‘You seem upset. Did something happen today?’
‘I told them I want to study music after college. They want me to
marry into some rich Marwari family and live like a queen. I don’t
want to live like a queen. That is not what I dream of.’
‘Trust me, kings and queens are overrated,
’I said.
She remained silent.
‘What do you want, Riya? Do you have a dream?’
'Well, dreams suck.You get attached to them and they don’t come
true.'
’Sometimes they do.’
‘Not in my case.’
'What is your dream?’I asked again.
She looked at me. ‘You’ll laugh.’
‘Try me.’
Site smiled.‘Okay, so, I have this dream. I want to play music and
sing...in a bar in New York.’
'Wow.’
'What? You think it’s stupid, right?’
No. That’s quite specific. Singing in a bar in New York.’
'Yes.That’s it. I don’t want to be a famous singer or a rock star. I
don’t want to marry a billionaire. I just want to sing in peace,
surrounded by passionate people. I want to own a house in Manhattan,
myhouse, filled with books and music CDs. I want to play basketball
on weekends. I don’t want to check out a dozen lehengas for my
engagement.’
'Sounds like you have it all figured out.’
‘Not really. Maybe it’s just an escapist fantasy. But I have had it
since I was twelve. We had gone to New York. The city blew me away.
I saw people who loved what they did. They weren’t rich, but happy.
And there was this lady in a bar.. .she sang from her heart, unaware of
everything around her.’
The sun was setting, and the sky turned from orange to dark grey.
We had now reached the point near Rashtrapati Bhavan where Delhi
Police guards tell you to stop and turn around. She continued to tell
me about her New York trip.
‘In fact, I took up basketball because I saw an NBA game live at
Madison Square Garden in New York.’
‘You’ve seen an NBA game live?’I said.
‘Yeah.The atmosphere.. .it’s electric.You should see one sometime,
Madhav.’
I shrugged. ‘Anyway, I like your dream, Riya,
’I said. ‘It’s doable,
not unreal.’
‘Unreal, like?’she said.
‘Like becoming a top actress or the prime minister. You just want
something simple.’
She smiled. ‘Nothing is simple for a girl in a family like mine,
’she
said.
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
‘I feel better,
’she said after a while. '
‘What?’
She looked at me. The last of the daylight tinted her face orange,
making her look ethereal. I wanted to give her a hug.
‘I feel better after talking to you.Thanks,
’she smiled.
The sun vanished and the road became dark. Her skin glowed in
the amber lights of Rajpath, I took a chance and held her hand.
‘Another accident?’she said, but did not pull her hand away.
We laughed together. She spoke again. ‘Even my uncles are the
same. Everyone sides with my parents.’
She continued to talk and I continued to listen, even though my
entire attention was on how lovely her hand felt in mine.
CHETAN BHAGAT - HALF GIRLFRIEND NOVEL
Re: CHETAN BHAGAT - HALF GIRLFRIEND NOVEL
5
Alter our movie date, we started to spend even more time together.
During lunch break, we would sit on the college lawns and eat homecooked
food from her house. She brought an elaborate Marwari thali
in a three-tiered tiffin box.
‘How’s the food in the rez?’she said.
‘Not as good as the Somani Cafe,
’I said.
We sat facing the red-brick college building. The winter sun
warmed us as well as her cold tiffin box. I ate three of her four
chapatis, and most of the paalak-daal along with it. She never touched
the sweet churma. I ate it with a plastic spoon.
‘How’s your room?’she said.
‘Like any other rez room. Basic. Books, Basketballs and bed linen.’
‘Do you keep it clean?’
I shook my head and grinned.
‘What? You don’t clean it regularly?’
‘Once a week.’
‘Awful.’
‘I don’t have six servants like you do, Miss Riya.’
‘I want to see your room.’
‘You can’t,
’I said.‘Girls are not allowed.’
‘I know. Just kidding,
’she laughed.
‘Hows your family?’I said.
‘Same. My brothers, male cousins and uncles are busy planning
how to increase their wealth. The women are gushing over their last
shopping trip or figuring out which marriage to attend next.’
‘Good, everything is normal then,
’I said.
‘I bought a guitar,
’she said.
‘Nice.’
‘Yeah, I barely talk to anyone at home. Me and my guitar, we’re
happy.’
‘You talk to me,
’I said.
‘Even though you eat all my lunch,
’she said and smacked the side
of my head.
‘Do you like me?’I said. She had heard this too many times.
‘Not again, Madhav, please.’
She lay down on the grass. She wore a white-and-maroon salwarkameez
and a black cashmere cardigan, which she had removed and
placed on the grass next to her.
She scrunched her eyes to avoid the sun. I shifted and sat in front
of her, so my shadow would cover her face.
‘Ah, that’s nice.Tall shady tree, thank you.’
‘People in college talk about us. How we are always together,
’I
said.
‘So? Let them. As long as we know there is nothing between us.’
I tilted my body sideways in protest. The sun was back on her face.
‘What?’she said and cohered her eyes with her hand.‘Where did
my tree go?’
‘The tree is not feeling appreciated.’
'What do you mean?’
‘Why is there nothing between us?’I said, my upper body still bent
to the side.
‘Should there be? First, can you sit like you were sitting before, so
people don’t think you are weird and my delicate skin can be protected
from the sun?’
I sat up straight once again.
‘Better,
’she said. ‘I need a pillow. Move forward please, tree.’
She put her head in my lap.
‘Nice. Now, what do you want, pillow-tree?’
I’d had many such arguments with her over the past month. She
had become an expert at dodging the issue, always getting away with
some nonsense, like now.
‘Give me your cardigan,
’I said.
Why? Are you cold? It’s a girl’s sweater, pillow-tree,
’she said and
giggled.
Alter our movie date, we started to spend even more time together.
During lunch break, we would sit on the college lawns and eat homecooked
food from her house. She brought an elaborate Marwari thali
in a three-tiered tiffin box.
‘How’s the food in the rez?’she said.
‘Not as good as the Somani Cafe,
’I said.
We sat facing the red-brick college building. The winter sun
warmed us as well as her cold tiffin box. I ate three of her four
chapatis, and most of the paalak-daal along with it. She never touched
the sweet churma. I ate it with a plastic spoon.
‘How’s your room?’she said.
‘Like any other rez room. Basic. Books, Basketballs and bed linen.’
‘Do you keep it clean?’
I shook my head and grinned.
‘What? You don’t clean it regularly?’
‘Once a week.’
‘Awful.’
‘I don’t have six servants like you do, Miss Riya.’
‘I want to see your room.’
‘You can’t,
’I said.‘Girls are not allowed.’
‘I know. Just kidding,
’she laughed.
‘Hows your family?’I said.
‘Same. My brothers, male cousins and uncles are busy planning
how to increase their wealth. The women are gushing over their last
shopping trip or figuring out which marriage to attend next.’
‘Good, everything is normal then,
’I said.
‘I bought a guitar,
’she said.
‘Nice.’
‘Yeah, I barely talk to anyone at home. Me and my guitar, we’re
happy.’
‘You talk to me,
’I said.
‘Even though you eat all my lunch,
’she said and smacked the side
of my head.
‘Do you like me?’I said. She had heard this too many times.
‘Not again, Madhav, please.’
She lay down on the grass. She wore a white-and-maroon salwarkameez
and a black cashmere cardigan, which she had removed and
placed on the grass next to her.
She scrunched her eyes to avoid the sun. I shifted and sat in front
of her, so my shadow would cover her face.
‘Ah, that’s nice.Tall shady tree, thank you.’
‘People in college talk about us. How we are always together,
’I
said.
‘So? Let them. As long as we know there is nothing between us.’
I tilted my body sideways in protest. The sun was back on her face.
‘What?’she said and cohered her eyes with her hand.‘Where did
my tree go?’
‘The tree is not feeling appreciated.’
'What do you mean?’
‘Why is there nothing between us?’I said, my upper body still bent
to the side.
‘Should there be? First, can you sit like you were sitting before, so
people don’t think you are weird and my delicate skin can be protected
from the sun?’
I sat up straight once again.
‘Better,
’she said. ‘I need a pillow. Move forward please, tree.’
She put her head in my lap.
‘Nice. Now, what do you want, pillow-tree?’
I’d had many such arguments with her over the past month. She
had become an expert at dodging the issue, always getting away with
some nonsense, like now.
‘Give me your cardigan,
’I said.
Why? Are you cold? It’s a girl’s sweater, pillow-tree,
’she said and
giggled.
Re: CHETAN BHAGAT - HALF GIRLFRIEND NOVEL
I placed the sweater over my head. It hid my face.
‘What?’she said.
I said nothing.
‘Are you sulking, my tall tree?’she said.
I didn’t respond. She pulled the sweater towards her so that both
our faces came under it.
'Yes? Sulky man, what’s the issue?’she said, her face upside-down
and huge, given that it was so close to mine.
I did not respond. She blew on my face but I did not react.
'Everyone here must be finding this so creepy,
’she said,
‘our faces
under the sweater.’
'Nobody cares,
’I said.
'I thought you said everyone talks about us.’
I let out a grunt of protest. She laughed. I took aim and bent. In a
second I managed to place my lips on hers, despite her face being
upside-down. Spiderman kisses like that. It isn’t easy. I wouldn’t
advise it ifvou’re kissing someone for the first time.
She sprang up. As she rose, her forehead hit my chin. I bit my
tongue.
'Hey,
’she said,
‘not fair.’
I held my mouth in pain. Her forehead had hurt me badly. Still, the
pain paled in comparison to the joy I felt from landing my first kiss.
‘Are you hurt?’she said.
I made a face.
'Listen, I’m sorry. But what was that?’she said.
'A kiss.’
'I know. What for?’
'I felt like it.’
She stood up, collected her tiffin box and walked away. I ran
behind her. She ignored me and walked faster.
I held her arm. She stopped and glared at me until I let go. She
started to walk away again.
'I am sorry, okay?’I said and blocked her way.‘I thought you like
me.
‘Madhav, please understand, I’m not comfortable with all this,
’
‘I really like you, Riya. You mean so much to me. You are the
reason I’ve survived in this place.’
‘So appreciate what we have. Don’t spoil it.’
‘What do we have? What am I to you?’
'If we kiss, we have something; if we don’t, then nothing?’she
said.
I kept quiet.
She looked at me for a few seconds. She shook her head in
disappointment, turned and walked off. I saw her reach the main gate
and get inside her blue car, Only then did I realise I still held her
cardigan in my hand.
*
I didn't know if she would come to play basketball with me after
the cardigan incident. To my surprise, she did, all svelte in a new Nike
top and white shorts. We played without much conversation. Usually,
we would stop to chat every five minutes. Today, she focused on the
ball like a soldier does in combat with an enemy/.
'I am sorry, okay?’I said, Playing with her wasn't as much fun as
before.
‘It's fine,
' she said,
‘Let's not talk about it again,
’I put on a sorry
face for the next twenty minutes. Finally, I held my ears and stood in
the centre of the court.
It did the trick. She smiled.
'Sorry, I also overreacted,
' she said,
'Friends?' she said.
Ban this word, I tell you. ‘Yes, friends,
’I said.
She came forward to hug me. I gently pushed her away,
‘What are
you doing?' she said.
'I'm not comfortable with this. Please don't spoil what we have,
' I
said, mocking her high-strung tone. I stomped my feet and walked off
the court. She followed me.
Ignore girls and they can’t leave you alone. Strange. I didn't look at
‘What?’she said.
I said nothing.
‘Are you sulking, my tall tree?’she said.
I didn’t respond. She pulled the sweater towards her so that both
our faces came under it.
'Yes? Sulky man, what’s the issue?’she said, her face upside-down
and huge, given that it was so close to mine.
I did not respond. She blew on my face but I did not react.
'Everyone here must be finding this so creepy,
’she said,
‘our faces
under the sweater.’
'Nobody cares,
’I said.
'I thought you said everyone talks about us.’
I let out a grunt of protest. She laughed. I took aim and bent. In a
second I managed to place my lips on hers, despite her face being
upside-down. Spiderman kisses like that. It isn’t easy. I wouldn’t
advise it ifvou’re kissing someone for the first time.
She sprang up. As she rose, her forehead hit my chin. I bit my
tongue.
'Hey,
’she said,
‘not fair.’
I held my mouth in pain. Her forehead had hurt me badly. Still, the
pain paled in comparison to the joy I felt from landing my first kiss.
‘Are you hurt?’she said.
I made a face.
'Listen, I’m sorry. But what was that?’she said.
'A kiss.’
'I know. What for?’
'I felt like it.’
She stood up, collected her tiffin box and walked away. I ran
behind her. She ignored me and walked faster.
I held her arm. She stopped and glared at me until I let go. She
started to walk away again.
'I am sorry, okay?’I said and blocked her way.‘I thought you like
me.
‘Madhav, please understand, I’m not comfortable with all this,
’
‘I really like you, Riya. You mean so much to me. You are the
reason I’ve survived in this place.’
‘So appreciate what we have. Don’t spoil it.’
‘What do we have? What am I to you?’
'If we kiss, we have something; if we don’t, then nothing?’she
said.
I kept quiet.
She looked at me for a few seconds. She shook her head in
disappointment, turned and walked off. I saw her reach the main gate
and get inside her blue car, Only then did I realise I still held her
cardigan in my hand.
*
I didn't know if she would come to play basketball with me after
the cardigan incident. To my surprise, she did, all svelte in a new Nike
top and white shorts. We played without much conversation. Usually,
we would stop to chat every five minutes. Today, she focused on the
ball like a soldier does in combat with an enemy/.
'I am sorry, okay?’I said, Playing with her wasn't as much fun as
before.
‘It's fine,
' she said,
‘Let's not talk about it again,
’I put on a sorry
face for the next twenty minutes. Finally, I held my ears and stood in
the centre of the court.
It did the trick. She smiled.
'Sorry, I also overreacted,
' she said,
'Friends?' she said.
Ban this word, I tell you. ‘Yes, friends,
’I said.
She came forward to hug me. I gently pushed her away,
‘What are
you doing?' she said.
'I'm not comfortable with this. Please don't spoil what we have,
' I
said, mocking her high-strung tone. I stomped my feet and walked off
the court. She followed me.
Ignore girls and they can’t leave you alone. Strange. I didn't look at