Chapter 5: An Orphan Face Amidst the Crowd
The sun's rays were piercing through the holes in the tin roof, like laser beams doing a security check. Dust particles danced in that light.
Arin turned over. His sleep hadn't broken, reality had simply knocked on the door. Monday. The day when the universe tells you—"Come on, let the drama begin."
He nudged Nainu lightly with his foot. Nainu lay there like a dead fish.
"Get up, Oh Loverboy!" Arin said, yawning. "Today we have to unlock your 'Romance Mode'. Enough of this single life tragedy. Today your brother will teach you the art of dating."
Nainu opened one eye, then closed it. He didn't trust Arin's 'art' one bit.
The city's Posh Park. Even the air here smelled of rich people's deodorant. The grass was so green that Arin suspected it had been painted.
There, dogs from wealthy homes—shiny, shampoo-washed—were walking as if doing a ramp walk at Milan Fashion Week. And amidst them stood Nainu—the Lion of the Alley, with an old cut on his ear and a tail that had a mind of its own.
Arin unleased Nainu and crouched down on his knees.
"Look brother," Arin whispered, as if assigning a secret mission.
"The crowd here is a bit 'Aesthetic'. You just maintain your 'Aura'. Don't let your tongue hang out, look a bit mysterious."
He pointed towards a foreign breed female dog in front.
"Go, charm her. Otherwise, people will say—the owner is so 'Chill' and the dog died single. It's a question of my reputation."
Nainu looked at Arin with a tired gaze—as if saying, 'Brother, you look at your own love life first, my software is better than yours.'
Then Nainu turned his neck with a jerk and walked towards that female dog. His gait had a slow-motion swag. Arin's chest swelled with pride.
(Arin's Mind)
"Love doesn't see riches or poverty,
It only sees the 'Vibe'.
Whether you have a setting or not,
It is necessary to be a 'Green Flag' in your buddy's life."
Leaving the park, Arin hummed, off-key but with full feeling—
"Come to me... or someone else will come, and then you'll regret it!"
People around stared at him, but today Arin was the hero of his own movie.
Martial Arts Academy.
As soon as he entered, a mixed smell of sweat, Iodex, and rubber mats welcomed him. Boys and girls were practicing seriously. Sounds of 'Hiya! Hiya!' echoed.
Seeing the coach, Arin gave a two-finger salute.
"Namaste Sir! What's on the menu today? Beat someone up or get turned into chutney myself?"
The coach didn't smile. He just pointed towards the ring.
A boy stood opposite. Biceps such that his T-shirt might tear. He looked like a 'Pro'.
Arin's new friends pushed him into the ring. Arin took a deep breath, waved at the crowd, and shouted—
"Victory to Emperor Arihant! Brothers, the applause shouldn't stop, keep the vibe alive!"
The fight began.
The opponent threw a powerful hook. Arin leaned back in the air like the rubber man from the 'Matrix' movie. Woosh! The punch missed.
Next punch. Arin ducked.
He wasn't fighting, he was flowing. Whenever the boy came to hit him, Arin would either slip away or...
Suddenly, Arin grabbed both legs of that boy tightly. He clung to him like a small child. The boy couldn't even move.
The entire hall erupted in laughter. The coach slapped his forehead.
The boy got annoyed. "Leave me! What is this drama?" He bent down angrily to hit Arin.
Arin, who was lying on the ground, immediately folded his hands.
"Hey, leave it big brother! You got personal, man." Arin's eyes held innocence.
"Look, don't minus my 'Aura' on the very first day. My image will be ruined. You won, I lost. Just don't hit the face, mom won't recognize me."
This 'Self-roasting' of his was so precise that even the angry boy laughed. He gave a hand to Arin and pulled him up.
Arin hugged him. "Thanks brother, you are an absolute 'Gem' of a person. Next time, tea is on me."
(Narrator)
"With strength, you can win a fight,
But with 'Humor', you can turn an enemy into a friend.
Arin knew that one who laughs, does not strike."
The Break.
While drinking water, a friend nudged Arin with his elbow.
"Oy Wingman! Look there, Priya. She's been looking at you for so long. Go, talk to her."
The water got stuck in Arin's throat.
"Oh no, brother," his hands started turning cold. "With girls, I have this... what do you call it... my system hangs. The network flies away."
But the friends didn't listen. They pushed him. Straight in front of Priya.
Priya. Even in her sweat-drenched hair, there was a distinct glow. She looked at Arin and smiled.
"Hello!"
Silence fell in Arin's mind. 404 Error: Words Not Found.
His heartbeat started pounding in his ears like a hammer.
"Your father..." Arin stammered, his tongue not cooperating. "What does your father do? I mean... does he have a job or... or is he a dacoit (bandit)?"
Silence.
Then Priya burst into laughter. Her laughter was like a wind chime.
"He is in a government job," she said laughing. "Not a dacoit. How long have you been coming here?"
Arin's brain was melting.
"Just... for one or two lifetimes... I mean, for a month."
Behind him, friends were gesturing—Keep going, Munna!
Here, Arin was screaming internally—'Oh Mother Earth, split open and swallow me whole!'
Priya saw that Arin was trembling. She placed a hand on his shoulder with concern. "Are you okay?"
The Touch.
As soon as Priya's hand touched his shoulder, the fuse of Arin's system blew. Short Circuit.
Darkness clouded his vision. His knees gave up and he... Thud! Sat straight down on the ground.
Priya and her friends surrounded him in panic. "Hey! What happened? Did you faint?"
The friends standing afar were watching this scene.
"Oh boy!" A friend whistled. "We sent him to talk to one, and he brought the entire group to his feet! He turned out to be a real 'Rizz' Master!"
Arin opened one eye while sitting on the ground. Girls all around.
(Arin's Mind)
"Next time I'll download a 'Conversation' tutorial from home before coming.
Today, a World Record for humiliation has been set."
He took a deep breath. He felt there was no way out now but to run.
He stood up with a jerk.
"Problem? Me? Oh, I am absolutely solid! Look here!"
Right there, in front of everyone, he did 10 fast squats. One-two-three!
And then, without any context, moon-walking backwards—like a cheap version of Michael Jackson—he slipped away from there.
Priya kept watching him go, and then started laughing holding her stomach.
As soon as he came out, the boys surrounded him.
"Brother, hats off! What an entry, what an exit! The girls have gone crazy over your comedy."
Arin wiped his sweat. He didn't tell them the truth that his life was in his throat.
He adjusted his collar.
"Oh, this was just the trailer," he waved his hand in the air. "This is all the magic of my 'Aura'. You guys won't understand."
In the evening, in his hut.
Nainu was lying in the corner licking his paw.
Arin picked up the guitar and plucked a string. Ting...
"Look brother," he said to Nainu. "Today your brother fought in the ring, and outside... outside he 'survived'. Reputation was trashed, but we came back alive."
He looked at the shining moon in the sky.
(Arin's Mind)
"Let the world call me a joker, or call me a wanderer,
The greatest love is with oneself, my dear partner.
I am my own Valentine, and my own date."
He nudged Nainu with his foot.
"Come on, tell me yours. Did you charm any girl or did you also come back 'Blocked' like me?"
Nainu let out a long sigh and went to sleep.
Arin smiled. He put the guitar aside and lay down.
Today was weird, but it wasn't bad.