Don't call me cheater

Chapter-9

It was already 1 week since the exam vacation started. It was of course refreshing not having a burden of study. Me and my sis went for movies, shopping, and well I enjoyed the time but somewhere I felt empty without Asif. I wanted to meet him but how. In social media we were together we used to chat the whole day but still, I wanted real him.

One day I got his message, ‘I am at uni now’

‘Why?’

A hope generated inside me

‘I had to get some books from the library’

I was waiting for him to call me there but he was Asif, how can he do that

‘Now all the works are done, I was about to return home’

Yeah, he was my crush but was so rude if he was willing to return anyway why he had to tell me he was there. I couldn’t slap my self-respect by telling him to stop for me. Asif used to live in Kathmandu, and my cousins were also there. Since the vacation, my mom told me to visit them but I denied, this could be a better chance.

‘I was also about to go Kathmandu to visit my cousins’, I replied to him

‘Then let's go together, I will give you a ride’ finally he spoke something that I liked.

‘Okay then you come here, I will get ready’

From here I didn’t mean my home. My parents were not used to seeing me with boys. And on top of that they were strick. In Nepal still, 80 percent of marriages are arranged, and love marriage is considered unethical. And on top of that marrying, someone of different caste was highly criticized. My parents adhered to the culture. They dreamt of us marrying guys they chose for us. So loving Asif I was going against them. He was from another caste, but my love didn’t differentiate. That time I was just obsessed about him I closed my eyes for every norm and value.

I chose the best dress in the wardrobe, I ironed my hair, this time I took help from my sister for makeup. She applied foundations, mascara, liner, powder, and I don’t know the name of others. She waxed my hands and upper lips and it was painful. Again anything for Asif.

I went to mirror, ‘she is beautiful’, I said to my image ‘but she isn’t Kusum’

I remembered Asif commenting on my unusual dress that day. I wipe out the red lipstick from my lips. I looked a little more like me then I wipe out the blush in my cheeks, and little by little I wiped out everything except liner and mascara. “Now she is Kusum,” I said to myself.

Pulling a blue side bag from the cupboard bidding bye to my momma and sis I went outside. After 5 minutes of walk from my home, I saw Asif. Waiting there on a bike with a helmet in his hand. Playing with the key. Seeing him after 1 week generated butterfly in my stomach, my heartbeat began to speed up, and again I was nervous. He looked at me, our eyes met a smile itself came to my face, and he was doing the same.

‘You are looking beautiful’, he complemented

I blushed, he was looking more handsome than ever with a black blazer and black jeans with a black band on his hand and black sports shoe. He was a perfect man in black, and on top of that, his bike was also black. He was looking as if he was coming for a date, not for library works. People walking on the street were looking at us, It was near my house so I wanted to hurry.

‘Let’s go before anyone notices us’, I said. He handover me a small helmet, black

‘I bought this for you on the way’

He smiled at me again making me skip my breath. I climbed on the bike but was too nervous to touch him.

‘Grab me properly, you can’t blame me if u fall’, he chuckled.

I tried but again clenched my hands when they were near him. I took the support of a metallic stand just behind me.

On the way, he continuously slowed his bike to check if I was okay. After nearly half an hour ride. We reached Kathmandu. I didn’t want to go to them leaving him. Maybe he had also felt the same, he rode in another direction leaving the road to my cousin’s home.

‘Where are we going’?, I asked in surprise

‘It’s a surprise for you, just trust me’

‘Trust’, I repeated it in my heart. I used to trust him more than I trusted myself. After five minutes of the ride, we reached to a fair. ‘When I saw it yesterday, I wanted to come here with you’

His words cleared all my doubts. There was the rounding swing, Columbus, dancing car, and many more. At first, Asif took me to round swing, he bought tickets’

‘Today is my responsibility to make your day’

‘why?’

‘I am repaying you for helping me throughout the exam’

I would have been happier if he had said because I want you to be happy.

But the thing that was happening was my wish coming true, I was more than satisfied.

We get on the swing, it was a huge one. I was afraid at the beginning, it started to move, slowly my face color was becoming pale at the same time, Maybe Asif saw my condition, he pulled both of my hands from the opposite side and held firmly. I looked at him, he was looking at me.

‘Don’t be afraid, I won’t let anything happen to you’, said he smiling his most handsome smile.

Romantic song was being played on the background, my fear all went away, I was just focused on his eyes and the series of current were flowing in my body from his hands. They were tickling, I hoped the swing never stops. When the swing used to fall in speed we used to shout and hold the hands more firmly. Finally, the swing stopped. We were still rotating on the ground. He was still holding my hands and I wanted that. ‘Ice Gola’ I screamed, It was my favorite dessert I always used to have that in fair but I realized this time I was with a guy and was behaving childishly. He smiled at me, he pulled me to the nearby stall of gola and ordered two of them. I was still shy of what I did.

‘I like it too’, said he trying to comfort me.

Gola came, we both started sipping it, our tongue was imitating its color. We both started laughing at each other making funny faces.

‘Let's go for the dancing car now’, proposed Asif again. I just needed his company no matter what we do.

We went to the ticket counter again and this time I tried to pay but he didn’t let me do that. We went toward the dancing car and sat next to each other. For the first time, we were sitting so close. It was nearly like a side hug. As the car started oh my god my hair was floating in the air and we were constantly crashing into each other, nothing was visible the speed was too high at some point I grabbed Asif’s arm and rested my whole body on it. We both were screaming and crying and that thing was pulling us closer more closure.

We both were holding each other's hands when we came out of that quake. Our head was going round and round. It was the best day ever of my life. After all enjoyment, it was time for us to return but I knew after this I will have to wait 2 more weeks to meet him. I wasn’t going to let any regret hit me.

‘I am hungry let’s go somewhere and have lunch’, I said buying a little more time with him

‘You are right, I was going to ask you same anyway’

‘But promise me, you will let me pay for it’

‘but it was supposed to be my treat’

‘And I am totally happy with your treat but now let me pay, please’

‘okay, if you insist’

we climbed on the bike again, he took me to a nearby restaurant. As a perfect Nepali people as usual we ordered ‘Momo’. Since vacation I was deprived of it, we gobbled every last piece and finally and unfortunately it was time for departure. He dropped me nearby the house of my cousins. He helped me jump out of the bike. For a minute we kept on looking at each other, it was really painful to go away from him,

‘It’s dark already, go fast they must be worried about you’, he said with care reflecting in his eyes. No goodbye hugs, no goodbye handshake we just depart. After a while I looked back, he was still there watching me go.

I had two brothers one elder and one younger and an elder sister as a cousin. I was very close to them, the little fun that I had in my life were all with them. It was always a party time whenever I visited. Hearing me of coming there they had prepared delicious meals, it contained pakoda, samosa, spring roll, sausages, and pizzas. All were my favorites. My elder sister Sobi with whom I used to share everything, I was waiting to meet her and vomit all the things that were happening between me and Asif.

After dinner she and I went to the balcony, I shared everything from the day I saw Asif for the first time and the fun we had today.

‘He likes you as well’, said Sobi without thinking

‘I don’t think he likes me, he just takes me as a friend’

‘Let's have a bet than’, she said. I accepted that both ways I was the one to get an advantage. If she wins that means I won Asif and if she loses That means I won the bet.

‘Anyway I am happy for you, I never saw you blushing like that ever’

‘I am happy, I am happy that I didn’t choose MBBS and chose Applied physics instead. No matter he will ever love me or not like a way I did but I am happy he is with me’

Meanwhile, I got another message from Asif

‘Movie?? tomorrow’