THAT AWKWARDNESS

KHEERA

Various questions ran through my mind , Is he cheating on me with her ? Maybe she's just a friend ,but why is he holding her like that?

"Let's just go kheera " Tracy said and I couldn't resist but let her drag me out ....

" Kheera please wait ! I heard Henry call and I paused , Tracy eyed me but I ignored her ....

Henry met us outside the mall ,the girl isn't with him ,I knew it ! Maybe they are cousins .....I forced a smile ......

" Can I speak to you alone ? He asked his gaze wondering from me to Tracy and to Raymond who I had even forgotten was there .

" No you won't share any of your lies with my best friend again ! Tracy yelled fuming with anger

I know she has my best interest at heart but she can't interfere in this .....

" Raymond can you please take Tracy to the car ? I pleaded and he nodded

" Wow! Just wow! Tracy replied really pissed ,she jerked her hand off Raymond's and walked away in annoyance ......

" I'm sorry about that " I said to Henry who looks annoyed with Tracy's attitude

He has never really liked her too ......

You can apologize ,I am willing to hear anything you have to say .I thought within .

" Erm .....khee.... I'm sorry ....."he paused.

The way he called my name gave me goosebumps .

" It's fine , I'm not annoyed , the girl is your cousin right ? And you've been busy which is why you haven't been picking my calls and reading my texts right ? I asked smiling at him ..

I know I sound pathetic and cheap but if that's the only way to keep him then I'll gladly do it !

" Calm down kheera ... please let me ......"

" Babe what's going on ? You've kept me there for too long " the girl said coming out of the mall and cutting him short ....

Babe ? Do cousins call each other that nowadays?

It's not like I have one so I wouldn't know .

" Kheera .....look ......listen .....meet my fiancee pearl ,we are getting married next week ." He continued casually .....

I saw the girl blush ......

I bursted into laughter ,he really has a knack for making people laugh right ?

" You can't be serious Henry and please stop it if it's a joke , fiancee? What ? Are you kidding me ? I replied covering my mouth with my hand to stop me from laughing too hard .....

I paused to see him looking serious and then it dawned on me ,he wasn't joking.

All the years I spent with him is down the drain .

I suddenly started walking backwards ....

" Kheera wait , please , I'm sorry ,it just wasn't working and I didn't know how to tell you ,with pearl everything is just so different and I love ......."

I slapped him hard on the cheek , I'm not going to stand there and watch him say he loves another woman to me ,never !

" Babe ! She yelled and ran to check his cheeks

" What the heck is wrong with you ?

He doesn't want you ,accept it and leave ! She yelled at me .....

I am not going to fight with another woman over a man! I won't do that to myself !

" We are done ! I yelled at him and walked to the car

One more thing I can't stand is letting him tell others he left me ,no ! I left him ! I said the last words .......

Immediately I got into the car ,the tears I managed to control came flowing freely ......

Raymond started the car engine ........

" Hey ....it's fine , you'll be fine ,he's not worth the tears ,don't let him ruin your day " Raymond said looking at me from the rear mirror.....

Tracy ignored me .

" You can go cry at home if you want ! Just stop shedding tears here " Tracy finally spoke up .....

'' Tracy ! Raymond yelled at her .....

'' what ? She chooses to be stupid and that's her concern not mine ! She knew the relationship had crashed months ago but she kept holding onto that idiot even when I clearly told her the guy is a cheat ! She yelled ......

The fact that she's right made the words sting ,I knew Henry had changed a long time ago but I wasn't ready to give him up .

but I'm not going to let her talk to me like I'm a child ! Not today ......

'' and who are you to tell me what to do and what not to do ? My mum ? Or my big sis ? The last time I checked we are mates and I can freaking make decisions I like with my life ! It's not yours ! I yelled back at her .....tears still flowing freely down my face ......

'' will the two of you please stop yelling at each other ? Raymond pleaded ....

Tracy started clapping .....

" Kudos to you ! You can live however you want to it's your freaking life but don't just cry here in my car the last time I checked the car is mine ! She yelled back at me ignoring Raymond's pleadings .....

'' stop the car ! I yelled

'' kheera calm down ,let me just take you home " Raymond pleaded

'' stop the damn car ! I yelled hitting his seat and he pulled the car to a stop , before he could say anything I opened the door ,walked out and slammed it back .......

I walked quickly so I could move far away from the car ,I started walking aimlessly.

suddenly rain started to pour heavily ,I didn't bother to hide ,I needed the rain to drench me .

How can he break up with me so casually? It's different with her ? So I'm the problem

After four years he just realized it's not working

He wasn't going to tell me he was getting married right?

I cried and cried shivering in the cold rain not bothered about the fact that people were looking at me like a crazy person ........

Few hours later............

RAYMOND

I kept turning restlessly on my bed ,after kheera got down from the car the heavy rainpour started ,I had to go drop Tracy who was fuming with anger at her house before I came back home .

I'm just so worried !

What if something has happened to her ?

I know this is a major heartbreak for her and she must be crying tirelessly somewhere now ,I've seen Tracy console her few times back then when they were in high school but this is something worse .

What should I do ?

My phone beeped with a message

I rushed to check it

" Please help me look for her ,she's probably somewhere crying in this cold rain ,you know that crazy girl gets sick easily "

From Tracy

I think my sister is the crazy one , although I sometimes envy their friendship ..

Despite their fight she still cares about her .

I rushed off the bed , grabbed my keys without hesitation and ran outside .

Few minutes later .............

I've called her phone repeatedly and it's switched off

I don't even know what to do .

I kept entering every turns and places she might be

I decided to go check the area she got down from the car ,I drove slowly so I could check if she was there ......

I was about turning to leave when I saw a figure that looked like her shivering in the rain .

I parked immediately and rushed out of the car .

She sat down on the floor , crying and shivering like a child in front of a store ,her clothes stuck to her body like glue and her hair soaked and wet from the water ,the rain fell on me too .

Shit ! I forgot to grab an umbrella !

I took off my jacket and covered her with it ,she looked up

I helped her stand and walked her to the car ,she sat in the passenger's seat obediently like a child and I got into the driver's seat ,I started the car engine and took her to her house .......

" Thank you " she finally spoke up when we got to her house after taking a hot bath and drinking the hot tea I made for her while she bathe .....

" It's fine " I replied

" You need to get some sleep ,I suppose you must be suffering from an headache now considering how much you cried and spent in the rain " I continued .

She looked away shyly as if embarrassed ....

I smiled .....

'' you don't need to be embarrassed kheera ,these things are normal " I said to calm her down but it got on the wrong path with her ....

'' normal? Someone casually breaking up with me after four years is normal? She yelled .....

I threw my hands up in surrender ....

'' you know I didn't mean that ,I just didn't want you to be embarrassed " I replied

She had started to cry again .....

I walked to where she sat and I sat beside her on her bed ,she hugged me and I patted her gently on her back ......

It's the first time she'll be getting this close to me and it felt awkward or should I say I feel this heat rising in my chest .

What's happening to my body ? Why am I feeling this way ? It isn't the first time I'll be hugging a girl .

She eventually looked up ....

" I'm sorry I've soaked your shirt " she said smiling still holding onto my clothes although she had withdrawn from the hug

'' it's fine "

I need to leave this place before I become insane with the way my body is reacting

It's kheera for God sakes!

My sister's bestfriend!

'' I need to leave now , I hope you'll be fine ? I asked as I made to stand up she held more tightly onto my shirt ....

I paused ...

What's going on ?

" Kheera ? I called.

she immediately released my shirt

'' I'm sorry " she replied looking embarrassed again ....

I smiled ....

I got up and hit my leg on her bed frame and fell on something ....

It's not a thing ! It's her !

I fell on kheera our face few inches apart !