CHECKMATE

Chapter 9

"Why is it always me who has to make the first move?" Demanded Anjali in rage.
"I asked him to be the group leader, I was the one who pleaded him to dance, now should I be the first one to say that I love him?"

Michelle sat still listening to her friends outburst. She had never seen Anjali so sullen and infuriated at the same time. As far as she knew Anjali, Michelle was sure that her friend had never fallen in love. This was her first love, the pain was tremendous and the egos too inflated.

"Why are you getting your ego in the way of thinking rationally?" asked Michelle quietly.
"Ego?" smirked Anjali, "if I had so much of ego I would never have pleaded. The one who had ego has switched off his damn phone and is probably in some hell hole. He is the one who is egoistic."
"Try calling him again," requested Michelle holding Anjali's hands in hers.
"No," she replied much to her friends dismay. "I'm done, I can't be the one taking a step ahead all the time when he isn't reciprocating at all. I'm not interested in spoiling my father's name nor making a fool out of myself."

~

"Why weren't you picking up your phone?" Yelled Siddharth.

Pratap held the phone away from his ear and said, "Calm down..."
"Shut up," shouted Shivendra from the other end, joining Siddharth.
"Shiv are you at Sid's place so late at night?" Asked Pratap in amusement.
"The opposite actually," chuckled Siddharth. "I'm at Shiv's place. Isn't it morning there?"
"Yes," nodded Pratap with a sigh. "Got my finals coming up."
"Hmm... sounds terrible," said Siddharth with a grin while Pratap chuckled a little. "I had to ask you something and it's very important."
"Hmm...?"
"Are you in love with...Anjali...?" asked Siddharth hesitantly.

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone which made Siddharth gulp hard hoping he hadn't intruded Pratap's personal life.

"No," said Pratap masking his anguish with a smile. "I owe it you and Shiv once more for saving me."

Though Siddharth smiled a tight lipped smile at the other end, he somehow sensed that his friend was deeply hurt yet masked his emotions like a pro.

"I know your hurt," sighed Siddharth.
"No Sid," said Pratap firmly, "I know my priorities and I know how these rich girls are."
"Umm...ya..." shrugged Siddharth not able to approve it, but he really couldn't blame his friend for tagging all women are the same. "Thanks to that bitch..."
"I don't want to talk about it," sighed Pratap, "that chapter is collecting dust and I'm not going to dust it off."
"Ya right," agreed Siddharth immediately with a slight nod.

~

"LOOK HERE!" Screamed Michelle aloud pouring herself into the newspaper.

Anjali came running into Michelle's room and sat beside her. The image on the newspaper made her heart thump hard. She felt breathless and parted her lips trying to suck the oxygen from the air. Her cheeks flushed and despite her creamy complexion she looked as red as a cranberry.

"Can you believe it, he's become the best advocate in America." Gushed Michelle, her eyes fixated on the picture in the newspaper.
"I knew he would be the best," whispered Anjali with great effort.

Her heart wasn't willing to calm down and her voice wasn't any higher than a whisper. Despite meeting him so many times, dancing with him and smiling; he had the same effect on her. Nothing had changed for Anjali in this one and half year since Pratap's disappearance.