Half Girlfriend (7 page)

pinkie.

‘My birthday party.’

‘Your birthday is next month. 1 November. See? I remember.'

‘Dad wants me to celebrate it next week. We have family friends in

town.’

I nodded and continued to look at the ball. With one swoop of her

arm she took the ball away from me.

'Hey!' I pmtested.

'Is that a yes?’

'Do I have a choice?’

She threw the ball at me. It missed my face and hit my neck.

'You're making it sound like a punishment. It’s a party invitation,’

she said 'I'll come on one condition.’

'What?’

'Come sit next to me.’

I patted the bed. She rolled her eyes, stood up and came to sit

down next to me.

'Why don’t you let me hold you?' I said and took her in my arms

'Well, you are now.’

You don’t like it?'

'Madhav...' Her policewoman voice was back.

'What is so wrong with it?’

'I have issues with this stuff. I do.'

'Issues? You know what? Forget it.’

'See, you don’t want to listen. Anyway, I am not ready for it.’

'Ready for what?’

She shook her head. I brought my face close to hers. She looked at

me.

'There you go again. What is it? A compulsion, huh?’ she said. I

kept quiet. Her light brown eyes continued to stare me down.

'No woman has ever meant more to me than you.’

She laughed.

‘What?’

‘That could mean two things. I am really special, or there’s not

been much choice.’

I couldn’t answer. I bent forward and gave her a light peck on her

lips. She didn’t protest, but didn’t join in either. Her lips felt soft and warm. I gave her another peck.

She placed her hand on my chest and pushed me back.

‘What?’ I said.

‘I better leave,’ she said and stood up.

‘Riya, we kissed,’ I said, excited.

She looked at me, her brown eyes a deeper brown than usual. ‘You

really don't get girls, do you?’

‘What?’

‘Broadcasting it, like a kid who’s found a candy jar.’

‘Sort of. Even better than candy though.’

‘Nice to know you find me better than a lollipop.’

I laughed.

‘Are we dating?’ I said.

She grabbed my collar.

‘Madhav Jha. Learn about girls, or figure it out. But don’t ruin it.

Understand?’ she said.

I didn’t understand at all.

‘I do.’ I said.

‘Bye. Now see me out.’

We tiptoed out of my room and walked to the Rudra exit. We

saluted a thank-you to the guard and left.

I had always considered my selection to the Bihar state team as the

happiest day of my life. After kissing Riya, the selection day became

the second happiest.

7

'A girl in the hostel?’ Ashu slapped my back.‘What a stud.’ My

hostel mates had come to my room. Fat Ashu sat on my bed, making it

creak like crazy. His back slap still hurt.

Ashu, Raman and Shailesh had become my core gang in Rudra.

Riya couldn't be with me all the time, and when she couldn’t, I hung

out with these guys.

'How did you find out?’I said.

'I can still smell the perfume,’ Raman said and sniffed like a

cartoon character. Everyone laughed.

All four of us came front Bihar or Jharkhand, and none of us were

the 'classy’ types you find in Stephen’s. For instance, nobody in

Stwphen's would say they watched Bhojpuri movies. We loved them.

We liked Hindi music, from Mohammed Rafi in the sixties to Pritam in

the here and now. We didn’t understand English music beyond one

song by Michael Jackson—‘Beat it’. Of course, we never admitted all

this to the rest of our classmates. We nodded our heads every time

someone mentioned a great English movie or brought a rock CD to

class. 'Yeah, yeah, cool,' we said.

'Nonsense. Riya and I came straight from the basketball court. No

perfume,’ I said.

'Even a girl’s sweat smells like perfume,’ Shailesh said. I threw the

basketball at his head. His rectangular-framed glasses flew to the floor.

He screamed and held his head in pain.

'You’re trying to kill me or what?’ he said. I placed Shailesh’s

spectacles back on his nose.

'Stop talking like that about Riya,’ I said.

'Oh my, protective and all,’ Shailesh said.

Among the four of us, Shailesh’s English was the best. Of course,

he preferred Hindi like the rest of us but he could pass off as a ‘real’

Stephanian when he spoke in English.

'So, are you guys in a relationship? Things seem to be escalating,’

Shailesh said.

'What?’ I said.

Ashu laughed.

‘He’s fucking with you,’ Raman said. He had just learnt the F-

word. He liked using it. A lot.

‘Did anything happen?’Ashu said.

I shrugged.

‘What?’ Ashu said. ‘Dude, did you just do it with the BMW 5-series

Riya Somani?’

‘Nothing much happened,’ I said.‘And stop it, all of you.

‘Is she your girlfriend?’ Shailesh said. ‘Half the college talks about

you guys.’

‘I don’t know,’ I said.

’You don't know?’Ashu said.

‘She’s not sure.’

‘And you?’

I kept quiet.

‘You love her?’Ashu said.

I smiled at Ashu. He had asked me the most stupid question.

Did I love her? Did the earth go around the sun? Did night follow

day?

‘Gone, you are so gone. I can see it on your face,’Ashu said, patted

the bed, inviting the others to join him.

My single bed groaned as three boys lay down on it. They stared at

the ceiling. As self-styled relationship experts, they offered advice.

‘Be careful,’ Raman said,‘of this kind of girl.’

‘What the...’ I said, irritated. ‘What kind of girl? And remove your

shoes from my bed.’

I sat on the study table and snatched up the basketball again.

‘Rich ones. They need toys for time pass. Don’t be a toy,’ Raman

said.

‘Toy? I’m her best friend. Besides, she’s different. Not money-

minded,’ I said.

‘You know who her father is?’ Shailesh said, adjusting his glass.

‘Some big-shot Marwari businessman?’ I said.

‘Somani Infrastructure.Your lady’s dad and his brother have a five-

hundred-crore business,’ Shailesh said.

Ashu and Raman whistled.

‘Five hundred crore!' Raman said.‘Why is she here? Whv does she

need to study at all?'

I threw a cushion at Raman.

'Shown what a backward Jharkhandi you are? You remind me of

villagers back home. People could study for other reasons, no?’

'What reasons?' Ashu said, craning his neck towards me.

'She's figuring herself out. Her dreams, passions, desires...’

'Does she know your desires? Her best friend who wants to do her

on his creaky hostel bed.’

Ashu started to move side to side to make the bed creak more.

Everyone laughed.

'Shut up, bastards,’ I said.

I needed real advice to make sense of what was happening in my

life.

'She's invited me home for her birthday party.’

The three sat up straight.

'Can we come along?’Ashu said.

‘No'

'You’re useless,’ Raman said.

'The point is, should I go?’ I said.

'What?’ Raman said. 'Of course you should.Where does she stay?’

'Aurangzeb Road. Where is it?’

'One of the richest areas. In Lutyens’ Delhi.’

'See? That’s why I am not sure if I should go.'

'Why not?’

'She’ll have her clan there. Everyone is going to see me.’

'And you’re afraid of that?’ Ashu laughed. ‘I would be, if I were

you.'

‘Shut up, fatso,’ Shailesh said. ‘Listen, you have to go. If you want

to get close to this girl, you have to meet these people one day

anyway.’

‘They will judge me. I can’t dress or talk like them.’

‘What nonsense. Just wear a nice white shirt. Borrow mine,’

Shailesh said.

I kept quiet.

‘Better get it over and done with,’ Raman said after a pause.

‘What do you mean?’ I said.

‘Boss, her rich and classy Marwari family is never going to

approve of a villager. You, me and the rest of us here know that,’

Raman said.

‘The boy is a state-level basketball player and studies at St.

Stephen’s College. Isn’t that sonething?’ Shailesh said.

Raman smirked.

‘Still a Bihari farm boy, no?’ he said.

I trembled. The image of rich judgemental parents in a giant

bungalow flashed across my mind.

‘You’re killing his confidence,’ Ashu said. ‘Damn, he loves her,

okay?’

‘So?’ Raman said.

‘She came to his room, no? Ashu said. ‘Madhav, boss, she came to

your room right? Knowing you’re a Bihari?’

‘She wants to visit Bihar,’ I said.

‘There you go.' Ashu said.

Raman rolled his eyes.

‘Go to the party. At least you’ll get free food,’Ashu said and

‘patted’ my back again. Fatso hits so hard, it hurts for days.

8

I took two buses to get to Aurangzeb Road. I couldn’t find any

regular houses there, only massive mansions. Each building looked

like an institution, not someone’s private home.

'100, Aurangzeb Road.’ I saw the sign etched in gold on a black

granite plaque. Concealed yellow lights lit up a nameplate, which

merely stated ‘Somani’. I had borrowed Shailesh’s blazer and shirt. I

adjusted my clothes.

Evenings in October had started to turn chilly. I approached the

guard.

‘What’s your name?’ the guard said in a Bihari accent. He held an

intercom phone in his right hand.

‘Madhav, Madhav Jha. I am Riya’s friend.’

The guard eyed me up and down. He spoke into the intercom.

‘Riya madam’s friend. Shall I send him in?’

The guard paused. He looked at me.

‘What?’ I said.

‘Wait. They will respond and approve.’

‘Isn’t there a party?’

‘Yes, in the back garden.The maid has gone to check.’

In college I underwent no layers of security to meet Riya. I felt

awkward standing and waiting so I made conversation with the guard.

‘Are you from Bihar?’ I said.

‘Yes, from Munger.You?’

‘Dumraon.’

‘And you are Riya madam’s friend?’ he said. I heard the

condescension in his voice. A low-class can smell another low-class.

‘Same college,’ I said. The guard gave me an approving nod. He

could now understand how Riya could be friends with me.

The intercom rang.

‘Go,’ the guard said to me, as if he had received clearance from air

traffic control.

I stepped inside. A maid gestured for me to follow her. Five

expensive cars—an Audi SUV, two Mercedes Benz, one Bentley and

Riya’s BMW—-were parked in the compound.

I entered the house, and found myself in a large living room with a

shiny white marble floor. Glittering chandeliers hung from the fifteen-

foot high ceiling. Three sofa sets, upholstered in expensive silk, were

atranged in a U-shaped configuration. A teak and glass coffee table

occupied the middle of the room. This is what a real palace would

look like if royals actually had any money. I thought of my haveli, with

its peeling walls and cracked floors. Forget chandeliers, we felt lucky

if we had less than five-hour power cuts.

Suddenly, in this lap of luxury, I felt lonely. I missed home, my

hostel room and my mother, all at the same time. It is funny how class

works. The moment you are placed in a higher one, a part of you feels

terrified and alone.

‘Come this way,’ the maid said as she saw me stand still.

We reached the back garden. Loud music and a waft of cool breeze

greeted me. I saw the manicured, basketball-court-sized garden lit up

with small fairy lights. White-gloved servers manned a buffet and bar

counter. In the right corner, water shimmered in a small swimming

pool. Most of tile eighty-odd guests had gathered around the pool.

Everyone was dressed as if they had just participated in a fashion

show.

People chatted in small groups. Everyone seemed extremely happy.

I looked around for the tall girl who bad invited me. However, this

party had several tall girls, a lot of them on account of their three-inch heels.

‘Hey, Madhav!’ I heard her voice.

I squinted to find Riya waving at me from a distance. She walked

towards me. She wore a wine-coloured dress which ended six inches

above her knees. She had applied light make-up. Her face looked even

prettier than it did every day. She wore dangling diamond-and-white

gold earrings, with a matching necklace and bracelet. She had dark red

lipstick on, making her lips appear fuller than usual. I couldn't believe I had kissed these same lips a week ago.

She hugged me like she always did. It felt odd to embrace in front

of so many people.

‘Why so late?’ she said.

‘Took a while to figure out the bus routes.’

‘I told you I would send the car. You and your ego hassles’ she

said. ‘Anyway, come.’

She held my wrist and pulled me towards the crowd. We walked

towards the pool where her friends stood.

‘Garima, Ayesha and Rachita.You know them, right?’ Riya said.

‘Yes, from the cafe.’

‘Of course,’ Ayesha said. She brushed her hair away from her

forehead.The three girls wore expensive dresses and giggled at regular

intervals for no apparent reason. Riya introduced me to another girl in

a black dress.