Page 92 - Half Girlfriend

the room’s wall back and forth until the student in the adjacent room

shouted curses. I studied my course books to distract myself. I found
books in the library on psychology, relationships and love. Through
these I tried to figure out women. Either the English was too tough or

the books gave contradictory ideas. I ended up being more confused

than ever. Women like to nurture and have long-term relationships,
one study said. However, I had wanted exactly that. So why did the

study fail to explain this? Anything I read about women in newspapers
I connected with Riya. If an actress gave an interview saying she was

moody, I nodded and felt that, yes, even Riya was moody.
I had to get this girl out of my head. I couldn’t.

A few months later it was my birthday. I sat with my friends in the
cafeteria. As luck would have it, Riya entered at the same time with her

friends. My friends wanted to see if she would wish me.They started
singing, 'Happy birthday to you.Madhav’, even as I cut a mince cutlet.

The girls noticed but ignored us. Riya didn’t even flinch. My heart

crumbled like the mince cutlet.
‘You’re lucky. It’s best such an insensitive girl is out of your life,’
Raman said.

One afternoon, after college ended, I was sitting outside on the

main lawn. Students turned their gaze to the main gate as a car entered
the college.

It was a beautiful car. It looked expensive even from twenty metres
away.

‘It’s a Bentley. Costs over two crores,’ a boy sitting close to me told
his friend. A young man stepped out of the car. He wore shades. He

walked as if he owned the college.
Riya Somani emerged from the main building and walked towards

the Bentley. I stood up and walked towards the driveway. I ensured I
could not be seen; not that anyone was interested in me.

The man’s face seemed familiar. Riya went up to him. They
hugged. I noticed the man was an inch shorter than Riya.

Rohan Chandak, the name popped into my head. What’s this