Infatuation.????????..Love.??????????? Part 2

Aargh!!! Calm down! Kajal ordered herself; she was standing in front of the mirror ready to go to the reunion. Hell she was bag of nerves for no damn reason (she assured herself). She looked herself in the mirror critically; she had chosen simple jeans and a white T shirt. Hair were tied in a ponytail and no change in jewelery, simple small gold hoops in her ears. Many people had advised her to pierce her ears apart from the regulars but she was terrified of needles. She would prefer medicine any day then needles. OK, no delays she was ready she took her wallet and left the room.

Naina was sitting in the living room on their sofa with her legs stretched in front. She was laughing at one of the jokes said on the TV.

Kajal went and stood in front of Naina, so she was in between Naina and the TV.

"Naina, I am asking for the last time are you coming with me? Kajal asked her with her hands on her hips.

After a moment Naina looked at Kajal and said "Kajal I am also telling you for the last time that I am not coming. And why are you so afraid of going alone?"

Naina saw the fury on Kajal’s face but ignored it, "Now move and let me watch me my TV"

"You know what, I made a mistake by thinking you might want to go out with me. We would have fun and on top of that you know all my friends. So I assumed you would not feel awkward around them but no."

Naina was watching Kajal and knew that she was angry as she had started pacing and was still talking. She had to do something.

"All you want to do is stay home and watch this stupid TV." Kajal was still talking when Naina got up and took hold of Kajal’s shoulder and made her stand in one place.

"Look, I know you want me to come and yes I know all of your friends. But you are meeting them after 5 years, so you meet them today and remember old times. Now you are in Mumbai only we’ll hangout later together." Naina finished.

Kajal looked at Naina, and knew that that Naina had made her mind and no persuasion would change her mind. She would take her out and will start planning today itself.

"Okay, I’ll go ALONE today, you finish watching the idiot box and then have dinner. Don’t wait up for me" Kajal hurriedly finished as Naina was smiling and pushing her towards the door.

"Okay Mom, you don’t worry about me and Enjoy. Say HI to your friends from me" Naina said the last words gave Kajal door keys and gave a last shove towards the door.

Smiling Naina closed the door, and sat again on the sofa. The TV was on but she was not interested in it. She was a coward and that is why she did not go with Kajal. She wanted to see Rutesh desperately but she was afraid of Rutesh’s reaction to Kajal after seeing her a long time. What if he proposed to her, she was not that brave to witness it. So she took the coward’s way and didn’t go, so she would wait till Kajal came back and will ask her what happened at the reunion.
On the other hand, Kajal was on the way to her college. Her college was just a 30 mins drive away, so she took a rickshaw and was sitting and waiting to reach her college. She was remembering all her days she had enjoyed in college and how she missed them. She remembered her friends

Poonam – A south Indian girl with a mass of curly black hair and with no common sense.

Smita – A delicate looking girl, but brilliant in studies and too shy for her own good.

Komal – A chubby looking girl with a very loud voice and shot temper.

Kaustubh – With 6.1" height, dark and handsome but no brains and weakness for girls.

Rutesh – Average height, awesome complexion and beautiful eyes plus intelligent.

Before she could finish her thoughts, she was in front of her college gates. She paid the driver and stood there looking at the lane. Everything was the same but still changed, the old shops were changed according to new youth preference. Friends were still gathered, and there were jokes, laughing all the things they had done. She walked inside the gates, and there was her college. It was a huge 3 storey building spread in a large area. College had a ground in front of the college, which was used for various sports. Today there was a tent made for the reunion, food stalls were set up and some people had started eating as well. She was walking slowly in the ground, there were many similar faces looking at her recognizing her, she smiled at them.

"KAJAL"A loud scream from the left corner made her look there, of course there were many Kajal in her college but she recognized that voice, it belonged to Komal all right. Her entire gang was standing and waving her to come. All the tension, nerves and doubts were forgotten. Before she could reach them, Komal and Poonam ran towards her and one by one hugged her hard. They both were talking together, so it was difficult to understand what they were saying.

Tugging her along Komal and Poonam led her towards the group, there Smita, Kaustubh, and Rutesh were waiting for her. She hugged everyone but when she came in front Rutesh, she halted as he was never keen on this gestures, But as she was so happy that she went and gave him a bear hug which he accepted also.

After that she stood and said "It’s good to be back guys, Oh1 I missed you so much"

"We also missed you a lot" This came from Kaustubh.

"So how are you? What are you doing nowadays? Where are you staying? Your parent’s have come with you?"

All these questions were directed towards her by all of them. Instead of answering Kajal stood and started laughing.

"Are you going to answer us today?" Komal asked Kajal.

"Well, as you can see I am fit and fine. I have a job and just got transferred to Mumbai. I am staying with Naina my cousin, you guys remember her right. And no I have come alone, my mom and daddy are still in Baroda. "

"Done so I answered all your questions, now tell me what’s happening in your lives." Kajal asked her friends.

Before they start answer together the way they started questions together, Rutesh took things in his hands as usual and led them towards chairs where they would sit and chat.

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After some hours…………………………

Kajal was tired but happy, her mouth should be tired but it was not. She was always a chatter box but today according to her she must have created a record for talking so much. She now knew that none of her friends were engaged, but Komal was seeing someone, and Poonam was nearly engaged to a south Indian guy. Kaustubh was also seeing someone that she had known when she was with them but surprisingly he was still with her only. Rutesh and Smita were still single. Wasn’t that a nice co incidence, well it was long back but Smita had a HUGE CRUSH on Rutesh and everyone in the group knew it but no one talked about it as if it was a BIG secret. Now looking at Smita, Kajal could remember the day when Smita had confessed feelings for Rutesh, Poonam, Komal and herself and we were more than excited, a love pair in our group only. And we also had a vow not to tell anyone about it, so we tried all the techniques to get them together. But somehow Rutesh always thought of Smita as a friend not more than that but at the same time there was a special bond between herself and Rutesh, which Smita had never understood. Right now in Smita’s eyes she was an intruder who will come in between Smita and Rutesh. But who will tell her that Rutesh never thought of Smita or Kajal more than a friend? Kajal herself had first thought of clarifying to her but whenever she would start the topic, smita would close the conversation. After a point she stopped trying, yeah she had hoped that Rutesh should reciprocate smita’s feelings but you can’t force them.

"So, how is Naina" Rutesh Asked and stopped Kaja’s thoughts.
Kajal turned to look at Rutesh and smiled, "Naina is great; I had insisted that she come. But she you know how sturbbon she can be. But don’t worry I’ll make her come with us next time."

"Yeah, she always thought too much. So she started seeing anyone?" Rutesh asked Kajal.

Kajal was not surprised, Rutesh always used to ask questions about Naina. Usual questions, about her job, and her health. Even when she was in Baroda, she was in touch with her friends through mail. Rutesh would ask her about Naina. She once teased him about it also and Rutesh blushed, his entire face red. Now also when he asked her about Naina’s social life he was not meeting her eyes.

"Kajal, You love me no?" Again her thoughts were interrupted by Kaustubh.

Confused at this question she looked at him, "What is it Kaustubh?" she asked him.

"No man, just like that. I am your friend no" Kaustubh replied looking too nervous, in between the sentence kaustubh was looking at the college gate. Kajal knew Kaustubh well, he had done something but what.

"What have you done Kaustubh?" Slowly she asked kaustubh.
Now he looked too nervous, and started to get up but Rutesh made him sit again. And Rutesh was smiling, which means he knew what Kaustubh had done.

Sure Kaustubh had made a blunder, she asked him again, "KAUSTUBH, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ANSWER ME?"

"Tell her" Rutesh ordered.

""Hhhmmmmm, it’s nothing, Actually" kaustubh replied.

"Whatever it is I want to know it, So spill it. Or do you want me to go to Shraddha with that fling you had with that girl" Kajal threatened Kaustubh. Which worked as now he was frightened, Shraddha was his girlfriend since college but as girls were his weakness he had dated some other girls also. She and Rutesh knew that and whenever required blackmailed him with it.

"No, Don’t tell her anything. She’ll kill me man. Okay don’t do anything okay, remember you love me. The thing is you remember Karthik?" When Kajal nodded he continued.

"Well, remember how you had a BIG crush on him and after asking so many people you had done friendship with him."

"Yeah, I know. He was my first crush but till the time we became friends I was over him. So?"

"hhhmmmm, I met him that day and we were drinking. We were excited about reunion and I told him you were coming. And after that it just slipped from my mouth that how you had BIG crush on him"

"WHAT?" Kajal shouted at Kaushtubh, she could not believe what his friend had said.

She got up and walked towards him as he had also scrambled up and was walking backwards.

"I didn’t mean anything, and I think he wouldn’t remember it as we were drinking." Kaustubh managed.

Kajal was pissed no doubt about it, how can her friend be so stupid. She took one more step towards him but she was stopped by Rutesh.

"Calm Down! Hitting him won’t help much, and may be he’s right Karthik won’t remember you girl crush on him" Rutesh tried to calm her down but when she turned and looked at the college gate where Kaustubh was glancing she could see Karhtik and her friends laughing. She just stood and glared at Rutesh, "So they don’t know right. They are fools to laugh looking at me only after my ex – friend betrayed me." Kajal said this while looking at Kaustubh.

"Look, what is the problem, you liked him right. So you guys might have something" Kaustubh was stopped in between by the killer glare of Kajal.

"You think that right, let me see how about me telling sharaddha about that night you spent" Kajal was also stopped as Kaustubh and took her hands in his and started begging.

Kajal was so angry at him, she did not want to talk to him also. How could he do that?

She turned again looked at Karthik at the gate and caught his stare, he smiled at her and waved. She waved back to him.

"Look what’s the problem? He is good looking, smart and the best part you liked him. So even if he knows and wants to go in that direction. Give it a try" Rutesh said when he saw Karthik staring at Kajal. He would not blame the guy, Kajal was beautiful and if you give her a compliment her reply would be okay. According to her why should she be proud for the face which was given to her by god. She had a very big and generous heart, but she talked too much. She was after all a girl. He knew people always thought that he was attracted to her, he was but for a very short time. After he knew her well they had become best of friends. There were many things he had shared with her only. He also knew about Smita but to him she was only for a friend which she was not accepting and the worst part was that she blamed Kajal for this. He could not accept it. Smita was too immature for hi taste, he liked sensible and mature woman like Naina.

"Hey, Kajal how are you? Heard you were coming. So you are back in Mumbai for good?" They all stared at Karthik, who was standing in front of them now. He was still the same Kajal thought. Tall, dark hair and handsome with a bad boy looks like Colin Ferral. He knew the effect also of his looks on girls and he used it whenever required

"Hi Karthik" Kajal replied to him "Yeah, I am back in Mumbai for good. So how are you?"

"I am great, just saw you so thought will come and ask you." Karthik was saying but someone called him and Kajal was relieved that he was going now.

"I’ll have to go, see ya around, Be in touch. Bye Rutesh, bye Kaustubh" Karthik waved and left.

"Why was Karthik leaving? You could have asked him to wait" this was from Komal, she had a pout on her face which never suited her. She was looking at Kajal for an answer.

"Someone called him so he had to go. I couldn’t ask him to wait, and if you want to talk to him go and call him" Kajal stormed towards the washroom after saying this and behind the her friends were gossiping about what happened to Kajal.

She knew she should not have snipped at Komal, but she was too angry they her friends wanted her to try it out with Karthik. Yeah! She had been attracted to him, only attracted. And the attraction was over when she had seen Sujit, Karthik’s elder brother. Same height as Karthik, but excellent body and awesome smile. He used to stay in the same building, one look at him and she had forgotten Karthik. They had become friends, she had started sharing everything with him. She had told him things which she would never tell anyone. Not Rutesh also, she was content to be his friend as she knew he was treating like a small sister but she was okay with it. And then a crisis had come her parents had decided to relocate and while sharing this with him she had started crying and he had tried console her.
No one knew how, but they were in an embrace and after a moment they were kissing. It was her first kiss, he was tender and strong at the same time. After the kiss it had been awkward between them, apart from him being 7 years elder to her he was also married. So how could she go out with Karthik when she could still taste and want his elder brother.