by Namita Singh
done as he and Aakir pleased. The only thing I am glad about is that he did not lie and do it at my back. Apart from that, I make sure to express my disgust at his antics.
Right now he is sitting in the utter state of relaxation, his dulcet aura almost humming around him in vibrancy. The chairs laid out are plain, plastic rickety chairs. Irrespective of their weak appearance, Neal is being daring enough by leaning back, supporting his weight on the two hind legs of the chair.
“Good talk?” he drawls as I approach them. He has obviously seen me conversing with Jacob. It was him constantly looking at us that distracted me in the first place.
I walk right up to him as he watches me apprehensively. I put my foot underneath one of the lifted front legs of the chair he is sitting on. Without warning, I kick the front leg. Neal jolts by the sudden impact, his eyes widening, his lips parting in a silent gasp, blindly flaying his hands in front of him as his chair precariously tilts back, almost at the verge of falling backwards. Right at the end moment, he finds his balance and jolts back his chair upright, his hands cautiously in front of him as if he is holding something invisible.
I find myself guffawing at his posture and expressions. Rahul, who had been slightly tilting back his chair too immediately rights his own chair while chuckling.
“Fuck you.” Neal snarls, having a mini heart attack.
“That’s not a very good comeback.” Rahul says, “Not for you two.”
I have come to ignore people constantly insinuating Neal and I to be together. Except for Aakir, everybody seems to assume, or insinuate in case of my family, that we are gay and together-together. Neal and I do not respond anymore. Not that we used to reply much before.
Through these past weeks we have grown a mutual understanding. I hardly leave Neal’s side as it is except for when he is spending time with my family or the one time when he took upon Irina’s invitation. Else, it is always Neal buried in a book while I listen to music beside him. Or it will be both of us arguing upon something or the other. Or we will be hanging around with my siblings.
Occasionally Neal will end up spending a lot of time in my grandmother’s living room, glued to the television and on other times he’ll crib to me about lack of a television in our room in the mansion. The bottom line is that I am mostly in his vicinity. Considering how much together we stay, it’s obvious we’ll come to the stage to not be bothered by the comments of other people.
“Fuck you too.” Neal says to Rahul, making me laugh even more.
“You know,” I say once I am sober enough, “For a nerd, your vocabulary is quite explicit.”
“Explicit?” he says, “I think you mean deplorable.”
I feel my eyes widening at him being so specific, “Jeez, I am not a nerd. Don’t expect me to be right dead on at every word.”
Neal scoffs, now sitting straight, all the four legs of his chair touching the ground, “What do you know about a nerd’s life?” he says, “You’ll be surprised by what all thoughts remain inside.” He taps his forehead for emphasis.
“Oh, I do!” Aakir hollers from the distance, having heard our conversation. He pauses his game and turns in our direction, “I had that, whatshisname, the dorky little guy in my chemistry class. He was my partner for a project last year. Total nerd. He was dorkier than you, Neal.”
“Fuck you too, buddy.”
Everybody chuckles. Aakir passes the ball to Silvia, resuming his game while talking simultaneously, “That kid, he had a collection of porn mag stuffed under his mattress, something that I accidently discovered.”
“You say that as if it’s a big deal.” Neal says, frowning.
“As if nerds don’t have needs.” Faith drawls.
“Well,” Aakir contemplates, “He looked like someone who felt ashamed for even looking at a girl. So, yes, it seemed like a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal because you’re a teenager.” Silvia says, her tone chiding and rolls her eyes. Aakir momentarily scowls, displeased with Silvia again treating him like a kid.
“Seems only like a frustrated virgin to me.” Rahul says.
Neal faintly chuckles, “Exactly.”
“You would know obviously.” Aakir smirks at Neal, tossing the ball to Silvia.
“Gee, thanks.” Neal says, “As if all nerds are virgins.” He rolls his eyes.
“You’re not?” I ask, feeling slightly flabbergasted at the news.
“No.”
“You look like one.” Aakir says.
“I didn’t know you could make out who is a virgin by simply looking.” Silvia says, shaking her head.
Aakir looks at me with an incomprehensible look on his face. He shrugs, “I suppose not.” He says.
Unluckily for me, Neal catches the exchange. He turns to look at me, “You’re a virgin?” he asks in such an incredulous tone as if he cannot believe it.
I scoff, “I am surprised that you’re not.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I have never seen with you any girl except for with Ananya.” I point out.
Neal immediately averts his eyes. “Well, I don’t kiss and tell.” He says and simply shrugs. He sits straight, his eyes directed at something else, his lips pursed in concentration. I have come to realize this as his defensive posture. I quickly rewind our last words in my head, to grasp what has him coiling inwardly. And then it dawns on me.
I stare at him, “Are you kidding me? Ananya?”
Neal further presses his lips together, his eyebrows furrowing together in the mid valley that leads to his nose. He looks displeased that I have guessed right spot on. But I am highly astounded. Ananya? Sure they hung together all the time but I don’t think there has been any romantic disposition between them. Not from what Neal has told me, except for when he expressed his crush on her. It is more astounding to note that they are still best of friends. He gives me a sideways fleeting glance. But that is enough for him to convey that he doesn’t want to pursue the topic. Considering we aren’t exactly alone, I decide not to question it further. Knowing Neal, he probably doesn’t want anyone to think ill towards Ananya.
“It is Ray who used to get all the girls.” Aakir swears, looking at us boys suggestively, “It astounded me, really. That guy literally swims in panties.”
Silvia shakes her head, her lips pressed in a tight smile, “High school.” She says with disapproval, while at the same time Faith corrects her by saying, “Boys.” Now that has me rolling my eyes.
Neal sighs heavily, a longing look on his face. Even without him saying I can guess what it is he is thinking about. Pretty much the only exciting thing in Neal’s life before this whole issue was The Plutocracy. I have heard him talking with Ananya two-three days back, something I have been warning against, but when does Neal listen to me? He went right ahead and called his best friend. Neal is exceptionally interested in questioning what happenings are occurring in our high school. He may not exactly be a gossipy manbut he likes to be aware of everything in school even if it’s ‘Ray swimming in panties’.Or maybe should I say, he likes to create news in the school and is missing the prowess he had because of it. Now he is simply sitting back, constantly having me speaking against his same news ‘making’ ability.
A little itty-bitty chat continues amongst us. Faith and Rahul are the first ones to depart towards the inside. Neal and I exchange an understanding glance and decide to leave Aakir and Silvia behind. But I have no intentions of going inside my grandmother’s place and listen to my mother and aunt gossiping for all their worth with their parents. I suggest going back to the mansion. Neal simply shrugs. We bid Aakir and Silvia goodbye and walk out on the street, heading towards the direction of the mansion.
“What made you come to us?” Neal asks as soon as we are on our path.
“What do you mean?”
“When you were talking to your granddad….you changed your mind and joined us in the front yard instead of continuing your talk with him.”
“Eh…yeah,
I did?” my admission comes out as a question due to his query.
Neal rolls his eyes, “When I had meditated with Aakir yesterday and saw the future….you had continued to talk with your granddad. You hadn’t joined us.”
I take a moment to think over it. So, he saw the future but he did not see me joining them. Does that mean he…?
“You hadn’t willed the whole scene to occur with full probability?” I ask.
“I had only assured Silvia’s good mood.” Neal admits sheepishly. “In fact…I had been focusing so hard on Silvia that I failed to put much thought into other things happening around. I thought they’ll occur as I am seeing it. But apparently I need to focus on everything if I want everything to happen the way I want to.”
“Goes to show your drawbacks.” I mutter.
Neal hesitates, “I suppose.” He acquiesces reluctantly.
“That’s why you were so shocked when I tripped you.” I smirk, only now realizing that I have managed to surprise Neal in an event which he had already seen in his astral form.
Neal gives me a dark glare, “Not funny, Lichinsky. I had tripped someone similarly when I was a kid. That guy had broken his arm. So, next time remember that I am a human before trying something like that.”
“What has you being human got to do with it?” I ask, feeling slightly offensive.
Neal hesitates again, “I presume that therians can’t get hurt by a simple fall like that.”
I huff at him, “Yeah, we are strong. Doesn’t mean we cannot get hurt. Our