Coloured Me Grey (Book Two)

Chapter 11

I climbed the window sill that day exactly after a week. Peach color in the middle of the flames? Where was he heading with that? Odd.

Suddenly my phone vibrated in my pocket and I gulped as I looked at the caller ID. Nonetheless, I jumped outside and received the call.

"Long time."

"Hello to you too. What's up?"

"Classes got over just now. How are you doing?"

"Good! I'm good. I love it here. It is a bit lonely without Tuhin and you guys but hey I've made new friends! How is art college? You conveniently forgot me after that surprise call on your first day! "

The cheerful voice automatically brought a smile on my face. "It's nice here."

"Have you made friends?"

"Oh yeah," I counted from the top of my head - Chacha Ji, the receptionist, the two teachers who lend me their books as a sign of friendship and this weirdo right inside the studio, painting the canvas in flames and then applying peach all over it like an idiot. "Five."

"Riyaaz."

Ah, the soft, stern voice. I melted a little. "Yeah?"

"Move on. Just let go of what happened. You can't do anything about the past. We're still your friends. And you've got the rest of the gang back in Kolkata if not me and Tuhin."

"Afzal is still here? Didn't he get into NIFT in Mumbai?"

"He got into NIFT alright, but in the Kolkata branch itself. They should keep in touch with you, DAMMIT! And you should try to do the same."

"I ... uh ... sorry, I'm working on it."

A short pause followed at the other end of the line. "How's Zara doing? I miss her so much!"

"She is all set to impress a girl at school," my laugh came out like a snort.

"HOLY DAMN, is she going to become another Divya?"

"I'll let you find it out for yourself the next time you're here. When are you coming to Kolkata?"

"During Durga Puja, perhaps. Let's see."

I couldn't stop myself from asking, "How's Tuhin?"

"He'll be coming to Delhi for a match! We've decided to meet up then."

I could imagine him dance with excitement. The Tuha. That dog.

I heard some kind of shuffling behind me. Shit, I had completely forgotten about the painter boy. Kid you not, he was scrambling to scale the wall with a pancked expression on his face.

"Hey, I gotta go. Catch you later, okay?"

"Is everything alright? Are you okay"

"Yeah, I'm fine, trust me. There's someone waiting for me and he might fall and break his neck if I don't go help him."

"WOW. Alright, call me again sometime, okay? Tata." Click.

I put my phone back in my pocket.

"What the fuck's wrong with you, painter boy? It's just a window!"

That boy would neither give up nor stop being scared everytime his hands slipped.

"Oh, I'm feeling sorry for my school not teaching me how to scale walls easily and silently to sneak up on others like yours did." He rolled his eyes and finally flung a leg over the window sill.

"You want some help?"

"Duh. Yeah!"

"Help yourself." I chuckled.