April 2006

Vikram tapped his pen repeatedly on his desk. Why was time moving so slow? He was already done with his paper but the exam rules dictated that he wasn't allowed to leave the hall until the entirety of 3 hours were over.

He couldn't wait to run out of the hall, find Aditya and Ruvee and go to Aditya's house. The past month had been monumental for Aditya who was finally handed over his dad's house two months after his eighteenth birthday. It took some time and legal proceedings but in the end, Aditya got it. He had moved in immediately after his uncle said that he was moving back to his family, which was just a few days ago. But Vikram had been too wrapped up in his studies to visit him and had promised that Ruvee and him would visit on the last day of the exam and this was it. It was the last exam of the 12th board and he would finally get to see Aditya's house.

Only if time moved quicker.

Vikram waited and he waited until the bell rang. The moment it did, Vikram rushed to the front of the class to submit his paper and sprint out.

The moment he stepped out, he found Shruti standing there. "Can we talk?" she asked.

Vikram really wanted to find Aditya and not deal with whatever this was. He was about to refuse when Shruti spoke up again. "Please, I won't take much of your time."

Shruti walked to the end of the hallway and Vikram followed.

Pulling something out of her pocket, she handed it to Vikram. He noticed it was wrapped in shiny paper.

"Happy birthday." Shruti said.

Vikram, stunned bur reserved, slowly reached out and took the gift.

"I came by to your house last night but you weren't there."

"Yeah." Vikram said, "I went out to dinner with my family."

Shruti nodded. "I am sorry for whatever I said that day."

Vikram shook his head. He had already forgotten about it. "It's fine."

"Open it."

Vikram unwrapped the box and opened it in front of her. He found a flat box containing a video game CD. At first he thought it was a movie or something but that didn't seem like it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's a PS2 game." Shruti said.

It was funny how Shruti had known Vikram for over 10 years and still didn't know what he liked and disliked.

But then Shruti added something else. "It's from Mohit and me."

At first Vikram was shocked that Shruti even remembered his birthday but then it made sense when she said it was from Mohit. In the past years of knowing Mohit, it was only twice that he'd remembered his birthday and on both occasions, Mohit had gotten him video games. But it had turned out, that they weren't for Vikram at all because Mohit had chosen games the liked the most so he could play them at Vikram's house when he was around.

"Thanks." he said and was about to put the game in his bag when Aditya and Ruvee walked up to them.

"What's that?" Ruvee asked, looking at the CD box in Vikram's hand.

"A PS2 game."

Ruvee looked at him in confusion. "But you don't play PS2 games"

Vikram wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. He tried to tell Shruti not to mention his birthday to anyone but before he could, Shruti spoke up. "It's his birthday gift."

Vikram's eyes followed Ruvee and then Aditya. Ruvee looked shocked and Aditya looked... betrayed?

"Oh fuck!" Ruvee said, slamming her hand to her head. "It was your birthday yesterday, wasn't it?"

"It's no big deal." Vikram said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Aditya suddenly asked.

"I don't like celebrating birthdays. It's really not that big..."

"We have to do something." Ruvee said turning to Aditya.

"We're going to my house anyway. We can decide the rest later." Aditya said while not taking his eyes off Vikram.

"Can I come?" Shruti asked cheerfully and Vikram found it odd that she wanted to be a part of the group again. But then, thinking back, it didn't seem so odd after all. Since the time Shruti had so unapologetically spread rumors about Kshitij being gay, a lot of people had stopped hanging out with her. Some even began avoiding her on her face. Probably this was why she had apologized at the hospital and was now willing to hangout with them again.

"We're going to stay there for the weekend." Ruvee said. "Will your parents be okay with that?"

Vikram had already informed his mom that since it was the last day of the exam, he was planning on spending the next two days at Aditya's house. She had inquired a few things, taken his address and landline number, spoken to him personally about it, was only relieved when Ruvee assured her that she would be there too, which seemed very odd to Vikram..

She had even sent the car over so they could drive to Aditya's house after school.

Shruti did not even hesitate to nod. "They'll have no problem if I inform them."

"Sure then." Aditya said and turned around to leave. "You can come too."

Aditya was mad, Vikram could tell. But why? Was it because Vikram had accepted the gift from Shruti?

Vikram exhaled. This did not seem good.

An hour later, they were at Aditya's house.

Vikram stared at the exterior in awe. They had driven a little far out from the city to reach Aditya's house and Vikram just couldn't get enough of it.

It was a small double storied cottage with big windows and a big, lush garden all around it. There were trees on either side of the cottage and the garden was lined with plants and bushes all around.

It was the single most beautiful house Vikram had ever seen in his life. And to think that Aditya was about to sell it? Vikram shook his head. No, he would never let Aditya sell this, not now, not ever.

If Vikram was impressed by the exterior, the interiors knocked him out of the park. The setup was entirely of mahogany wood and rich matching furniture. When Vikram walked into the living room, he also found a fireplace there, right in front of the main seating arrangement.

"Wow..." Vikram exclaimed and turned to Aditya. "It's amazing."

Aditya didn't say anything and turned to others. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

They followed him as he showed them the living room, kitchen and two bedrooms on the ground floor and then took them to the floor above. Just like floor below, this floor too had two bedrooms but instead the living room and the kitchen, the upper floor had a huge open verandah that was covered from the top but open on three sides. And it opened to a view of plain rolling fields and mountains far ahead.

It was breathtaking.

Vikram did not have any words.

"I can live here for the rest of my life." Ruvee said.

Aditya laughed. "You're welcome to."

"So this was your dad's?" Shruti asked.

Aditya nodded. "He had it made when I was probably fifteen so that we would come out here on the weekends and just relax."

"I wish relaxing was a full time job." Ruvee said. "I could move in immediately."

Aditya chuckled. "You guys choose your rooms and get changed. I'll get some coffee ready by then."

"I didn't bring any clothes." Shruti complained.

Ruvee pulled her by the arm. "I have plenty." she said pushing Shruti in front of her. "We're taking the two rooms below, you two can stay on this floor." she said, turning around and winking at them before leaving.

Vikram tuned to Aditya. "Are you mad at me?"

Aditya did not even look at Vikram.

"I have to make coffee." is all he said and left.

Vikram did not understand why Aditya was behaving like this suddenly. Why had he suddenly become so cold and distant? It could just be about the gift Shruti gave him, could it? Maybe it was because Shruti was here and he was just being careful? If that was the case then maybe Aditya was right in avoiding Vikram. He tried not to think much about it.

When Vikram went back inside, he realized his bag had already been placed outside one of the two doors. He picked up the bag and went into his room to get changed.

Aditya, Ruvee and Shruti were already in the living room when Vikram walked in. Shruti was seated on the sofa next to Aditya so Vikram took the only unoccupied armchair in the room.

Ruvee asked something about the house that Vikram didn't pay attention to because he was too busy looking at Aditya, who seemed to be ignoring him. Or maybe he was just being extra careful because Shruti was here? Vikram couldn't tell.

The had their coffee, chatted for a while before afternoon turned into evening.

"Did you inform your parents?" Ruvee asked Shruti suddenly.

"Oh shit, no!" Shruti said, immediately jumping up the sofa and taking her phone out of her pocket. She walked out the door to talk in private while Ruvee offered to take all the mugs back to the kitchen.

Finally, Vikram turned to Aditya.

"Are you mad at me?" Vikram asked.

Aditya looked up at him and something in the shadow of his jaw shifted. "I should start a fire." Aditya said and Vikram thought he was making an excuse. It was the middle of April. Why would they need a fire?

But then Vikram noticed that it was chillier than he had imagined. In the city, mid-April evenings didn't feel so cold but Aditya's house was in the hills and the evening was much colder than he had packed for.

So Vikram let him go.

"Ruvee..." Shruti suddenly yelled coming back into the house.

"Yes?" Ruvee asked, surfacing from the kitchen.

Shruti placed her hand over her phone and whispered to Ruvee. "My dad's angry and says he's going to come get me. Please try to convince him to let me stay."

Ruvee's eyes flew open. "What?"

Before she could resist, Shruti placed the phone on her hear.

"Please." Shruti pleaded.

Ruvee sighed. "Hello?" she spoke into the phone.

"Namaste uncle... yes uncle... yes uncle... no, absolutely not, uncle... Boys?" she asked, looking at Shruti who waved her hand in the air, indicating a no. "No, uncle, no boys, just me... yes uncle... okay uncle... sure uncle... good night uncle."

When Shruti hung up, Ruvee heaved a sigh. "You just made me lie to your dad."

"Thanks." is all Shruti said in response.

"All good?" Aditya asked, surfacing with logs of wood.

"Yes." Shruti said and sat back down.

The fire started and they spent their time in merriment of dumb charades, them talking, Aditya cooking and Ruvee helping, them eating and talking some more before it was already time to sleep.

Vikram lay face up on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He turned and checked his watch. It was 2.14 am. It had been one hour since he had retired to bed but sleep seemed lost. Vikram couldn't stop thinking about how Aditya had ignored him all night. Vikram had presumed that it was because of Shruti that he was being careful but something had been off about the night. The way Aditya had ignored him, not even looking in the eyes and not answering whenever Vikram called, told him that this was more than that. He just wasn't able to figure now what.

Knowing that he won't be able to achieve any sleep if he kept thinking about it, Vikram decided to check on Aditya and ask him directly.

Vikram got off the bed, rushed out of him room and walked to Aditya's.

He was just about to knock the door suddenly opened.

Vikram jumped. "Fuck!" he said, holding his hand to his heart. "You scared the fuck out of me."

"What are you doing here?" Aditya asked.

Vikram stood straight. "We need to talk."

Vikram thought Aditya would refuse, or would ask him to leave, or even worse, shut the door on his face. But he didn't do any of that.

"Okay." Aditya said instead and opened the door to him room completely. "Come in."

Vikram walked in slowly and Aditya shut the door behind him. It creaked on its way back and Vikram was afraid that it might wake the others.

"Yes?" Aditya asked, stacking his back against the door.

Vikram suddenly felt like there was miles and miles of gap between them, even though he was hardly ten feet away. "Why are you mad at me?" Vikram asked, without beating around the bush.

Even under the faint glow of the moonlight, Aditya looked devastatingly breathtaking and all Vikram wanted was to pull Aditya closer and kiss him.

"Tell me why you're mad at me, Aditya."

Aditya looked up and stared into Vikram's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday yesterday?"

Oh, Vikram thought. So this is what it was about. "There was no reason." Vikram said.

"Is it because you think I can't afford to buy you something?"

Vikram looked at him in surprise. "What?" he asked and shook his head. "No. No Aditya that's not what it was about. I swear."

Vikram hadn't even thought of that. And he had no idea Aditya had been in this misconception all along.

"Then what was it?"

Vikram sighed. "I... I don't like birthdays." he said. "They're always depressing." and then he laughed. "Do you know this is probably the first time in ten years that Shruti has even wished me? She's known me for ten years and for most of it, neither her nor Mohit have acknowledged it."

Vikram tilted his head low and stared at his feet. "I know it sounds petty but I've had only Mohit and Shruti since I was a kid. And it's not like they were the best of friends, but they were all I had. When I was a kid, it really made me feel miserable that they didn't remember my birthday but then I got older and just accepted that."

When he lifted his head up, he saw Aditya standing right in front of him.

"Fuck!" Vikram said, jumping again. "Stop scaring the fuck out of me for fuck sake!"

"You know you have a very dirty mouth."

"And?"

Aditya shook his head and smiled. "And nothing, I love it." with that, he pulled Vikram in for a hug. "I don't care about Shruti or Mohit but I am sorry that you had to go through that." he said. "And I am sorry I overreacted." Aditya continued. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you."

He wrapped his arms around Vikram tighter. "I too am glad that you were born." He said and Vikram faintly remembered that he had said something similar to Aditya on his birthday.

Smiling, Vikram tilted his head back. "Just ask me if there's something bothering you, okay? I can't stand to see you ignore me like you did all day today."

"Do you think that was easy for me?" Aditya asked and shook his head. "No, you're right. I should have just asked you instead."

Vikram rested his head on Aditya's shoulders. "Thank you."

"It's true, you know?" Aditya asked.

Vikram pulled himself away from the hug. "What's true?"

"That I can't afford to buy you a gift."

Vikram laughed. "Makes you want to rethink blowing your savings on school cafeteria just to make out with me, doesn't it?"

"No it, doesn't."

"No?"

Aditya shook his head. "Because it was worth it."

"You're such an ass!" Vikram said, laughing.

Aditya let Vikram go. "I do have something for you, though." he said.

Vikram looked at him curiously. "You do?"

Aditya nodded and in the very next moment, he reached his hand behind his own neck and pulled out the chain he had been wearing around, the very chain that had Aditya's house key on it.

He held Vikram's hand and carefully placed the key inside.

Vikram blinked at the key and then at Aditya.

"You're... you're giving me your house?"

This made Aditya laugh. "Well, no." he said through his laughter. "That will require a lot of legal procedures." he paused and held Vikram's hand in his. "But I am sharing it with you"

"Aditya..." Vikram said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't accept this."

"You gave me something that was a part of you, I am just returning the favor."

"That was a camera" Vikram said. "This is a fucking house, Aditya. A house. I can't..."

"I need someone to clean the garden, the house, the interiors, check the water supply every now and then, the electricity, the wood for termite infestation, trim the grass and maintain the bushes, water the plants etc. etc. You know I can't afford house help. You're all I got."

'You're all I got' Vikram repeated in his head and then laughed recalling the rest.

"So you need a cleaner, is that why you're giving me the key?"

"You can call yourself the Maintenance Manager if you'd like, I don't mind either way."

Vikram shook his head. "I hate you!" he said, laughing.

"No, you don't." Aditya said. "When I will be in Paris, and when you miss me so much that it's unbearable, come back to his house. I won't here but I am hoping this house makes you feel like I'm around."

That actually sounded nice, but terribly tragic at the same time. Vikram had told Aditya of his plans of staying in India and taking up the photography course here itself so he could be close to his family and Aditya had told him that it was an excellent idea. Vikram believed Aditya was offering him a safe haven and Vikram liked the idea of having a place to turn to.

"Wait..." Vikram said, suddenly curious. "You have a spare, right?"

Aditya closed his eyes in disbelief. "Did you really think I'd give you the only remaining key to this house?" he asked humorously. "There's a spare below one of the pots out front."

Vikram sighed. "Should have been nice to have the only key though. I could walk around saying I own a house."

"It still doesn't work that way." Aditya mocked.

Vikram looked at him with nothing but fondness in his eyes. "Thank you!"

Aditya pulled him near and hugged him again.

They stayed there, just embracing each other for a while before Vikram pulled away. "I should go back to my room."

Aditya took Vikram's hand in his and placed a kiss on Vikram's forehead. "Or you could stay here."

Vikram swallowed a lump in his throat. "He... here?"

Aditya nodded.

"But... what if someone walks in?"

"Ruvee and Shruti have their own separate rooms." Aditya said. "I hardly see any reason why they would want to rush into mine."

Vikram breathed out. Staying in the same room as Aditya? For the whole night?

Before he could say anything, Aditya pulled him by the hand and onto the bed.

"Come on." he said as he pulled Vikram in.

Vikram's mind went absolutely blank. He wasn't sure what Aditya was planning but everything Vikram thought, went out the window when Aditya yawned and lied down.

"Let's go to sleep." he said.

Vikram relaxed a little and shook his head, considering himself to be an absolute fool. He quickly followed and lied down himself, turning to his side to he could see Aditya.

The moonlight fell on Vikram's face, making his freckles stand out in contrast.

Aditya reached out and cupped Vikram's face, grazing his thumb over the freckles.

"You're so damn beautiful." Aditya said, looking at him.

Vikram felt a flush run up to his cheeks.

Aditya's eyes began dropping, and slowly, his hand dropped and before Vikram knew, Aditya was already asleep.

Vikram woke up to his face pressed against something solid. He opened his eyes slowly and as his senses awakened one by one, he realized that he was pressed up against Aditya who had his arms around Vikram.