For a couple of weeks, things hadn't changed even a little. Well, except for the increased desire to talk to Ahmed. People do believe that when you ignore anything for a while, that thing would eventually stop bothering you. But that never works, does it? And Riyaz just whined about that internally.
The day before yesterday, Riyaz's father gifted him a guitar. Black Acoustic guitar; just like Riyaz wanted. His father couldn't arrange that on secret Santa so it was a kind of belated secret Santa gift. The want of having a guitar rose since 8th grade but his father delayed it saying he wasn't old enough to handle a guitar. But his mom came to his rescue and secretly admitted him to private guitar lessons and hence Riyaz learned to play guitar without having his guitar. Thus, this guitar caught him off-guard. At that instant, Riyaz sang a guitar version of La vie en rose and everyone praised him.
At that night, Riyaz was sitting in his room; still amazed and gawking on the guitar. He felt so lucky to not drown himself in the abyss of Ahmed during all this and at that instant cussed because his mind wouldn't divert off Ahmed now. This entire Ahmed thing was so not cool for him. He just wanted to stop groveling for a second and just live. And since he couldn't do that, he wanted to say everything out to Ahmed.
'Oh, I can do this.'
The next morning; being completely exhausted from last night Riyaz entered the class quite early and rested his head on the bench and just wanted five minutes off from Ahmed after last night. Just then, Ahmed came rushing in with one of his male friends following him; furious while Ahmed nervous and angry with a tinge of a scare.
"Why couldn't you just say sorry?" the friend asked.
"I have done nothing to be sorry, kay?" Ahmed retaliated.
"Oh, last night stunt you pulled off wasn't something you should be sorry about?" the friend asked furiously.
It was at this point, Riyaz realized Ahmed and his friend had stopped walking and stood around him to argue. 'Great, you hate me, God!'
"Oh, please! Last night was just fun and nothing else." Ahmed stated.
"Right, it was fun. Until you pulled that stunt! (Ahmed started to say something) Save it! You know what you did was plain wrong. And yet you are so arrogant to just ignore it? That's some nice person you have in yourself!"
Riyaz frowned as he was confused. Everyone loves Ahmed. Of course, he is lovable that's why. But this guy who sounded like Mehboob; who is one of the closest friends of his is not behaving like one. Maybe because something happened last night. But what?
At that moment, the subject teacher entered and Mehboob said, "Let's talk this out at our place, come on."
"You know what? I don't wanna sit beside you and talk about something which is for sure not even worth mentioning. You go, sit alone and think of what an ass you are behaving as!"
After saying this, Ahmed sat in the space beside Riyaz and this made Riyaz sit uptightly. Riyaz couldn't believe what just happened. Ahmed has so many friends that he always sits anywhere else besides Riyaz's but that day, he sat beside him and made Riyaz go crazy.
Ahmed realized Riyaz's uptight position and asked,
"Is it okay if I sit here?"
Unable to say anything, Riyaz scoffed and nodded while whispering a 'yes' in a voice so low that Ahmed maybe hadn't even heard it.
"Okay," Ahmed said in a loud voice and averted his eyes on the subject textbook. Of course, Riyaz was okay with him sitting there. Why wouldn't he?
Listening to songs on headphones, watching Biswa Kalyan Rath's stand-up comedy videos, reading Call Me by Your Name failed to uprise his stressed mood. This is a big shame as they always did their magic whenever Luvraj doesn't feel okay. But this time, these things failed big time. His worst dream came true and their trio unintentionally formed into a triangle. And that he is the reason for it, making it even worse.
Avoiding to meet eyes with both Aman and Amar, he bumped into Harsh who was talking to his friend; showing his back to Luvraj.
"Woah, you seemed pretty uptight to begin the next term!" Harsh said jokingly.
"I have every right to be uptight!" Luvraj complained.
Harsh got worried and asked, "Why, is everything all right?"
Luvraj came out of his bubble and realized it's not his mind he is talking to. It's Harsh and he gets worried about his friends too easily. "It's nothing, Harsh. It's the start of the second term and it still is the first year, right? So, for a change, worry little for us, you know?"
"We all know that is i-m-possible! If I won't worry about your kids, then who will?"
"That's true. You are the only guy in my friend circle, I think who cares so much."
"Please Raj, I have a girlfriend…."
Luvraj gasped and carried on, "Oh, yeah! I guess I was late!"
They both laughed.
"Not flirting or anything but you should try to smile. It's what makes you, well you and in moments when we feel not good, we should still try to smile. That makes the moment pass away quickly and easily."
Luvraj nodded and said with literal happiness, "Thank you Harsh."
Harsh smiled and noticed his girlfriend Ariana entered and so, he tapped Luvraj's shoulder in encouragement and went for his girlfriend.
"Hey, babe…." Luvraj could hear those romantic talk they both were sharing so to mock that; he turned and saw someone he dreaded not to. Aman.
"Hey." Aman greeted with the widest yet cute smile.
"Oh, um hi." Luvraj trembled.
"Are you okay?" Aman asked with a little frown. When Luvraj still was unable to answer, Aman's expression turned to complete stoic yet somehow sad.
"Oh, I guess I got my um… answer," he said in a low voice.
"Wh-What?" Luvraj managed to ask.
"It's fine if you don't return those feeling for me Raj, I understand. But don't be this." Aman continued in that low, awfully gloomy voice and now with a sad face.
Luvraj shook his head, "No, Aman…. it's not like that, I swear. I just…. (breaths heavily) I just need some more time."
"I get that." Aman tried but couldn't answer in any better voice and face because he knew what it was doing to Luvraj.
"No, Aman listen...." Luvraj tried to explain but Aman cut him off.
"It's okay Raj. Maybe I am not enough." He said that and turned his back to sit somewhere else besides with him. He always sat with him. And Amar too. But Aman seemed to get hurt and it was killing Luvraj that he is the reason because of this. Luvraj tried to explain again when suddenly the teacher entered in class and said,
"Come on guys, settle down." And hence, Luvraj had to go sit.
After sitting down, Luvraj got into deep thinking.
'Aman who is considered to be one of the happiest guys in class, was so sad today just because of me. I never saw Aman like that.'
'Maybe I am not enough.'
"So, guys, good morning to you all. It's been so long since we've met and no 'Miss how are you'?"
'How can he think he is not enough? He is Aman for god sake! And why couldn't I say anything? I was so stupid!'
"I am fine, thank you. And judging by the looks of you'll, I am sure you are too feeling great and enjoyed the vacations. Except for Riyaz and Rokesh who seem a little off. What happened? Did she leave you or what?"
'I should've said something. I mean my silence turned his beautiful oh, so gorgeous face into that hurtful and mourning look. Sometimes I just screw it, don't I?'
"Ok guys stop laughing otherwise the principal will be on our backs. And apologies Riyaz and Rokesh, don't mind, okay? So, let's start with our attendance, shall we?"
'Really man what have I entered into? I never wanted this for him and me.'
"Ansari Aman?" "Present Ma'am," Aman replied in his sorrowful and depressed voice.
'Oh please, Aman! Don't be like this. Please smile!'
'Maybe I am not enough'
"Arora Rokesh?" "Present."
'I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Amar Jadhav? Amar? Roll No. 5!" "Present Ma'am!" Amar shouted who just entered the class; being 10 minutes late. "Late on the very first day, Amar? Hope this doesn't carry on." "It won't Ma'am."
Luvraj noticed Amar coming towards him smiling.
'Maybe I am not enough."
'All of this happened because of him. Such an ass! Who asked him to confess his feelings? Bloody idiot!'
"D'souza Jacob?" "Present Ma'am"
"Hey, Luv. How are you?" Amar greeted while sitting beside Luvraj.
'Why do you even like me? You've made things even more difficult.'
"I missed you in these holidays."
"Khan Riyaz?" "Present"
'Maybe I am not enough'
'Don't you get it? it would be too difficult for me to break your heart. I don't wanna see Aman's recent look on your face!'
"Matthew Jayden?" "Present Miss."
"I underestimated your presence in my life, you know."
'Please Amar stop! I don't want this!'
'Maybe I am not enough.'
"But now I realized that it is you that makes my life easy."
"Patel Ahmed?" "Present Ma'am."
'I cannot do this!'
"Sharma Romit?" "Present Miss."
"So, have you thought about what I said?"
'Maybe I am not enough.'
"Sharma Rubie?"
"STOP!!" Luvraj shouted standing up.
Everyone looked at him questionably. Harsh was concerned, Amar was confused but what hurt Luvraj was Aman's face. His sorry face now seemed emotional. Luvraj was so cobbed up in his thoughts, Aman's last sentence, and on Amar that he snapped at the teacher unknowingly and unintentionally. The next thing Luvraj saw was that Aman got up and left without uttering a single word.
Rashmi Ma'am gave a look at Luvraj who was now embarrassed and sorry for what he did after Aman left and said, "Luvraj, please see me after class. Sit down."
Luvraj sat; ashamed of his act but he felt so sorry and was so regretting doing that. Amar didn't bother him after that which Luvraj thanked him for. This day was turning out the exact way Luvraj feared.
He licked the last drop of cum on Romit's chest which was spilled on by him. And that is how their first time ended. After sharing such a momentous and overwhelming task, they both then realized standing naked what they had just done. They just had sex. With each other. They both did nothing, said nothing, and just wore their clothes, and went out carefully after washing themselves. They might've said nothing but their eyes gave away how scared they were.
Ignoring each other for days after that was inevitable, right? They had just stopped looking at each other, let alone speak to each other. The whole class was surprised to see them just acting as if one doesn't exist for the other as they all were proof of their brotherhood. Their friends asked what happened but they just shrugged it off. They know what they had done which got them so scared and tensed. The start of the second term in the first year was not at all going how they expected.
No matter how scared they were, they knew what they shared; the experience was very much satisfying and compelling. Compassionate. And the thing which completely got them mad was they wanted more. But Romit was the one confronting it.
Living in the same building has its perks, isn't it? Romit's phone call was answered the tenth time he tried and said, "Quit declining my calls, will you?"
"You got something important to say?" Rokesh asked annoyed with a hint of nerve.
"If it hadn't been important, then why would I call you so many times?" Romit tried to reply in the same tone but failed.
"Fine then, spill!"
"I um…I need to ta-talk to….you." Romit hesitantly said.
"Talk tomorrow."
"No! I need to, like now!" Romit demanded.
"Why?"
"Come and find yourself."
"No!"
"Please, Rokesh?"
Romit had that magic in him to convince Rokesh to do anything using a certain voice. Romit used that voice and Rokesh just had to submit.
Romit asked to meet him on the stairs between the floors of their building and so Rokesh did what he asked. They met on the stairs between the 15th floor and the terrace.
"What is it? Why call here?" Rokesh asked hoping for that thing not to happen.
"Cannot ignore it anymore," Romit replied having a stern yet sexy look.
"Ignore what?" Rokesh asked; dreading this.
Romit got closer to Rokesh; maintaining that look. "This."
Rokesh backed a little, "I don't have time for this."
He turned to leave when Romit held his hand firmly; not letting go. "Let go of me!" Rokesh immediately wanted to lose that grasp of Romit's hand on his. He didn't wanna feel Romit's warmth on his right hand. But Romit instead of letting go started unbuttoning his shirt with his other hand.
"What are you doing?" Rokesh asked.
But Romit didn't answer anything and continued unbuttoning his third button.
"Listen, don't do this!" Rokesh exclaimed.
After unbuttoning all of his buttons, he lost his grip over Rokesh's hand. Rokesh wanted to leave at that instant but he saw Romit's flat yet elegant stomach. He couldn't divert his eyes off to something else. His heart started beating faster, blood pumping faster, body going warmer and thinking of how in different places of the stomach he could kiss on. Romit took off his shirt and now his chests were revealed making Rokesh's little member down there erected.
Romit again took Rokesh's hand and placed the palm on one of his chests. And now Romit could feel Rokesh's warmth.
"If you want, you can leave," Romit said
But instead of backing out, Rokesh came closer.
The stairs were filthy for no doubt but they didn't care. They missed each other's bodies more than they thought did. They explored each other's body for the first time but this time what they did with each other's body was embrace it.
After shooting off their cum on each other bodies, in exhaustion, they laid down on the stairs.
"Can't ignore this now, can we?" Romit asked.
"No. I certainly cannot." Rokesh replied.
"You get it why I called you here?" Romit asked.
Rokesh chuckled and answered, "Yes, I did. (they both laughed a little) I want more of this, you know." Rokesh said with his puppy-dog eyes.
"Same here," Romit replied.
Rokesh looked at Romit's lips and wondered why they haven't been touched with his own. They yet haven't kissed. It's not like he didn't want it. What kept him awaiting was his nerve. He was so nervous and scared that once he did kiss them, it would make everything real.
"But we ought to be careful," Rokesh said while shifting his head away from Romit's.
"Yeah," Romit said in a low voice; quite disappointed.
"I mean we don't want others to find, do we?" Rokesh asked and kind of answered too.
Romit just hummed in agreement but on the inside, he knew where this was headed.
He knew he shouldn't have eaten ice-cream after 10 of night. History has proved well that ice-creams after 10 always get him sick. And to top on that, showering after that was a dumb move. He thought he is big enough to do it and that he won't get sick. Well, he got sick and pretty bad too. A fever of 106.71 degrees and cold too. Hence, he had to skip college. Many students missed him especially Luvraj. And Harsh knew that.
Harsh was extremely guilty because he knew Luvraj needed to talk to him but Harsh got stuck in his sicked health. But above all, Harsh was deeply tensed up as he had to see Deep now. And cannot ignore him. The doctor advised Harsh to have complete bed rest and his mom will do anything to make sure it stays like that.
It was day 3 of his sick health and each day his mom took care of him like putting pieces of white cloth soaked in cold water on his forehead, helping him to wake up and take a shower, helping him eat. Everything was fine and that meant Deep-free until Harsh's aunt and his dad's sister passed away. And to attend the mourning, his dad and mom had to go. His mother instructed Deep on how to take care of Harsh while she is away.
"Do you have to go?" Harsh asked his mother who was sitting with him on his bed.
His mom took a deep breath and answered,
"I was a Muslim before marrying your father, you know that right? (Harsh nodded) Well, no one in your dad's family liked me. They teased me again and again and mocked my religion. They always pierced in my skin that I am an outsider and can never be like them even in front of your dad…."
"Mom….."
"Anyway, but your aunt Nalini was the silver lining. While everyone else was just plain mean and stubborn, aunt Nalini was someone who used to talk to me and make me feel good. Made me feel a little welcome. Being the youngest, she did as much as she could. But after that, she got married off and went with her in-laws. Believe me, I cried more than your grandma did. And I was back to the non-stop suffering….."
"Mom…. Please!"
"My point is that I owe her this. I have to do this. If I don't, I'll regret it, I know. So, to answer your question; yes. I have to go."
Harsh nodded and to clear the air, he said, "Gee Mom, you could've answered with a simple yes. There was no need to start the Ramayana."
His mom smacked Harsh lightly and said, "Deep is gonna be with you dear, don't worry." 'That's kinda the problem, mom.' "I've explained to him everything you know, your diet, your medicine and all and I know he would give you no complaints."
"Mom, do you trust him?" Harsh asked.
"Harsh, I am not the one who's out almost every time; and for that, we're gonna talk, mister. (Harsh nodded nervously. Harsh's dad calls for his mom to go) Look I'll have to go or the driver will be hearing an argument again, so take care. Ok?"
Harsh nods and his mom leaves.
It's been an hour since the parents have gone and it was time for Harsh's meal. Just when Harsh got the thought of Deep being late, Deep entered his room with a bowl of vegetable soup and salad on a tray.
"Where should I put it?" Deep asked.
Harsh instead of replying thought of how his voice was. Huskier for his age yet subservient somehow. And weirdly enough, on that beautiful face, the voice matched.
"Sir?" Deep asked.
Harsh realized that he is keeping the guy waiting.
"On the bed would be fine."
Deep nodded and placed the tray on the bed and asked, "Anything else?"
'I want to talk to you for hours.' "No."
Deep nodded and left.
Sitting and just being on your bed every day gets pretty boring and Harsh wasn't okay with being bored. In the previous two days, Harsh would pass his time with his mother but that day; on the third day he was alone. Well, not particularly alone. He had Deep with him but he cannot do anything with him, can he?
'I can!'
Of course, he can. Deep is there for him so of course, he could pass his time with him. But the problem was that it required talking and Harsh could sense chills down in his spine whenever he would see him; let alone talk to him. But this had to be over, someday right? Deep is just a guy and nothing else so why is he so afraid of talking to him? He is the one who advised Luvraj to talk everything out with Amar and now he is afraid of talking to a guy. This doesn't bode well for him if he restricts on doing something about it.
"Yes, Sir?" Deep asked entering Harsh's room after he called him.
It took him tons of guts to call him out and he knew it would take a ton more to say what he was going to.
"Come take a seat, will you?"
Waking beside Jayden may be the best feeling in the world but the next task got both of them stressed. Jayden had to sneak out of Jacob's bedroom. At night it was much easier because there was hardly anyone to see. But this is morning and many people are present so that would make the job more difficult. But he had to do it otherwise Jacob's family would find out about what's happened. And Jacob would be punished for it which they both didn't want. When Jayden approached the window, Jacob held his wrist and said with a smile, "See you, boyfriend."
Jayden smiled, kissed Jacob's forehead, and said, "See you, babe." Jayden snuck out.
Jacob started to get ready for his new day not only as a student but also as an in-a-relationship kid in his class. He took out Jayden's favorite t-shirt and wear it on. That day, Jacob might be the happiest he has ever been in his whole life.
Yesterday was 21 November and that date he would never forget. Jayden didn't know what came over in him last night that he just expressed his feelings to Jacob in front of everyone. Maybe it was the thing that Jacob said to him a few days before,
"Maybe, this was a mistake because I am nothing to you."
Maybe, this indeed struck him hard to go confessing in front of everyone. But he wasn't regretting it or having second thoughts about it. Jayden has always been the one to keep it low profile while Jacob has been the one trying to expose themselves. So last night's stunt got him surprised too. But he was glad he did it because he loves Jacob and he is sure that Jacob loves him too.
He picked out Jacob's favorite t-shirt and wore it out and felt Jacob hugging him so maybe that's why he was smiling constantly or he was smiling because he could kiss Jacob in front of everyone without any hesitation.
Jacob reached his college and saw Jayden waiting for someone at the gate. 'Now, who could that be?'
Jayden saw Jacob and started running towards him and stopped in front of him. Jacob raised his brows and that was all it took for Jayden to take Jacob in his hands and kiss him passionately irrespective of the people ogling them in disgust. Just then, Harsh came towards them and said,
"That's enough, people are staring."
They broke the kiss and Jayden put his arm around Jacob's neck and said, "They're just jealous." And they both started walking towards their class.
"So, have you guys did it yet as a couple?"
"Yes, just last night," Jacob answered proudly.
"Babe?" Jayden said in a low tone.
Jacob looked at Jayden's questionable eyes and said, "Jayden you said you love me in front of everyone without any hesitation and for this, you are hesitating? Harsh's our friend, we can share this with him, right?" Jayden nodded in genuine agreement.
"Well, I knew you won't be able to resist yourself as a fresh couple," Harsh said that and everyone laughed while they were walking the stairs.
"Hey Harsh, you are okay, right? With everything's going on with Ariana?" Jacob asked after taking a deep breath.
"Even if it isn't, can do anything? (Jayden and Jacob both gave an apologetic look) But I am okay."
They all entered their class and Jayden said, "Good for you."
Jacob and Jayden reached their desk and what they saw shook them both terribly. Harsh who was standing behind said in a low voice, "Guys, don't mind it."