PUNISHED FOR BEING ME

CHAPTER 5

IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME TO KEEP THE IDENTITY OF MY NEWLY FORMED SO-CALLED BOYFRIEND A SECRET, BUT SOMEHOW I MANAGED IT. WE CONTINUED TO MEET TWICE OR THRICE A WEEK AT THE SAME PLACE AND THE SAME TIME. WE WOULD GET LOST ON FINDING COMFORT IN EACH OTHERS ARMS AND SOMETIMES EVEN LOOSE TRACK OF TIME. WE STARTED GOING LATE TO THE CLASSES AND SLOWLY RUMOURS STARTED CIRCULATING ABOUT ME BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME GIRL BELONGING TO SOME OTHER SECTION.

I DIDNT LIKE THESE RUMOURS THAT WERE SPREAD ABOUT ME AS THEY MADE ME LOOK LIKE SOMEONE THAT I AM NOT. THESE RUMOURS OF ME BEING STRAIGHT TOOK TO MY NERVES AND ONE DAY I THOUGHT ABOUT TALKING THINGS THROUGH WITH HIM.

IT WAS OUR SIXTH MONTH ANNIVERSARY AND WE HAD DECIDED TO CELEBRATE IT IN A GRAND STYLE. WE WENT ON A LONG ROAD TRIP TO A NEARBY HILL STATION WHERE WE BOOKED A ROOM TO OURSELVES AND STAYED INDOORS, FOOLING AROUND WITH EACH OTHER THE WHOLE DAY.

IT WAS AROUND SIX IN THE EVENING WHEN I OPENED MY EYES. WE HAD SLEPT THROUGH THE PAST THREE HOURS. HIS HAND WAS OUTSTRETCHED AND I WAS LYING SIDEWAYS WITH MY HEAD ON IT AND MY HAND OM HIS NAKED MUSCULAR CHEST. I WAS FEELING NOSTALGIC ABOUT ALL THESE MONTHS THAT WE HAD SPENT TOGETHER, MEETING SECRETLY IN PLACES NO ONE WOULD EVER COME TO KNOW ABOUT.

I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT ONE SUCH, EMBARRASSING YET THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT THAT I SHARED WITH MY BETTER HALF. WE HAD DECIDED TO TAKE A TRIP TO A NEIGHBOURING CITY IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE OUR THIRD MONTH ANNIVERSARY, FOR WHICH WE HAD TO TAKE THE METRO TRAIN SERVICE FROM OUR COLLEGE TO THE RAILWAY STATION. FOR GOING FROM ONE PLATFORM TO ANOTHER WE HAD TO CHOOSE FROM EITHER ESCALATORS OR LIFTS. SINCE THE LIFT GAVE US A LITTLE MORE PRIVACY THAN THE ESCALATORS WOULD FOR US TO DO SOME LITTLE NAUGHTINESS OF OUR OWN, LIFTS WERE OUR OBVIOUS CHOICE. WE WENT INSIDE THE LIFT AND STARTED KISSING EACH OTHER. THAT WAS BY FAR THE MOST WONDERFUL KISS THAT I HAD EVER HAD. WE GOT SO INTO EACH OTHER THAT WE EVEN FORGOT THAT WE HAD ARRIVED ON OUR PLATFORM AND THAT THE LIFT WOULD OPEN ANY SECOND. THANKFULLY WHEN IT OPENED THERE WAS NO ONE STANDING OUTSIDE IT. WHEN THE LIFT OPENED I LEFT HIS SIDE AND BEGAN WALKING TOWARDS THE DOOR AND WAS ALMOST OUT OF IT WHEN HE HELD MY HAND, PULLED ME INSIDE, CLOSED THE DOORS AND KISSED ME MORE PASSIONATELY THAN HE HAD DONE BEFORE. THE FEELING WAS SO GREAT THAT I DONT THINK I CAN EXPRESS IT IN WORDS. SUDDENLY AT THAT MOMENT, SOMEONE OPENED THE LIFT DOORS. WE LET GO OF EACH OTHER AND EXITED THE LIFT IN A HURRY, OUR FACES RED WITH EMBARRASSMENT. WE WALKED OUT OF THAT AREA TO THE NEXT AREA QUICKLY WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING BACK. WHEN WE WERE ARE AT SAFE DISTANCE, WE STOPPED TO REGAIN OUR BREATH. WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND ENDED UP LAUGHING TILL OUR STOMACHS HURT. IT WAS THE MOST EMBARRASSING SITUATION EITHER OF US HAD EVER BEEN IN. IT WAS HILARIOUS TO THE CORE, I MEAN MAKING OUT IN A LIFT FOR THE FIRST TIME AND GETTING CAUGHT DOING IT IS EASILY THE WILDEST THING SOMEONE WOULD HAVE ON THEIR BUCKET LIST.

I WAS STILL REMINISCING ABOUT THE PAST MONTHS THAT WE HAD SPENT TOGETHER WHEN MY BOYFRIEND GAVE OUT A SOFT MOAN IN HIS SLEEP, THAT BROUGHT ME BACK TO REALITY AND WOKE UP. HE LOOKED SO PRETTY IN THE FAINT SUNLIGHT THAT CAME INTO THE ROOM THROUGH THE DIM COLOURED WINDOW SHADES.

AS HE WOKE UP, I TOLD HIM THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING. "YEAH GO AHEAD, WHO'S THERE TO STOP YOU." HE REPLIED.

" YOU REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE RUMOURS THAT ARE BEING SPREAD ABOUT ME.," I SAID

"YEAH, WHAT ABOUT THEM?"

"THESE RUMOURS ARE GETTING ON MY NERVES. I MEAN, BEING LINKED TO A GIRL IS EVERY GUY'S DREAM, BUT I AM NOT LIKE THE OTHER GUYS AND YOU KNOW IT. I AM DIFFERENT. YOU ARE DIFFERENT. I DONT LIKE IT WHEN OTHERS TEASE ME OR TALK ABOUT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH SOME RANDOM GIRL WHEN THE TRUTH IS THAT I DONT EVEN LIKE GIRLS. I HOPE YOU ARE UNDERSTANDING WHAT I AM SAYING."

"FIRST OF ALL GET THIS ONE THING STRAIGHT IN YOUR MIND." HE REPLIED. "YOU ARE NOT DIFFERENT. YOU LIKE BOYS MORE THAN YOU LIKE GIRLS. SO WHAT. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG IN THAT. I HAVE MADE MY PEACE WITH IT, YOU SHOULD ALSO DO THE SAME. AND SECONDLY, IF THEY ARE TEASING YOU LET THEM. IT SHOULDNT BOTHER YOU UNLESS WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS TRUE. JUST IGNORE THOSE BLODDY ASSHOLES."

"BUT -"

"NO IFs AND BUTs." HE INTERRUPTED ME. "SHED THIS LONG FACE NOW AND GIVE ME THAT 100 DOLLAR SMILE."

I SMILED. HE PUT HIS HANDS THROUGH MY THICK HAIR, BROUGHT HIS HEAD CLOSER TO MINE AND GAVE ME A PECK ON MY FOREHEAD. I JUST LOVED WHEN HE DID THAT.

IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT WHEN I REALISED, HOW FORTUNATE I WAS TO HAVE A BOYFRIEND LIKE HIM, WHO WAS READY TO SUPPORT ME THROUGH EVERY THICK AND THIN AND HOLD MY HAND IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES.

I FELT LIKE CLIMBING ON TOP THE BELL TOWER THAT WE HAD BACK IN COLLEGE AND ANNOUNCE ON THE MEGAPHONE THAT HE WAS MY BOYFRIEND AND THAT I DIDNT CAARE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD.

WE SPENT THE WHOLE NIGHT AT THE HOTEL AND CHECKED OUT OF THE HOTEL NEXT MORNING. ON THE DRIVE BACK, A QUESTION TO WHICH I PROBABLY KNEW THE ANSWER TO, HIT MY MIND.

"CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION ?" I ASKED.

"SURE, I AM ALL EARS." HE REPLIED.

"WHATEVER YOU SAID LAST NIGHT ABOUT NOT CARING ABOUT THOSE RUMOURS AND JUST IGNORING THEM IS ALL TRUE, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING MORE TO WHAT I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT TO YOU. I AM AFRAID THAT YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY. PROMISE ME YOU WONT SCOLD ME AFTER LISTENING TO IT."

HE STOPPED THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, LOOKED AT ME, SLID HIS HANDS THROUGH MY HAIR AND WHILE KISSING ME ON THE HEAD, HE SAID, "I PROMISE, I WONT SAY ANYTHING. SAY ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT."

"I THI...I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE OUR RELATIONSHIP PUBLIC. WHAT DO YOU SAY." I STAMMERED, NERVOUS ABOUT HOW HE WILL REACT.

IN CONTRAST TO HOW I THOUGHT HE WOULD REACT, HE SAID, "TO BE HONEST, EVEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT. EVEN I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT."

I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE. I HAD NEVER EXPECTED HIM TO REACT THIS TO WAY. AFTER I RECOVERED FROM THE SHOCK, I BROUGHT HIS FACE CLOSE TO MINE AND SHOWERED HIM WITH KISSES. I WAS SO HAPPY THAT HE ACCEPTED TO MY PROPOSAL AND WE DECIDED THAT IF ASKED, WE WILL REVEAL OUR RELATIONSHIP.

AS IT SO HAPPENED, I WAS ASKED THE TRUTH ABOUT WHY I HAD BEEN COMING LATE TO THE CLASS AFTER THE BREAKS. AS AN ANSWER TO THIS I TOLD EVERYONE THE TRUTH ABOUT MYSELF AND MY RELATIONSHIP. EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED. THEY COULDNT BELIEVE WHATEVER I TOLD THEM. ONE OF THE GUYS CAME FORWARD AND ASKED ME IF WHATEVER I HAD TOLD THEM WAS REALLY TRUE. TO THIS I REPLIED,

"YES I AM IN SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH PRATIK SINGHANIA."