Just another Love Story

-Chapter 4-

***
2017

TING TONG! 

'Coming up Buddy!' Raj shouted from inside.

It was finally now, after a month of our reunion that he decided to invite me to his place. 

The door opened. Raj stood in front of me...in an apron, with messy hair and sweaty face. For some reason, he looked really funny.

'Hahahaha! I just hope none of that went into my food!' I chuckled.

'Yeah Yeah. Very funny. Now come on in!' 

His apartment was nice, typical Delhi style. A small gallery led to a cozy drawing room, kitchen and Bedroom. All of it was painted with light warm colors: pink, white and yellow, which gave a look of more space than there actually was. 

'Here is your seat, Monsieur,' Raj bowed to me, pointing at the sofa.  I sat down as he ran off and came back a couple of minutes later with two plates and two glasses. 

'Hmm...let me guess...Paneer?'

'Bingo!' Raj exclaimed, 'And I also have paan for refreshment!'

Man! He hasn't changed. One single bit. 

And so we ate, chatting about all odds and ends that came to  mind. His eyes lit up as he offered me the green betel leaf wrapped on gulkand and anise, which was actually because he himself would get to eat it now. 

'Say, a cup of coffee after a while?' I smirked at him.

'You Gotcha bro!' he raised his hand, grinning. 

'Haha!' I gave him a hi-five.  

I would have frowned down at him, had I not missed this innocent stupidities of his in the past seven years. Actually, more than that...  

He was finally smiling...really smiling....he was...happy, really happy, after so long...

After his breakup, he seemed lost. The Raj I knew was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a heap of bones stuck together with some flesh. Where his eyes used to be were two dull rocks; black-holes: no light escaped them.

I don't know what he did....but it must have been something terrible. Because Simran did not talk to him after that at all. She tried to ignore him the best she could. Once or twice Raj tried to approach her, but when he realised what was up, he abandoned all efforts as well. But both of them couldn't hide their actual feelings from anyone but each other. As soon as Raj entered the class he was restless until he would spot her and check on her, through his eyes of course. He tried to keep his concentration at one place but out of the corner of his eye he would be looking at her only, all the time. He might be talking to someone, anyone, but his mind would actually be revolving around her. He would eavesdrop to her conversations and provide any assistance she needed in the best way he could, without being noticed. Obviously, he had accepted his fault and was now atoning for it. Some even started pitying him and hating Simran for being so bad to him; and with them he fought, even with hands sometimes, to prove that it was he who was at fault and she was simply angry at him. He wouldn't tolerate a single word against her.

He was so desperate for her, it showed in his every movement. And yet, whenever I talked to him about trying to apologize again and make her agree to give the two of them another try, he shut me up, saying it's ended. That it won't be happening again, now.