The Right Kind Of Wrong

Chapter 4

Later that morning, my new squad took me to where they hung out. There was this parking space for bikes that was usually not even where the bikes parked and as a result, there was a lot of free unused space. That was apparently where we were supposed to "hang out" from then. They'd come across it in the last week and claimed it as their own. As we were nearing the place I couldn't help but send a quiet prayer to all the thirty-six or so Indian gods that I was aware of.

Not only was the place ghastly, dark, and shady but it looked like it was the center of origin of all diseases that have been found by mankind. It was dirty as hell and I had no other choice than to paint a smile and appreciate the place as if it were the Hyatt Regency.

There I met Rudra Khaitan. He was eating a paratha for what I was informed was from an hour before, when I laid my eyes on him the first time. He was one of those people that you don't even spare another glance on if you're passing him. Dark skinned, lankier than a log and with the creepiest smile you could have ever seen on anyone. But when he opened his mouth and welcomed me, I understood what they mean when they say Don't judge a book by its cover. It wasn't anything he said in specific, he was just witty and intellectual, the kind of person you automatically trust and want to be friends with. Within the end of the first hour, I had been judged, analyzed and then accepted into this weird squad of misfits. But I still preferred their company over my former school friends.

I chuckled to myself internally. I was introduced to all the five or so kids that were fooling around there and told that my reputation preceded me. Apparently, the fact that I was from the Exarch International School yet chose to hang out with these people, made me extremely well known.

If the previous me could see me hanging out with these people, she would have flipped. My mind automatically went back to the angel guy for a split second. After staring at him dumbfounded for a few seconds, I had recovered(thankfully) and given him a smile back. Mrs. Gambhir had then proceeded to tell us to coordinate and be there at the same time, much to my utter joy and excitement.

We both had a double Zoology lecture from twelve. While I had decided to attend the first one and ask the teacher to let me go before the second, he decided to bunk them all together. I was surprised when I heard that. If it were the previous me, I would have absolutely agreed with his choice. We were so much alike! But this new me that I'm trying to get used to, this me doesn't want to listen.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Chini and Rudra both sat down on either side of me. "Hey!" I smiled at them. "So, how different is this place from Exarch?" Chini asked me. Yes her name is actually Chini. "Well there were humans there and there are humans here too", I said smirking. "Not like that, like how different do they behave and talk?" Rudra asked me nibbling on yet another piece of his lunch. "Well for one, they don't irritate or poke their nose into matters which do not concern them", I said shrugging. "And I'm out", Chini says dusting her pants and leaving while I rolled my eyes. This friendship thing isn't probably going to work if they can't handle this attitude. "Why are you so mean?" Rudra asks and I notice he's still sitting there looking at me. "This was mean?" I furrowed my eyes. "Of course she was just being nice to you, you know?" "Well I'm not nice and that's the most annoying question anyone can ask me."

He sighs as if I were the one pestering him and not the other way round. "I'm Rudra", he says stretching out his hands. I looked at his hand and then at his face again.

Is it really worth it? Should I just go back to my Exarch friends? They'll be so much more understanding.

Yes, and they'll also be laughing at you for even trying to start fresh and then keep embarrassing you about breaking up with Abhishek. Not to mention the fact all of Abishek's friends will be there and so will be the devil itself who will definitely not miss a chance to tell you he was right when he said you can't have a fresh start just like that. 

This is too important. I have to win. I need a new set of friends. Good and loyal friends. Who won't fuck me over as soon as an opportunity presents itself. And I definitely need real friends. With my mind made up, I smiled, "Nice to meet you, I would introduce myself but the welcome earlier guaranteed you already know my name. Plus I'd rather not shake your hand while you're still eating."

"Well no problem, I can work with that. I should consider myself lucky that you didn't ask me to fuck off really", he says grinning creepily. I don't know why but that day I smiled my first real smile from the time I actually started at this place. I laughed back, "Oh definitely. You should be flattered."

"So, do you have a poem ready yet?" he asks me. I frown, "How did you even kn-", he cut me off, "Khyati told me." I rolled my eyes. I need to be careful about what I tell Khyati it seems. "No, but I'll just select one from my collection", I said taking out my poem diary and flicking through it. "Can I help?" he asked scooting closer. "It's 'May I' and yes you can if you stop scooting towards me. I like my space", I said sliding away from him. He just grinned and started going through my poems. This is going to suck!

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