Chapter 5

I stare at the blank walls. Another day, another shit day to survive. I breathed in the cold morning air. I took up the mobile and unlocked it and a clutter of notifications was there to greet me. Mostly good morning texts from family whatsapp groups and some facebook notifications too. I logged onto my facebook and went to the notification section, then the messages section and finally the friend request section cause I saw a lonely friend request waiting. The screen showed a profile of a girl.
Devika
Devika
I held my breath cause this moment was too good to believe. An army of questions began ricocheting in all the spaces of my head. My heart beat wasn't going the way its supposed to be.
Is it her?
If it is her, why did she sent me a friend request?
What do I do now?
I got myself together and tried to breathe. I couldn't. I clicked on the profile. Devika  Sharma. Yes, it is her. I clicked on the profile picture.
And there she was; wearing a traditional lime yellow salwar-kameez, sitting on a chair with the light illuminating brightly the left half of her face and partially the right one; she tilted her head to the right just a little bit and pushed her neck a little bit back; her lips curved just perfectly little to the right side, she had some freckles ( just like she did now in real). And just like that the cold air of the morning was blown away by a rush of warm fuzzy feeling. I smiled automatically. The air around me turned electrifying, like sparks was flying all around.
I gathered up all my energy and accepted the request. I breathed finally.
What now?
What should I do now?
I opened her chat and send her a message "Hi, Good morning"
I waited for some time, maybe an hour but she didn't responded. I wanted to wait for the entire day but I had classes so I finally got ready and went to school.


I saw her first, sitting with Rhea, as soon as I entered the class. She looked just beautiful. I gathered up all my courage and walked right to where they were sitting.
"Who is Devika among you guys?" I threw the question into thin air
Her eyes showed fear and she was taken aback. Shit! I scared her.
"I am. Why?" she said composing herself.
"You sent me a friend request, I accepted and sent you a message. Why  haven't you replied?"
"I didn't came online today" She was still a bit intimidated.
"Okay no problem" I smiled at her
She smiled back. Okay! Now lets die in peace

The rest of the class went away just like the other days- mostly staring at her and stealing eye contacts. She smiled two more times and I died a bit two times more but this death was sweet and fuzzy and sunshine, one which could be died a million times and you will still feel alive and breathing and happy and everything good.

I went home and after taking my meals I found my phone blinking. Maybe it was her. I unlocked and  found my prediction to be true. She replied. "Hello, Good afternoon"
"So finally you got time"
"Sorry, it took some time. But as they say, Good things demand patience"
"True that"

By the evening, we talked so much that we were almost bestfriends. I knew her address, her friend's name, her favorite singer to her favorite nail color, who she likes, who she likes a little, who she hates, who she hates a bit more, what she does when she is happy or sad, her playlist. The Devika Express was unstoppable.
"I guess good things sometimes comes fast too" I messaged.
"How so?" she asked
"Look at us girl, we already know so much of each other"
"Don't make me blush"
I smiled. Maybe she smiled too there.
"You there?" she messaged
I focussed on her, again. Maybe this is what falling in love feels like. No matter how shitty your life is and how much pain you know you are going to endure you still feel alive and breathing. I was alive, I was breathing.