I finished typing the entire story and looked at the place where Gayathri was sitting. She said something to Shalini in the ears and got down the stage. I looked at pixie-cut gayu as she was coming towards me.

“Maru can we go to the hotel?”

“Why? Function is not yet over pixie”

“I told Shalini… I am not feeling well so please understand”

“Oh okay let’s go”

I went with her to Alankar Grande hotel after informing Shalini. I saw that she was worried about something.

“Take rest then... I will wait in reception okay?”

“No Maru don’t leave ….I’m sorry… I lied to you….. Well I’m not sick”

“What the fish!”

As always my bad temper got into me. I slapped her hard and she fell on the bed. I was completely lost! She stood up with her hands on cheeks and smiled at me.

“Are you mad? Why did you lie to me? What will Shalini think about you? She’s alone”

“Well I just wanted to spend time with you that’s why”

“So what? You came for the function only right? Do you flirt with everyone like this?”

As I said that, tears formed in her eyes. She wiped it and tried to hide as if nothing had happened. Shit! Girls and their crybaby tears! I tried to leave the room. Gayathri grabbed my hand. Out of fury, I slapped her again.

“What are you a f** w**”? I’m not that knind of guy”

“Maru I love you”

“What?”

I stood surprised! Did she really say that she loved me? I looked at her. Her face was already hurt by my disgusting behaviour. I realised my mistake.

“See gayu I’m sorry for slapping and scolding you harsly…but love..? you can’t love me”

“Why? I fell for you the moment I saw you…please don’t say no”

“See pixie-cu……”

Before I could say anything, she grabbed my head and started kissing hard. I tried to push her,but I couldn’t…It is my first kiss well..

During that kiss,my head started showing live images of me slapping and scolding her. Tears fell without my notice and it touched her cheeks.

“Maru why are you crying?”

“Pixie-cut I like you…but Vaishnavi…..”

“Well I understand… You don’t need to say anything”

I held her hands and looked at her eyes. It was pale brownish and her face was a little red due to my slap.

“I see her in college daily pixie-cut…whenever I see her, it hurts”

“I’m here for you! Well do you still love her?”

“She is already engaged and her marriage will be ....”

“Well Maru you are the first boy that I fell for…. If you want, I can speak with her”

“And you are the first girl to kiss me…. I like you pixie-cut but …..love is ….well… I don’t know”

“Then what? Am I not good looking?”

“Well it’s not that… I still have a feeling that Vaishnavi may cancel her engagement and come to me”

“That happens only in movies and romance fictions Mafia”

“What? Mafia again? Want me to slap you again?”

“Yes…… If you want you can slap.. you have all the rights to do so”

“You are crazy”

“You too are Maru”

I smiled at her. I couldn’t help liking her. I placed my hands on the cheeks which I had slapped.

“I’m really sorry for behaving like that….. you can slap me if you want”

As I said that, she slapped hard on my face twice. I was surprised for a second! I saw her laughing hard. I took her hands and kissed her.

“Pixie-cut….. I still have the guilty conscience of Vaishnavi not speaking with me….”

“So what?”

“I need sometime…. If everything goes well, I will tell my love to you”

“Thanks maru”

“By the way…. I like the way you call me Mafia so call me in that way itself”

“Ha ha ok Mafia! Shalini  will arrive any minute now so go to the Reception.. I don’t want her to know about this.. otherwise she’ll kill me”

“I have a doubt Gayu”

“Yes tell me”

“How in the world did Shalini let you come here with me? I know she had called you only to support her in the function”

“Ha ha! I told that I have my periods so…..”

“Hey I have one doubt! What is periods? I have seen some girls running away from my class like that but what does that ever mean?”

“Ha ha shut up silly….. you are a very bad cracked up Mafia”

"Seriously I don't know pixie-cut.... Even my biology teacher didn't teach that topics in school... Curious that's why"

"Ha ha shut up"

“So you will be leaving as soon as Shalini comes huh?”

“Yeah! I think so…”

“Great… hey shhh….. I can hear someone approaching the door!”

I heard Shalini’s voice! Pixie-cut told me to hide under the bed so I hid under it and covered myself with sheets. The door open I saw Shalini entering inside.

“Hey Gayathri how are you feeling?”

“Yes much better Shalini”

“Where is Mara? I didn’t see him outside”

“How do I know?”

They both kept on speaking for sometime in hindi… I tried to figure it out but couldn’t understand. After sometime, Gayathri signalled me to get out of the room. I figured that Shalini was in the restroom so went outside.

The moment she closed the door, I rang the door bell again. Pixie-cut winked and opened the door.  I saw that Shalini had come out of the restroom.

“Hey Mara where were you?”

“I was having bajji bonda and tea… What about you Gayathri?”

We both acted as if we had not met each other. Shalini signalled to me that it was time for her to leave. After they packed their bags, I called a taxi and told the driver to drop them at the station.

“Aren’t you coming Mara?”

“No Gayathri…. My mom already called me twice so I have to leave”

“Well it was great to meet you.. Hope we meet again”

As Shalini turned her back for something, Pixie-cut signalled that she will message on fb. I smiled and winked at her.

“Bye Shalini ! I’m sorry if I was a disturbance to you”

“Shut up Mara! I should only thank you for helping us with everything…”

"Bye Gayathri"

As I waved to them, the taxi started moving. I looked at Nerdy pixie-cut gayu for the last time and smiled at her till the taxi was out of existence!