Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat Read Free Book Online Page A

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
    her.
    She spoke from behind me.
    'Okay, I get it. I'm a girl. I’m allowed some drama sometimes.’
    ‘Really?'
    ‘Well, I said sorry, too.'
    ‘Whatever. By the way, your cardigan is still with me at the
    residence.'
    'Oh, please get it to college tomorrow. It's my favourite.'
    'You want to come pick it up? You wanted to see my room, right?’ I
    said She raised an eyebrow.
    'Really? But how?’
    There's a system, it involves me making the guards happy while
    you rush Inside,'
    'You'll sneak me in?' she said, her eyes opening wide. 'You won't be
    the first girl to some to the residences,’
    We walked towards the briek-lined path to Rudra-North. She
    stopped a few steps before I reached Rudra.
    'What if we get caught?' she said.
    'I’ll be expelled, but they’ll spare you. You're a girl and your father
    will have enough contacts,’
    'So?’
    'Let's do it,’ I said.
    l went up to the guard. I followed the code; told him to cheek out a
    problem in the bathroom, and slipped him fifty rupees. He had done it
    for others before so he quiekly understood. He saw Riya in the
    distance.
    ‘Is she from outside or a student?' the guard said.
    ‘What do you care?' I said.
    'Just in ease there’s any trouble later.'
    'Will there be trouble?'
    'No, Make sure she leaves in thirty minutes. No guarantee with the
    new guard.'
    6
    She entered my room and I slammed the door shut behind us.
    My room was furnished with the bare necessities—a bed, a desk,
    an easy chair and a study chair. The walls were lined with certificates
    and pictures.
    ‘So many certificates,’ she said as she scanned them. They began
    right from the inter-school tournaments I had won in class VIII to the
    one I had for participation in the national games. (My team from Bihar
    had come eighth.) ‘And are these photos of your friends?’
    ‘Those are friends from my old basketball team,’ I said, standing
    behind her. I stood close enough for her hair to touch me. We had
    never been alone together before.
    ‘How about family pictures?’ she said.
    I opened my study-table drawer. I took out a photograph of the
    Dumraon Royal School’s annual day. My mother stood on a stage
    along with students in red sweaters.
    ‘Your mom?’ she said, holding the picture.
    ‘She’s the principal.’
    ‘You have more pictures?’
    ‘Not really,’ I said and rifled through the drawers. I found another
    black-and-white photo, but hid it.
    ‘What is that?’
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Show, no.’
    ‘It's a childhood picture.’
    ‘Oh, then I definitely want to see it.’
    She charged towards me.
    ‘No,’ I protested and tried to shut the drawer. She laughed, and
    tackled me like she did on the basketball court, treating the picture like the ball.
    On the court our occasional touches meant little. In the room, her
    jostling me felt electric. I wanted to grab her tight, but didn’t. I didn’t want a scene like last time.
    I let her have the picture and stepped aside. She looked at it and
    began to laugh.
    'How old are you in this?’
    'Four,'
    The picture was of my parents and me standing outside the haveli.
    My mother wore a saree with a ghoongat covering half her face. I
    wore a vest and little else.
    Riya sat down on the bed. She examined the photograph like a
    detective solving a murder mystery. I sat next to her.
    Is that your haveli?’ she said.
    I nodded.
    'It's beautiful.’
    'That’s fifteen years ago. Now it’s falling apart.’
    She looked closer. A cow was visible in the