In Love With My Best Friend

PUNIT’S POV

I’m gay.

Well, not really. That’s what the others think. If you ask me why, let me tell you, it took me a couple of years to figure that out.

Apparently, people have this notion that guys into fashion designing or the nursing profession are by default gays.

I know, right? Crazy! I don’t even know where they got that idea from! And maybe I’ll never find out. But hey, you don’t see any of them hitting on other boys. At least most of them. And even if they do, so what? That’s their choice. That doesn’t make nursing or fashion designing the official course for gays.

Okay, I know you must wonder why I brought this up. For one, I’m frustrated that people think I’m gay. I’m not. Now, let’s get that clear. I’m happily married to a woman, for God’s sake. And two, I’m a nurse. A male nurse.

There, I see some of you scrunching up your faces already.

Whatever! I’m a nurse. Whether you like it or not. And to be honest, I hated my job too. Like, who wants to go around asking old timers, “do you want to pee?” “Do you want to take a dump?” “Are you wet?” “Come, let me change your diapers.” “Ooh! Now that’s a big load!” It’s... well, tiring and... weird. I’m kind of used to it now.

I never wanted to be a nurse, to be honest. I’ve always wanted to be an actor. But then, my mom was like, “acting? Is that even a subject of study? Go do something worthwhile in life, something that will help you stand on your feet instead of making faces a profession.”

So, I took up nursing, because apparently, male nurses were in demand. And at that point in time, it was the standard protocol: wrap up your studies and get a fucking job in the US, or Australia or UK, blah-blah-blah!

Oops! I cussed. I rarely cuss. But blame it on her. Now that I’m with her 24/7/365, I’m sort of soaking up a lot of her. Swearing comes to her so naturally. Irritate her, and the first thing you’d hear is an F.

You must be wondering who I’m talking about. Who else? Anki.

Ankita Agarwal. Anki. We’ve been, well, ‘best friends’, since the 5th grade. And then, one day, it happened to her. Me? Well... (chuckling) I guess I’ve always been in love with her.

Okay, I got to make a move now. The jam is finally clearing up. Traffic here in the US sucks big time. Getting stuck up on the highway for hours is the last thing you’d need. Oh yeah, and I’m driving.

I know! You want to know more about her, right? About us? Then stick close. I’m taking you back to where it all started.

***

PUNIT’S POV

Hang on, I need to stop by this store. Anki wanted me to get some stuff for home. But that doesn’t matter, we can keep talking. Ok, wait. Let me just find a parking space.

Talk about luck, all spaces taken up, as usual. Now, finding one is going to be a pain in the ass. Oh damn, here we go again with the language. Oh, thank God! There’s one.

At the store now. Man, I love the blast of cold air from the air conditioner on my face each time I walk through this door. Is there anyone else like this, or is it just me?

“Good evening. How are you today?” That was the store manager. He kind of knew me pretty well, as I stopped by often.

“Awesome, like always, you?”

“Wonderful day here!”

“Perfect!”

“Enjoy your shopping,” he said.

“Thanks, I’ll see you around!”

I’m at the pulses & legumes section now. Didn’t have a list with me, didn’t need one, either. I knew exactly what we required.

Okay, where was I? Yes, Anki… where it all began.

Our first meeting wasn’t so… well… pleasant. I was in the 5th grade, and she was too. When she walked in on me, I was standing on the grounds somewhere under an enormous tree and sobbing like a girl. Two of her classmates were already around and trying to console me, but it wasn’t working. I just wanted to go home.

“What happened? Why’s he crying?” she asked curiously.

“That bully Sibal beat him up,” said one of the girls named Rachel.

“What? For what?” it irked her.

“Does he even require a reason? He’s the son of the chairman, isn’t that enough? Who’s going to question him?”

“The other day he and his cronies beat up that boy Ankur,” spat Vaidehi, the other girl, “and now he’s at home. Apparently, he suffered some ligament or muscle tear!”

“Why do they even allow it! It’s bullshit!”

And that’s the first time I set eyes on her. Thanks to all the tear build-up in my eyes, my vision was blurry. She was a little chubby, kind of cute, had pigtails and a guitar strapped over her back. She was a little tall for a girl. In fact, she was way taller than the other girls. Oh, did I tell you I was a newcomer there? I’d just joined that school a week or two ago, whereas she was there for years. And I already hated it. I don’t even know how she was getting along! But maybe she wasn’t being picked on much. Good for her!

I missed my old friends, all the fun and the jokes. Whereas over here, all I could expect was teachers who wouldn’t even care sixpence about you, snooty classmates, and bullies like Sibal Mukherjee! God, I hated him like anything!

In just a week, I had become his favorite target. His justifications for picking on me were silly, like he found me funny? Too lanky? Or because I had pimples on my face? Or he thought my shorts were too short? That’s ridiculous!

Anyway, I was crying. Like really hard. And I wonder if I’d looked funny to her because I was in a pair of shorts and had knobby knees.

The girls just stared at me helplessly, not knowing what to do.

“Don’t cry, yaar,” said Rachel pitifully.

“Yeah, you’re a tough guy, you don’t have to cry over his silly jokes.” That was Vaidehi’s share.

I wasn’t sure why exactly I was crying. Was it because it hurt where he hit me? Or because I felt humiliated? Perhaps I was anxious. Or maybe I wanted to run away from there. All that I knew was that I didn’t like it there. Not at all.

As for Anki, she just kept staring at me. Even through my tears, I could see the inferno in her eyes. She wanted to kill. Like a terrorist.

“Where are you going?” asked Vaidehi as Anki whipped around and marched away.

“Principal!” she answered. “Enough is enough!”

***