(To myself) 'Something is off. Either Rahul is lying or Bhaskar. Man! Whatever it is! In this life if anyone tries to hurt my feelings, I will make sure to break those hands and legs too to make him a feeble person forever. I am not an easy person to win over after all!'
'Rahul-'
But still I was unable to tell or ask anything of him, as if something were stopping me. I hated that feeling so much. I wanted to clear any confusion or misunderstandings, if any. But what was making me hesitate? Was that the only reason I loved him that time? I don't know.
5 months passed away in a blink of an eye. Parbati came back to school. There were still some students who supported her. Midterm exams started. My marks again got lowered this time.
'What happened, Rina? What made you feel so down?' asked Ritu.
'Nothing is going the way I want.'
'What happened?'
'I said I love Rahul. I confessed to him. He did too. But something feels off. I think it's my insecurities. I want to talk it out with him. But I am hesitating. Something is stopping me. Bhaskar keeps looking at me during the math, literature, and bio classes when the students of section C combine. He always looks at me with a frowning look. But I can't understand anything.'
'Wow! So many things happened! Yeah! Hmmmm... Just follow what your heart says.'
An utter silence...
'Is this a movie for you? Idiot... How could you even think of me following my heart like those in movies or novels as in reality too when I am in such a dilemma? Okay, Rina. I have to say to you something. Follow me to the roof…'
.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
'WHATTTTTTT! So you are telling me that you got regressed back 10 years from the future! You died in a plane crash.... And YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE THAT... Just recommend me, MAN! Which novels or manhwas have you been reading?'
'I am really telling the truth. Wait a minute!' I took out the hourglass from my pocket. 'Here, see, this is an hourglass. At one of the ends of the hourglass, there is a date written exactly on the date I died... If I turn it 180 degrees. It helps me to go back to 30 minutes before.'
'Hey, you are not suffering from a fever, right? Wait, are you lovesick?'
'Wait, no! I am really telling you the tru-'
'Rina, let's go now to the classroom. It's okay. Everything will be alright. Why don't you have a suitable communication with Rahul? Just try it. If you are anxious. If he is cheating on you, just let me know. I will go smack the hell out of him and finish. Now, let's go.'
(To myself) 'So, this brat didn't believe me, hffffffff!'
Later in the class,
'Rina, I want to ask you something,' said Rahul in a soft tone.
'What?'
'Are you free this weekend?'
'Aaaaa...Hmmmmmm...Yes. I am. But why do you ask?'
'Let's go on a date tomorrow.'
'You and me?'
'Yeah, only you and me. Will you?'
I looked at Ritu unconsciously. She nodded. Ritu, pointing to me in her sign language, said, 'It is a great opportunity to talk to Rahul.'
'Of course, why not? Let's go', I said.
'Let's go to the bookstore. I heard you like to study various novels of the thriller and romance genres.'
'Wow! Did you do a background check on Rina, Rahul?' asked Ram in a teasy way.
'Ram, do you wish to go straight to hell before fulfilling your dreams?'
'Of course not. Hehehehehehe.'
'Will everything be okay? I need to use up this opportunity to its fullest.'
'It's a new day, a new journey. Today is Saturday. The day we decided to go on a date with Rahul. Let me mark the date on the calendar... Our first date!'
After some time...
'Dhurrrr! I can't even understand what to wear for our first date. (While calling Ritu on the phone) Help me!!!'
She came.
'Wear this one. I brought it from the cloth rack. Your almirah is full of black clothes, man!'
'Thank youuu!'
We came down the stairs.
'Maaaaa! I am going out with my friends today! I will return by evening.'
'Okay, be safe.'
'Thank you, Ritu. Now, bye.'
'Yes, bye-bye!' After I got separated from her...—Ritu: 'Now, you got your crush as a boyfriend by her side. Of course, you would forget about me, MONKEY! Hmpphh!'
On the other side,
'Young master, your breakfast is ready…,' said the butler of the house.
'Yes, I am going,' said Rahul.
Rahul (in his mind): "Today, no matter what, I have to clear all misunderstandings, if any, and make him fall in love more deeply with me. After all, if I get some of the shares of her father's 'Mahesh' company, then our company will be able to flourish in no time. And, in the end, all my efforts to be the heir of the company will be easily fulfilled if my father sees my efforts. Bhaskar, I will never allow you to stand in my way.'
Later...
After breakfast, he stepped out of the door when I was going to ring the bell.
'You look beautiful, Rina.'
'Really! You too look way more handsome today!'
'So, let's get going.'
'Yep!'
We went to many places together that day. We went to the library, the Pikaso Movie Theater, and the cafeteria to rest, and at the end we both ate ice-cream together sitting on the bank near the Ganga River. It was my first date in my life, and that was also even with the person I had a crush on for 6 years. But still, that was the only opportunity when I could ask him about whether his feelings for me were true or just a playful game.
'Rahul, I want to ask you something.'
'Yes.'
Whatever you said about Bhaskar, is it really true? No, I meant the day you asked me out for this date, he came to me. He said he wanted to become an actor and even said that you are playing with my heart. Do you really love me? Don't take it offensively. I have to confess that I don't want to be hurt or broken. I just love myself more than anyone else. You may think I am rude. But, in this generation, dating and breaking hearts is a daily routine nowadays.
His eyes widened in shock. He hesitated for a moment.
'Rina, what did Bhaskar exactly tell you about me? Are you doubting me? Listen, Rina, no matter what! You are the only woman in my heart. Remember this. You know what? He is telling you a lie. He told me something different from what you just said about being an actor.'
'So, you will not break my heart, right?'
'Of course not.'
We stayed near the bank looking up at the stars in the sky. Sometimes, looking at Rahul's face, I could not understand what he was thinking in that head.
(To myself) 'But, apart from everything else, why am I feeling like something bad is going to happen?'
(To be continued)