It Started with a Friend Request

by Nagarkar, Sudeep

  Just before going to sleep, he uploaded his status on BBM so that Aleesha could see it.

  You should see my smile when you call or text me! Gn Aleesha. Your voice is mesmerizing.

  Though Aleesha hardly expressed the way she felt and pretended as if she was not looking for someone in particular, the truth was that she wanted their casual meetings to remain a secret, and not let anybody else get a whiff of it.

  She changed her status on BBM to: It started with a friend request.

  Tuesday morning brought along with it a new hope in Akash’s life. It was not that he was not nervous, but he took more time than usual to get ready. I was waiting outside his apartment listening to Radio Mirchi in my car. Once Akash came and sat in the car, my first question to him was whether he had confirmed if Aleesha was coming.

  ‘Akash, I am not going to enter CCD until she comes today. We wasted 200 rupees the last time for no reason. We could have had beer instead of eating sandwiches, man!’

  ‘Aadi, I told you the reason why she didn’t come. I also told you that since the past two days we have been continuously in touch with each other. Heck I even know her favourite colour by now. It’s pink. She also sent me a picture of herself in a pink top. She looks so awesome in it. After all this, you are still teasing my love! I don’t expect this from you. And anyway, we are not going to CCD. We are meeting at McDonald’s near CST Station,’ Akash said.

  ‘Oh cut the crap, for Christ’s sake. I am joking. Today you are finally going to propose to her. Else, I will kill you,’ I teased him looking at his nervous face.

  We reached McD’s in an hour and for a change, Aleesha was waiting for us. Akash waved out to her. Akash was absolutely right, I thought. She looked ravishing.

  Aleesha had worn a pink top and blue denim hot pants.

  ‘Sexy. Hot. Seductive. Freaking beautiful,’ I said with a wicked smile on my face.

  ‘I told you. This is not the only reason why I liked her, I love her nature too. Our wavelengths match,’ Akash blushed.

  He introduced me to her and we took a seat on a vacant table nearby.

  ‘So what will you both have?’ I asked them.

  ‘I will have one Mc Aloo Tikki and small French Fries,’ Aleesha said looking at Akash and giving him the sweetest smile.

  I got up and went near the counter, which gave them some more time to talk. I took out my mobile phone and sent Akash a message on WhatsApp.

  Don’t waste time. I am taking more time here to give you privacy. Tell her your feelings. Don’t be shy or afraid. Go ahead. Yo!

  I turned back and looked at him. He read the message and stared back. He slightly nodded his head in nervousness. However, for the next few minutes, he hardly spoke anything.

  I was cursing him for his silence and shyness.

  Show your balls, you ass. Speak up! Don’t cry in front of me afterwards. Why are you missing this chance, I messaged again.

  I am trying. But I don’t know how to start the conversation, Akash replied.

  I couldn’t delay my arrival anymore and got back to the table. I sat diagonally opposite to Akash and Aleesha sat beside him. I looked straight into his eyes and gestured for him to initiate the conversation.

  ‘Should I get ketchup sachets from the counter?’ Akash asked Aleesha. She nodded her head and Akash went to get them.

  ‘So Aleesha, how is life in Mumbai?’ I broke the silence.

  ‘It’s different from Kolkata, definitely. Kolkata shows you a different culture while Mumbai is totally different,’ she smiled. I melted looking at her cute smile.

  ‘And how are the people?’ I continued with my questions. Akash gave me a tough look when he spotted me being comfortable with Aleesha.

  ‘Nice. Helpful.’ she replied in as little words as possible.

  ‘And Akash?’ I continued. This was the question I wanted to ask her all evening. The first two questions were just to create a base to reach to this one.

  She kept quiet for some time but her silence spoke a thousand words. I repeated my question again and just as she was about to answer, Akash came back.

  ‘So what were you both talking about?’ he asked us expecting an answer.

  ‘Does it make you jealous seeing me talk to her?’ I said and laughed.

  She looked down shyly taking a bite of the burger while tucking back the strands of hair that had come lose. She looked up at me from the corner of her eyes and saw me looking at her. She smiled in agreement to my question.

  I blinked my eyes, an indication that Akash felt the same, and immediately messaged him.

  C*****, go ahead tell her. She loves you. Trust me. Don’t waste your time. Show her that you are a man.

  Akash looked at me and replied: I don’t understand how some people have the courage to express their love to their crush when I don’t even have the courage to ask her for extra ketchup.

  We chitchatted for the next half hour or so and then decided to disperse. I kept on signalling Akash, asking him repeatedly to speak up. But he didn’t.

  ‘Hey, why don’t you both join me for the freshers party in my college? I can manage to get entry tickets for you. It will be fun,’ Aleesha said just before leaving.

  ‘Sure. Why not!’ Akash replied and bid a goodbye to her. She left soon after.

  We walked back towards our car. No one spoke a word. When you are in love, you dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth. Akash did nothing of that sort. From her smile and her positive reaction it was evident that she too loved Akash. I made him understand the fact that Aleesha won’t take the first step but will wait for him to speak those golden words which every girl wants to hear. Every girl wants her boyfriend to be different and unique when he proposes to her. Aleesha was no different. Even she wanted it to be memorable.

  Love is the feeling of cold in summers. Akash was feeling this love but was afraid to express it. Aleesha was waiting for the moment when her love would give her a passionate kiss and transport her in to a different world altogether.

  A Movie During Interval

  Iwas contemplating while drinking a glass of juice in the morning, when I received a message from Akash.

  Aadi, tell me where can you meet me? We have to go to Aleesha’s college today at 4 pm for her function. I have planned something really special for today. I thought on all the points you had said. You were right. Meet me and I’ll tell you what I’ve planned.

  I told him meet me at the Garden View Bar & Restaurant. I took the car keys and left for the venue. Akash had reached before me and was curious to reveal his plans.

  ‘Aadi, why did you call me here?’ Akash seemed confused.

  I gave him a pat on the back and took him inside the bar section. I ordered one bottle of Kingfisher and a packet of peanuts to munch on.

  ‘Akash, the problem with some people when they aren’t drunk is that they are too sober. You fall in that category. So drink this up before you reach the college and hit the homerun today,’ I said laughing.

  ‘Are you nuts? I have already planned something very special for today. Trust me,’ replied Akash hesitatingly.

  ‘Go ahead with your plans. But have a drink or two. And even Aleesha is okay with you drinking. So what’s the big deal? You are one lucky chap. When I was with Riya, she didn’t allow me to drink at all,’ I smiled remembering those memorable days.

  I asked him to have a drink. Just one beer and no more since I knew that he would lose self-control if he had more. He drank an entire glass of beer in a minute’s time and then sat quietly without uttering a single word. After some time, he looked at me and revealed his entire plan for the evening. It left me speechless. It really proved that he was deeply in love with Aleesha. I wished I had done something similar when I was with Riya. I agreed that his plans were indeed out of the world. Aleesha or any girl in her place would have loved it.

  The waiter served him another glass of beer and he finished that in one go t
oo. He closed his eyes and asked, ‘Aadi, tell me frankly—did you see me try my luck with any other girl in the last few years? There were so many skimpily-clad girls around us. But Aleesha is different—a beauty with brains. So who wins out of the two—miniskirts or brains? Obviously, a girl with brains wins hands down. Though miniskirts give a damn good fight. I mean Aleesha too wears them, but her brains outshine everything else and I seriously love her for it,’ Akash kept bugging me.

  ‘Are you sane?’ I enquired.

  ‘Of course I’m sane. I am not as think as you drunk I am,’ he added.

  I am not as think as you drunk I am! Alcohol was getting the better of him. Though he was a guy who hardly took an hour or two to regain normalcy, I still told him to stop drinking. He agreed and we moved out after paying the bill. I motivated him so that he could execute his plan and enquired if everything was set.

  ‘Yes, everything is ready and I am just waiting for the right moment now. This time I am confident I can do it. Thanks for being with me. I have messaged Aleesha that we will reach in some time. She will come at the main gate to allow us entry,’ Akash replied dabbing the perfume kept on my dashboard on his clothes.

  He had waited for this day and if he failed to express his feelings today, he would perhaps miss saying it forever. One should not wait for Valentine’s Day to express one’s love.

  ‘Akash, this is your day. You don’t need roses, expensive gifts, or special dialogues lifted straight from a Bollywood movie. All you need is love and passion. You just need to be truly and madly in love. Don’t script your memorable moment. Make it real. Speak what your heart says. Go ahead and propose to your sweetheart Aleesha today so that you can celebrate July 7, 2011, as Propose Day every year,’ I suggested on the way to the main gate of the college.

  As we entered the college, Akash called Aleesha to inform her that we were waiting at at main gate. A few minutes later, she arrived showing her pass to the girl at the gate who seemed like a friend of hers. While walking towards the stage where the function was to be held, Aleesha immediately sensed that we were drunk.

  ‘Drinking during daytime?’ she said giving Akash a naughty smile.

  ‘I thought that will help me move my feet better when I dance with you at the fresher’s party,’ Akash replied looking straight into her eyes.

  We went backstage where Aleesha was getting ready for her dance performance before the party. She went inside the changing room while Akash waited for her outside. I went to the nearby cooler to drink water. When she finally came out, Akash’s jaw dropped instantly. His heart almost stopped beating and everything stood still for a moment when he saw Aleesha dressed for the performance. She had worn a white top with blue leggings which gave perfect shape to her curves. Her beauty astounded him. She had the style and class which made her a strong contender for Ms Fresher that day. As she came close to him, his breathing got heavier. He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms and take her away from the real world. He was dumbstruck gaping at her beauty. She was standing merely inches away from him.

  ‘How am I looking?’ she asked Akash casually. He was still lost in her beauty.

  ‘Sexy,’ he said to which she smiled shyly. She handed him a camera and told him to click her pictures during the performance.

  When I returned to the spot after drinking water, I saw the intense looks on their faces and the smiles that they exchanged. I instantly knew something was up between them. After exchanging a few words, Akash walked towards me. He seemed super confident and took me along with him to the front row where we looked for a place from where we could see Aleesha perform more clearly.

  As the spotlights fell on Aleesha, everyone started screaming loudly and clapping in unison. The guy standing next to us was fantasizing all sorts of things about Aleesha and discussing her with his friends. Akash looked at me and I could see how livid he was. I told him to calm down, telling him it was normal because Aleesha was the centre of attraction at that moment. She danced like she was floating in air. Akash clicked some pictures from his mobile phone so that he could keep her with himself in the photographs at least.

  ‘Aadi, I know there might be many guys here thinking about trying their luck with her. People just see her on the outside and don’t know the real her. Not everyone can see what I can see in her. All I know is when I look at her face, I forget my own name too. I find it hard not to stare at her. I can look at her sweet smile the entire day. It’s the beauty within her that I see, while others are merely focussed on her physical beauty. I have madly fallen in love with her. I hope she accepts my proposal,’ Akash said staring at her continuously while she danced on stage. I just smiled at him as I had no words to say.

  The curtains came down after her performance and it was time for the fresher’s party celebrations. The anchor came on stage and gave a speech.

  ‘Well, I speak on behalf of all the second-year students here. Just a few lines of how we all feel about this function. I wish to express our happiness towards our juniors today. They represent to us the same hope and challenge as new players in a cricket team or new twists in a good story. Together we can make a terrific team. You, a brand new Ferrari and we, the sparkling black, Ford Model T. So I, on behalf of all the old faces here, welcome the new faces with open hands, open minds, and above all, open hearts. I now sign off for the evening and will let the DJ take over. Have a blast guys!’

  Aleesha came towards us and asked Akash about her performance.

  ‘You left me speechless. You really dance well. I think after Punjabis, Bengalis have mastered this art without training. I did feel jealous when the guys around us started staring at you and gossiping about you,’ Akash said.

  ‘Thanks. I love your dimples when you smile. You look so cute,’ Aleesha replied. It was a clear-cut indication that she liked him too.

  ‘Let’s dance,’ Akash said taking her hand in his and moving his legs to the tune of the music.

  As they both started dancing, they forgot the world around them. They even forgot that they were in a college campus and were dancing passionately and looking continuously into each other’s eyes. In between, they exchanged cute smiles, which echoed the lyrics of their love. This continued for some time until the anchor stopped the DJ. He was about to announce the winner of the Ms Fresher competition chosen by the jury members. Aleesha went backstage to collect her bag from the vanity room.

  ‘It’s my pleasure to announce our Ms Fresher for this year. This year the crown goes to Ms Priyanka Arya.’

  I was disappointed that Aleesha had missed the crown. Akash and I had observed all the other girls present in the party and no one could match Aleesha. She undoubtedly topped the list. The group of guys who were earlier passing comments when Aleesha was on stage screamed Aleesha’s name loudly as the winner.

  I could hear one of them say, ‘This girl is not as hot as the one who danced. I remember the anchor announcing her name as Aleesha. She was fucking hot. If I get a chance to be with her for even a few hours, I would bang her real hard. She is irresistible. Oh man, what a figure she had. She is perfect.’

  I looked around to see Akash staring at them in anger. Akash was already drunk and these comments made him lose control. He had controlled himself when Aleesha was on stage, but this time he couldn’t. Even I couldn’t stop him. Rather, I didn’t want to stop him. There are few groups of sick guys in every college who have no respect for girls. Moreover, when they are commenting on your ‘would be’ girlfriend, you can’t ignore it. Akash too couldn’t tolerate it and pounced on them like a wild dog. Suddenly the music came to a halt and everyone stood still looking at Akash beating these guys like an action hero. I joined in when I saw a couple of guys holding Akash and trying to hit him. I knew that within a few minutes the organizers would arrive and get hold of us, either throwing us out or pulling Aleesha up for having allowed us wrongful entry. While Akash was still punching the guys left, right, and centre, I called Aleesha, informing her about the incident, and t
old her to wait outside the college where we had parked our car. My phone thankfully had her number. A while ago, when Akash was facing network connection issues on his phone, he had called Aleesha up from my number. After informing Aleesha I immediately went to Akash to rescue him from the guys. We ran towards the main gate and within minutes, we were outside the college where Aleesha was waiting for us. I lay flat on the bonnet and heaved a sigh of relief. Akash too was breathing heavily due to the chaos that had occurred in the last few minutes.

  ‘What happened? Will you guys tell me something? What made you two fight? Akash look at yourself, you are all messed up,’ Aleesha said in a caring tone touching his cheeks with her fingers.

  Akash smiled looking at her. Before he could say anything, I interrupted their live romance session.

  ‘Guys, get inside the car. Let’s move from here first,’ I panicked.

  Aleesha opened the back door and got in quickly. Akash did the same. I accelerated the car towards Churchgate station. I looked at both of them from the rear view mirror. We all had panicked and stared at each other through the front mirror. Akash started laughing and we both joined him. It was a hell of the evening and had sent a chill down our spine. I parked the car at the side of the road and looked back.

  ‘I didn’t realize that in the chaos you both conveniently sat behind. I don’t wanna look like a driver, guys. How mean,’ I said jokingly.

  ‘Oops,’ Aleesha exclaimed. The next moment Akash got down from the car and came and sat on the front seat. He looked back and winked at Aleesha.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Aleesha asked.

  ‘Aditya is going home but we both can stay back. I hope you don’t mind. I’ll drop you to your home. So don’t worry.’ Akash said looking back at her.