"He's my boyfriend."
Veer simply stared at Meera for a few seconds.
He looked at her in the eye than at the girl standing in front of him and than at Meera. His brain was trying to understand what had just happened, but nothing was making sense.
Huh?
Wait, what the hell is going on?
He'd seen scenes like this hundreds of times in anime, manga, or rom-coms, the main character being embarrassed in front of everyone, some girl suddenly appearing, saving him and casually announcing that she is his girlfriend.
But he never thought something like that would happen to him.
Why does my life suddenly feel like a rom-com?
The girl who had rejected Veer looked just as surprised as he did.
"Your... boyfriend?"
Meera nodded casually.
"Yes."
Her boyfriend looked at Veer and than at Meera.
"Since when?"
"Recently."
Veer almost choked.
Recently?!
He wanted to say something, but Meera had already sat down beside him. She slightly leaned towards him and whispered, without looking at him.
"Just go with it."
Veer turned towards her -"Go with what?"
"Your girlfriend."
Veer stared at her.
"You just said it in front of everyone.
"I know."
"And I'm supposed to act normal?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Meera finally looked at him.
"I don't know. Just try."
Veer looked away, trying very hard not to laugh at how ridiculous the whole situation was.
Across the table the girl folded her arms.
"So you have a girlfriend now?"
Veer didn't answer.
Neither did Meera.
"Yes," she answered.
The girl gave a small laugh.
"That's surprising. I thought nobody would put up with him."
Veer's smile disappeared.
He knew that tone.
It wasn't a joke.
It was the same kind of comment that made him feel small before.
Her boyfriend laughed as well.
"Bro, you really moved on quickly."
Veer kept his eyes on the table.
He could feel his chest tightening again. A few minutes ago he had been sitting there peacefully, but now he was back in that uncomfortable place he thought he had left behind.
Meera noticed.
She looked at the girl.
"Are you done?"
The girl raised an eyebrow.
"I'm just talking."
"No, you're making fun of him."
"So?"
Meera sighed.
"Then don't."
The boyfriend laughed.
"Why are you getting involved? This is between them."
Meera looked at him.
"Then why are you involved?"
He went quiet.
Veer looked at Meera with slight surprise.
She wasn't shouting, wasn't trying to make some big speech. She just looked genuinely annoyed.
The girl rolled her eyes.
"You don't even know him."
"No, I don't," Meera replied. "But I know enough to see when someone is being rude for no reason."
The girl looked at Veer.
"He didn't tell you how desperate he used to be?"
Veer's fingers slightly tightened around his spoon.
Meera noticed but didn't look at him.
"Whatever happened between you two is your business," she said. "But you don't get to keep bringing it up just because you think it's funny."
One of the girls standing behind them whispered something to her friend.
Meera heard it and looked over.
"If you guys are here just to laugh at him, then honestly, find something better to do."
Nobody answered.
The old girl stared at Meera for a moment before looking back at Veer.
"You've changed."
Veer finally looked up.
"Yeah."
It was the first thing he had said in a while.
She seemed surprised by his answer.
Veer didn't know whether he had really changed or not. At that moment he still felt the same embarrassment he had felt years ago, but at least he wasn't trying to prove anything to her anymore.
Meera stood up.
"Come on."
Veer looked at her.
"Where?"
"Anywhere but not here."
He hesitated for a second before getting up.
Neither of them said anything as they walked away.
Behind them the table was unusually quiet.
For a moment, even the people who had been laughing stood silent. The rejected girl kept looking at Meera, her face, gradually, transforming from surprise to anger.
One of her friends leaned closer.
'Wait, when'd Veer get a girlfriend?'. One of her friends glanced at her. 'She's actually pretty'.
The first girl, gave a little laugh. 'Seriously, look at her'.
The rejected girl said nothing.
Still watching Meera and Veer walk away, her eyes lingered on Meera for a few seconds before she muttered, 'How did he even get a girl like that?'.
Her friend arched an eyebrow. 'You sound jealous'.
'I'm not jealous'.
'You do'.
She turned sharply to her friend. 'I said I'm not'.
Her friend only smiled. 'Okay, okay'.
She turned to look at Veer.
'But really, I don't think he ever expected to actually get one'.
'Then neither did I'.
Something in her voice showed that she was less than pleased that Veer was walking away with someone else. She hadn't expected him to accept her proposal and move on, but she had also, firmly expected him to always be the geeky guy who liked her.
And now he was moving on with someone else, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit.
'Perhaps he isn't as hopeless as you thought'.
One of her friends said, almost to herself.
She turned quickly to the girl. 'Shut up'.
Her friend grinned. 'I'm only saying'.
The rejected girl turned away, feigning disinterest. 'Whatever, I don't care who he goes out with'.
Even as she said it, the last thing she does not wanted was for Veer to go anywhere with anyone else. Meanwhile, Veer and Meera walked on in silence.
Veer still couldn't believe what had happened. Every few seconds he looked at Meera, wanting to ask something, but every time he opened his mouth, he changed his mind.
Finally, Meera noticed.
"You can ask."
"Ask what?"
"You've been looking at me for five minutes."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
Veer sighed.
"Okay, fine."
He looked at her.
"Why did you say that?"
Meera knew exactly what he meant.
"The boyfriend thing?"
"Yes."
"I don't know."
Veer frowned.
"You don't know?"
"It just came out."
"You could've said friend."
"I know."
"Then why didn't you?"
Meera looked away.
"I wasn't thinking."
Veer nodded slowly.
"Clearly."
She gave him an annoyed look.
"Do you want me to take it back?"
Veer immediately shook his head.
"No, no. Don't."
"Then stop complaining."
"I'm not complaining. I'm confused."
"So am I."
That answer made Veer laugh a little.
At least he wasn't the only one who had no idea what they were doing.
They eventually reached a quiet park nearby. They found an empty bench and sat down, leaving a little space between them.
For a few moments they just watched people walking around.
Then Veer became quiet again.
Meera noticed the change.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"
Veer didn't answer immediately.
After a few seconds he nodded.
"Yea."
He looked down at his hands.
"I actually liked her a lot."
Meera stayed quiet.
Veer slowly started telling her everything.
How he had liked the girl, how he had eventually confessed, how she rejected him and how badly he took it. He told her about the embarrassment afterwards and how he had spent a long time pretending that he didn't care.
"I acted like I was fine," he said quietly. "But honestly I wasn't."
Meera listened without interrupting.
"I kept thinking about what I had done wrong," Veer continued. "Even when I knew there wasn't really anything I could change."
He gave a small, awkward laugh.
"Stupid, right?"
"No."
"I thought you would say yes."
"I wasn't going to."
Veer looked at her.
"I know."
Meera smiled slightly.
"Then why ask?"
"Because I wanted to hear it from you."
Veer looked away again.
For a while neither of them spoke.
Then Veer asked the question that had been bothering him since the restaurant.
"Why did you help me?"
Meera thought about it.
"Because you helped me first."
Veer looked confused.
"Yesterday?"
She nodded.
"When I dropped all my things in the corridor."
"Oh."
"You picked everything up for me."
Veer smiled.
"That wasn't a big deal."
"It was for me."
She paused before continuing.
"And then you said..."
Meera started smiling.
"Okay, you can go now."
Veer immediately covered his face.
"Please."
She laughed.
"I don't know why, but that was so funny."
"I was nervous."
"I know."
"You were looking at me like I was some idiot."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"Maybe a little."
Veer laughed.
For the first time that day his chest didn't feel as heavy.
Meera looked at him.
"You helped me without knowing me. So when I saw what was happening today, I just felt like I should do something."
Veer nodded.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
There was another small silence.
Then Meera suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"But now there's one problem."
Veer already knew.
"The boyfriend thing."
She nodded.
"I told them you're my boyfriend."
"And everyone heard you."
"I know."
Veer sighed.
"So now what?"
Meera looked towards the park.
"I think we should just pretend."
"Pretend?"
"To be together."
Veer stared at her.
"Like... fake dating?"
"Yea."
He rubbed his forehead.
"This is getting worse."
Meera laughed.
"Why?"
"Because now I have to explain this to Rohit."
Her smile disappeared for a second.
"Oh."
"Exactly."
"He's going to make fun of you."
"He's going to make fun of both of us."
Meera thought about it.
"Maybe we don't tell him."
Veer looked at her.
"That's impossible."
" Why?"
"Because he's Rohit."
Meera laughed.
"Fair enough."
She then explained that being seen with Veer as her boyfriend might also reduce some of the unwanted attention she had been getting since joining college. If people thought she was already with someone, maybe they would stop approaching her so often.
He nodded.
"Okay."
Meera looked surprised.
"Okay?"
"Yea. We can try."
She smiled.
"Becoming friends?"
"Friends?"
Veer paused.
"Wait.What? If we're friends, why did you tell them I'm your boyfriend?"
Meera's face immediately changed.
She looked away.
"I told you. It was a mistake."
"A mistake?"
"Yes."
"You just accidentally called me your boyfriend?"
"I wasn't thinking."
Veer smiled.
"That's a very dangerous mistake."
Meera looked at him.
"Stop."
He laughed.
"Okay, okay."
She shook her head, slightly embarrassed.
"Just forget it."
"I don't think I'll be forgetting this anytime soon."
Meera rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
After a moment she took out her phone.
"Give me your number."
Veer looked at her.
" Why?"
"So I can contact my fake boyfriend."
He laughed.
"Woah. This relationship is moving fast."
"Just give me your number."
"Okay, okay."
He gave her his number, and she saved it.
Veer looked at her screen.
"What did you save me as?"
Meera quickly turned the phone away.
"Nothing."
"That means it's something embarrassing."
"It isn't."
"Show me."
"No."
Veer smiled.
"Fine. I'll save you as 'Fake Girlfriend.'"
Meera immediately looked at him.
"Don't you dare."
He started laughing.
She shook her head.
"You're annoying."
"You already knew that."
She smiled.
"Unfortunately."
They sat there for another few minutes, talking about small things and trying to figure out how they were supposed to behave the next day.
Eventually, Meera stood up.
"We should go."
Veer nodded and got up.
"Tomorrow?"
"College."
"Gate?"
"College gate."
"Okay."
Meera started walking, then turned around.
"And don't tell Rohit everything."
Veer smiled.
"No promises."
She sighed.
"I knew it."
They both laughed and started walking in the same direction.
Veer still had no idea how this fake relationship was going to work. He only knew one thing for sure: tomorrow when he met Rohit at college his friend was going to lose his mind.
And sometimes, life doesn't change because we are ready for something new; it changes because someone unexpectedly walks into our story and gives us a reason to take one more step forward.
End of Chapter 10