Drafts Of Her Heartbeat

Burning Jealous

The plan was made to go out on dinner around 8:00pm. The other teams were to meet at the campus gate by 7:00pm. By the time clock struck 6:00pm everybody were in their room getting ready.
I was all ready by 6:30pm and waiting for others in the living room. First couple to come down were Vidyut sir and Kashish Ma'am, followed by the boys but the girls were still busy up in their rooms.
"I swear it is all that Piya, who is taking so much time, or else Riddhi won't take so much time and Arohi can be ready in just fifteen minutes." Abhimanyu complained.
"Fifteen minutes?" I asked astonished. I mean I had encounters with girls in past and none of them would get ready before an hour and half, minimum.
"Yes. She is not the one to fuss about dressing up. She just wears, what she finds comfortable, instead of going for fashion and makeup." He replied.
"Looks like you know her quite well." The comment slipped my mouth even before I could realise what I was saying. Thankfully, he didn't took it in an offensive way. He just nodded and smiled at me, which I returned with my forced, fake smile.
Our awkwardness was broken by clicking of heels on floor. The girls finally decided to come down. Piya and Riddhi were wearing some cliché dinner dress but my eyes were fixed upon the angel descending. Wearing a light pink dress which ended just above her knees, pairing it with just ear-rings, bracelet and a watch, i noticed she wore flat sandals instead of the heels like her friends.
"Wow!" Axel said.
"We are going for just a dinner girls" Rahul commented.
"We know and that why we wore this. Now shut up." Piya replied
"Like I can understand why they wore it cause they like dressing up, but Arohi you?" Siddhant questioned. I saw Arohi starting the fidget with her fingers out of nervousness.
"She is a girl, she can feel like dressing up from time to time. Now stop teasing her" Kashish Ma'am defended her.
"Still....." Abhimanyu said sounding unsure but then he covered it with, "but you look pretty Munchkin."
"Ok let's go." Vidyut sir said shoving us out of the house.
"Shall we hire taxi?" Arjun asked.
"I have my bike. One can ride with me." Rahul said.
"Five people can accommodate in my car." Vidyut sir said.
"Hmm... Rest can come in my car." J added.
"Ok. So it is sorted. Rahul and Siddhant will take the bike, Arohi, Piya, Riddhi can come in our car, rest Arjun, Axel, and Abhimanyu go with Dhruv." Kashish Ma'am said allowing everyone their rides. I wanted to protest. I wanted Arohi to come with me. But I didn't, I couldn't. Sometimes these chains of social protocols go so deep, that one can never speak his heart out in public. I looked at Arohi, hoping she will say something, but she was happily chatting with the girls while going towards Vidyut sir's car. Finally with a deep sigh, I unlocked my car and the boys settled down in it.
We arrived at the campus gates where some uber cabs were booked to take the rest to the restaurant. The ride was not so bad, considering the conversations the boys were holding.
Finally the car arrived at its destination. The others had already arrived earlier and had gone to take their seats at the table. I parked the car and went inside only to clench my jaw at the scenario in front of me. Arohi was sitting in between Abhimanyu and Jamie, the girls taking their seats beside him.
I was forced to look away when the other team members started greeting me. Finally i took my place, from where I could look at Arohi from an angle.
Conversations started brewing up, menu came, orders were given, dinner arrived and everyone was happily munching, and not did once Arohi raised her head to look at me. Infact the whole time she was busy in a happy conversation with the two boys and girls kept pipping in middle. It was as if I was completely invisible to her this evening.
She looked so beautiful in her dress, and I could see the look she was getting. I just hoped I was sitting beside her, proving to every man, whom this jewel belongs to. I kept trying to catch her attention but it was all in vain. Finally she got up to take a washroom break and I thought this was my opportunity to catch her alone, but then Piya volunteered to go with her.
I had seen a certain ray of admiration in Jamie and few other boys' eyes, and trust me I wanted nothing more than to take out their eyes. For God's sake, they were literally giggling at my wife. After the dinner everyone started retiring back to their dorms, and the arrangement was kept same as it was while we arrived. The guest teams in uber cabs, Rahul and Siddhant on bike, girls with Vidyut sir and Kashish Ma'am, and the boys with me. She left without even glancing at me, not even for once. I guess that is what I deserve considering the way I behaved with her in the past! Did she used to feel the same, as I am feeling today? Well she only talked with them, I on the other hand, used to parade around with girls! Today I felt sad, deep anger on my actions, on me. And the worst! None of these emotions can change what had happened in the past.
Driving down the road, I could not get the images of the night out of my head, the way she looked, the way she interacted with others and how close she looked with Jamie and Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu! I cannot ask Jamie but I can surely fathom the depth of his feelings for Arohi. I need to know how to beat my competitor.
"I swear she was in a different mood today. Like suddenly happy and all cheery." Abhimanyu commented.
Taking it as my chance I asked, "looks like you know her pretty well?"
He just laughed, "well she is not my best friend fir nothing. Of course I know her well."
"Since when do you both know each other? I mean how long?"
"Two years. Two years back when she joined ECI, we are friends since then." Abhimanyu replied.
"More like attached at hips" Arun commented.
"Two years and such a good friendship? I mean weird isn't it?"
"No. It may seem weird to you, but two years is more than enough to know if the person is good or not. And Arohi? She is far from good. She is the best person on earth." He added, a bit too happily for me.
"Well she seemed to be quite reserved to me. You know like a closed book" I pried.
"More like closed chapters. She has a past, a husband who treated her in the wrong way, more like abused her, she left him and she closed that chapter of her past. So she is now a bit you can say cautious in trusting people. But once she opens up, she is just awesome." Abhimanyu said, while the other two boys hummed in response.
"Woh! She is married?" I asked, he just nodded.
"So now that she is out of the marriage, do you plan on making a move on her?" I spelled out each word slowly.
"Make a move?" Axel exclaimed in surprise.
"No, no way. Arohi is my best friend, that is it. Nothing more. I respect our friendship." He said quiet fastly.
"So you mean Arohi is not the life-partner type for you?" I asked again just to confirm my doubts.
"No she is the best life-partner one can get, but she is not the one for me. I love her, care for her, but don't harbour any romantic feelings for her. That is just so not us." He said coolly.
His confession had satisfied my jealousy.
"And it is not like she won't get a man in her life. Surely there are many males waiting to get her hand and be blessed." And Arjun's comment, aroused another fire of jealousy in me. And my mind screamed just one name -- Jamie!