ROMANTIC ATTRACTION is bliss. Or, is it?

"Planning to take it home, are you?" asked Maryam, pointing at the diary I put inside my bag.

Twenty minutes were left for the next class. We walked towards the canteen, pushing through the crowds of students in the hall. It was not surprising how many of them were talking and worrying about Aimée back in the morning and had seemed to forget everything after a few hours. It is human nature, actually. We do not care unless something's that important, right? Aimée was important. But not that important.

"Of course." I answered, giving her a 'duh' look.

"Even if the stalker is somewhere near us?"

I froze in my steps. Turning towards Mar, I crossed my arms, throwing her a questioning look.

"You think the stalker's here? In school?"

"There is a possibility." She shrugged.

I said nothing. I couldn't deny it though. There was indeed a possibility that the stalker could be watching us every second. But, I did not want to be scared and stopped. I wanted to know the truth.

"I don't give a fuck. I am taking it home. And if it gets me kidnapped or killed as a consequence, be it."

Maryam smirked, an impressed glint in her eyes.

"Guess I'll have to tag along then." She commented.

"Sure you do." I grinned.

We found some place to sit on the stone slab, clutching the cup noodles. The plastic fork had bent from my tight grip. I jabbed it in the ramen, whirling it slowly. Mar was typing something fast on her mobile screen.

She put it back after a minute, sparing me a short glance.

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Your would-be mother-in-law."

"Huh?"

With a mouthful of noodles, she struggled to answer. However, I managed to catch it.

"Vaidehi. I told her about the diary."

I nodded. Again, the frown returned on my face.

"What do you mean by the mother-in-law thing?"

Mar gulped. Not meeting my eyes she said, "The truth."

"Don't you think it's far-fetched?"

"A bit. But it's not impossible, is it?"

I smiled.

"You think he likes me?"

"I know." She asserted.

Maybe. Maybe he did. It wasn't anything unnatural, as we had been friends since we could barely walk. I actually happened to have a teeny crush on Vrishank in the sixth grade.

I was surprised that day when I visited the Pokharels. Vrishank never used to be a flirt. Not even the texts he sent used to have such hints. So when he gave me that wink and that damn smile, I was unsurprisingly surprised. And flustered.

★

22nd September, 2017

Erica Biswas sat beside me during the class. I was never really friends with her. That doesn't mean we never talked.

I peeked at her notebook. Her handwriting is neat. She doodles as well. Her notes aren't messy, like mine. They are precise and up to the mark.

I went through Aimée's diary. Her entries were brief and infrequent. This one, about a certain Erica Biswas, caught my interest. Because, most of the next entries were about her.

28th September, 2017

Erica talked with me. She has a sweet voice. I knew that. But I didn't quite 'notice' it.

She is quite conscious politically. She wants to be a human rights activist, alongside working in a NGO.

▬▬▬

7th October, 2017

I told Erica that I want to work for the tribal community. I guess I saw a glint of admiration in her eyes.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi j'ai pensé ainsi...

With a Major like Sociology and a personality like hers, it was a known fact that she would probably be an activist. What she wanted to do in particular, I didn't know. However, the new fact - that she would be a tribal rights activist - was not a matter of absolute astonishment.

I typed a quick text to Mar.

Aimée has written about one Erica Biswas. And she wants to be a tribal rights activist.

15th October, 2017

Me and Erica went to hop pandals.

She is one such friend I longed for. How she sees the society and the world are similar to how I see them.

While walking down the crowded footpaths where the vagrants could hardly get a place to lay down their torn mattress, Erica gave a sigh and said, "Even after all these years I'll ask why can't everyone enjoy themselves during the festival? Why?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I had the same question for years. I never liked this discrepancy.

▬▬▬

20th October, 2017

"Is being in love really blissful?"

She texted me. I wonder if she is in love.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On certain things probably. I don't know."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"No. Have you?"

"I don't know. It's...confusing."

Confusing. That's the word.

It's confusing as hell for me as well.

( ͡❛ . ͡❛)

▬▬▬

2nd November, 2017

"Are you busy this evening?"

I gathered the courage to ask her.

"Yes."

I took her to 'TRIBE', a cafeteria in Gol Park. They served soupe à l'oignon, my favourite. I figured out that it's her favourite too.

▬▬▬

9th November, 2017

Est-ce que je l'aime?

She held my hand today. My stomach fluttered.

I noticed how beautiful she is. Strands of her ebony black curls fell on her brown face, while her wide eyes traced my facial features.

We looked at each other.

But no word was said.

▬▬▬

14th November, 2017

She received her scholarship from Glasgow. She was happy. Immensely.

She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a light peck on the lips.

I thought it was just an accident.

But when I leaned over and captured her mouth in mine, she kissed back.

It wasn't an accident.

Elle le voulais. Je le voulais.

She tasted like marshmallows (probably those I gave her in the afternoon). She smiled against my lips, so did I.

▬▬▬

16th November, 2017

We are official now.

(✿ ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)

I smiled to myself.

★

Mar <3 : Who is Erica?

Me : Aimée's girlfriend.

Mar <3 : we need to talk to her. tell vaidehi

Me : done.

I checked back to find out that Aunt Vaidehi had already given a reply.

Vaidehi P : We need to talk. Come with the diary.
And Maryam, most importantly.

The next moment another message popped up. It was from Vrishank.

V : I'll make financiers.
Just how you like it ;)

He knew how I liked it. I never told him. Heck, I never even had financiers.

But he knew it.

★

a/n

Vrishank always knows how she likes it. Ahem, I mean the financiers ;P