Chapter 2

"I need to meet you tonight at 8."
"My pleasure, Avantika. Where?"
"How about the Amul Stall near the Shiva temple?"
"Deal!!"

I was elated. I had proposed to Avantika that morning, and she was yet to give me an answer. Amul stall meant ice creams, and ice creams meant romance. I went imagining...

That evening, we met at Amul. A couple of chocolate crunchies were ordered as we 'put gen fart' in true IITM style.. I was impatient, and so I went off, "How about my proposal?"
"Were you joking?? "
"What!! ... Why would I joke about this? I have been in love with you for 7 long years, and it took me this much time and courage to reveal it." My impatience was taking over.
" I never saw anything beyond a friend in you. You don't know how much you upset me."
That sent me reeling. I had never viewed this as upsetting potential. But we were guys after all, and everything was arbitly fine with us. For a second, I had forgotten Avantika was a girl, and a highly sensitive one at that!
"You were always a friend to me, a very dear one. This proposal left me crying all afternoon. Why are all men like this?? "
"What was there to upset you in this?"
"What wasn't there? Why did you have to propose to me of all the people?"
*Coz I liked you dumbo!!* " Chill! Why shouldn't I propose? It was a just a proposal. Say yes if you are ok with it, else say no."
"It isn't a JEE multiple choice question to be answered that easily. It is a question of priorities, of true love and so many more things."
"I will give all your priorities full time. We can set loads of stuff right. Please accept my proposal though. It's not that someone proposes to you everyday." *Given the chance, I will..*
"Shut up Velu. Enough of this nonsense. I can't put up with this crap anymore." As she said that, a tear drop rolled from her eyes, down her cheek, to disappear.
I know I'm being cruel, but she looked really really beautiful when she cried.
"I love you."
"Keep away from me." She said this and turned her back on me. Little did she realize that my eyes were 2 pi times more moist than hers were. I turned with a heavy heart and realized I had screwed up my love life big time in a few minutes. I loved her with all my heart and soul, just that she didn't like it. Funny are the ways of life, I thought!!