Indistinguishable in love
They avoided walking hand in hand, and slept in different spots after they returned home, she on the couch and he on the bed, unbeknownst to each other they both had the habit of drawing circles or squares on paper as they read online… his took on the shape of anime characters, hers looked like leafy trees
Her mother texted her late into the night, she worried why she was up, she was reassured “I am just on work calls and catching up on emails”
“naina theek hai?”
“Hmm” “Did u guys talk?”
“she told me she broke up and told me not to bring anything for her”
“Fine… then don’t bring”
“Did Inder want to break up?”
Inder reached for a hug
Naina did not close the gap they met at a coffee shop near Chanakyapuri
The girls would always talk about how Nehru Park was the cesspool of desperate teens and 20 something that wanted their first encounter
Inder wanted a coffee, Naina didn’t want any so she waited until he paid for his and they walked out along the sidewalk with bureaucrat homes on the other side of the road
They walked alongside the park
“We can walk inside this seems like a great park”
“Oh no I am fine” Naina mumbled
He tried to reach for her hand she shrunk away
“Nain…” he begged as he liked to call her
“Its OK Inder not on the street”
“I am glad you wanted to see me”
“I wont make you run around me, nor will I do the same let me rip the bandaid off…. We should call it quits” Naina stopped after rushing through those lines
He looked like a red line had just hit him on his face
A car honked and men heckled as they drove by thinking it was a case of lovers tiff
“U are kidding”
“I am NOT” Naina was emotional
“Why are you crying?”
“Because I am ashamed of myself” Naina yelled
She quickly composed herself
“I am ssorry love I didn’t man to hurt you I found the pictures and I wanted everyone to see it”
“I didn’t even remember Inder, that’s how drunk was…. Until I saw the pictures I didn’t even remember”
“ITS OK I was too” he used the opportunity to weasel his way in again
“No… no… stop… stop… stop Inder” she raised her hand
“I get it nain”
“No you don’t, you sent the picture out to get back with me?”
“WHY else would I do such a thing?”
“No u sent it to get back AT ME” she accused tearfully “Ur entire family was against this thing from the start… ur cousin your aunt your parents and you use a drunken vow exchange?”
“Nobody cares its us… you and I love” he went back and forth with his hand gesticulating
She started walking inside the gates cringing
She didn’t want to be anywhere near the park
The catcalling from buses and autowalas stopping expectinga sawari was all too much
He sprinted after her
She walked towards a open treeless stretch and paused
“I don’t expect the guy to embarrass me Inder” she wiped her nose sniffling
“I AM SORRY what was I supposed to do? You refused to answer my texts”
“Marrying you ina drunked stupor is the stupidest thing I have ever done”
“Ive been drunk before” he chuckled derisively
“MAIN TUM nahi hoon Inder”
He understood even less Hindi than Raanav he stared at her blankly
“The whole thing was a cringefest…” she rubbed her forehead in distress trying not to cry
“I ran away to Jaipur, hand u come over to my place, we hid in the bride’s room at Harshu’s engagement, I ran away to Dubai” Naina did shameful self reflection
“Its not shameful” he was furious
“MERE LIYE HAI Inder” she let tears flow
There were couples huddling 10 20 30 yards from them, the ones closest looked at them curiously
“The way these people are staring at me is exactly how my family thought of me” she whispered
“I LOVE YOU” he hissed
“I don’t think so…. If you did you wouldn’t have tried to shame me publicly” she accused
“YOU played along” he shouted
“I know…. I know that… I realize that” she responded smugly
“Did you find someone else?”
“You are a selfish self absorbed person”
“I only earn from the best” he said angrily with a smile
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