1:
Raj rushed to Karan’s room, sweating profusely, pointing his fingers mid-air. Worried at how much he was panting, Karan followed him to the hall. Raj and Karan were taken aback by what they saw. Raj nudged Karan with his elbow to take control over the situation. Karan immediately grabbed the weapon that was on the counter. Before he could spray the hit in his hands, the cockroach in the hall began to fly.
They ran like there was no tomorrow.
A burst of laughter filled the room.
2:
All people want to feel at the end of the day is like they are seen. Every time he crosses her desk at work, he takes a moment to stand behind her back, patting her head gently. He does not know that this little act is sometimes the only thing that helps her cope with the hassles of the day.
3:
When his friend walked towards him at the airport three years later, a bout of tears spilled out. The rest of the group would recollect this and crack several jokes. But that day, he crushed his dearest friend with a hug in between waves of discomfort, mumbling “Lawda” under his breath.
4:
“I don’t know. Can you teach me?”, he said awkwardly, without looking at her.
5:
Do-nothing days were everything they yearned for. They wanted to Netflix and chill. He lay on the ground watching modern family while she sat on the sofa, opening the package of food that had just arrived. Time and again, his hands would gravitate towards her leg, massaging her feet.
6:
Varsha watched her mother, relatives, friends, and strangers throw unsolicited advice to her father about how smoking is harmful and how nothing should be exceeded beyond a certain limit. For his 37th birthday, she gifted him a unique ashtray depicting cigarettes consuming a skull. He hasn’t smoked a cigarette ever since.
His little princess turned 30 today.
He still grabs every opportunity he can to tie her shoelace.
7:
It was their first time in bed. Dating for 6 months had created enough sexual tension, it just could not be contained anymore. They kissed each other deeply. One thing led to another, and her fingers moved towards the button of his pants. He looked away and asked if they could just cuddle. She held him tight and patted his head.
He wept and wept and wept.
8:
As waves thrashed and looks of judgment passed, hands were held firmly.