Midterms were only 11 days away. The teachers didn't stress on classes anymore so Vikram found himself spending more and more time at the library by himself, studying like many others did. He hadn't had time to hang out with Aditya and Ruvee much after that dinner but they still hung out for half an hour each day at lunch with Shruti.

It was after one such lunch date in the first week of July when Vikram walked back to the library where he could resume his studies. He opened his notebook and his eyes fell on a small note between the pages. It was folded and neatly placed between the creasing. Vikram picked it up and unfolded it slowly.

'Don Quixote- Miguel de Cervantes' was all that was written on it along with a page number. Vikram looked around. What was he supposed to do with this information? There weren't many people in the library and there was no one in particular that Vikram knew. But then, he noticed that on one of the desks towards the front, near the 'JKL' section of the library, sat no one other than Ruvee. Her eyes lifted off her book and locked with Vikram momentarily. She smiled and Vikram smiled back.

So she was the one to leave the note.

He wanted to walk over and ask what it was about but he presumed finding out on his own would be better. So instead, he found himself with a copy of the book in his hand, ready to open it and find out what it was.

Flipping the pages, he found himself where the note had indicated. There, highlighted with blue highlighter were the words '"Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind."'

Vikram laughed. Was this for him, he wondered? The note was in his book so it very well was meant to be read by him. Vikram read the sentence once more. Was his brain really dried up? Would he go out of his mind if he went on studying like he was?

He imagined Ruvee was worried about him. Just before lunch the previous day, Vikram had had a minor nosebleed in the library when he was studying, and he too had wondered if he was exerting himself too much. Plus the rising temperature was doing nothing to calm his brain down.

He closed the book and turned around to find Ruvee and tell her that he was fine and that she shouldn't worry about him but when he did, Ruvee was already gone.

It was a little odd. He had expected her to be beaming at him when he turned around but that wasn't the case. Maybe she didn't want Vikram to find out that it was her who had left the note? Maybe she wanted to be discreet about it?

Either way, Vikram considered the words from the book. Maybe a break was long due? He tried to convince himself to take a short break but he knew he had too much to cover for the short amount of time that he had. So he went back to his desk, folded the note and buried it between the pages of a book and got back to studying. Vikram was about to begin his work when he suddenly remembered that night at the restaurant.

He had completely forgotten that he had to check out the meaning of... what was it? Vikram thought and then it thought for a while. It had something to do with exposure and he only remembered that word because it was related to photography.

"Mere-exposure effect and interpersonal attraction." he exclaimed a little too loud, only to be stared down at by Mrs. Sengupta. He apologetically mouthed a 'sorry' to her and rushed to the psychology section of the library to find a book on it. He looked for an entire hour but was unable to find either of the two. A little disappointed, he retracted back to his seat. Maybe he could ask Vaibhav himself.

The next day, after lunch, he found another note in his notebook. This time, Vikram looked around to spot Ruvee but she wasn't in the library. He wondered when she had the time to leave the note in his copy when all four of them were at lunch together.

Nevertheless, Vikram opened it again.

This time, the note had the name '- P.D. James' along with a page number. It didn't take Vikram much time to locate the book and find the highlighted part. '"We can experience nothing but the present moment, live in no other second of time, and to understand this is as close as we can get to eternal life."'

Vikram stared at the sentence and read it once more. What was Ruvee trying to tell him exactly? Did she mean that Vikram was wasting his time not living in the moment? But right now, studies were what mattered the most.

For some reason, his own brother's voice rang in his mind.

"...shouldn't I make memories first that I can forget?"

Vikram sighed as he kept the book back. Perhaps Ruvee was right, but Vikram decided that he could live in the moment after the exams were over.

A third note waited for him the next day.

This one was a very short sentence from a book called Beloved by Toni Morrison. '"You are your best thing."'

Vikram smiled and shook his head. This was the nicest thing someone had said to him. Well, technically it was written in a book... Vikram went to the first page of the book... from 1987 but still, someone had taken the time to find those words out and send them Vikram's way and that in itself was as good as anything.

From then, the notes kept coming, one per day, each getting more and more affectionate.

Some of them, Vikram had read to the point where they were etched in his mind.

'"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple."' from The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. Or '"Whatever our souls were made of, his and mine are the same."' from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Or even '"There is never a time or a place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a single, flashing, throbbing moment."' from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

Vikram had to admit- since he found the note that led him to The Truth about Forever four days ago, he had begun seeing Ruvee in a different light. He hadn't noticed that she was incredibly beautiful; anyone could agree to that and had a full face with flawless skin. Her hair was short and straight, about shoulder length and it bounced when she walked or moved. He had always liked the fact that she was tall, falling only two inches under Vikram's height and for some reason, he found that very alluring. Vikram couldn't deny that Ruvee had a foul temper but that was part of what made her so interesting. She was intelligent, kind, understanding and had been a true friend, rather the only friend when Vikram had no one to turn to.

As he noticed her more and more, Vikram couldn't help believe that perhaps, she wasn't the only one who had all these feelings inside of her. Maybe Vikram did too, for her.

Vikram returned from lunch on the 10th day and like the previous nine days at school, he found another note in his notebook. He smiled fondly. He hadn't really talked to Ruvee about them because if she wanted to keep this hushed, Vikram could do that for her. He picked up the note and was about to open it when someone came running to the library.

"Class twelve students have been asked to go to their class for final discussion class" he announced to everyone and ran away.

Vikram noticed how his classmates scrammed to rush out of the library and towards the classroom. He wondered if he could sit it out but decided against it. If the teachers gave any tips that might help him, he could very well use them.

Keeping the note back in his notebook, Vikram packed his back and proceeded to his classroom.

When he reached, the class was already full. He found his way to his regular seat and Shruti, Aditya and Ruvee were already there. He looked at Ruvee and they exchanged a smile before he took his seat next to her.

The heat was becoming unbearable now, especially in the last bench of the class where the fans hardly reached.

"I can't believe it hasn't rained once all these months." Ruvee complained, using one of her notebooks as a fan to cool her face down. She had a flush on her cheeks that Vikram found adorable. The teacher in the class, Mr. Shukla was giving them last-minute pointers on math. It wasn't anything Vikram hadn't noted himself before. "I swear I will die if it continues to be this hot." Ruvee continued.

"I think it will rain tomorrow." Vikram said, vaguely remembering the weather forecast he had overheard last night at home while having dinner.

Ruvee sighed and turned her attention to the front of the class while Vikram turned to look out of the window. His school was up a small hill and from the third floor, across the fields, the faint make of the mountains far and wide made the view almost luxurious, like people would pay to actually wake up to this. It was calm and peaceful and despite the heat, Vikram could feel a certain serenity inside of him. Mrs. Shukla left and Mr. Mathias, their chemistry teacher walked in but Vikram paid no attention.

Vikram was still engrossed when a sudden murmur erupted and took his mind away from the outside. He looked forward, only to find Aditya's seat empty.

"What happened?" he asked Shruti who looked worried.

"He said he was in a lot of pain and rushed out of the class."

Vikram blinked. It was so sudden, he couldn't put it all together.

"Can someone go check on Aditya please?" Mr. Mathias said and Shruti raised her hand.

"Vikram can go." Shruti said.

Vikram looked at her confusingly and then at Mr. Mathias who nodded at him. "Check if he is alright."

Finding his footing, Vikram dragged himself out of the class, worried and wondering what had happened to Aditya all of a sudden, that too a day before the exam. He rushed to the stairs to get to the school nursery when a pair of hands grabbed him from behind the stairs and pulled him in.

Vikram was stacked against someone, he could feel it that someone had their hands around him but he didn't know who it was because the pull had been so sudden that it had scared Vikram out of his wits.

Now he was standing by the stairs, with his eyes tightly shut and in someone's hold.

"Shh..." said a voice and Vikram slowly looked up into nothing but the big, bright eyes of Aditya.

He blinked, blank and thoughtless. All he could register was that the moment his eyes met Aditya's, he heard the pounding of his heart in the pulse of his ears.

Slowly, Aditya let him go and Vikram inhaled sharply, feeling like all the air in the world had been sucked into his lungs.

"You... you're not sick?" Vikram asked, free from Aditya's hold but still, dangerously close to him. So much that his whispers only reached Aditya's ears.

Aditya shook his head. "Come on." he said, taking Vikram's hand and putting a very noticeable distance between them. "We're going out."

"Where?" Vikram asked.

"You'll see." Aditya said, dragging him.

Vikram tugged on his hand and Aditya stopped. He turned around and saw that Vikram looked worried. Aditya presumed he didn't want to miss out on the extra lectures and that he was worried about the exams but he was so, so wrong.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Vikram asked instead.

Aditya couldn't take his eyes off Vikram at that moment. The concern in his eyes was the realest thing he had seen in a long time. "I am sure." Aditya said, walking closer and assuring Vikram.

"Then why did you run out of the class like that?"

He leaned in until his lips were mere inches away from Vikram's ears. "I knew Shruti would send you after me if I ran out abruptly."

Before Vikram could process what had happened, Aditya pulled back and flashed Vikram a grin, making Vikram forget about everything else.

"Let's go." Aditya said and Vikram had no recollection of how he left the school campus and walked through the back of the school gate, across the forest and the hill that opened to a clearing that led to a small freshwater lake.

"What is this place?" Vikram asked as he stepped into the clearing that opened to the small lake.

Aditya walked ahead of him and towards the water.

"Do you like it?" he asked as he turned around.

Vikram looked around and his eyes could see plains rolling ahead with hills just behind him and the reed around the lake were dried to a crisp. He nodded. "Yes. I love it."

Aditya smiled, again! "No one knows about this place. Well, at least not from school."

This was a surprising fact. Vikram had thought this place would be pretty popular with everyone at school, especially those who skipped classes regularly. "How did you find it?"

Aditya folded the legs of his trousers and stepped into the water until his ankles disappeared. "I found it last year." Aditya said. "We had lost a match and I just needed a place to think so I went for a walk. Before I knew, I was already here."

"It's wonderful." Vikram exhaled.

"Get in." Aditya said, playfully but Vikram shook his head.

"I can't swim."

"It's not that deep." Aditya said, holding a hand out. "Plus, I am here."

Vikram looked bemused. He wasn't too sure about it. Even if the lake wasn't deep, it must have creatures, in it, right? Things that crawl up to his feet and up to his legs and back and...

Vikram shook his head. "I am fine." he said and took a seat on the clearing, resting his hands on his knees.

"Very well." Aditya said and shrugged. "Your loss."

With this, Aditya proceeded to undo the buttons of his shirt before taking it off. The key on his neck shone with reflection under the glare of the sun. When he was done, it casually threw the shirt towards Vikram. "Hold on to it" he said before turning around and taking a dip in the water.

Vikram held Aditya's shirt in his arms, holding on to it tight like it was Aditya himself that he was holding. His eyes gazed over the restless water that had come alive with the ripples Aditya had created when he emerged and disappeared into the lake until he swam so far out that he became nothing but an unrecognizable dot on the surface. The shirt in Vikram's hand was creased under his touch and he could still smell the musk that oozed out from it.

"Too much aftershave." Vikram said to himself. He unknowingly grazed his fingers along his chin, feeling the faint roughness of what had never been a full beard. He had never used an aftershave himself, mainly because he didn't have to trim his beard that often since the growth wasn't too fertile. He had never given much thought to it, thinking something would sprout up in due time but now that he thought about it, the due time had been due for over a year now.

There was no wind on this day and the heat lay still in the air like it was its permanent residence. Aditya was still frolicking about and Vikram looked at him with playful envy. If only he had actually gone to the swimming classes that his mom had signed him up for when he was 10, he would be in the water too. Back then, he had felt so disconnected from everyone in the family that he had tried to go against every decision that his mom made. Refusing to learn to swim was one of them, among many others.

"The water's really good." Aditya called out, standing a little far from the edge of the lake. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

Vikram was sure he didn't want to drown, even if Aditya was there to save him so he shook his head. Although it looked tempting.

The temptation was perhaps obvious on his face because the next moment, Aditya emerged from the water and walked up to Vikram. He lent a hand out and Vikram looked up. The sun hung high over Aditya's head, making his hair shine a radiating light brown under the glow. He looked like he wore the sun as a crown in his head.

"I told you I can't swim."

"You don't have to." Aditya said, "We won't go that far. I'll be with you all the time."

Vikram considered the offer. Slowly, he nodded before holding Aditya's hand as he pulled his weight up.

Carefully, Vikram stepped into the edges of the lake. A refreshing coolness met his feet that resonated throughout his whole body. Aditya held both his hands and he slowly guided Vikram into the waters. Once he was content with the fact that Vikram was in a safe space, he let go of his hands.

"Take your shirt off." Aditya said.

Vikram looked at him shockingly. "What?" he asked, suddenly feeling the flush rush back to his cheeks.

"It'll get wet in the water, take it off."

It took Vikram a moment to understand what Aditya had said. Of course. Aditya was right! What was Vikram even thinking?

He undid the buttons of his shirt and took it off.

Aditya took it from him, rolled it into a ball and threw it across the water and it landed not far from where Vikram had laid Aditya's shirt on the clearing.

"Careful." Aditya suddenly said, face grim and tensed. "There are water snakes here."

"What the fuck, Aditya?" Vikram screamed and began freaking out, stomping his feet in the water frantically, trying to scare the snakes away. He continued to look around the water in a frenzy.

"I swear I felt something touch my legs." Vikram cried when he couldn't see anything. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" he continued. He looked at his legs that were knee-deep in the lake, trying to spot the snakes. What if one had already latched on to him? Fuck!

This was what he was afraid of. Fucking water snakes in the fucking water! Why was Aditya still here? Why wasn't he guiding Vikram back to the dry land, away from the monstrosities that dwelled in the lake?

Vikram wanted to scream until it made the snakes deaf and then paused, wondering if they had ears and could hear! Fuck! He thought. This wasn't the time to think about the hearing abilities of reptiles. Ready to dash, Vikram looked up from the water at Aditya, wanting to ask for help.

Everything stopped for a while. Standing there, in front of him, was Aditya, clutching his stomach and laughing like Vikram had never seen him laugh. If Vikram had thought Aditya's smile was like a thousand blazing suns, his laugh was an entire universe that could will things into life.

"I am sorry." Aditya said amidst his laughter. "I didn't know you'd freak out."

Vikram didn't hear a word Aditya said. He was so wrapped up in the sound of him laughing that everything else was background noise.

When Vikram didn't say anything, Aditya stopped and looked at him. He took a step closer.

"You okay?" he asked, his hand reaching up the side of Vikram's arm.

Vikram blinked. "What?" he asked.

"I asked if you're okay."

"Are there really snakes here?"

Aditya shook his head. "I was kidding."

Vikram smiled. "Then I am fine." he said and then, without any warning, drowned his hand into the water before splashing it onto Aditya's face. "But I still hate you."

"You're dead." Aditya responded joyfully as he cleared his face, only to return the favour.

The splashing continued for some time until they grew tired and couldn't find the energy to drench each other anymore.

"Do you want to check for snakebites?" Aditya teased when they were done and stood still on the water.

"Asshole!" Vikram said, laughing, still unable to believe that Aditya had scared him like that.