"Is it your flat?", Chaitra asked with raised brows. Excitement, confusion, curiosity and so on, many emotions mixed in her eyes. Siva and Vivek were off to college. 

"Get in", I took her by holding her hand. We both took off our shoes after closing the door. I signed her to sit on couch, she sat and leaned back. I placed my mobile on table near the couch and went to kitchen.

"Chaitra, do you want anything to drink, Water? or Juice?", I asked while checking refrigerator.

"No, I'm fine", she yelled from living room. I grab a water bottle.

"Varoon, you got a call from..... Divya", she yelled. Water chocked at my throat by listening that name from Chaitra. I swiftly went and took the mobile and cut it. It seemed she didn't care. Even why would she care? She didn't even know Divya. I tensed in vain. 

"Chaitra, I am going out to get food for us. What you want to eat?", I asked.

"Anything............. Spicy food is preferable", she said checking her mobile. 

"Anything else? My Majesty", I bowed my head and winked. She glanced at me.

"No.... Thank you.... Mister", she also bowed her head playfully.

I placed TV remote on table. "Common washroom is on that side, if you want....", I said and she nodded. 

There was a small restaurant near our apartment. I was thinking about  Divya while walking to restaurant. I didn't know that is it the right time to call her and say everything? I opened Divya's number and hesitated to call. I tapped on call, and it was ringing. Meanwhile I prepared a new lie. 

"Hello...... Varun"

"Ha Divya"

"How are you?...... Vish said that your health is not well...... How many times I called? You  didn't lift a single call..........."

"Actually I slept and my mobile is in silent mode...... so sorry....."

"That's okay...... How are you?" 

"I'm good now...."

"Do you had lunch?"

"Yeah...... I had...... Divya...... I will call you later... Bye"

I cut the call without her reply. There, she was worrying about me. Here I was ignoring her and lying to her. Her caring and concern burying me deep into guilt. I hate it. I selfishly left her and searched happiness for myself. How will she react when she know about Chaitra? What about Chaitra? She is treating me like a friend. How will she react when she know about my feelings? Besides all this, What were my feelings mean? Is this really love? Or just some attraction or infatuation? I have to found it first. 

*********************

"I think you like the food", I said passing her plate. When I returned back she was there on the couch and watching TV. 

"Is there any one in this world who can hate Biriyani?" she said looking at the plate,  "If any exists, he is an alien."

"Umm... it's so tasty", she complemented.

"Yeah, it is...... I'm glad that you like it", I said.

We had our lunch with lots of laughs. I again forgot everything and fell for this crazy girl. Someone knocked the door. I wandered who's that at this time? She quickly opened the door. I couldn't see who's that. She said something to that person, closed the door and turned back with a packet.

"Who's that? And What's that?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Ice cream", she said showing the packet.

"If you said that to me, I could bring one along with Biriyani", I said.

"I forgot to say ....... That's why I ordered it", she said opening it. 

"Do you like Ice cream?" I asked looking at her. It's visible in her eyes that she likes it. 

"Yeah.... Don't you?" she asked. She poured all her concentration on that ice cream. 

"I like it.... but nothing any special just.... like it..... that's it", I opened mine. It's butterscotch.

"I don't know about your preference, so...... I ordered mine for both", she said.

"That's okay..... I don't have any special preferences", I gave a assured smile. We sat in silence for sometime and completed it. 

"Come on I will show you the flat", I raised from couch. She turn off the TV and raised and followed me.

"It's my room", we stood at door of my room. "Opposite one belongs to Siva and Vivek."

"You stay single in your room?" she asked "Why didn't you join with your friends?"

"Actually, we were four. I shared my room with Aziz, 3 months back he shifted to his best friend's flat", I said "From then, I left single here. Vivek shifts to my room when ever he wants."  We chuckled.

After the tour of my small flat, we both settled on floor in Balcony leaned to metal railing. She liked the view of sea from the windows of metal railing. I liked that she liked this place. Cold breeze and roars from sea became our partners.

"Are you really living here?" she asked with question mark face.

"Why would I bring you to someone else place?" I asked.

"I didn't mean that..... This flat is very clean without any stupid posters and writings on walls", she hesitated "Like in movies..... Boys rooms filled with dirty posters and all...... very messy and unclean...." she scrunched her nose. I burst out in laugh for her imaginations. 

"You better stop watching movies..... drama queen", I laughed. "You are taking them very serious."

"No..... I am not taking them serious..... I usually think like that...." she said.

"Then what about that wall?" I raised my brows. She hid her face with her left palm and laughed.

"May be filmy...... but I wanted to do that...... we can't do them later........ that little crazy things are beautiful......." 

"Don't you take anything serious?" I asked looking her beautiful smile.

"Why I have to take anything serious?..... Taking everything serious, working hard like hell..... settling in luxurious life....... after getting 60 or 65...... retiring from that serious life.......At that time, I will have nothing to remind and laugh. All I will have a busy life without memories.......... If I really jump any wall at that age, I will land on hospital bed" she laughed.

"So what you want to do in your life?" I asked. I wanted to continue this discussion. I wanted to know more about her.

"I want to be like me....... In this society, it's very hard to live with our true selves...... I have maximum 6 to 7 years. After that I will fall into life of a regular busy citizen. Until then, I want to be independent, carefree and peaceful", she said with a smile.

"Don't you care anyone?" I asked.

"I care.....I care the one who I want to care....... even if they don't care me. I don't mind if any one care for me or not. I know how to take care of myself.... I think I am enough for my life.... but I'm very lucky.... there are so many people taking care of me.....like family, friends.......

 My father used to say that don't leave the one in hard times, who once trusted you, even if they left you. Even if you don't like them, do something in your hands to help them........... And never leave your self respect for anyone............ I believe that words."

I saw many times, she cared her friends. She cared me also. That means she wanted to take care of me too? She's really a strong girl. I immediately raised and left into my room. 

From her words, again guilt clouded my eyes. Divya, she trusted me, trusting now also, but I was deceiving her, leaving her and hurting her very badly. I didn't know what have to do. I was not like this before. I cared Divya a lot. But now, what changed me like this? In this time I left Vishwa also, I really became a selfish person. Knowing everything I did nothing. I didn't want to be like this. I have to do something. But how? For now, I didn't know that. But I have to find a way for that. I heard a knock on my door. Shit! I left her outside.... I really became an ass....... I cleared my mind and opened the door.

"What happen?" she asked. Her eyes fill with pure form of care and concern.

I held her in my arms. "Thank you", I said. 

"For what?" she asked. She didn't gave any reply for my hug. She might feel uncomfortable, I took off my hands and moved a step back.

"I will tell you later....... for now thank you so much", I said. She nodded and gave a weird look to me. 

We again went back to couch and plugged to TV. This time I maintained distance with her. I didn't want her to think that I'm a 'jerk'. We discussed some trivial funny topics while watching a movie. Someone knocked the door. 

"Do you order anything again?" I asked. 

"Nope", she shook her head. I opened the door. Vivek and Siva returned from college. 

"Who's she? What's happening here?" Vivek yelled in shock. Siva also shocked. Chaitra scared little for their reaction but composed.

"She's Chaitra", I answered.

"Chaitra!", they both yelled in unison. I nodded and glanced at her. She forced a smile. Silences filled the room.  

"What's she doing here", Vivek groaned in my ears in very low tone.

"I will explain it later", I muttured.

"Hi! Chaitra", Vivek wished.

"Hi Vivek", she replied with smile.

"Hey... how you know his name?" I asked.

"You said their names many times", she said.

"How you know that I am VIVEK?" Valid question

"I guessed, and it hit the right bird", she shrugged. Vivek sat on couch with her. Siva raised his brows to me and signalled to follow him. We went to his room.

"What's happening here?" he asked.

"I said that I will explain everything later."

"At-least tell me, when you returned from college, when she came here?" he irritated.

"Morning........ we went out from college, after that we came here", I didn't gave details.

"That means you spent Whole Day with her?" he asked. I smiled for the thought that I shared almost a day with her. 

We went out the room, Vivek and Chaitra were talking about something. Siva went to kitchen and grab a cold drink from fridge. I sat beside Chaitra but she ignored me. Vivek and Chaitra were introducing them to each other. Siva and I exchanged a glance. We both felt same thing. Two crazy people at same place. I continued to watch TV and these crazy ones continued their chatting. 

"I am going out, I will be back in an hour. Do you want anything?" Siva asked wearing his shoes. I shook my head.

"Vivek, What about you?" Siva asked him.

"No", Vivek said without giving a glance. They both totally ignored us.

After an hour Siva returned. 

"I will avenge for my Mala", Chaitra gritted her tooth.

"Will see?" Vivek challenged. 

I sat on a chair near the couch, resting my foot on couch and scrolling newsfeed on Instagram. I literally annoyed. To say clearly, I was in jealousy mode. I never hated Vivek before. I wanted to kill him now. 

"What they are talking?" Siva asked me. I raised from chair and headed to kitchen. And Siva followed me. 

"I wanted to kill that idiot", I clenched my fist. 

"What happen to you now?" he asked. I stared at Vivek with fire filled eyes.

"Your Hulk had gone", Chaitra yelled and pretended a evil laugh.

"Varun.... What they are talking?" Siva asked with confusion. I took some potatoes from fridge and placed them on a bowl and washed them. 

"They are playing LUDO in mobile........ Up to my knowledge, they shared four shaded into two teams....... They gave names to their shades. Chaitra team shades are Leela and Mala......... Vivek team shades are Hulk and Thor. I don't know which colour belongs to which name. There are killing each other and avenging for their coins. From past one hour they are playing, still not completed." I explained. Siva laughed. I started cutting the vegetables. Siva will cook for us this day, so I was helping him. Actually I was trying to distract myself.

"Then what happen to you?" he asked.

"She has been ignoring me ever since he came", I dismayed.

"Are you jealous?" Siva narrowed his eye.

"Of-course, I am................ I will take care of him later", I said evilly. "I won't leave him, that's for sure."

"Chill dude, Wait I will take him out", Siva slapped on my arm playfully.

"No leave it..... she seems happy. Let it be." I stopped him. 

Chaitra screamed suddenly. Siva and I hurriedly reached out. 

"I won", she shouted with happiness. I huffed in relief. She scared me and stopped my heart.

"You scared us", Siva yelled. 

"I'm sorry" she scrunched her face. She's very cute. Vivek face fall down with failure. 

"Lets play another game, I will show the wrath of my Hulk and Thor", Vivek challenged.

"Don't challenge me", she warned. They started throwing challenges. 

I checked the time. It crossed 6:30 pm already. 

"I will drop her at her place", I said to Siva and he nodded. 

I went to my room and wore a thick hooded sweatshirt. 

"Come on Chaitra, I will drop you at dorm", I declared. 

"One more game", she asked in a pleasing tone.

"Check the time once", I said

"It's already 6:30", she shocked. She quickly raised.

"Chai... we will continue later", Vivek said.

"Don't forget the bet", she narrowed her eyes.

"Sure", he glared.

"Wear this", I handed one of my sweater.

"There is no need of it", she declined.

"At-least listen to me once", I asked in a convincing tone. She wore it. It's little over sized. But she looked good on this.

"There is no need of it", she was trying to stop me. While I was drawing the hoodie cap upon her head and tying it tightly under her chin. 

"Let me tie this.... you may catch cold", I said while tying.

"Am I looking like Eskimo?" she asked Vivek.

"A bit", Vivek nodded. She gave puppy eyes. 

"Drama queen", I mumbled under my breath.

"No you are looking super cute", I said sarcastically, but that's true "Now come on", I held her hand. Siva laughed for our conversation.

"Bye Siva", she waved and Siva waved back with smile.

"Bye Chai", Vivek and Chaitra exchanged a fist bump. Enough of him, I dragged her out. I heard their chuckles. 

I dropped her in front of the dorm gate. She stood there with broad smile. 

"It's a wonderful day for me", she said with that smile.

"For me also", I added. 

I tried to hug and she also at the same time. So, we exchanged a friendly hug.

"Thank you" we both whispered in unison. We both laughed. 

I took her hand into mine. "Take care" I whispered looking into her mystic eyes.

"You too" she also staring into my eyes. I leave her hand. She went into the building. I stood there until she left.

******************** 

Chaitra POV

I went straight to my room. I was floating in cloud nine. Still I couldn't believe this day. Was I dreaming again? I didn't want this dream to end. I sat on floor and pulled my legs to my chest and leaned back to my closet. I hid my face under my arms and closed my eyes. His picture was continuously dancing in front of my eyes.

"Chai", Meera called. I raised my head. She stood right in-front of me with crossed arms to her chest. I blankly stared at her. She was staring at me with cunning expression.

"What?" I asked.

"I wanted to know who painted that pink blush to your face?" she asked.

"I think...... you know the answer", I gave a crazy smile.

"Aww." she sat beside me.

"Is it belongs to him?" she asked about the sweatshirt which I wore. I nodded with smile.

"You know........ he is sooooo sweet and caring....... I love him", I leaned my head to her shoulder.

"You love him?" she asked with wide eyes and bright smile. I had shaken with that question. A unknown fear creeped my mind.

"May be", I said nervously.

"What about him?" she asked.

"I don't know", I twisted my lips.

********************

Love doesn't need to be perfect. It just has to be real.

These imperfect souls started their real love......

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