“Nina, wake up. Arjun is here”
Amma was shaking my legs
“What?” I opened my eyes and tried to figure out what was going on
“Arjun is here” Amma whispered, while trying to tie her hair in a bun and look neat and tidy.
“Where? Why?”
By the look on my mother’s face I knew that question was a stupid one.
I got out of the bed and walked to the living room.
Arjun and Liza was sitting on my mattress bed and Arjun saw me
“My God! Look at the time Nina! What time were you planning to get up Nina?” Arjun was staring at me
“She is a lazy bone. She gets up so late” Liza shook her head sadly and replied
“What to do Arjun! She is always sleeping. At this rate, I don’t know how she will pass the exams. May be you can put some sense in her” Amma replied
I looked at Amma. What did she say? I was always sleeping? Did she not see that I was studying all through the night?
“I got up late, because I went to bed late. I was studying all night” I replied
“Yeah, she pretended to study. She was sleeping while holding the book in her hand” Amma laughed and told Arjun.
“No I wasn’t sleeping. I was studying” I answered back
“Oh Nina stop, why do you want to fight with your mom in the morning?” It was Arjun’s turn to be nice
I glared at him. If only I could create fire with my eyes! I would have turned him in to ashes and blown the ashes away in 4 different directions.
“Arjun Bhaiyya, be careful, She is getting mad” Liza spoke
Arjun bhaiyya, avalde ammedey thala . I walked to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
Arjun bhaiyya! The words kept repeating in my head.
I wanted to take a shower. But that meant I will have to go outside and heat the water with the immersion coil. I didn’t want to see Arjun bhaiyya. So I decided to take a cold shower.
I poured a mugful of water on my leg, (hoping I could set the thermostat in my brain to coldness) and hated myself for my stupid ego. The water in the bucket was very cold and I still didn’t want to go outside and heat the water.
I took a quick shower and all I wanted was to dry my body as quick as possible. Then I remembered the towel
“Amma” I called out
There was no response
“Amma” I yelled at the top of my quivering voice
“What is it Nina?” Arjun answered
“Where is my mother?”
“She went downstairs to buy vege”
“Liza” I called my sister
“What do you want” Liza answered
“towel” I whispered, hoping Arjun won’t hear. I didn’t want my classmate to know that I was an idiot who forgot to take a towel before going for a shower.
“What?” Liza yelled
“towel, I need my towel” I spoke a little louder
“You always need a servant for everything ah” Liza spoke. I wasn’t sure if that was a statement or a question, so I didn’t answer.
I thought of using the clothes I wore to dry my body. But then I have to wear those wet clothes and go out and face Arjun bhaiyya. I had forgotten to take a change of clothes with me before I went to take a shower.
I waited for what felt like eternity, then I heard a knock on the door
“Who is it?”
“nintey Ammayi appan( your father in law)” Liza spoke
I opened the door a bit and grabbed the towel.
By the time I came out of the bathroom, Arjun bhaiyya was already drinking tea.
He looked at me and shook his head as though he had never seen anyone more incapable/stupid/dumb than me and was smiling.
Get lost, I muttered under my breath and marched to Liza’s room to change my clothes. I closed the door and stood in front of the godrej cupboard. I wanted to ask Arjun, why is he doing here? I didn’t ask him to come. I didn’t want him to just walk in my house and act as though he is part of our family. He wasn’t part of my family. I didn’t want him to be part of my family.
my family. I couldn’t exactly figure out what was bothering me so much. Then I remembered the tea.
Who made tea for Arjun? Amma had gone to buy Vege, No? Liza made tea for Arjun?
I changed in to my jeans and t shirt quickly. When I came out, Liza and Arjun were standing on the balcony and talking. They were talking about point guard and shooting guard. I had no idea what they were talking about. I walked to the balcony and stood next to Arjun. He continued to drink the tea and talk to Liza about NBA teams and the merits of each team.
This was my life and Arjun was my classmate.
But I couldn’t join their conversation. I felt like an outsider. Like I was excluded from the team.
I wanted very much to belong somewhere.
I wanted to be a part of a conversation.
I wanted to be able to talk and laugh with my classmate.
But I had no idea about basketball, neither was I interested to learn.
Suddenly I was back where I started. Back to building walls around me and protecting the only three people that mattered.
The world of I, myself and me.