Natasha

Vansh Baweja was a master of pranks. Or atleast that's what he kept telling himself as he colorful stories of his youth. He often pranked on people ever since he was little and continued on till college. He even got jailed for breaking the fire alarm once, making everyone panic around him. Talk about stupidity.

My mind immediately reeled back to the bet between us when he brought a stag beetle to my desk. He did something like that in school and college as well. Guess people had their share of creepy hobbies.

Irfan being a man with a testosterone induced dick challenged Vansh to a prank. Vansh belonging to the same said species made it a mission to show off while I told them to fuck off.

So here we were, attending a lame ass seminar about balancing professional and personal life. Funny how they talked about giving importance to our personal lives while giving this lecture after office hours. The employees were forced to participate, courtesy of Mister Richard and HR.

Time passed as slowly as a tortoise in the class when Vansh lent an ear on something interesting.

A few minutes later.

“Excuse me, sir,” I raised my hand like a diligent student, grabbing the unwanted attention from the class. Did I really have to do this? “I have a doubt regarding your hypothesis. May I have your permission to come over?”

“Sure, dear.” The middle aged lecturer responded with a smile. I bet mister was glad someone was paying attention to his class.

Everyone's eyes were glued to me as I stood in front of the class and cleared my doubts like a smartass. So far so good. Just then, I placed a hand at the side of the forehead and closed my eyes halfway. The lecturer  noticed right away.

“Is there a problem, miss? You look pale.”

My head wobbled, almost causing the lecturer to reach out to me, but then I steadied myself. “My- my head, sir. It's spinning. Urgh, I think I'm going to vomit.”

The lecturer's face grew ashen. Before he could volunteer to help me out, Vansh did the honors himself. He held my left arm. “Don't worry sir, I'll take her to the washroom.”

“Sure, please do.”

“And I'll give her the medicine after that,” Irfan added, holding my right arm while Vansh held my other. They looked no more than kidnappers right now. 

“I think one person would be enough, Mister... Ahmed,” The lecturer said while checking out the list of names written in a file on his desk.

“But sir, I need to—”

Irfan was interrupted by a gagging noise from me. I covered my mouth. “I don't think I can hold it any longer. Awk!”

“Oh no, no, no! Alright, take her away.”

Followed by a snicker from Irfan.

The lecturer shot daggers at Irfan but he was quick to save himself. “Sorry sir, it was just unwanted gas.”

Unwanted gas? Before I could question Irfan's intellectual choice of words, he proved himself by letting out a fart. An actual fart, breaking the class into fits of laughter. Everyone except us three, who could only press our mouths to prevent us from disclosing the act.

Without wasting another torturous second, the three of us raced out of the room while dragging me. We continued walking towards God knows where until we spotted an unused staircase as if it was our secret escape. The world crashed as we fell down on the floor, laughing our wits out. Hard. Vansh's plan was  successful but that wasn't why we were ROLF. It had to do with the term fart and the person associated with it.

“H- how Irfan?” Vansh managed to spat while still gripping his stomach.

“Come on, with the truckload of food I consume, it should be obvious. I had to save my arse so I air- pooped my arse. I'm ever- fart- ready,” Irfan stated proudly like it was an award worthy talent.

“Oh God, I can't breathe!” I panted between my laughs. “That was a cool plan, Baweja. Thanks for getting us out of that bore-zone. And you, my Irfan, you deserve an Oscar.”

“I'm honored. Your acting was fantabulous, too.”

“I know right! Maybe it isn't too late to switch careers,” I said, thinking about my path as an actress. I clicked my tongue. “Naah, too much spotlight. Back to being an engineer, jerks.”

Then there was another time during Irfan's presentation in an unofficial meeting. Instead of a statistical slide, a music video popped up playing Gangnam style instead. A video deliberately put by Vansh. The colleagues around us burst into laughter while some even started doing its classic hook step. I followed along with Angie, giggling. Unfortunately, Irfan stopped the video when he came back from the washroom and scolded Vansh, spoiling our moods. Dork.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. By the door, I meant the entrance of residential building. Kylie's apartment had a smart lock that came with a security camera. I took a glance at the guest from the small monitor. It was a pretty blonde woman in her kaftan multicolor dress.

“Yes, who are you?” I spoke through the mic.

The woman frowned at the unfamiliar voice until she spoke in a formal yet impatient tone. “Alex Campbell. I'm here to meet Kyle Walker. Just call her if she's home.”

“I'm afraid she's not here. Um, let me call her first,” I informed, making Alex groan in return. “Calm your tits, woman!” I added in a low voice.

Fifteen minutes later, Kylie returned home, her face looking dreary. Something was up, I could feel it. The way Alex shot daggers at Kylie only confirmed my suspicions. I only let this bitch inside as per Kylie's request but perhaps I shouldn't have.

“So you came, miss high and mighty. I was beginning to think you bailed like that time,” Alex said, putting one leg above the other sitting comfortably on the couch. Her sharp gaze moved towards me briefly. She let out a dry laugh. “And she is what, your new bodyguard now? As if the smart lock wasn't enough, loser.”

“Please don't speak—”

“Who told you to come and behave like an total ass- crack bitch? Either speak like a civilized person or get the fuck out.” I interrupted, zeroing my eyes at Alex. My blood was boiling now.

Alex got up in rage. “You damn shrew! Do you have any idea—”

“Stop it, both of you. Just stop!” Kylie said, raising her hands between us. “Alex, please just calm down. Say what you came for and leave. Natasha, you can go to your room. This is between her and me anyway.”

“But she—”

“Please. Leave.” Kylie said with finality. It was unlike the soft-spoken Kylie to speak like this. I did as told but not before doing that eye gesture with my fingers, letting the bitch know I'd be watching her. I stood beside the wall of the corridor, leading to my room.

Alex then started talking about her younger brother who was serving jail time and how they were facing financial problems as most of their expenses went to the lawyer they hired. She even added how this was all happening because of Kylie. A fact she never failed to mention every goddamn minute.

It was infuriating to watch Alex insult my precious girlfriend. It was even more infuriating to watch Kylie take her insults like a champ.  Normally she would have bawled her eyes out by now. Instead, she remained impassive as a stone. I didn't know the whole 온라인카지노게임 but I didn't think Kylie wasn't in the wrong. Which was why it didn't make sense why she was listening to her crap and even discussing some business, unknown to me. Why was she doing this? So many unanswered questions.

Thankfully Alex didn't overstay her welcome. Kylie who was mostly silent the entire time spoke this time. I couldn't hear it entirely, except the end.

“.... Honestly, you should have all seen it coming. That mothertrucker deserved it.” Kylie said flowering  with intent that made Alex shoot daggers at her. Before Alex could hit (it seemed like she was about to) or say, Kylie slapped the door down her ugly face.

I made slow claps, coming out. “My, my, I must say I've never seen this feisty side of you. Tell her to come more often.”

My expression fell when Kylie turned around. She let go of all pretense as her eyes strained on the floor like it did something horrible to her. I tried to call her out a few times, but it seemed like she was a thousand miles away. Her eyes looked frightened.

“Kylie!” I raised my voice and she snapped back at me, her eyes blinking. I rubbed her arms when she breathed out hard. “Hey, it's okay. She's gone now. You can breathe easy. Wait, I'll bring you water.”

By the time I fetched water, Kylie was already in her room. She sighed while drinking in the glass in one go. Her voice was weak. “Just leave me alone for a while.

“Okay, but—”

“Natasha, please. It's none of your business anyway!”

I did as told. She was right. It wasn't my business but it still bothered me. Kylie barely came out of her room after that. She didn't even have her dinner. Not knowing what else to do, I called Chanel and filled her in about her encounter with Alex.

“The audacity of that whore! If I was there. I would have fuckin' wrung her neck.”

So I was right to hate her at first sight. We bitched about her some more without delving into the hi온라인카지노게임 of her relations with Kylie. It is her 온라인카지노게임 to tell, babes. Chanel answered upon asking.

Chanel arrived first thing in the morning, since she was engaged with her work-related project yesterday. She was able to get through Kylie eventually as Kylie wept in her arms and ate breakfast I made this morning. Although Kylie's demeanor changed when she met my eyes.

“Why did you tell her, Nat? It wasn't necessary. I'm not a baby!” Kylie said, offended after Chanel went to the washroom.

“It was necessary,” I raised my voice a bit. “You weren't responding to me at all. Any friend would be worried.”

“But I said I'll be fine, didn't I? I just wanted some time alone. Don't butt into my business.”

This went on until Chanel came out from the washroom and stopped us from arguing. A lump formed in my throat, hurt by her lack of gratitude towards me. I exited the room, since clearly I wasn't wanted.

“Wait!” Chanel stopped me, just as I was about to leave for the office. I sighed when she held my shoulders. “Don't take Kylie's words to heart, sweetie! She's just not in her right mind. I appreciate you, okay, and I'm glad you called me.”

“Thanks, Chanel. You are the best!” I said, complimenting in general.

“Yup, I'm the GOAT,” She said and we shared a laugh. “Now chin up and have a great day. Also, join us in the evening. Sandra will be there so you better leave on time.”

“Sure, message me. Bye.” With that, I left for the office, feeling better than before.

~

“Sorry, Nat. I snapped at you for no reason,” Kylie said to me during our gathering in the evening.

“It's okay,” I shrugged with a smile. “You had a lot in mind so...”

“Yeah...”

And we left it at that. I noticed Kylie giving Chanel a look and Chanel nodding in approval. I rolled my eyes.

The following dinner was awkward. The girls often talked in codewords whenever Alex or Alex's brother was mentioned. It made me feel like an outsider amongst my newfound friends. Or perhaps I was just that. A passerby until I returned to India. I did them a favor by excusing myself early so they could bitch freely.

I walked on the streets, feeling lonely and homesick. I wondered how everyone was doing. I had an urge to call each one of them and hear their voices. I called the one whose voice I wanted to hear the most. Unfortunately Rithik didn't pick up. Thinking it was foolish to call someone you broke up with, I turned to my friends. A name popped in mind, filling me with guilt. We haven't talked for so long. I plunged up the courage and called. Luckily, she picked up.

“Hi, Boo, or I should say, ex-roomie!” I greeted. “I hope you haven't forgotten about this bitch.”

I heard a laugh from the other end. “How could I, when our kiss was that unforgettable?... Or, is it too early to joke about that?”

Way to make me cringe right off the bat. I sighed. “Perhaps not. It's been two months already.”

“Woah, two months? Time sure flies.”

“Yeah, I guess someone was too busy to make a call.”

“And that someone was worried if she made things too awkward between them,” Khushboo said, followed by a long awkward silence as she speculated. “Forget it. How are you doing, darling?”

The conversation went mildly smooth after that. We were able to converse more comfortably. Although whenever I tried to joke to Khushboo about going on dates or women, she would dodge the subject. I guess discussing her sexuality was still a sensitive topic for her. I let it be. Sometime later, she mentioned about meeting Rithik recently.

“He really misses you, you know,” Khushboo said, making my heart flutter for no reason. “He's devastated at what you did. He even joked once on how he'll hunt you down in Boston and kidnap you back to India.”

“No way, seriously?!”

“Oh, you know Rithik. He might actually do it.”

“Please tell him not to. He's still recovering,” I said. The thought of him being here was very, very tempting but it would be difficult to reject him then. I frowned. “And stop taking his side. If I was an insecure damsel, I'd definitely think you have the hots for him.”

“Oh, hell I do! Have you looked at his arms? You don't normally find a green flag like him. If he wasn't into you, I'd have seduced him a long time back,” Khushboo said, making me gasp and throw some expletives at her. “Geez, calm down, woman! I was just pulling your leg. And here I thought you moved on and banged someone else.”

I let out a sigh. “Ideally, I would, except I didn't. I think I'm still suffering from Rithik's syndrome.”

“What a bummer!” Khushboo paused, tittering. “Oh, I just received Ayesha's message. Let's call her.”

The call went on for thirty more minutes. We even switched over to video call where I showed off my surroundings, pretending to be a vlogger. We were talking less and doing random stuff more. Still, it was nice reconnecting with them again. At this point, I considered Khushboo and Ayesha as my close girl friends. They were the only good friends I had in my university. Even though, I couldn't tell them I was lonely, it was okay. What mattered was I was having fun. I was suddenly missing my campus days.

* * *

Things were still awkward between Kylie and me, the next day. No, we weren't fighting. We weren't mad at each other either. Perhaps she was too self absorbed in her own world. Although I wasn't the inquisitive type, I wanted to know. It was unlike Natasha.

“What was Alex's brother to you? Your ex-boyfriend? Pretentious friend? Stalker?” I asked Kylie over dinner, the next day. I placed my spoon down. “Sorry, I know it's personal but the curiosity is killing me. Especially when the rest of the girls keep whispering about it, while I know nothing. I feel left out.”

“Oh,” Kylie looked over to me with realization. “Sorry, I didn't realize that. Obviously you'd feel that way. Is that why you left early that evening? Gosh, I'm so sorry.”

I smiled. She was returning back to normal. “Now that's the cute worrywart I know. So...?”

Kylie squinted her eyes. “God, you're so impatient.” There was a pause, followed by a long sigh. She stared at her plate that only had a portion of salad left. “Luke was my boyfriend for five years.”

“Five years. That's quite the time,” I said, then took a bite of the chickpea salad, my mind churning a myriad of possibilities. “I'm assuming this Luke did something horrible for you to put a case against him.”

“Yeah...” Kylie said, closing her fist around her spoon. “That's all you need to know.”

“What? You barely told me anything yet.”

“I don't talk about this stuff to anyone. If Alex wouldn't have come here, you wouldn't have known. Let's just keep it at that.”

“Come on!” I whined, but Kylie went back to eating the rest of her salad. Damn, why was she being so secretive about it? It wasn't like I'd share it to the world.

“What will you gain by knowing about my past, Rithik? You weren't there. If it weren't for my occasional nightmares, you wouldn't have known.”

“Because I want to know you, understand you, and be there for you, Nat. Is that so hard to understand?”

It hit me. About how Kylie's situation sounded eerily similar to mine. How I behaved the exact same way to Rithik when he had nothing but good intentions at heart. When someone tried to reach their hand out, but you never took it? Because you were too afraid and ashamed. Well, it definitely sucked. Guess I was an ungrateful and inconsiderate girlfriend. All the more why you shouldn't be with me, Rithik.

I stopped asking Kylie after that.

And just like that, another month passed.

~

“So what are we celebrating?”

Kylie and I were seated on the lounge at the terrace, drinking a quarter glass of red wine. A few vegetarian dishes lay on the low rise table made by her special cook tonight. I was glad my roommate was a vegetarian in this godforsaken meat world. The terrace sparkled with a pair of lamps and a few dim lit bulbs. Creepers filled the edges of the wooden patio. Instead of answering my question, Kylie placed the glass aside and laid down on the grass-like mat.

“I guess your three-month Boston anniversary?”

“Seriously?” I snickered and followed suit by laying down next to her. I gazed at the night sky in disappointment. “There are hardly any stars.”

“Still, it's nice to lay down with a lovely roommate on your side,” Kylie said, referring to me.

“Aww, same,” I cooed, snuggling closer by linking arms with her. Over the months, I've grown quite fond of this cute blonde which was quite unlike me. I wasn't even this close to Khushboo within four months. Maybe I'd become more receptive to people by now. Strange. We engaged in small, mundane talk about our day and office.

“I met Luke in my first year in college. Although he was studying Global Affairs while I was studying for the Masters in Philosophy & Culture, we had a few classes in common...”

“Oh my God, we are starting with your back온라인카지노게임,” I interrupted dramatically, my eyes widening with surprise. I got up. “Let me grab my glass.”

“Should I continue or not...?” Kylie threatened, zeroing her eyes at me. I shook my head. She continued. “It's like any other love 온라인카지노게임. Luke was the first to approach me since I was still as shy as a kitten. He was amicable, helpful and kinda funny. We both shared a mutual interest in hi온라인카지노게임 so we quickly became friends. I developed a crush on him although he was dating someone else. Things began to change in my second year when he broke up with his ex. He found ways to see me, even though we hardly shared classes at that time. I let him because I was a love blinded fool.”

“Come on now, you are not.”

“I was, Natasha! Shortly after, we started dating— Actually Luke was the one to ask me out since he already knew I liked him. I was that obvious. Anyway, in my second year, his ex-girlfriend secretly approached me to warn me about him. He is ‘manipulative and insane’, she said. Guess what I did? I told Luke, even after she told me not to. I took her warning as a sign of jealousy. Later on, I received a message from an unknown number with a middle finger sign. It's one of the things I still regret to this day.” Kylie sighed.

I couldn't say anything so I let Kylie take a sip of her wine and continue.

“Our relationship was going great. Luke wasn't quite a gentleman as he first depicted to be, but it was alright. I wasn't perfect either. Like any other relationship, we worked out our differences and grew stronger. Eventually, we graduated and introduced our families to each other. Alex liked me a lot that time. Things were getting serious. We often talked about getting married...”

Kylie took a short pause before continuing. “We were in our third year of our relationship. It was Alex's birthday. We were planning a place to dine that night. It was a casual argument. I suggested the one nearby that was famous for its Turkey- his sister's favorite dish, while he suggested the one at the suburbs. Perhaps my constant nagging ticked him off and the next thing I felt a hand across my face.”

“Shit!”

Kylie pointed a finger. “Shit indeed. I couldn't believe what happened. I was so in shock, I didn't say a word until I met his family and dined with them. He kept looking over me, afraid I'd complain. I didn't. I just went home and ignored his calls. Luke regretted what he did. He apologized like crazy. Said he wasn't in his right mind. He even slapped himself to call it even. Since nothing like this happened before, I forgave him. Our relationship eventually went back to normal.”

“Did it, though?”

“For the next four months atleast,” Kylie said as a matter of fact. She took another sip of the wine along with the snack and continued after a pause. “I realized my boyfriend was fatal when he hit me the second time. And this was when I was already mindful of what words to say. When you're in a relationship that doesn't allow you to be comfortable in your own skin, then it's not a relationship. I left his apartment and told him to break up for the first time. Do you know what happened? The same thing as before. Just that, it took him a month to convince me again. Luke was seriously good at that. He knew what to say and do to weaken my defences. We hugged, cried, had an amazing make-up sex, went on a weekend trip, and bought gifts. He took sessions and brought self-help books to show me he was working on himself.”

“Was it hard to leave him?” I asked softly.

Kylie kept twirling the glass, her eyes reflecting sadness. “Luke was the first man I fell madly in love with. The one I wished to build a future with. I guess I wanted to take away any excuse I could to stay with him. Even his empty promises. I kept looking for the kindhearted Luke I met in college. I refused to believe the man I gave myself over was this possessive, angry piece of shit— excuse my language. The third time, he literally crashed me against the wall. Even pulled my hair. I almost lost consciousness for a few seconds there. Something snapped that day. I decided to dump him, no matter what. I blocked all his contacts. I even told his sister to not bother with me again. I spent my days crying in my room. It was devastating.”

“Yes, you finally gathered the courage to leave him. You did good.” I patted her back, trying to motivate her. I stood up and stretched my arms.

“Nope. The best part is yet to come, unfortunately,” Kylie interrupted sarcastically.

* * * * *

Hope you liked it, even though this chapter was more about Kylie. Vote and Comment your thoughts.

Look forward to the next chapter. It will be something, I promise. 😏