The Unforeseen Path

Chapter Fifteen

     It was the day of our one day college trip. A lot of people didn't come for the picnic this year, it being the 12th grade, an important year from career point of view. Tanya too didn't come. I joined a group of people from my class whom I new a bit, but it was as if I was almost left alone on a trip. Purab was running around with his own bunch of cool friends and had become distant with me since a few days. It seemed as if he too wasn't interested in me, anymore. I didn't want to run behind Sarika, Zeenat and people and feel like a looser, so I just stuck with the people I was walking with. We were doing fun things, going on rides, playing paintball, having milkshakes but it didn't feel like fun to me. I was the outsider in their group, whom they had for a day, adopted.

     I spotted Mohit often, with Eshani and the 'doods' as they liked to call themselves. We made eye contact a few times, but didn't say anything to each other. I wanted to say something, but I always felt like I should keep my distance from him, from fear that he didn't really want my company and I would just be a pest if I did go and talk to him.

       The trip ended and we all reached home around ten. And the unbelievable happened. I got a text from Mohit.

Mohit :  Hey, Pia are you okay? I heard you fell down during the trip.

OMFG! Heee careeeees! It wasn't the one who fell during the trip, it was another Pia, Pia Narang, who fell down. But he careeees!

Me: Not, it wasn't me, it was Pia Narang who fell down.

I don't know somehow his text had given me insane confidence, so I typed a message I otherwise wouldn't have.

Me : What would you do Mohit, if it had been me who fell, and hurt herself ?

Mohit : Is this you, Pia? Is it really you who is texting me?

So he did not believe that I could text something like this, interesting.

Me: Yesss. It is me, Mohit.

Mohit : Woaah, Pia. Btw, are you coming to Chemistry lecture tomorrow?

Me : Yeah, but god knows if sir will be on time.

The rest of the conversation we talked about class, our chemistry sir's tardiness, and then he said good night to me.

After keeping the phone aside, I thought about how when anything happens to me, he is the first person to ask. He understands me without having to say a word. Maybe, he is fighting his feelings for me and that's the reason why he is hot and cold with me. Maybe, he does like me. And I like the fact that I can surprise him. We have a thread that links us, however weak it maybe right now. In time, his feelings for me will grow and may be after all this, we might end up together. With that thought I went to sleep.

***

Next day, to everyone's dismay, college was there and it was cumpulsory. We were all tired to our bones and yet we picked ourselves up and went to college. I ran into Mohit and he again asked me if it really was me texting him yesterday. I don't know why but for some unfathomable reason, whenever he came in front of me, I was a nervous mess and I just timidly said "Yes, it was me."

He looked at me like he was impressed and said, "Nice!!" Then he went away.

Soon, it was lunch break, and I was sitting with Anjali, Sarika and Zeenat. I was still thinking about my encounter with Mohit and I said to Anjali, "I still like Mohit." She gave me a pitiful expression, and said, " Pia, I wasn't going to say this to you but, I guess I will have to, he proposed to his crush yesterday. I can't say who, but you know her and you like her. She has almost said yes."

For a minute, I was in denial. I thought she might have heard wrong, there has to be some miscommunication, cause things between us were so going so great. But then he never told me he liked me. I could not help myself and asked,"WHAT? Who is she?"

"I don't want to tell you, then you'll be comparing yourself with her."

"No, Anjali I won't just tell me her name!"

"I don't think I should, I don't want to put you in the same position as me."

Anjali had been dumped by her crush and he was now dating another girl after telling her that he wasn't ready for a relationship.

I settled for not knowing. But Zeenat came in a while and said,"Do you know if Eshani said yes to Mohit?"

Immediately, at the sound of her name, my eyes widened and I said, "Eshani?"

"Zeenat, dude, you didn't have to tell Pia! I didn't want to tell her! Now she knows!"

"But I thought she might already know!" Zeenat said.

I could bearly hear them talking. Obviously it was Eshani. The perfect girl. The girl who was liked by everyone. Even Purab didn't see her faults. And she was his best friend. A girl with whom he probably talked and hung out with, a lot. A girl with whom he probably shared his secrets and things that troubled him. I should have known.

I had even seen them dancing together during Annual Day practice and he was so into it, so into dancing with her. I was immediately hit with this unfamiliar feeling which I realized was jealously, but I dismissed it, by saying to myself that she was just his best friend. Nothing more.

And who was I? A lurking pest he couldn't seem to get rid of.

"Pia, listen." Anjali said, "Don't think about him. You know yesterday, when we thought you fell, we all went and yelled at him for not asking you, if you were okay. He's not worth it, he doesn't even care, don't waste your emotions on him."

Just proved how stupid I was to think that he cared! That he messaged me cause he thought of my well-being! Ain't I just the most deluded person!

I could barely concentrate in any of the lectures that followed. After college we went off to tuition. Sir as usual hadn't come and everyone was doing their own thing. I could see Mohit standing near the door, looking insanely happy, and telling  Anjali how Eshani had almost said yes. He told her to not tease him or anything in tuitions as he didn't want everyone to find out.

His expression left a bitter sweet impression on my heart. On one hand, it pinched me that it wasn't me he was talking about, on the other hand I was happy that something had given him so much joy to put that expression on his face.