College.
Semester practicals.
End of the day.
The boy was walking out of the laboratory block when not more than 10 secs to hear a friendly voice (a girl) call him. They started walking together. Even though she had some work in administration block & said the boy could leave if he wanted, he waited. Five more minutes & they hit the road together.
Talking, laughing, sharing & mocking (seriously?!), they were halfway through to the train station. Isn't too much good very bad for health? 'You didn't go with him', the boy started.
It's been a couple months since she accepted The proposal, which she claimed to be broken 24 hours later the next day. Another of her close friend was not in good terms with it, he even stopped talking to her. The reason being, for nearly a year she's been rejecting That proposal, for which the boy who proposed reacted in a lots of not so gentlemen way, one being speaking lots of hash about her to anyone who would hear it.
That close friend had (regrettably, he's no more) a short temper due to which he got out everything mixed with anger, the day he knew about her accepting The proposal. The next day she told about the so called break up to this boy. Only he wasn't sure whether to trust.
The reason why he stopped talking to her completely, was even weird. After the so said breakup, she came college with the boy whom she supposedly broke up with. In his bike. Now you know why that stupid question when everything was going good. 'You didn't go with him?'
She just sighed, 'It's not like I want to come with him. He just stands in front of my boarding place (yeah, she was from a different district) all day long, if I don't come with him. And my roommates and the guilt trip they take me through every time makes me sick.' A few seconds later, 'I just think of him like a personal driver', she tried humor. With that came the train station, in silence.
She slowed to get tickets, when this boy saw the guys he used to go with for the past 2 years (not recently, though). 'I already got mine', he showed his tickets and started without waiting. He crossed them, waited 2 compartments apart and thought, 'Let this ride be peaceful'. (Hard luck!)
Few minutes later, she joined him and after a few long uncomfortable seconds, a train came. They boarded, the boy took a seat, started 'Angels & Demons' in his mobile app, while she stayed by the door. He saw a seat opposite to him, offered and she accepted. The guys entered the same compartment with howls and laughter's, one of them said, "Christmas' early, let's call Santa".
Next stop, the boy who proposed came onboard. The girl saw him. Her friend, this boy, didn't mind Santa at all. Santa took a seat near him and started, 'I told you not to speak with him but you are now travelling with him'. He grabbed her mobile. When she tried to get it back, he got her bag too. The boy didn't give a sign that it was happening near him. The next stop, he got off and so did she.
The boy continued with the book and got off his station, when his phone rang. Santa again. (Oh, come on). Santa started ranting and somewhere in the middle, "I've never hit her, but today you have forced my hand. Stay away from her". The boy got pissed. "What the hell is wrong with you? It's not like am pulling her along for a date against her will."
"That's all I wanted", he said. What happened afterwards is entirely a different story. But the boy kept thinking, 'Why didn't I do anything on the train?' He could've acted but on what right? He could say 'Friend' but what if he says 'Am her boyfriend'. What can he say against that? Even after nearly 3 years from that day, the boy still thinks of what he could've done and what would've happened if he did do, what he originally didn't.
P.S.: The boy and the girl still talk (better, if not worse), she still says that she's broken up with Santa for good. But that nagging feeling regret of could've and would've still upsets the boy.
