What is the question? │✔

{ 7 }

"'V' my brother, do you have money to let us have a hearty feast?"

Grinning from ear to ear and poking out his dimples, he waved a bunch of fresh crisp notes in the air. What could he say? His Neel Ba was a very generous man! Holding both his friends by their ears, he jumped and leaped, his joyous spirit dampening the mood of the grumbling dark clouds. The clouds, not being allowed to enjoy their own season, could do nothing but sulk, as the trio walked to the nearby food stall.

Orders after orders, plates after plates, no one could stop them from stuffing their mouths full. Even the staggering pedestrians with their eyes falling out did not bother the boys. After all, they did have to celebrate the emergency holiday declared by their college owing to the flooded roads.

"Hic!"

"Hic! Hic!— 'V' pass me—hic—so—hic—wate—"

Handing him a glass of water, he rubbed his back, patting lightly and tracing tender circles with his fingers. Something which his old man does for him when he has a similar fit of choking. Pushing the 'Ilish Biryani' plate away from his friend, he continued his actions, till the hiccups miraculously disappeared.

"Oye Chatterjee! Oye! What happened, Suj—"

Eyes glued to a specific spot, his friend, had the hazy look all over his face. And that is when, their third friend, the forgotten one, pointed accusingly towards the benches in the farthest corner.

A curtain of waist-length hair, the deepest shade of brown you would find, shielded the face of the creature under inspection. Thin fingers ran through those disobedient tresses, shifting them to the other side. Folding up the wet umbrella and stuffing it into a plastic bag, she settled down on her seat, peaceful at last.

The feeling that he had seen her somewhere, swept over him, as he tried to recall or identify the person.

On the other hand, the girl laughed at some old joke which her friends cracked, her eyes wrinkling and holding onto the table for support. She did not speak much, mostly her chuckles were the only giveaway for her friends to know whether she was paying attention or lost in her own world.

"She."

Veer stared back and forth between his friend and the new fascinating creature. His Chatterjee leaving him for a girl? Him? That too for a girl? Outraged by the mere thought, he took hold of his shoulders, shaking him out of his dreamland.

"You won't leave us for her! Is that clear Suj—"

He felt his shoulder getting punched, not with enough force but perhaps the surprising move made him stagger a bit.

"Of course not idiot!"

Relief swept over Veer. Suddenly, he grinned, his eyebrows lost inside his hair, as he focused on the new person who might join their trio. Staring back at his friend, he chuckled, almost in awe of the red face that hid behind the water jug. Suggesting that they should go talk to her, he almost headed out, before he was pulled back by the duo he left behind. And finally, after a long discussion, they concluded, this was not the best place nor time to approach a person. Or even better, a stranger.

"Who is she?"

He couldn't help but ask, he had seen that face somewhere.

"Same batch as ours. Honors in Political Science. She's from Guwahati, I think the name was Ahaana, no Archana, no it was something else ... damn!"

Snapping his fingers, Veer remembered the girl, the one who got the professor speechless with her questions.

"Arhana! Yes, that was the name!"

Grinning and laughing, the trio left the stall as they pulled their friend's leg, every now and then. Once they crossed the road, and lazily stumbled over the gravel and stones on the other side, the teasing got merciless. Howling out loud, they were quite a view for the people walking down the streets.

Unnoticed by them was how a certain someone stared at their retreating backs, her ears red and a coy smile gracing her lips, having heard each and every syllable of the conversation.

The clouds cracked, crying their river of tears, foreboding the nearing events; the roads drenched, washing away their guilt, reminiscing the past events; the city stood still, watching one of the many stories unfold, yet again.