“So,” he said with a forced, stiff casualness. “Woh ladka… Karan, right?”
“Mhmm.”
“Pasand hai tainu?”
She paused. It was her turn to be caught completely off guard. “Oh… accha munda hai.”
“Yeh koi answer nahi hoya.”
“Yeh bilkul answer hai,” she replied defensively. “Oh accha hai. Uske baare vich aur kuch bolne de layi nahi hai mere paas, bas.”
“Toh phir tu uske naal wapas date te nahi jaa rahi?”
“Main aaj raat jaa rahi haan, actually.”
Vyom nodded slowly, his broad shoulders dropping noticeably as if the air were let out of him. “Wow. Lagataar do din date. Oh pakka ‘acche’ ton zyada hi hoyega.”
“Relax kar,” she said softly. She stretched her long legs out before curling them in to sit up cross-legged, looking down at him on the blanket. “Sirf ek college party hai, koi sagai di rasam nahi hai.”
An awkward, heavy silence began to build, and Vyom was about to suggest they pack up and go home, no longer in the mood to hang out in the sun.
Urvin tossed a grape that bounced harmlessly off his forehead. “Oye, tainu mere naal aana chahida. Party vich.”
“Waheguru, main apne aap de naal aisi saza kyu karunga?”
“Kyunki tainu in kitabon ton break chahida. Tainu bahar nikalna chahida. Aur kyunki… main duniya di sabse best wingwoman haan.”
“Tu? Tu meri help karegi kudian patane vich?”
“Yep! Teri nerdy bhasha vich bolun toh, ise ek ‘sociological experiment’ maan le.”
“Thanks, par main theek haan.”
“Vyom,” she said, starting in her bossy, strict elder sister voice where she seemed to already know the outcome of this exact situation. “Tu har weekend is chote jehe flat vich band hoke nahi padh sakda. I promise, main teri partner in crime banungi, aur agar party boring hui, toh hum wapas aa javange.”
He sat up as well and aggressively rubbed his face with his hands, groaning loudly. “Fuuuuck,” he let out with heavy frustration. “Main pakka is baat de layi pachtaunga.”
Urvin beamed happily, her beautiful hazel eyes sparkling brighter than her silver belly ring in the sun. “Shayad,” she said with a bright laugh. “Par, main tainu tayar hone vich help karungi taaki tu wahan poora disaster na lage.”
“What the fuck? Mere kapdon vich ki kharabi hai?”
“Pfft! Main reasons alphabetically dassan ya tere crimes against fashion di severity de hisaab naal?”
Vyom winced visibly at the sharp reply.
“Case in point.” She pointed in disgust to his baggy shorts. “Yeh cargos ek war crime ne.”
“Eh nahi ne! Yeh bohot practical aur functional ne!”
“Eh bohot gande lagde ne.” She laughed again, a sweet sound. “Aur kab ton kisi fashion trend vich ‘practical’ aur ‘functional’ words use hone lagg gaye? Waheguru, khud nu sun ek baar!”
“Tainu mere kapdon da mazaak udaane vich bada mazaa aa reha hai na?”
“Bohot zyada,” she laughed loudly as she stood up beautifully, offering him her soft hand to pull him up. “Chal, dekhte ne tune almirah vich aur kya-kya disasters chhupa rakhe ne!”
They packed up their picnic blanket and drove back to their flat in the late afternoon sun. As soon as they stepped inside, Urvin didn’t even give him a chance to sit down. She marched straight into his bedroom, throwing the wooden doors of his wardrobe wide open.
