. We didn't go a day without talking to each other." A faint smile crept on to his face as the memories came pouring into his mind.

In that moment he could feel his heart ache. Varun missed the conversations he had with Alia. Wether it were the quick paced conversations that were filled with laughter or the long and vulnerable night chats where secrets were shared, he missed it. He missed Alia.

"So..." Jason pressed, showing his genuine interest in the topic. Varun sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"She was my best friend since I was a kid. No one forced me to hang out with her or anything like that. It just seemed right whenever I did, almost like as if I was at home." The words came rushing out of Varun like as if he were talking to himself. As he continued to talk, he started to forget about Jason's presence.

"Alia is type of girl who just wants to make people happy and that's the best thing about her. She would try to make people smile even if she was feeling low. It's her most inspiring quality and that's why I tried my best to see her smile." He took a small pause and chuckled lightly.

"My god...her smile is just amazing, man! It's one of those smiles that you just can't get enough of. And you know, when she smiles from the heart, there's always this twinkle that's in her eyes. It's quite mesmerizing."

By now, Varun was smiling from left to right as he replayed those memories of her smile and those twinkling eyes in his mind. He heard Jason clearing his throat, causing him to flinch. His smile was wiped off immediately.

"Dude, you are actually serious about this girl..." Jason's words came slowly but with a hint of excitement as he trailed off. Varun glanced over at his shoes as he let out a soft sigh. "If you love her why-"