Page 24

DANIEL

As always, she’s hiding from me. It's been a week since I have seen her. I hate this habit of hers. Something happens, and all she does is avoid it. She can come to talk to me, but that’s too easy. We love playing hide-and-seek, obviously. Once (and if) she agrees to be with me, I am going to teach her how to communicate her feelings and not run away from them.

She can run away all she wants, but as Shahrukh Khan once said, “If you want something with all your heart, the whole universe works to bring it to you.” I have been binge-watching his movies because she likes him. I want her—too much for that matter—so I hope this universe works in my favor. I want to be hers. I want to worship her in all ways. I want to be her comfort person. I want to be the man who can make her happy. I want to brighten up her day like she does mine.

It’s torture now to not hold her when I have gotten a taste of it, to not see her smile or the way her eyes sparkle when she’s talking about Indian food or her culture in general, the way her tongue peeks out when she’s trying to concentrate on something. I’ve never met someone who can get under my skin like she does. It’s almost maddening.

The evening breeze hits me hard, making me shudder a little. I look toward the sky. The sun is on its downward journey, painting the sky in a beautiful array of oranges, pinks, and purples. I love sunsets. My mother used to say that nature always teaches us something. And I think, considering the kind of life I am in, with so many people around me, with so much praise, it is easy to feel superior, but then such moments make me realize that you should never let your success get to your head, because nothing is constant. Like the sun, we will also have ups and downs in life. It keeps me grounded. I take a moment to let this settle in.

“Excuse me.” A soft, feminine voice jolts me out of my thoughts. As I turn around, I immediately recognize her. She’s Anya’s childhood friend. Siya, if I am not wrong. We met on the beach. She very cunningly took my side when we were having the sandcastle-building competition. I am still grateful for that.

“Hi, um…” She’s too fidgety. She seems uncomfortable.

“Hi. Siya, right?” I ask to confirm because I wouldn’t be surprised if I mixed up names, I tend to do that a lot. It took me a whole month to remember my teammates’ names correctly when I first joined. I sigh, recalling how they deliberately called me the wrong names. My favorite and the most hilarious one was Danimal. It sounds so much like my name that I couldn’t help but cackle at it.

She nods. Her eyes wander around. I can sense she’s nervous. I decide to just stick to the point. “I am trying to find Anya. Do you know where she is? She isn’t picking up my calls or reading my messages,” I ask, raising my eyebrow.

She sighs. Her face shows signs of relief, as if she wanted me to ask her that. She plays with the keychain in her hand and lowers her head. “I have no idea why I am ditching my best friend,” she whispers and looks at me, her eyes showing genuine concern. “Um, it would be great…” She falters and looks away, and it seems like she has difficulty maintaining eye contact. “It would be great if you two realize and accept your feelings,” she says. My eyes widen. “Please stop acting like annoying idiots in love and put us all out of misery,” she says shyly. In love? Am I in love with Anya? I rub my nape.

“I am sorry for being rude,” she whispers.

“You are not being rude, Siya,” I say gently.

She looks up at me for a moment. She probably sees something that makes a small smile appear on her face. “Um…” She shifts her weight from one leg to another.

“She’s in Brew it Out , the cafe on the west side of the campus,” she says, and I hum in realization. I usually don’t have to go to that side, except when I have to meet the principal, which isn’t very often because the coach handles it for me, thankfully. Smartly played, baby, but now I know where you’re hiding. I smirk.

“Um, she’s on a date,” Siya whispers, and my smirk vanishes immediately. I see red. My hands instinctively clench into a tight fist. I know she’s not mine yet. But this anger I am feeling is dangerous. The thought of her being out with someone else is like a punch to the gut. I don’t get angry easily, but when I do, it’s difficult to handle. I try to take a deep breath and calm myself down, but it’s hard to control the possessiveness that’s taking over.

“You should hurry,” Siya mutters and looks into my eyes properly for the first time this evening. “Don’t hurt my best friend. I am trusting you to take care of her. She can be too much sometime.,” She chuckles. “But she really is a very beautiful person, inside and out, always has been. She deserves the best,” she adds and plugs in her earphones. She gives me one last glance and walks away.

I can feel my heart clench at the thought of Anya on a date with someone else. The thought of her laughing, her eyes sparkling, her lips curling into that perfect smile… It should be for me. It should always be for me. I need to get to her. Right now. I need to know who this idiot is who dared to try and take her out when she’s mine. I don’t care if she doesn’t realize it yet. She’s going to. I know she likes me, too. Siya’s trust in me and her words indicate it too. If I had even a shred of doubt till now, I do not anymore.

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