Gurukul, Chandragarh
Mriga's tired brain tried to make sense of his cryptic words and she looked at him with squinted eyes.
"What kind of options? Will I need to contribute anything towards it? Let me tell you that I belong to a family where the scientist keeps reinvesting everything he makes into his research and the police officer barely manages to keep up with the household expense. You still interested in the association?" she asked, tongue-in cheek.
She counted under her breath, waiting for Abhirath's scowl to appear. But, to her disappointment, he smiled instead. Her coquettish smile and the nearness in such surroundings had triggered something inside him.
"What if I say that I am interested in acquiring their biggest asset? Considering the chances of you understanding that statement in one go are near to zero, let me spell it out clearly for you. I am interested in YOU. I like you. Not as your guru, mentor, enemy or whatever other nonsensical title you may conjure up in that weirdly wired head of yours. I want to be your lover, and your friend for as long as I live," he looked calm and composed, almost as if he was discussing the map of Chandragarh instead of his feelings.
Mriga's face resembled a shade card at the moment. White, first in shock, then black in anger, and finally pink, mostly due to embarrassment tinged with confusion. She did open her mouth a couple of times but apart from resembling a dead fish, she had no other reaction forthcoming.
"Just breathe and let it sink in. I am not going to raise this topic again any time before the competition is over. God knows that you barely have enough brain power to sail through the upcoming event. Don't want to overload it. Let's go. I think we are done for tonight," with that he extended his hand to pull her up.
His brain was in overdrive now as the recklessness of his actions sunk inside him. Without letting her realise that he was panicking from within, he wanted to get away from the situation quickly.
Mriga accepted his outstretched arm and pulled it down with all her might. Caught unaware, Abhirath went straight to the ground, face down. By now, she had moved away from the spot and saw him bang his chin against the muddy surface in satisfaction.
She stood up and rubbed her hands in glee. Watching the clueless expressions on his face was a priceless moment.
"Why?" he could only ask her that, as he sat up and gingerly felt his chin.
But even as he asked her that question, he was giving himself a mental slap. What utter nonsense had he spouted? He had absolutely not planned to say any of this tonight. Confessing to Mriga was a monumental moment in his life and even when he used to think about it earlier, he would start palpitating. It was an event which had needed careful planning and multiple rehearsals. He had wanted to express his long burning love for her in an eloquent but measured manner.
But it happened tonight out of its own accord and he seemed to have mucked it up, completely. Had he had any doubts about his horrible performance till now, Mriga's reaction cleared it for him. She was upset with him.
Well done Abhirath!
Mriga produced a scowl near identical to his own and said, "Was that a proposal or an insult? Don't you know how to ask a girl out? I maybe slow on the uptake but did you have to say mean things about me in the same breath as confessing your feelings about me?"
Wait a miniute! What?
Abhirath stood up slowly and brushed the mud off his clothes and face.
"So, you are angry because I didn't say it properly?" His heart which had been busy scolding the hell out of him, started to race uncomfortably, as he asked her this question.
"Oh God! What did I just say to him? What is wrong with my mouth? I should have kept my bloody mouth shut," Mriga tried to reign in her chaotic thoughts.
"Better to keep it vague. Let's just escape from here, right now," she tried to move away from him with a shrug of her shoulders.
Without any warning, Abhirath gripped her shoulders and pushed her against the solid wall of the Admin department which stood a few meters behind her back. But before her back landed against the wall, his hand came around her to minimise the sudden impact on her body because of his push. It was an instictive reaction and he didn't even realise it himself.
"Wh…what are you doing?" she asked as the brashness of the previous second evaporated from her face.
Abhirath closed the distance between them and placed his free arm on the wall, next to her shoulder. The air around them had come to a stop. Otherwise, there was no reason for both of them to feel a constriction in their chests. Neither could breathe properly!
"So, you mean to say that if I ask you again, this time properly, would you agree to it?" his words came out in a thready whisper, sounding needy.
What was wrong with him? In his entire life, he hadn't sounded like this. He had attempted to sound nonchalant but failed. His heart was hammering away, creating a cavity in his chest, not allowing the calmer version of him handle this unchartered terrain. He willed his trembling legs to stay still lest he fell down without even hearing her answer, embarrassing himself further.
Mriga, who had tried to bluster her way through by speaking rashly a minute ago, lost her composure, as well. The unexpected confession and this close proximity was absolutely mind boggling. She had no idea how to react.
She moved her eyes everywhere except to look at his face, which was mere inches away from hers.