Her FaceBook Friend

Chapter 43

Friendship is a Miracle that can make you forget about your pain and hardships as if it was a fun thing that happened.” [Jacqueline]

…….

[Jacqueline’s POV]

He took the last step towards me, his shoes touching the front part of my shoes. Slowly he leaned down and looked into my eyes.

“Jacqueline, I have already left your palm, why are you not moving?” His hoarse voice was joking but seductive. I bit my lip and exhaled. Forcing myself to calm down I counted to ten at the back of my mind and turned my head away from his gaze finally.

He pinched my chin and forced me to raise my head.

“You look better when you are angry.” Saying this he took a step back and smiled. Taking my hand in his, he kissed the back of the palm. Smiled again and walked away.

While I stood there looking at his straight and aloof back. My lips curled in frustration. I was nearly seduced by his charming and gentle aura. He had me at the tips of his fingers. I scratched my head and thought how handsome he looked with empathy in his eyes. How cute he looked when his cheeks lifted into a gentle smile. He seemed to be created by love. It was as if the guy he pretends to be in daily life is a lie. I wondered if he was kind somewhere in the depth of his soul. Maybe it was just a flicker of emotion or maybe it was nothing and I was in the bubble of my illusions. As if realizing my stare at his back he turned back and smiled at me raising one hand in the air and waved. Everything stilled at the moment, my heart rate quickened. With a silly smile on his face, he turned and walked away.

‘Did he just recreate the moment of the DDLJ Movie? Or am I overthinking?’

I can still hear the noise of water drizzling on the ground. My head swung from left to right. I was still standing there where he left me ten minutes ago. The scene replayed in my mind like a broken record. He’s caressing my cheeks, his kind black eyes, his beautiful smile. I was neither here nor there. I was exposed to his emotions and it was weird considering I am not exposed to my own emotions. They say lovers meet in rain and strangely enough it was raining today.

The shoe scr***** of someone brought me back to my senses a little. I looked at the watch on my wrist. I forgot to wear it in the morning and for once luck was in my destiny that it was protected from the red paint attack of Rohan so I wore it when Nina had asked me to wear her clothes. The dial was a solid round made of bra** with a leather strap and tang closure. Ten minutes had pa**ed since I had come out of the cla**room.

‘What is wrong with me?’ I patted my cheeks to wake up from the silly thoughts. I was a fool to be thinking about a guy who had taken away my first kiss, almost made me wipe his shoes, and did whatnot. It struck me a little late that I cannot even like someone not until I am ready to die. It struck me that Dad would kill me if he got to know I was liking somebody. Exhaling thoughts I walked back to the cla**room any way I had wasted ten minutes already, Tyagi Ma’am will never appreciate it. I saw crows dancing in the drizzle, perhaps they were not dancing they were just trying to find a shelter. Walking inside I didn’t find Rohan perhaps he was banking the cla** but it made me relieved that I won’t be terrified to get caught.

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The rest of the school hours pa**ed like the wind. As I stepped onto the bus, that’s when I saw Rohan. His black eyes darkened, he beamed with his handsome face and stretched out his arm to help me up as if I was unable to step into the bus. The scene of SRK helping Kajol in the train in Dil Wale

Dulhaniya Le Jayenge flashed before my eyes. The scene was one of the most celebrated scenes in the history of Indian cinema, while the movie was praised across the country. Still, it is.

‘Is he trying to imitate Raj? Or am I thinking too much?’

My cheeks turned hotter and I chose not to accept his stretched palm and held the handle to step inside. He refused to budge from the gate while I stood there staring at his black shoes which were muddy now, perhaps because of rainwater pits in the ground of the school. It all happened within a fraction of seconds as someone pushed me from behind and my head landed on his taut muscles.

‘God. What is happening to me today?’ Moments pa**ed while a pin drop silence ensued.

“You want to fall for me huh?” His smile was full of bad intentions and his drowning eyes were cunning.

“No, I don’t. Somebody pushed me from behind.” I made a disgusting face at his remark and pushed him aside walking into the bus.

He followed me behind, like a puppy on its owner’s tail.

“Who knows? What if you just wanted to touch me and are making an excuse now?”

I looked at him skeptically, my eyes burning in frustration.

“Are you nuts? Why would I do that?” My eyes wavered from his?

“I don’t even like you.”

He glanced at me questioningly.

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“Really. you don’t like me?”

“Yes. I don’t.” I had no choice but to answer him in a resolute tone because currently there was no way he would let me be in peace if I didn’t shut him up now. Moreover, I wasn’t just telling him this, I was telling myself too.

“Well. How about you stay at school with me for a week and I promise you will like me?” Rohan said.

The whispering around us increased. I glanced around and noticed people looking at me in disgust. I wanted to say to him to f*** you. But at last, I swallowed my words, turned around, and walked to my designated seat. Just as I sat he sat down on the seat next to me.

The sunshine after the rain was dim and it reduced the temperature. The breeze was gentle and soft and it made me feel comfortable.

Yet my heart was not comfortable at all, I was ashamed of myself for liking him. This day was perhaps the most legendary day of my life and in a bittersweet way. The worse thing was he was not leaving me alone to reflect on my emotions. I kept my face near the window ignoring him, if he wanted to play the follow-follow game I could play the opposite one. Ignore-ignore game. He snorted but chose to maintain the ignore-ignore game.

My phone pinged suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. But I chose to ignore it. The last time when he was with me, and I was reading Remo’s messages, his behavior was harsh. The lesson was learned, I wouldn’t check my phone in front of him again.

“You know Annie, Nina likes you?” I look back at his eyes questioningly.

Taking a deep breath he adjusted his mood into a serious one. His voice was faint and soft. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“This is true. She wants to be friends with you. I hope you can give her a chance to do that.”

When I heard his words, the uncomfortable feeling died and a sense of calmness washed over me.

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‘She wants to be friends with me. Wow.’

“I know what she did that day is inexcusable, but that’s how she loves people. If you give her a chance she will make sure to fight for you the same way she did for me.” His tone is sincere.

“No one will dare to taunt you in any way, she will make sure of that.”

“She is quite straightforward and takes action before thinking twice. Her parents died when she was a kid.” His eyes filled with warmth and I realized he cared about Nina. In this city, I am the only one she could call closest to her family.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was my father’s friend’s daughter and when he died, my uncle adopted her. My uncle is quite a busy man and his wife died very early. So she doesn’t know how to be social, she prefers to stay with me than staying with a bunch of teenagers.” His soft eyes took in my emotions and I looked at him quietly waiting for him to finish his sentence.

“I have never seen her interested in another teenager at all. But you have penetrated her walls in ways I don’t understand. I hope you can give her a chance, Jacqueline. I promise if you do, I will stop bothering you.”

The offer was tempting. I do wish to have a shoulder to rely on.

“Thank you for letting me know about her. Honestly, I am flattered about it. A girl like her wants to be friends with me. An ugly duckling? This sounds too good to be true Rohan. But I a**ure you I will think about it. I. Just to let you know Friendship for me is Holy, I love people with all my heart and I am hoping it’s not one of your games.”

His gaze held mine in a challenging stance and I swallowed.

“I have never played any game with you, Jacqueline, why do you think I would do so now?”