Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hi, sorry, can I borrow a pen?" 

Khushi looked up at the girl sitting next to her in her Creative Writing class.

"I can't believe I forgot it." the girl continued. "I could swear I put it in my bag."

"Hey, no worries at all. Here you go," Khushi smiled as she handed over an extra pen from the case in front of her.

The girl smiled gratefully.

"I'm Nikita, by the way." she introduced.

"Khushi."

"First year?" Nikita asked.

"First class, actually," Khushi laughed.

"Me too!" Nikita squealed. "What other subjects are you taking this semester?"

"Legal Studies and International Relations. You?"

"French and Politics."

Khushi smiled. "I'm thinking of taking French next semester. Let me know how it goes for you."

"Definitely." Nikita said, without a skipping a beat. "Do you live on campus?"

"I do. Just moved in last week."

"Cool," Nikita said. "Me too."

They continued chattering until the professor purposefully cleared his throat while giving them a pointed look. 

Khushi smiled as she took notes in class. Turned out Nikita had moved into campus accommodation a few weeks back too and similar to Khushi, was still figuring her way around campus. It was nice to meet another first year student that was in the same boat as her. Her room mate, Sarina, while friendly, was a second year student who was studying Pre-med and so, spent most of her time in the library. In the one week since Khushi had moved in, she had seen her only a handful of times.

After class, Nikita tentatively asked her if she wanted to have a coffee together and suggested the cafe opposite their faculty building. 

"It's nice and warm here." Khushi mumbled as they stepped into the crowded cafe, while shrugging off their jackets.

"It's supposed to be one of the better cafes on campus. According to my roommate, that is."

"If the coffee tastes anything as good as it smells in here, then I'm sure she's right."

They both approached the counter to place their orders.

"Hey Khush!"

Khushi turned out and immediately broke into a big smile as she saw Arnav approaching her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Playing football." he rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

He jiggled his coffee cup in front of her.

"Smartass." she rolled her eyes but laughed all the same.

Realising that Nikita was standing quietly next to them, while peering curiously at Arnav, Khushi hastened to make the introductions.

"Nikita, this is Arnav, one of my best friends. Arnav, this is Nikita, my newest friend."

"Hi newest friend." Arnav extended his hand.

Nikita laughed while shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, best friend."

"Did you just finish class?" Arnav asked them.

"Just got done with first lecture."

"How was it?" Arnav asked Khushi. He knew how nervous she'd been about it.

"It was good. The Prof is really nice." Khushi said.

"Except when he's shushing us." Nikita pointed out.

Khushi laughed. "Well, we were being distracting."

"Is she always such a good two shoes?" Nikita asked Arnav, pointing at Khushi.

"Always." Arnav laughed. Turning to Khushi he gently bashed her cheek and said "See, I told you you had nothing to worry about."

Khushi nodded.

"Anyways, I can't stay around for too long. I have my next class in 15 minutes and it's all the way on the other side of campus." Arnav announced after checking his watch. "Who knew this place was so massive?"

"It is pretty huge." Nikita agreed.

"I better run if I want to make it on time. See you guys later."

With a quick good-bye and an affectionate ruffle of Khushis's hair, Arnav left for his next class.

"Okay, wow." Nikita said as soon as he was out earshot.

"What?" 

On seeing Khushi's confused face, Nikita pointed a finger at the space where Arnav had been standing. "Your Mr. Best Friend. He's quite cute."

"Arnav?"

"Yes, Arnav. Please tell me there is something going on there other than friendship."

Khushi paused for a second, considering her response. She was always at a loss when she was asked that question. And she had been asked that question a lot over the last few years. Including her mother who had once gently asked her if she had feelings for Arnav. She had gasped in outrage and confusion and stammered through an answer saying the notion was ridiculous but from the guarded look in her mother's eye, she could tell that she hadn't convinced her.

 The truth was she didn't know. Was Arnav her best friend and someone who knew her better than most people? Absolutely yes. But was their friendship purely platonic? That was a little harder to answer.

She couldn't point out an exact time as to when it had happened, but her feelings for Arnav had definitely changed over the last few years. She supposed a lot had to do with the physical transformation in him. It was hard to ignore it; how he suddenly seemed to tower over her or how he was a little more built. Growing up, he had always been skinny, thanks to the amount of sports he played, but now he looked more lean. Then there was the grooming. He started to dress a little different, smell a little nicer, thanks to all the dabbling with colognes and after-shaves.

He also started receiving a lot more attention from the girls at school.She was approached a few times by random girls that she had never spoken to in her life, being friendly and asking indirect questions about Arnav. Most of them, though,  just seemed curious about her friendship with him. It was no secret how close they were, but never had Khushi been more aware of the fact than those final two years of high school.

But while her feelings were evolving, she wasn't sure if it was the same with Arnav. Unlike him, high school wasn't kind to her. She didn't have any phase where she bloomed from a caterpillar into a butterfly. She continued to be the same quiet, shy, bookworm that she had been almost all her life. Were there physical transformations in her? Yes, there were and she knew that by most people's standard, she was considered pretty. But while, Arnav embraced high school and all the changes that came along with it, Khushi shied away from it. While Arnav started attending parties, had his share of girlfriends and hook ups and started hanging around with the more popular crowd, Khushi desperately turned down any invitation into that world.

 She wasn't sure what she was afraid of; maybe she just wasn't ready to let go of the familiar and so she continued to cling on to her previous self whereas in some ways, Arnav moved ahead. 

Their friendship didn't change though. Through it all, Arnav continued to be the same person he was with her and that was all that mattered to Khushi.

"Just friends." Khushi said, coming back to the present.

"Really?" Nikita said, looking disappointed. "Does he have a girlfriend?"

Khushi shook her head. He had broken up with his last girlfriend, if you could call her that, a few months back. Most of Arnav's 'relationships' never lasted longer than 2 months.

Nikita suddenly brightened up.

"Well, maybe there's hope for me then considering you don't want to date him."

Khushi felt a sudden pang in her chest.

"No way." she shook her head. "I am not setting up two of my friends. That's a known recipe for disaster."

"I hear you." Nikita agreed with a dramatic sigh. "I don't want to lose my only friend on campus because of some guy. I will have to look for options somewhere else."

Khushi giggled. She knew she liked Nikita for a reason. She was funny in a dramatic way.

They took their coffee orders and found a cosy table in the corner to sit and continue where the left off.

"So, how long have you and Arnav known each other?" Nikita asked as she blew into her coffee mug before taking a sip.

Khushi thought back. 

Arnav and his family had moved into their neighbourhood when she was very little. She couldn't remember clearly if they had even spoken then. Her first real memory of Arnav was when they were both seven. They had been playing in their school ground and Khushi had been racing her friend. As she neared the finish line, she stepped onto her unravelled shoe lace and had fallen head first on the ground. She remembered laughter from a lot of the kids as her skirt had flown up displaying her tweety underpants, and she frantically tried to get up, despite the pain, to pull her skirt down. 

Her eyes welled up out of embarrassment and pain as she tried to hobble her way to the entrance of her school building so she could go the clinic inside their school. From what she could see, she had a pretty nasty bruise on her elbow and knees.

As she neared a group of boys from her class perched near the entrance, the laughter increased in volume. Khushi felt the tears leak down her cheeks as she tried to hurry past them. Suddenly, she heard a voice next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Khushi looked up against her will to see the new boy in school standing next to her. He wasn't laughing like the rest of the boys behind. In fact, he looked concerned as he took in her bleeding elbow.

Khushi nodded her head quickly even as as she felt the painful throbbing on her elbows and knees.

"Are you going to the clinic?" he persisted.

"Yes," she whispered softly as she started walking again. She just wanted to get out of there so she could lick her wounds in silence.

"I'll come with you." he said after a beat.

"Wha-at?" she stammered as she came to a stop and looked at him.

"I'll come with you." he repeated.

"You don't need to." she said quickly. "I can go to the clinic by myself."

"You got hurt pretty bad." he pointed to her elbow.

Khushi didn't say anything further and together, they made their way to the clinic. Arnav didn't make any attempts to physically help her; at that age, it was unacceptable for any self-respecting boy to touch a girl. But, he silently walked with her throughout, slowing down when she had to take the stairs, one painful step at a time.

When they reached the entrance of the clinic, Khushi smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you."

Arnav simply nodded and left as soon as the Nurse approached.

They never brought up the incident again but from then on, every time she saw Arnav outside her home or in her neighbourhood, she would smile at him and he would return that tentative smile.

It had been so many years since then but on that day, a seven year old boy had shown a humiliated girl some kindness and Khushi realised that that was maybe the day she began considering Arnav as her friend.

"It's been a long time." Khushi told Nikita. "Since we were in school."

He had become such an integral part of her life that sometimes she forgot just how long.

They changed the subject then and started talking about other things including their classes, professors and gossip that Nikita had heard around campus.

But the conversation on Arnav and the memories they invoked stayed with her long after they left that coffee shop.