Chapter 3

Simmi

@--simmi--

(previous)

PART 1

Part 2-

The next morning Pragya and Abhi both met Tanu at her house. As planned previously they were all going to spend the day out sailing, simply to have fun and bond with each other.

Arriving at the sight Abhi and Pragya had both got a sense of excitement. The river was flowing gently, the boats all on edge. The grass was bright green, the sky bright blue and the sun was shining, not a single cloud in sight. Abhi breathed in the fresh air.

"Wow! This place is beautiful!"

"I know!" Pragya replied.

"What's so fascinating?" Tanu asked.

"What do you mean Tanu? You always said you loved sailing and enjoyed such views?" Abhi asked confused.

"No I mean I do, but you see-" Tanu was hesitating for words when Pragya interrupted.

"Abhi, then you should also now that Tanu is always being sarcastic; she loves this place we come here often!" Pragya lied.

"Cool, come let's sail!"

Without giving much importance to the conversation Abhi walked over to the boats getting three life jackets while Pragya hissed to Tanu.

"Be careful Tanu! That's twice you nearly gave it away! That was lucky but next time-"

"I know I know" Tanu chirped before heading over to Abhi who was waving at them to come into the boat. Pragya too followed.

Tanu got into the boat, about to sit in the back seat but Abhi beckoned her to sit with him at the front, so by the time Pragya got there she had no choice but to sit in the back. She gave a little smile as she sat down.

Every now and then Abhi would laugh splashing water at Tanu who would pat his hand away but still couldn't stop enjoying her time with him.

Pragya looked at the two who were now in conversation about what they wanted to do and the studies they had already completed. Pragya felt like she didn't belong there, there seemed to be no need for her. A small part of her felt jealous, why couldn't she be the one talking to Abhi, having fun? But then there was a part of her happy for Tanu and Abhi, at least they were happy together and after all they were the ones in love'. Abhi had always had a liking for Tanu, she was the pretty one, she was the bold one, anyone would prefer her to the plane Jane Pragya was, maybe it was her glasses, or her worry to always get her assignments done?

She snapped out of her day dream with Abhi splashing water on her.

"Hey, chashmish, where are you lost?" He asked.

Pragya couldn't answer as Tanu answered instead. " Probably worrying about some assignment that needs to be completed by next week?"

Pragya didn't say anything, there wasn't any point.

"Hey Tanu, stop it!" They both continued playing and messing about in the front while Pragya slowly wafted back to her thoughts again.

~

"That was one awesome day!" Abhi said as they entered Pragya's house. They had decided to go there firstly because it was the closest on their way back but also because Abhi hadn't seen the house since coming to India.

"I know right, it's gonna get better because Sarla aunty cooks delicious food!" Tanu told him.

"Maa, we are going upstairs while dinners cooking!" Pragya called to Sarla who told them it was fine and that it would take another fifteen minutes before everything would be ready.

As they entered Pragya's room, Tanu excused herself and went to the washroom.

Pragya sat at the computer looking at her emails while Abhi sat in a chair behind her admiring the room.

"Wow, this looks similar to how I had imagined Tanu's room would be." Abhi said and Pragya wondered what excuse she was going to make this time but Abhi changed the topic.

"Hey chashmish, how come you never emailed me?" Abhi asked her.

Pragya felt tears forming in her eyes, she had done but she couldn't tell him. It was hard for her to not tell him without letting out Tanu's secret.

"Umm, I was busy with college."

"Too busy for a quick mail?"

"I'm sorry it's just that I really never got the chance-" Pragya said closing an e-mail.

"Hey what are you looking at?" Abhi asked.

"Nothing, just at the application form for London University." Pragya said closing the laptop and turning around to look at him.

"Hey, that's where I went!" Abhi smiled at her.

"Yeah, maa wants me to continue studying there."

"I'm sure you would do well there" Abhi told her. He then turned and saw a picture of the three of them framed on the side of Pragya's bed a while before he had left for England with his Daadi.

"Hey chashmish, you still have this photo of us! God I look so fat!" He laughed. "How come there isn't any photo of us back at Tanu's room?"

"Enough talk about us, so you really love Tanu don't you?" Pragya avoided his question because she had no excuse this time. He nodded answering her question.

"Yeah, I mean there's something about her, she's so confident in everything she does, and I loved talking to her even when I was in England"

"And she's pretty?" Pragya added.

"Yeah, I really like her but I like you too" He turned around and forwarded his hand to her.

"Can we be friends?" He asked.

"I thought we already were friends?" Pragya answered looking at him quizzically.

"No I mean, best friends!" Abhi told her and Pragya shook his hand, nodding.

"You know you're my first ever girl-friend, I never had a girl best friend back in England"

Pragya smiled at him, it was good to know that she was something to him when Tanu entered.

"Come on dinner's ready, Sarla aunty asked me to tell you"

The trio followed her downstairs.

~

"Thanks Sarla aunty for this, the food is awesome!" Abhi told her as he and Tanu started to walk out.

"It was my pleasure!" Sarla told them.

"Okay bye Chashmish" Abhi and Tanu hugged her good bye before leaving the house.

Pragya shut the door and walked back to her room, taking a deep breath as she lay down on the bed.

Hours passed as she lay awake not able to get to sleep, tossing and turning when her phone beeped, it was a message from Tanu.

Hey I asked Abhi to come and watch our fashion show tomorrow at college. He agreed :)

Pragya replied-

Hey, cool, it will be fun! Good night!

Pragya lay down again; there was still restlessness within her wondering how the next day's fashion show would go. She had already been nervous but the idea of Abhi watching made it somewhat worse but also better, did she want to impress him?

Maybe, just maybe she did.

(next)

PART 3

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