We finished our coffee and came out. We switched on the terrace bulb. I flipped
through the textbook to forget the kisses and coffee. The symbols of integration
looked dull for the first time in my life. At one level, maths does suck.
'Thanks,' I said.
'For what?' she said.
'For the coffee and the ... you know.'
She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. 'Thanks for the gift, the gift of true
close friendship.'
True-close-friendship, another hyphenated tag. It meant progress.
I came down the steps passed through the living room on the way out.
'What a good, responsible boy. Ish hasn't learnt anything from him,' Vidya's
father was saying to his wife as I shut the door behind.
★
I could have done my accounts much faster if I didn't have the parallel SMS
conversation. My phone beeped a fifth time.
'Who the hell are you SMSing?' Omi asked from the counter.
It was six in the evening, almost time to shut the shop. Ish had gone to one of
the KVs and Omi had to leave soon for the evening aarti. Two dozen invoices,
notebooks, pens and a calculator surrounded me.
'Nothing, I am bargaining with a supplier,' I said. I turned the phone to silent
mode.
'Call him,' Omi said.
'I'll look desperate. I'd rather he calls first.'
'Do the accounts first, Govind. So many unpaid orders, it is a complete mess,'
Omi said, popping a candy from the jar into his mouth. I let it pass. Anything to
get his mind off the SMSs.
My phone flashed again.
itz my bday.
i celebr8 my way.
u'll get cake or not??I had saved Vidya's number as 'Supplier Vidyanath' in my phone, in case
anyone picked it up. Also, I deleted her messages as soon as I read them.
'I hope you are staying away from Ish's sister?' Omi said. My hands froze as I
manipulated the messages. I told myself, It is a coincidence. Omi doesn't know
who I am messaging to. Be cool.
I replied to the SMS.
Ok, u win. will get a small 1
now let me work, you study 2 I kept the phone aside. Smiley faces had entered my life.
'I teach her, Omi. Just a few months for her entrance exams,' I said. I dug
myself deep into the paperwork.
'Does she...,' Omi began.
'Can I do the accounts or should we gossip about my students?' I glared at
Omi.