Chapter 4: Samosas and Promises

Priya was assigned to sit in front of Rohan.

Her desk was always neatly arranged, her handwriting elegant. The teachers loved her, and the girls in class whispered about her imported pens and fancy water bottle.

During break that day, she suddenly turned around and said, “Rohan, can you stop drinking cold water?”

Rohan frowned. “What does what I drink have to do with you?”

Priya pouted. “Because whenever you drink cold water, my stomach hurts. We have physical empathy, haven’t you noticed?”

Her tone was half-joking, half-serious, but it made my skin crawl. The other girls nearby exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows.

Rohan just gave her a look of disdain. “Are you mad or what?”

He said it in that typical Mumbai style, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. I almost snorted.

When Priya mentioned ‘empathy,’ I remembered what the barrage had said. My face darkened.

I tried to hide my expression, fiddling with my dupatta and pretending to look for something in my bag. But inside, I was fuming.

Rohan thought I was upset and secretly held my hand under the desk.

His palm was warm and a little sweaty. He squeezed my fingers gently, as if promising me everything would be okay. He twisted the friendship band on his wrist—the one I’d tied last Raksha Bandhan.

Priya kept chattering: “And could you stop eating too much spicy food? Every time you do, my stomach hurts too…”

I wanted to snap at her, but Rohan beat me to it. He looked irritated, his jaw clenched.

Rohan snapped, “Can you stop talking to me? Meera doesn’t like me getting close to other girls.”

His loyalty made my heart flutter, even as Priya glared at me, then turned away in a huff.

The barrage started wailing:

[He actually scolded our girl! The male lead needs a wife-chasing redemption arc.]

[When are we getting some romance between the leads? All I see is the male lead simping for his childhood friend. Hasn’t he realised his true feelings yet?]

[Don’t worry, with the empathy setting, the male lead will fall for the female lead sooner or later.]

[Childhood friends can’t beat the one who falls from the sky. Can the supporting girl please stay away from the main couple? You’re holding up my big, spicy scenes!]

I rolled my eyes at the barrage, wishing I could mute them like I muted Chacha’s political rants on WhatsApp.

Rohan saw my face getting gloomier and gently coaxed me, “Meera, don’t be angry. Just ignore that dream girl.”

His eyes were bright and black, staring at me like a loyal puppy.

I couldn’t help but ask, “Rohan, will you always stay with me?”

He nodded earnestly. “Of course. Childhood friends, never apart.”

“Even if I can’t get into your dream university, I’ll buy a flat nearby.”

“When I have nothing to do, I’ll sell samosas at the school gate. Ten rupees for everyone else, but for you, fifteen rupees for two.”

He winked, and I burst out laughing. Only Rohan could turn a serious moment into a joke about samosas.

He made me laugh.

“Rohan, this weekend is my eighteenth birthday.”

He tilted his head, confused. “Of course I remember. I’ve already prepared your present.”

I leaned close and whispered in his ear, “I mean, I’m an adult now. Maybe we can do some… adult things.”

A blush crept up Rohan’s cheeks. He looked breathtakingly handsome.

The tips of his ears turned red, and he scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. My heart skipped a beat.