The Rules Of Pursuit

19. November Swim

"No way!" Avinash exclaimed "all these while I thought that we became independent because of Gandhi, but in real it was because of Subhash Bose."

"That is what the world will want us to believe, because according to them Subhash Bose was in cahoots with the Axis power. Most of the East India Company soldiers knew that it was the Azad Hind Fauj lead by Netaji that drove the colonial rulers away, but they won't accept it. It would mean they lost the last battle of the world War II to the Axis power." I explained.

"But that is wrong. Netaji was never a supporter of Fascism. He merely wanted us to be free from the colonial rule." Avinash argued like a child in his elementary school.

"Life is not a lane of rights. It's a chessboard with equal representations of right and wrong." I smiled.

"I can't believe you made me find history interesting." He stretched his back while I rose up from the wrought iron chair to put the books back on their respective racks. Brute didn't accompany me like always. He was still fast asleep, his head resting on Avinash's feet.

"Hey big guy, aren't you going to swim?" Avinash scratched him under his ears and Brute growled contently.

I smiled to myself thinking what Olivia had said. They too had expected something could transpire between the two of us. I needed to find out how serious Avinash was about Damini, and whether there was a chance of breaking them up.

"Avi, I never got to congratulate you for Damini." I finally womanned up the courage, to talk about that slut.

"Thank you." Avinash blushed, scratching the side of his head above his ears.

"You guys must be pretty serious?" I pressed.

"I don't know what being serious means. We are definitely not 'Danny and Oly' kind of serious, but I like her. I mean I always thought of having a girlfriend like her."

"Is she your first girlfriend?" I urged him while we climbed down the stairs of the administrative building and walked towards the Sports building.

"Yeeesss!" He scratched the back of his ears again. Even these small things he did, made him look irresistible. I had to make sure I didn't stare at him, which seemed a little difficult though.

"I studied in an all boys' school so never had any female friends. Therefore I was completely unaware of the female attention I was drawing when I joined College of Espionage. I kind of had a crush on Olivia but I couldn't tell her, scared that she may slap me or something." He laughed.

"Yeah Danish told me." I smiled walking along the cobblestone path that lead to the sports building. It had not snowed for the last few days, making it easier to walk.

"Shut up!" Avinash exclaimed "He did not." He pretended to look horrified.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." I grinned, "anyhow you yourself told me today, so you can't blame Danish."

"I need to reprimand that pretty-faced poet, he is not supposed to go on sharing my secrets with juniors." Avi imitated Jeevan Rathore's voice pretending to be angry, but smiled when he found me guffawing at his perfect imitation of our principal.

"So where were we...yeah...Olivia...well she actually happened to be my friend and it was I," he pointed at himself "who introduced Danish and Olivia to each other."

"I was in the dance team with Olivia and Soccer team with Danish. They started dating within a fortnight of being introduced!" Avinash shook his head in amazement "I hope someday I would be able to experience what they feel. I wonder how it feels to be in love." He looked dazed.