December had a melancholy to it. While the cities dressed up to celebrate the month of merriment, I always felt sad during December. Firstly, because I hated cold weather and December happened to be the chilliest month of the year. Secondly, December meant the end of a year. May be we only changed a calendar, yet a year came to an end, and I hated endings. I always hated when things came to an end, be it a book, a movie, a relationship or a life.

The year that is fuming, glowing and running now, will soon join the ones that had gone by, taking with it all the memories, the good, the bad and the brilliant that formed part of it. Chapters, which were being written this year, may remain unfinished as the pages turned.

December was depressing. It glowed the brightest when the fireworks erupted across the sky, and then it was gone, sweeping away an entire year.

Well that was just me. My family and current friends on the other hand loved this month. To them this was the month of father Christmas. This was the month of fire places and plum cakes; The month of snuggling and partying. RAE often organised bonfires during December, with students from all its four, now five campuses, participating in it.To the other college we were students of journalism and mass communication.

Tomorrow was supposed to be one of those bonfire nights.

"So you are coming for the Bonfire?" Avinash asked.

"Don't know. Mandy said he wanted to watch a movie, I guess I can give him company."

The information and revelations provided by my besties, had restored my faith on Danielle, therefore her article 'The Rules of Pursuing Your Crush' was back on my home screen. I wondered how could I have I missed point no.7

7. Make Him Jealous

This is to be adopted only when you are sure about point no. 4. otherwise it may back fire. Be very careful when applying this step and make sure your helper is well aware that you are taking his help to win your crush. I have witnessed many a times the helper and the applier develop feeling for each other. However, it is not bad, but it doesn't fulfill the purpose of this article.
Find a helper; you can hire one too. However it works better if your helper is someone your crush already is insecure of. Now make your crush believe that your helper is into you and you are also slightly into helper. If your crush is interested in you, he will surely make a move. Remember just like animals human males to believe in marking their territories. Therefore, your crush will not let someone enter upon his territory. He will either take it down to a fight or simply express his feelings to you, and thus mark his territory, leaving it upon you to decide. Just like animals leave it upon their female counterparts to decide which piss scent appeals to them, their or the other male's.

The piss analogy was too much Danielle. I imagined Avinash marking territory like Brute.
Ewwww...GROSS!

"What about you?" I asked Avinash trying to remove the image of him marking territory.

"The group is going so...they insisted I go with them." His spirit seemed to dampen a little. It was Thursday and Emergency Medical Applications just got over, after drilling in our head, the use and abuse of steroids.

"I will see if Mandy is up for it," I tried to sound thoughtful "if he is then, I will definitely go."

To spice my act up a little I excused myself and walked up to where Mandy and Natasha sat.

"So you guys planning to go to the Bonfire?" I asked them cheerfully.

"Not my scene!" Natasha said disinterested. "A bunch of young adults getting drunk and being foolish, sorry count me out."

"What about you?" I asked Mandy.

"Nay...not in the mood." He shook his head.

I nodded and left for lunch with them. To execute Danielle's instruction I needed to convince Mandy to accompany me to the Bonfire.

Post lunch I opened our M4 group chat as we settled down for Gadgets Studies class.

Me: Group meeting in my room today, after class AND ONLY M4.

Junaid: What is it about?

Me: Can't tell you here. Ttyl class is about to start.

***************
"What is this emergency meeting about?" Junaid asked as he plopped down on Mia's bed.

"Are you guys planning to go for the Bonfire?" I asked them.

"Yeah it sounds fun." Mia said while she cleaned her face with a tissue, looking at the mirror.

"I cannot. Natasha won't be going since she cannot bear the cold." Mandy replied.

"I didn't know you guys were dating." I said indignantly.

"No we are not. But I want to be with her." He replied.

"And give up your friends?" I sounded like a jealous best friend right then.

"I never gave up my friends." Mandy was a little surprised. "Where is this coming from?"

"Then prove it." I said aggressively "One night with us, just us and no Natasha."

Did I just say that? I wanted to tell him why I was doing this, but knowing Mandy he would have told the other two and I would have been lectured for still running after Avinash.

Mia and Junaid both looked a little perplexed at my reaction but decided not to interrupt me. It was a fact that the four of us hardly got to spend time together, without Natasha. Maybe they felt what I said about Mandy giving us less time these days.

"Gawd Naxi." Mandy shook his head "You can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. I don't need to go to a bonfire to prove my love for my friends."

"It's not just about the bonfire." I cried impatiently "it is about spending time with your friends Mandy." I was cribbing like a frustrated wife now.

"Fine I will go." Mandy snapped "Now can I go and study?"

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

"We are going to the bonfire." I told Avinash chirpily. We were back in the library studying Emergency Medical Applications today, which was to be followed by decoding.

"We? Mandy is coming with you?" It was there. I could swear it was there. Even though he tried masking it, but the tinge of jealousy was there.

"Yeppp. He never says no to me." I raised my eyebrows examining my newly filed nails. "And I never say no to him."

"Great. Will see you there." Avi pursed his lips as a slight frown etched across his forehead.

We buried ourselves in studies, not bringing up the topic of Bonfire again.

**********

Natasha was probably the wisest of us all. The Bonfire was held at the field beside the College of Engineering, and tonight it was exceptionally cold. I pulled my Parka tightly, to keep me warm. Mia walked beside me, Junaid and Mandy trailing behind us.

When we got closer to the bonfire, I could hear the faint melody emitting from the strings of a guitar. The field around the bonfire was over crowded, the sounds of merriment laced with the guitar strings filling the air. A huge fire crackled, with young adults sitting around it on plastic chairs or large pine tree logs.

I spotted Avinash and his group chatting amongst themselves.

"You made it." Olivia glided towards us and took Mia and me into a tight hug, which we politely returned.

"I would have burnt her in the bonfire, if I were to tolerate her antics a second more." She whispered in our ears nodding towards were Damini stood clutching Avi.

"She is a little intimidated by us though," Mia chuckled.

Olivia, Damini and Mia were all part of the Dance team. I wondered how they had managed to intimidate that bimbo.

"Let's find a place somewhere, away from them," Olivia rolled her eyes.

We started to walk in the opposite direction, away from where Damini, Zoravar, Avinash, Danish and two other unknown boys stood. Mandy was about to walk towards them when I called out to him.

"Mandy sit with us." It sounded more of a command and less of a request.

"But.." he tried to give an excuse.

"Remember you are supposed to spend time with us." I glared.

He shook his head in frustration, but nonetheless followed us.

When we sat down on the moist log a student, not from our college, passed us a glass bottle. It was Bacardi white rum. Even though alcohol was strictly prohibited at the Bonfire, no body adhered to those prohibitions.

I took a swig of the bitter spirit, letting it burn my throat, before passing it on to Mandy who sat beside me. A couple, also not from our college, were singing some romantic Bollywood song while the guy with the guitar stringed the matching melody. I swayed my head slightly to the beats of the song enjoying this enchanting moment as  the light breeze made the flames of the fire dance. The rum had somehow numbed my sense of cold.

"Mind if we joined?" Danish came and hugged Olivia from behind, and she turned her face to give him a peck on his cheek.

"Absolutely." Mia slurred.

Avinash along with the rest of his gang dragged few chairs and settled down facing us. I heavily leaned on Mandy noticing that Avinash was looking at me, even though his arms were around Damini. Our eyes met for a brief second, before he looked away.

I giggled like a teenager every time Mandy cracked a joke, which surprised Mandy, since he was used to me rolling my eyes at his lame jokes.

"Hey, I think I should call it a night." Mia got up after a while. "You coming?" She asked me. Avinash was still here, which kept me frozen in this place.

"Not yet." I giggled again, "I like it here."

"Suit yourself." Mia half-shrugged before walking towards our college.

"I should go too." Mandy tried to get up, but I held his hand and sat him down.

"You are not going anywhere." I growled.

"What is wrong with you?" He hissed.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions. Do as I tell you." I hissed back. "You want to leave your drunken friend alone, with these strangers." I waved at the students from the other colleges who were getting drunk around the bonfire.

He huffed and sulked but stayed with me. Junaid, Olivia and Danish too left after a while leaving Mandy, Zoravar and me with Avinash and Damini at the Bonfire site.

"Naxi it is really getting late now." Mandy groaned.

"A little longer." I said quietly watching Damini kiss Avinash on his cheek. All I wanted to do that moment, was smash her face with the famous Naxi punch.

The bonfire was dying down and I felt my eyes grow heavy before I tumbled on Mandy's left.

"That is enough." Mandy snapped, pulling me up by my arms.

I threw a drunken fit but Mandy managed to drag me back to my hostel room, not letting go of my arm till he handed me over to a groggy Mia.

I was too drunk and tired to change. Removing the heavy parka I slumped into the comfort of the small bed, faintly aware of Mia tucking me in and bidding Mandy goodnight.

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

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