Chapter 3: Bekhudi
"Dude! The letters are here." NK was usually his chipper self - a crossbreed of pink unicorn and pinker cotton candy. He was basically 20% dimples and 80% positivity shit. Arnav got toothache by looking at the sweet boy.
"I don't think I will be getting any letter from KSG," Arnav replied confidently. He had poured all the necessity misogynistic bullshit he could pull off and ensured he didn't have a lovesick girl on his hands by end of the year.
"Oh, you have one too," Akash smirked at the surprised face of his cousin and handed him the letter. "You are going to get your ass kicked someday," he added for good measure though Arnav was already busy tearing the letter.
Have you always been this much of a jackass or is it something you bring out to match your wannabe-rock-fan personality? And for the love of God, stop saying clich in every other sentence. My friend thinks you have a brooding "I am in awe of the world that continues to confuse" personality but I call crap on that; you are just like me, bruised by the harshness of it all. Had it not been the case, you wouldn't have mentioned Aurora Borealis. You wouldn't have dismissed humanity's first technological crisis with a narrow brush. Besides the aggressive display of unnecessary masculinity and disregard for a person who you have never met, you are an okay guy. Don't write if you don't want to. Don't communicate if having a normal conversation sits heavy on your chest. Stop writing, please, if you think you are doing some sort of favor to me or to the system. I don't care and neither does the school. Angst away in your one-man island bitching about the world while battling its harshness.
Or, you know, you can share them with me.
KKG
PS: I urge you to go to a physician. It isn't cool that you have a stubble after few hours of shaving. If you are exaggerating, you are a moron. If you aren't you probably have some sort of physiological problem. Or a disease. Do I have to get a blood test? Or quarantine? Get this answer for me asshole, I don't want your viruses crawling all over me!
PPS: There are very few things that can throw me off the movies game. Dalaal barely scratches the surface. How about something...vintage? There is a movie "Ranga Khush". It has to have its own place in Hindi cinema and a national monument. Also since we are on the topic of Mithun Da, who I adore coz (see? I learn!) he never disappoints me, I give you this: Pinjre main popat bole.
PPPS: There needs to be a debate on Pandas vs. Koala bears.
PPPS: Save a spot for me under Aurora Borealis.
Arnav chewed his lips in mild anxiety after reading the letter. His pen pal had found a way to get into his head and claw it raw. He crumpled the letter and stuffed into his pocket and put on a bright face. NK was chirping about Miss LK's portrait made from mascara and lip gloss while Akash sported a soft smile.
"This PG girl is awesome. She actually figured out my letter was a cryptogram," Akash said proudly.
Seeing his friends' faces Arnav forced his smile to stay longer. "My pen pal thinks X Files is awesome." He said simply and ignored NK's eyebrow quirk. For all puppy dog and kitten cuteness, NK was unusually perceptive. And he always chose to channel it on his closest friend, Arnav. Now it was simply annoying Arnav.
"I thought your last letter was vile and disgusting enough to put off any human let alone a girl to respond back to you." Akash quipped.
Arnav shrugged. "So did I." He chewed his lips, a bad habit that got cultivated due to his periodic anxiety bursts and looked away. "She is something I didn't expect to happen."
He missed NK and Akash's exchange of loaded glances. "Are you going to reply to her?" NK asked.
Arnav looked at his friend and grinned with meaning behind it for the first time. "You bet your ass I will. I need to watch a movie first. My pen pal's recommendation."
NK and Akash looked at each other. "Yeah. No. We will come with you to the city to rent VHS but that's it. You are on your own buddy."
Arnav shrugged.
He didn't tell them he would hit the city library while they were there. KKG had stirred an old volcano that he had put to rest in deep chambers of his heart. Now it was just giving him a nasty heart burn. And an onslaught of emotions he had buried for years.
TBC dramatically
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