Chapter 5. The Winds 2

Koel knew the answer in her head; it is the same question she wanted to ask herself.

"How do you read my mind so well? You are like that guy in my class. You guys are so alike. God, I don't know what's happening to me. Sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I am so vulnerable today," she said.

They said goodnight to each other. Koel tried to sleep when Zara walked in. She looked very happy. She told Nandita and Koel about that evening and everything thereafter. Nandita sounded excited and happy but Koel was quiet. Suddenly Koel recognized the answer. It wasn't Will being with another woman, it was the woman he was with that hurt her. Koel was living a life which seemed very insignificant when compared to Zara. Zara was a winner. She had everything she wanted in life. She got it without striving. And Koel always had things the hard way. She even lost her dear friend to her, she thought. Koel walked out while Zara was talking endlessly.

Zara and Nandita watched Koel for the next few days. She seemed docile. They confronted her, but she never answered. The finals were around but everyone seemed to be preoccupied with things that did not involve studies. Nandita had no time to study except at nights. She would spend late evenings with Roshan. Zara and Will were nowhere to be seen. They were like these celebrities who didn't like being seen in public together. Koel was struggling to study but was distracted by these unknown feelings. She felt lonely and frustrated in the evenings when everyone was out with someone significant. To top her frustration, her dear friend Will who would otherwise walk her to the hostel every day after class was available for her only on Fridays, that too in a group. It was a Friday and Koel wasn't looking forward to seeing Will at all. She went out to the café where the group was already sitting, playing games, and talking about their last test.

"It sucked man. I am so dead this time," said Roshan and shook his head as he talked.

"Oh yea," Will added.

Nandita nodded.

Koel walked in and no one noticed. She went up to the counter and ordered a sandwich and sat near the window all by herself.

"How was your test today?' Aditya asked as he came towards her.

"Anything but good," replied Koel.

"Hmm. You seem very distracted these days. Are you all right?" Aditya continued asking.

"So someone noticed. Can we take a walk together?" Koel gave a premeditated answer.

"Guys, see you later. We will be right back," Aditya waved at others and started walking out with Koel when Zara stopped her.

"Koel, could you make a copy of your Business Ethics notes for me from yesterday; me and Will missed that class. But it is time we study for the test on Monday," Zara giggled as she spoke. Koel saw Will smiling, and looked back at Zara and replied, "I will."

Aditya and Koel walked for long towards the woods which surrounded the campus. They stopped at a tree overlooking a stream. Koel sat on a branch that was hanging halfway over the stream. Aditya stood over her shoulder.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Koel said unsurely.

Aditya responded, "You are hurt, aren't you?"

Koel said, "Why do you care when no one else does?"

"I don't know. You didn't answer. You haven't answered any of my questions since we met"

"You know the answer, why do you ask"

"Because I want you to admit it and feel better"

"How will I feel better if I admit it?"

"Try"

"You know, I have always wanted to be different, from others. I have not wanted to be a glam doll or anything, just different"

"You already are different. We all are"

"But it has always been hard for me. I always struggle more than everyone it seems. I study hard, yet get just about average grades. I had to struggle to get a scholarship, but I missed by 10 points. When everyone had their letters of acceptance, I was notified 2 months later because I was on a waiting list. My father had to take two loans so I could study here, while everyone else either had a scholarship or were supported by their rich parents. Even now, when my roommates come back late from their evening strolls, I am studying. They don't seem to struggle enough, yet they get away with good grades. You know what I mean?"

Aditya listened in silence and then asked, "Everyone struggled to get here, trust me."

"What else Koel?"

Koel stood up and looked at Aditya and asked, "Why can't I be happy for Will?"

"You tell me?" said Aditya with a shrug.

They both looked at each other.

"You are not like Zara; you can never be," said Aditya as Koel watched him speak.

"You are so much more than her. You have the potential that no one else can match. You have determination. Others don't work as hard as you for what they want, you do and that is why you truly deserve every bit of the reward. And you are an amazingly matured and thoughtful person. Any man would be lucky to have you; most of them don't deserve you because you are too good for them. Trust me Koel; you don't need to be in a competition always. You already are a winner in your own right, to me at least"

Koel watched Aditya and suddenly was at a loss for words. No one had ever spoken to her this way. She hated that someone else had to make her feel special but she loved it at another level. She fought for words and finally said, "Thanks!"

That day, they talked for hours. She wondered why it took them so long to have a genial conversation when they were already friends. "Inhibitions," Aditya would reply to that. Koel happily walked outside the campus to find a copy machine shop.

They often met after that. What Koel liked about Aditya was the fact that he was present for her and for everyone when they needed him. He would never ignore anyone for other friends, yet he made each of them feel special in their own way. The more she knew him, the more she wanted to know him.

They had become a tight-knit group, the six of them – Will, Zara, Aditya, Koel, Nandita, and Roshan. The fact that they were all couples, except Aditya and Koel, made it easier for them to plan things in a group. They just assumed that Koel and Aditya could hit it off some day. They went shopping, to parties, picnics, and short trips to nearby hill-stations. They even took a bus trip to Surajkund fair that displayed artwork from surrounding villages. Aditya had a genuine interest in the artwork and had requested his friends' company.

All six of them hopped into a bus one morning with only a few hours of planning. They stayed at a motel in Surajkund. Koel took great interest in Aditya's philosophy of promoting grass-root level artwork. She felt more and more involved with his ideas. Aditya enjoyed sharing his thoughts with Koel and knew that she would appreciate it the most amongst the five of them. He took Koel through the shops explaining the artwork. Will and Zara, Nandita and Roshan, huddled together like tourists and scouted the shops for jewelry and crafts that they could take back.

Roshan looked around for Koel and Aditya and asked, "Has anyone seen these two? You know, I am starting to think something is fishy"

Will replied, "Aren't you a little curious. Last time I remember, you thought something was fishy between our warden and the ladies hostel matron. Turned out they were related. Might want to keep your 007 skills to yourself"

Nandita added, "Yaar, wouldn't it be great though, I mean Koel and Aditya?"

Roshan interrupted, "Nandu, you were a pain in the neck; you took forever to go out with me; you almost took my life. You must have trained Koel well now?"

Nandita slapped Roshan on his back in a pitiful complaint and uttered, "Shut up!"

Will remarked, "Thank God Adit doesn't take your advice Ross. Lord, can't imagine him singing outside Koel's window! You know, not the very act, but his singing!!"

Everyone laughed.

"Adit is better than you, you idiot!" said Roshan.

"Yeah right! And what are you so smiley about you moronic fashionista; did you realize there are more colors in your shirt than the people in this fairground," said Will.

"Hey, hey, Angrez, you won't get this desi style. This is a new trend – hot spots!" said Roshan pointing at his shirt.

"What? Has Rangeela been re-released?" asked Zara.

"Now that's an insult to Rangeela. Roshan's collection can be termed more..umm..let's say, pre-historic," said Will.

"Yeah, laugh all you want. But I am the one who gets all the attention on the road," said Roshan.

He instantly realized he shouldn't have said that. Everyone joined in laughing.

"You are so right dude!" Will managed to laugh and talk.

"OK Angrez and Rangeela, they are approaching," Nandita announced.

Koel appeared from nowhere assuming her friends would share the joke.

"What is so funny?" she asked.

Everyone looked at each other, pursed their lips with a smirk and shook their heads.

Aditya was following Koel. He said, "There is an impromptu talent show held at the other end of the fair. First prize is 2 free entries to playing Rickshaw Racket and a couple of free passes to watch the game. Anyone wants to show off their talents and get a few passes for free– singing, dancing, anyone?"

Everyone looked at each other. Unable to hold it any longer, they burst out laughing. Koel and Aditya looked surprisingly at each other and then at their friends. Koel demanded to hear the joke.

Will said, "If we tell you the joke, we will have to tell you how it started and then you both are going to kill the four of us and bury us in these fairgrounds"

Koel pouted with a frown, while Aditya said, "I will bury a hole right now if one of you doesn't respond right away. Do you want me to sing or is one of you going to volunteer and win, hurry?" Everyone was excited about the desi version of Demolition Derby. The prospect of winning a few free entries excited them. They unanimously advised Aditya against singing. Zara agreed to volunteer for the talent show.

Some of the villagers hadn't stepped out of their village all their lives and to see an attractive, slim, tall lady walk up to the stage was quite a sight. Zara wore a crisp white chikan kurti and blue jeans. She had dark eyes; her curly hair was tied up high in a ponytail, and flaunted a complexion that had a winter glow, seen amongst Kashmiris. The moment she stepped on the stage, people blew whistles and passed remarks. It didn't bother Will. Roshan nudged Will with his elbow in an act of tease.

Zara held the microphone close to her face and started singing Rolling in the Deep by Adelle. Judges stared at each other; the audience didn't know how to react. Some villagers were so in awe of this unworldly beauty that they didn't acknowledge that she wasn't speaking their language.

Roshan looked at Will with a frown and said, "Seriously? Of all the songs in the world, she chose an English song for the Surajkund fair? I thought you were the firangi here"

Will smacked Roshan's head lightly in defense of his girl friend. Roshan looked at Aditya and mumbled, "Goodbye Rickshaw Rage"

Aditya corrected, "Rickshaw Racket"

The judges interrupted and declared that only Indian songs were allowed. Zara knew a lot of hindi songs but at this instance refused to sing one. She thought, music was universal and should not be judged by language. She stepped down from the stage. While she was walking towards Will, and everyone patted her back, Roshan jumped in and asked, "Seriously, what were you thinking? You live in India. Learning a few hindi songs might come handy! Prize haat se gaya"

Nandita pulled his sleeve to warn him from saying anything further.

Zara was still not very fond of Roshan. She had to get used to the idea of having him around because she did not want to lose her other four friends. She did not like his jokes or his uncouth remarks. While others found him funny, she didn't. She ignored his remark and walked past him towards Will.

Aditya watched Koel walking towards the stage and speak to one of the coordinators. Few minutes later, she was holding a microphone and singing a bhajan that she had learnt from her mother. Being a Bengali, she was exposed to classical arts at a very young age. The audience applauded her performance and so did her friends, especially Aditya.

Aditya looked at Koel and said, "You never cease to surprise me"

"I hope in a good way," replied Koel as she swung her hand towards her forehead in a salaam.

Zara greeted her and agreed how well she sang. Roshan nudged Aditya with his elbow and incoherently muttered, "Oye Hoye, never cease to surprise me?" Aditya shook his head, narrowed his eyes and responded to Roshan with a smile, "And boy, neither do you!"

Koel came 2nd in the talent show. Although they couldn't win the passes to viewing the game, they grabbed two entries to play. This allowed any two to play Rickshaw Racket. Rickshaw Racket was a game based on the popular western sport Demolition Derby. In this, drivers would be riding rickshaws and purposely crash their vehicles into one another. Since the impact was low, there were rarely any injuries. The rickshaws that were used were mostly broken, abandoned vehicles, re-built for this event. Generally drivers brought their own rickshaws and signed up for the event with a nominal fee. But the organizers had saved some tickets that were awarded as a prize for the talent show. These ticket holders could pick a rickshaw and play the game.

Although Koel was happy to have won, she refused to participate. "I can barely ride a bike," she said.

They looked at Roshan.

"Forgive me, I want to live and now I am going to sit with my girl friend and enjoy the show," Roshan commented.

Zara refused to participate thinking in her head how low-end of a sport it was. Will and Aditya delightedly took up the two free entries and the rest bought tickets to the show.

Will and Aditya wore gears provided by the organizers and slammed on the accelerator as they drove their rickshaws. There were ten other players.

"Wow, one has driven a tractor all his life, while the other has driven a BMW. This will be an interesting game," said Koel.

Koel screamed for them as the two rammed into other vehicles, getting every other driver out of their way. With four vehicles left, including Will's and Aditya's, the competition was getting wicked. New tricks and strategies were used. Zara, Koel, Nandita, and Roshan screamed in support of their friends.

Aditya's vehicle slid around another and hit the one in the front. He drove into the fourth vehicle when Will stormed in crushing the fourth vehicle and running into Aditya's. The fourth vehicle was out. For a while, Aditya's vehicle stood still. By now, Koel was nervously chewing her nails. Zara patted her shoulders and asked her to relax. While Will and the third vehicle were engaged in an encounter, Aditya crept from one side of the 3rd vehicle. He and Will held the 3rd vehicle between theirs, making it impossible to escape. After a few minutes, the 3rd vehicle waved the white flag.

Aditya fought Will for next ten minutes. At times, Will stifled Aditya's vehicle, and at times Aditya crushed Will's. Two minutes before the end of the match, Aditya hit Will's rickshaw with full force.

Aditya took the trophy and the prize money. Roshan demanded a treat. On everyone's suggestion, Aditya rented two rooms at a nearby hotel and ordered food and drinks in their room. The waiter that delivered the food and drink looked at the room's occupants with suspicion. He had seen unmarried couples elope before and spend nights at the hotels. He wondered in his head if some of them were unmarried. While he was engaged in his suspicions, Aditya sensed that the waiter could jeopardize the group's reputation.

He walked up to the waiter and asked, "Can we get a few more mattresses so my cousins can sleep well. Don't want them to feel that their brother promised them a good weekend and didn't stand up to it. Don't want them to leave this hotel disappointed"

The waiter took the tips and returned with more mattresses.

"Cousin?" Koel frowned.

They ate and drank and then they drank more. They laughed endlessly and chatted all night long. They didn't want that night to end.

Roshan danced as he held a bottle carefully over his head. Nandita, Zara, and Koel held hands and circled around Roshan. Will banged a desk rhythmically as Aditya sang in a hoarse voice. During this frenzy, they missed a knock on the door. The knock became louder and Will noticed it first. He went up to the door while others continued dancing and singing. He opened the door and saw a short, pudgy man in his forty's glaring at him.

"Yes?" Will asked.

"I am the manager here. Too much noise. Cut it down," the man said.

"Sorry. Will do"

The man stood on his toe to look behind Will's shoulders. He saw a man standing over a desk, pretending to sing into a bottle as he held it like a microphone. Two ladies were banging on a chair.

Roshan staggered across the room and crept under Will's right arm, which was stretched out and placed on the door.

"Hello Mista," Roshan faked an anglicized accent in an inebriated voice.

"You look sad. Join us. We have every type of drink you can possibly imagine," Roshan continued.

"I need to see some IDs," the man said.

"We are all adults," Will replied.

"I need to see IDs," the man yelled.

Sensing something was wrong, Aditya walked towards the door.

Aditya asked Roshan to go inside but Roshan sat down by the door.

"How can I help?" Aditya asked.

"I need to see IDs"

Aditya pulled his driver's license from his pocket and held it towards the man.

"And the rest?"

"Not everyone is drinking"

"I can see that," he said looking at Roshan who was foolishly smiling back.

"Show me their legal age, and if they are fine I will let you go. I don't allow illegal activities here"

Everyone looked stressed. Except Aditya, nobody was of the legal drinking age .They produced their student IDs.

The man looked satisfied because he had proven his point.

"I will be right back," he said.