The Unforeseen Path

Chapter Eight

"You should get an ear piercings," my elder sister Trisha said.

"No." I told her.

"Maybe a nose piercing?"

"No."

"Clit piercing? "

I looked at my sister in horror and said "Are you fucking mental?"

"That you know I am. But you should do something. Maybe get a tattoo or a make over. Cut your hair or change your hair colour."

"But why ?"

"Because you are going through a phase and maybe you need something that'll make you feel better."

"I don't think that changing the way I look would make me feel better. I don't want to change the way I look for someone. I don't want to be one of those girls who puts more makeup or wears tiny dresses just to show off to a guy. I don't even understand when some celebrities get drastic makeovers whenever some shit happens in their life."

"Maybe some people colour their hair blue or get a piercing at a weird place, so that they can somehow physically represent their emotional pain and anxiety. You could try that too."

I'd never thought of it that way. Still I had a feeling it wasn't something I wanted to do.

"No, its not like I am some angsty teenager and there's no point in playing a part that you aren't. "

"Maybe you should be angry. Angry at him for rejecting you. Most people would be."

"But I am not. My feelings aren't his fault, he's been nothing but helpful towards me."

I took a pause and continued, "You know who's been a real pain in the ass though? Myra."

"Wow. Honey its seems these days its hard to say whom you are more into, Myra or Mohit."

I made a mean face at my sister and told her, "Shut up."

"I know I go on and on about her, but I wouldn't if it didn't bother me so much. She keeps cutting me off in class, whenever I try to answer. Also, she seems to have hijacked all my friends. Anjali, Zeenat and Sarika were my friends. Now they are more close to her than I am. Anjali even posted a picture with Myra on Instagram."

"If it bothers you so much, then why don't you confront Myra about everything she does. As for your friends, they'll come around if they are really your friends. If not good for you."

"The thing about Myra is, she isn't like Regina George from Mean Girls who'll insult you on your face. She'll make subtle comments here and there, and in that moment I don't know what to say, by the time the moment passes, if I tell her something, I'll be the only one who looks weird."

"Maybe you can't answer her there and then because part of you believes every word she says."

That made me angry, but when I thought over it, I realized how true it was. I knew that despite Myra's crude behavior she was way cooler and popular than I was. She definitely looked the part and had the brains for it. Obviously anyone would want to be friends with her.

I thought about how I had stopped sitting for lunch breaks with Anjali and people and they hadn't even noticed.

I looked at my sister and said, "I wish I didn't believe it to be true Trish. I wish I had the guts to stand up to them. I wish that I didn't have to fight for my friends' attention."

Then I hugged her for a really long time.

***

Ever since Mohit found out I liked him, he started noticing things about me. Even Tanya noticed how much Mohit had started noticing me. And she'd rather not notice anything about him.

He would annoy me more often by pulling my hair, taking my belongings cause he knew I somewhat liked it. He'd remember the things I'd tell him about me, like the time I told him that if there's a handkerchief thrown around its mine and next day when Khan sir found one lying around and inquired, Mohit pointed at me.

He'd sometimes sneak from behind and ask me about the book I was reading or he'd go through my phone and ask me about the music I was listening. He often made me listen to a song or two that he liked and thought I would too.

One thing I found most endearing was one of our tuition watsapp group chat:

Zeenat :Myra please send us today's physics notes.

JAI : This Myra is  fucking dumb.She never replies on time.

JAI: Pia is better than her. She answers whenever someone needs any kind of notes on the group.

I read this message and felt a sense of gratitude towards Jai for taking my side. But I didn't understand what Jai was upto as calling someone 'fucking dumb' wasn't just his style. There were other messages  but ten minutes later there were some texts that caught my attention .

JAI : (Sends a bunch of emojis on the group)

Mohit: Jai, I found that emoji on your phone.

JAI : Yes, cause you have been texting from my phone since last ten minutes.

I read that message and I read the previous messages send by Jai on the group.

Holy shit! It was Mohit who wrote that. Come to think of it, that text was so Mohit.

My heart just danced after that.La-lala-lala-lala.

***

A few days later he did another thing that surprised me. We all were discussing about John Green books and the fault in our stars just came up.

"I loved the book, hated the movie, infact fell asleep through half of it." I said.

At that Anjali took real offence, like a lot of people do and said, "How can you, its such a great movie."

"The story is so great." Zeenat chimed in.

"More than the story I loved the thoughts in the book." I said.

To which Mohit said, "Ya like OKAY
OKAY and Always !" and then he winked at me.

He was doing a literary flirt with me! Didn't he know, to a book worm that's line the best kind of flirtation!

And I didn't even know anything about flirting!

His attention confused the fuck out of me. On one hand I clearly knew, that he didn't like me on the other hand all the small things he did by paying more attention towards me only made me like him more.

In contrast to the cold treatment that I was getting from Myra, Vikram and sometimes Anjali, this was a welcome change.

Still I knew, that he did not like me that way and his newfound intrest in me was because of the fact that I liked him. I had to keep in mind that he was the same Mohit who liked casual flirting. Who just goofed around to have fun.

And yet.

Authors Note :

I have been loving writing this book so far! I hope you guys liked reading it too!

Also, what do you'll think of Mohit's behavior? Do let me know.