Kashish

Notes:
1. It's a very raw one. Give me some time, and I will update it.
2. It's unfinished. Because I didn't know how to finish it. I know the ending, but not the words. Gimme some time for that, too!

They tried their best to avoid each other.
From the moment she had first set her foot in the class room, he had intuitively, and consciously tried to stay away from her. “She’s got an ego with a capital E.” “Why this holier than thou attitude?” “Too likeable for my liking.” He found himself finding reasons for not talking to her. Though he knew it’d come down to - “Why doesn’t she approach me?”
Anyone could have seen that he was the most popular guy in the batch. She could still recall the first time she had seen him – sitting at the front desk, smiling sarcastically over some idea he found rather silly. From that moment on she had feared him. She was always afraid he’d find her too chirpy, stupid or eager.
He had become more regular than he had ever been in the lectures, neither did she miss any classes. Even though they had a common friends’ circle, they never talked a lot to each other, or in each other’s presence. And even when the words did come, they came well thought-out, ‘coz without the other’s saying so, they knew everything was being paid attention to, everything being imprinted for later referrals. Though when the referrals will come, noone knew!
They had both gotten into this habit of getting to class early. Many a times they’d sit alone in the room – he, waiting for her to say something; she – trying to steady her breath in the air heavy with his presence. Sometimes they did talk, but it was even more torturous than the silence, which they were now getting used to.
One day he didn’t come for the classes. She couldn’t understand a word in lectures, spent all her time looking out of the window to catch a glimpse of that face – those eyes that smiled – sarcastically. Why didn’t he come? Have I done something? And then... How stupid of me! Why’d he not come because of me? He doesn’t even look at me! And again… But WHY didn’t he come?! The next day went, and the next to that. She couldn’t have been more restless. Too proud to go ask some friend, she spent hours looking out of the window that showed life fast becoming lifeless like her, with yellow autumn leaves. She still came early to the class, but each moment filled her with an emptiness, a despair like never before.
His decision to leave the class was not sudden. After months of waiting, it was a desperate attempt to throw her out of his mind. There was nothing else he was able to think of, when she was not in front of his eyes. And when she was with him, he did not even try to think. Why is it that she can talk to all the guys but me? Why AT ALL does she have to talk to them? …But why wouldn’t she? It’s her life after all. But why not me?! And don’t these guys have anything else to do? He was too confused, and yet too proud to show an iota of his feelings to a girl who didn’t even care.It was a week later that she finally saw him again. As she came out of the class, he was standing under the banyan tree with its yellow autumn leaves. There was no sound, no sight, nothing, noone around her as she went running to him and stopped less than a feet short. She looked broken, he noticed. And tired, and vulnerable. Nothing like the ego-centric, strong girl that he’d so badly wanted to run away from. Right now he just wanted to hold her, to protect her from everything that could hurt her. “Come”, he said instead. Without a word she started walking with him. Don’t know how long they’ve walked when she finally said, “Why did you leave?” It was a strange voice, something that was a mix of a self-sufficient mind and an emotionally full heart.
“I had a bet with one friend. Had to leave ‘coz I lost.”
“Hmm…. You shouldn’t have. Everyone missed you a lot.”
“They did?”
“Yeah, a lot – as I said. They like you a lot.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Anyway, what was the bet?”
She was back to her normal, self-sufficient self. They talked for hours, with silence interlaced. They talked of their batch, movies, cricket, politics, stars and landscapes. Of everything that they could have talked about, but nothing that they wanted to talk about. It was a conscious effort to maintain their sanity, at the same time maintaining their egos.
When they finally said goodbye, stars were already out in the sky. For some more time they walked in silence till they reached their home. As he was leaving, she called out from behind, "Rahul!!"

Two more lines remaining but I dont know how to put them in words.Will update in a few days.And any suggestions would be gladly welcomed :)