Chapter 11: The Sin
"That was .....", Naveen trailed off looking at Payal with wide eyes.
Payal nodded,"I know."
"I don't understand one thing though . How did Siddharth reach there, that too at that exact moment? And even if he did somehow, why did he punch Sagar? I've heard they are bestfriend. Uh...were", Naveen said as they walked towards the mess building.
"I don't know ,maybe someone saw what was happening and informed him, or it was just plain coincidence. And yeah ,they were best friends . But didn't you see how angry and crazed he looked ? Judging by his expressions ,I wouldn't be surprised if he punched him to death", Payal sighed.
"Was he angry because Sagar was about to hit YOU? Does he have a thing for y- Oww". Payal cut him off by hitting him on his shoulder lightly.
She glared playfully and said,"Did you even hear what he said? He was mad because Sagar 'dared to hit a woman' ,not me".
"Yeah ,but still...",Naveen trailed off but Payal glared at him again, causing him to let out an amused laugh. He raised his hands looking at her and said ,"Okay, okay .I'll stop."
Payal hummed and they walked quietly for a while, when Naveen suddenly asked,"Did you mean it?"
Payal frowned in confusion."Mean what?"
"That you don't care about me being ..gay?"He said while lowering his head.
"Of course , Naveen. It doesn't matter to me what your 'sexual orientation' is. I became friends with you because of who you are; sweet , friendly and a complete baby", Payal said chuckling a bit when his cheeks reddened . "Did you think I would turn my back at you after I come to know that you are different?Was that why you were crying?"
Naveen nodded."Back at my school everyone ignored me or bullied me for being what I'm. The friends that I had before forced me out of the group because their parents didn't want them to catch my disease,"Naveen chuckled humorlessly as his eyes became moist again. " When I came here , it was a new place and no one knew anything about me. I wanted to make friends here. Real ones. Then I saw you and Rashi in the mess and tried to talk. I thought if I hit on girls, everyone would think I'm actually attracted to girls and no one would doubt me . But somehow my room mate got to know and told Sagar. I was so afraid when he said he would tell you. I thought I would lose you and Rashi too. And when he finally said it ,you were so quiet ..".
"I was quiet because I was shocked . I hadn't expected that. But then you heard what I said to that dumbass,"Payal said proudly.
Naveen chuckled and nodded,"It was my turn to get shocked. I hadn't expected you to say all that to him. Seriously Payal, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. It's not even been a week and you already are so supportive of me. I couldn't have asked for more."He said with a warm smile on his face as he sniffed to keep his tears from falling.
"Now, now, I don't want to see your tears. Let's go meet Rashi",Payal grabbed his hand and tried to drag him inside the mess but when he didn't move ,she turned around to look at him. Naveen had a frown on his face making Payal raise her eyebrows at him in question.
"What if Rashi doesn't want to be friends with me once she knows?" Naveen mumbled sadly and looked down.
Payal sighed and held his face in her hands and lifted it so she could look into his eyes."Naveen, I don't think she'll hate you. Instead ,I think she will be happy. Because she was quite traumatised when you used that pick up line on her the first day. She will be relieved to know that you aren't going to repeat it ,"She tried to make logical reasons, laughing nervously.
She wasn't so sure herself. But she hoped Rashi wouldn't hate him .
Naveen nodded and took small steps inside the mess with Payal by his side. Just then the bell rang . The lunch break was over and Rashi was no were in sight. Naveen heaved a sigh of relief.
Payal turned to him,"Let's go out and eat something . You said you were hungry."
Naveen shook his head and said,"That was 45 minutes ago. I'm not hungry anymore. After all this."
Payal glared at him and took his hand in hers again,"Nonsense. You aren't skipping lunch. "
Payal led him to the benches outside the girls' hostel and made him sit on the one which was protected from the sun.
"Wait here. I've some fruits up in my room . I'll get them in ten",Payal ordered him causing him to nod obediently.
Payal smiled at his antiques and flew back inside the building.
**********
It was quarter past eight the same evening. Payal, Rashi and Naveen were seated in a relatively silent corner of the mess having dinner. Naveen and Payal exchanged nervous looks now and then while Rashi was oblivious to their struggle. Naveen was terrified of her reaction. If it had been up to him, he would keep it from everyone. But Payal had encouraged him to come out of the closet .
Payal nodded lightly at Naveen ,signaling him to say something. But Rashi noticed this and looked between them skeptically.
"What was that?"
Naveen kept mum making Payal shake her head . She decided to take the matter in her hands and said,"I think Naveen wants to say something".
Naveen's eyes widened dramatically at this and he gulped ,glaring at Payal. Rashi looked at him questioningly .
"Um-m I do?" Naveen said to Payal.
Payal glared harder at Naveen and jerked her head in Rashi's direction, pushing him to tell."Yes ,you said you do."
Naveen laughed nervously and nodded at Rashi and said,"Oh yeah, I do. Umm..Actually.."
Rashi continued to look at Naveen with raised eyebrows.
"Umm..Actually, this paneer is really good,"Naveen said and took the Indian cheese cube between his fingers and ate it ,pretentiously savouring its taste.
Rashi looked at him weirdly ,"Okay....Yeah ,it's good".
Payal had enough of it .She gathered all the paneer cubes from her plate in a spoon and dumped them into his plate."You like paneer ? Take mine too. You want some more?"She gritted out at him and huffed in exasperation.
Naveen gulped looking at a mad Payal and down at his plate which was now full of paneer.
Rashi was totally confused by Payal's reaction .Naveen took a deep breath and looked at Payal again, who was looking at him expectantly hoping he would just say it this time.
His heart beat increased and so did his courage. He turned to Rashi for the nth time and blurted out,"Actually, I'm Gay."
Both Payal and Naveen held their breaths ,looking at Rashi who was trying to grasp the information with a straight face.
Slowly ,her lips tugged up and she let out a low squeal ,"Oh my God , really?"
Payal and Naveen looked at each other at her unexpected reaction and nodded ."Yes really",Payal said in a low voice.
Rashi's smile widened ,"Yeessss. That's so great".
"You mean you don't have a problem with me being gay?"Naveen asked her as she continued to smile.
"Why would I have a problem with it? Actually, it's the opposite . I always wanted a gay best friend ", Rashi said with the same enthusiasm.
Naveen's eyes widened for the 99th time that day as he looked at Payal who had the same expression. And suddenly, the two of them broke into laughter leaving Rashi confused.
Payal wiped her happy tears and said to Naveen," I told you she won't hate you."
Naveen nodded and laughed again.
"Hate? Why would I hate him? I love him right now," Rashi exclaimed .
"And I love you both too", Naveen said to them with a fond smile and sighed.
**********
"I heard that you made a friend. And that it's a boy," Shivraj said to his daughter over the phone.
Payal gulped loudly. Of course her mother had told him. Nothing happened in the house or with the members of the house without her father's knowledge. Now the fact that she had made friends with a boy didn't sit well with his conservative morals.
Payal sighed and replied,"Yes ,Appa. His name is Naveen . He's fro..."
Shivraj cut her in ,"I don't want to know all that. I just want to ask you why you thought it was okay to be friends with a boy. As I told you before , this kind of behaviour is not accepted in this house as long as I'm alive."
"I remember what you said Appa, and I respect that , but he is my classmate and .."
"He still is a boy. Look Dear, as much as I trust you , I don't want to hear the same thing about you that I did with your brother",Shivraj said sternly.
Payal tried again and said warily," But appa , he is gay".
She heard his father scoff on the other end,"Payal , there is no such thing as a 'gay'. Those type of people are just suffering from a mental disorder . It's better you stay away from them."
Payal wanted to scoff back at her father for his dumb logic. Even her mother supported homosexuality as she watched Korean and Thai dramas and was enough taught about it. But her father was altogether a different case.
'You know why? Because I'm not a narrow-minded, chauvinistic ,homophobic pig like you'
Payal closed her eyes recalling the words she had said to Sagar the day before . She felt guilty . She felt like a hypocrite, like she had no right to say that to someone else when her own father was wrong in the first place .But she couldn't do anything about it. The so-called morals and ideas had deep roots which couldn't be removed from her father's mind .
Payal sighed in defeat and said,"Okay ,Appa. I'll do as you say." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lied to him through her teeth. She felt like she was sinning by lying to her father. Even though he was wrong ,she loved and respected him. All her life ,she had worshipped her mother and father like they were her only God. But now, things were changing . Her heart cursed her mind . But she had no choice . She surely wasn't going to end her friendship with Naveen. But her father needn't know that. And what he didn't know won't hurt him, right?
"Hmm. I'll hang up now. Take care."
"Goodnight ...Appa",Payal whispered but her father had already hung up.
Payal wiped her tears and silently prayed for forgiveness.
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone