The bus jolts and I fall backwards. Aadhira starts laughing loudly, enjoying the Indian road trip. Aadhira also bounces lightly whenever there are bumps. I start laughing too, and we both keep laughing. 

Aadhira tries to get off her body but ends up falling back onto me. "Brother driver, please drive a bit more carefully." Aadhira laughs. I don't laugh for a second, but then I start laughing again.

Such coincidence doesn't happen with anyone else, but it's happening with me. Aadhira and I get tired. Aadhira finally moves to the side and falls asleep, and when the bus takes a turn, she ends up touching my whole body. 

Her head is on my hand, which has become her pillow. Aadhira says, "Now I'm not moving from here; it feels good. It seems even the bus driver wants this."

She made a joke, and I blushed. Wishes do come true.

Aadhira said, "Do you remember our PT Day?"

"From 10th grade?"

"Yes."

"You were very mischievous."

School time...

When Aadhira and all of us got tired after PT, our bodies were aching a lot. The PT exam had us doing 100 pushups. We needed some rest, our bodies felt like someone had heavily beaten us up.

"Today, let's pretend to be sick."

"Alright, do what you think is best! I enjoyed it." (wiping sweat)

"You're used to enduring this pain every day."

Aadhira, smirking, "Yes, you can think of it that way."

The PT dress was different. It was a light blue shirt and white pants. We all went to change. There was a lot of crowds, making it difficult to change in the bathroom.

"Aadhira, we will have to wait."

"Shall we go to the boys' washroom?"

"Ew, where do you get these ideas from?" I said, hitting Aadhira on her back with my school dress.

Aadhira tried to control her laughter. For the first time, Aadhira stared at someone for a long time. It was a girl, not a boy. When I turned to see who it was, it was the new transfer student who had come to our washroom. When there was so much crowd, she started changing her dress in front of everyone. 

Everyone except Aadhira pretended to look elsewhere. I covered my eyes with my hands, but when I saw Aadhira staring, I told her to close her eyes. She didn't, she kept smiling like a pervert. The girl noticed Aadhira, finished putting on her school dress, looked at Aadhira, and smiled. Their eyes met, and I was done for.

"What was that, Aadhira?" after the girl left.

"That girl has guts."

I teased, "What? She has no shame... what guts are you talking about?"

"If you have the guts, then you try it."

I blushed and didn't say anything but then thought of impressing Aadhira by doing something. Because the crush was on my mind, otherwise, she would call that new girl cool. While Aadhira was looking at herself in the mirror, I took off my T-shirt. 

Everyone started making noise again. The other girls closed their eyes. Our class was very cultured. Hearing the noise, she looked at me. I was wearing my shirt.

She smirked and buttoned my white shirt. "Ladki me dam Hai. (this girl has guts!)" I blushed there.

Aadhira then took off her T-shirt. By then, everyone had closed their eyes and got bored with the drama. Another girl gathered the courage, then another, and soon everyone started doing the same. The noise turned into fun. Everyone was changing while dancing. A wave of courage had spread. We changed and came out.

That girl was talking to some boys. She had brown hair tied in a ponytail. She glanced at Aadhira, but I had no idea she would come to Aadhira, say goodbye to the boy, and extend her hand.

"Sanaya."

"Aadhira," Aadhira shook her hand.

Without speaking, I said, "Hi, I'm Kiara."

"Aadhira, is she your friend?"

"Best friend." She said.

"Oh, I'm new here. I need help. Will you help me?"

Aadhira said, "Sure."

Aadhira still held her hand, it looked like Aadhira was crazy about that girl.

After she left, I asked, "Aadhira, have you fallen in love or something? You're behaving like a mad person."

"Sanaya used to live in my neighborhood, she's my childhood friend. She's mad at me and was trying to show off."

"Why did you two fight?"

"Let's go!"

"Tell me."

"Kiara! Have you prepared for the exam?"

She didn't answer my question. Sanaya was her friend. I feared my friendship might fade, so I did something crazy to show Aadhira she was mine. I held her hand and walked, which I had never done before. 

Sanaya was in class 10-P, so we didn't meet. Whenever we did, I would get irritated seeing her. They communicated with their eyes, smiling at some things. I didn't know what language they had learned from which book. they were real buddies. Unlike Aadhira and me, who spoke directly.

Aadhira and I were sitting in the library. Sanaya came and sat beside Aadhira, handing her a book. Aadhira opened it. It was a physics book. When I peeked into the book, it said, "When will you forgive me?" It looked like Aadhira was angry with her.

I whispered, "Aadhira, forgiveness?"

Aadhira wrote something and didn't show me. Seeing that, Sanaya started smiling. I got up, went to Sanaya, and looked into the book. Sanaya gave me a strange look because my actions weren't normal. Aadhira wrote, "Fuck off." My eyes filled with tears. Aadhira did the right thing.

Aadhira focused on her math problems. Sanaya kept studying there. I went back to my seat and tried to memorize my book questions. Soon, it was time to go home. Aadhira asked, "Kiara, will you go home alone today? I don't feel like it."

I looked at Sanaya and then at Aadhira. "Hmm." I didn't want to leave them alone, but I had to because I couldn't control Aadhira. 

I didn't know what happened between them. Aadhira and Sanaya remain a mystery to me even today. But after the 10th grade, Aadhira didn't talk much. We went to college, and Sanaya went to another college.

Present day...

"So, do you remember Sanaya?"

I remember, but I can't show Aadhira I'm angry. Sanaya is a bitch. "No, who was she?" (sweetly)

"She was the one who came in the 10th grade. She called today, she's in Mahabaleshwar. We can go meet her. I heard she got married... I don't know if it's true or not."

"Marriage is a good thing... probably true," I said happily.

"No, she can't get married. She said she wouldn't marry."

"But why?"

"Why... Kiara, she..."

What is she hiding? I get very angry when Aadhira creates suspense.

"Aadhira, what happened?"

"She wanted to marry me..."

"What a Backchodi! (bullshit)"

"What?"

"I mean, yuck."

"Huh?" Shit! what even I am saying, my brain is not braining.

"Leave it! When? why? how? where? Which? Whose? Whom?"

"Are you okay? ...Then I told her to stop joking because I don't like girls at all. I couldn't see her that way."

"What? You're telling me this now? Why the hell are we dating?"

"Calm down, listen! Kiara, then I thought maybe something was wrong with me. I might not be straight. I told myself these many times. It hurts a lot when you only have one option, so I told Sanaya to date me."

Wait huh? She is feeling sad because she is straight, and she wants to become queer. Are there such people in this world?

"When did you say that? You!.... Are you crazy?" My anger was rising.

"In the 10th grade. Remember that library thing? She told me when we were very young, maybe in 4th or 5th grade. I was in another school and then came here in 6th grade. When we were studying for the exam, Sanaya came over. A lot happened, it was very strange for me and That day..."

What happened that day? Oh Gosh.