I was a happy boy, until the day my girlfriend became invisible, Yes! She really became invisible.Hello, I am Sid, and this is m

Chapter 1 First Sight "Sid id, Wake up! You are going to be late for school," Mom announced. "I don't want to go to school," I said meekly while covering my head with a bed-sheet. Mom pulled away the bedsheet. "Why?" Mom asked with a raised eyebrow. "I am tired," I lied. "Sid, you can't lie to me. You are not tired." "How do you know, Mom?" "I am your mom. I know when you lie," she said confidently. "Mom, please I don't want to go to school today." "Siddharth Ahuja, you are seventeen years old, but sometimes you act like a five-year-old. Don't make excuses, get ready, and come downstairs," Mom said while opening the window of my room. "Mom, please call me Sid. The name 'Siddharth' is so old-fashioned." "Okay, but hurry up." 1 Ekta Renu Chandna I went to my bathroom and got ready in minimal time. I wore my favourite black jeans and a brown hoodie. I brushed my hair quickly and fixed it with gel. I took off my phone from the charger, slung my bag over my right shoulder and went downstairs. My parents were sitting in the garden area. Dad was reading the newspaper and Mom was talking on the phone with her patient. I was the only child of my parents. I lived in Mussoorie, a beautiful hill station in India, with my parents. I had everything one could ask for-caring parents, a big beautiful house, and loyal friends. My parents were doctors by profession, and they had quite an excellent reputation in the town since they owned a big hospital which was one of the leading medical institutions in Mussoorie. Rita, our house-help, served me an omelette with brown bread and poured orange juice into my glass. Rita was of average height, had chubby cheeks and brown hair. She had been working at my home for the past ten years. She was in her mid-forties now. She was like a family member to us and always made delicious breakfast for me. I swiftly finished my meal. "Sid, your driver is on holiday today, and we are getting late for the hospital. So, you have to go to school on your own," Dad said. I knew how to drive, but my parents did not give me permission to drive the car until I turned eighteen. So, I decided to walk. After all, my college was just twenty minutes away from my home. I was walking as fast as I could. The weather was cold, and a strong breeze was constantly blowing. Suddenly, I saw an exceptionally beautiful girl walking down the street. She looked stunning in black jeans and a pink t-shirt. She 2 Invisible Girlfriend looked like an angel. I instantly felt a strong connection with her. She had eyes of a colour unknown to me while her hair was brown and tied in a ponytail. Her pink lipstick perfectly matched her fair skin tone. Words failed to describe her. A girl like her was hard to forget, and that is why I could not get her out of my mind since the moment I saw her for the first time. I was so spellbound by her beauty that I started following her. "Sid! Sid!" I heard a familiar voice calling me. I turned towards the voice, "John... John and I had been best friends since our childhood. He was a tall, dark and handsome boy with black hair and was the captain of the basketball team and an excellent student. Moreover, he was also the best-dressed boy of our college. "Yes, it's me, my friend. Where are you going?" John asked while putting his phone in the pocket of his jeans. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I saw you from afar. So, I came here to meet you." I turned back to look at that girl again, but she had disappeared. "Oh no! I lost her," I muttered under my breathe. "What?" "It's nothing." "Hurry up. We are getting late. We have to catch the History class on time," John prompted. "Oh! Yes. How can I forget?" I rushed towards my school with John. I never liked my History class because of my History teacher Mr. Roy. 3 Ekta Renu Chandna He always annoyed me, and it seemed to me it was on purpose. As usual, I was not interested in attending his class, but I had to because of my parents. When I reached the class, I straight away went to my seat because I did not want Mr. Roy to scold me again as I was late, but luckily, he was not there. I was looking out of the window and thinking about the girl I had seen in the morning when Mr. Roy arrived in the classroom, but I was not paying attention. Suddenly, I heard a very sweet voice, and I looked up to see a baby- faced girl enter the classroom. It was the same girl I had seen in the morning on the street! Mr. Roy asked her to introduce herself, and I thanked God for sending her to my class. "Hey everyone! I am Angel Jaswal, but you can call me AJ. I just moved here with my family. My favourite subject is History," she introduced herself. She seemed very innocent and soft-spoken. Mr. Roy told her to take a seat. Luckily, she came and sat next to me! My heartbeat increased suddenly. I was feeling incredibly nervous, but somehow, I managed to say: "Hey, I am Sid." "Hey," she replied. Mr. Roy started his boring lecture, but I was staring transfixed only at her and admiring her flawless skin. I could not focus on anything else during the entire lecture except her. She, on the other hand, was so absorbed in the lecture that she did not seem to notice me gawking at her. As I moved my gaze away from her, I saw Mr. Roy staring angrily at me. At that moment, the bell rang loudly making me jump; Al was out of her seat instantly. When I came out of the classroom, Al was not there. Then I thought I would catch 4 Invisible Girlfriend Rita served us the breakfast. I hurriedly finished my breakfast, taking such big bites that I must have looked like a buffoon to my parents. I wanted to go to school as soon as possible. I wanted to see Al again. I was not able to sleep a wink the whole night because of her; I felt so restless and excited at the thought of seeing Al the next day. Though I never believed in love at first sight, I fell for her the very movement I laid eyes on her. "Why are you in such a hurry?" My father questioned. "I don't want to be late for my History class." "But you hate History, right? my mom asked, with one eyebrow raised. "Not anymore," I lied. "You know you can't lie to me. So, why do you even try?" "Oh, Mom! I am getting late. I will tell you later." I ran to the parking area. My driver was waiting for me in our white Mercedes. I was brimming with excitement because I would finally meet Al now, after a long night's wait. When I reached the school, I stepped out of my car in a hurry. I was going to the History class. Suddenly, John appeared in front of me and stopped me in my tracks. "Hey, Sid!" he said. "Hey, John, what happened?" I replied absent- mindedly. I was in a hurry. "What happened to you? Why are you in such a hurry?" "I don't want to be late for the History class." "Oh, really? Since when did you start liking the History class?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. 7 Ekta Renu Chandna "I don't like it. I just don't want to be late for it," I said. I was getting desperate with every minute passing. I wanted to see All "What?" "Nothing. You tell me, why did you stop me? Is it something urgent?" I changed the topic. "I have two tickets for the music concert happening in our town in the evening." "No, I don't want to go." I did not like to go to the crowded places. "Oh! But why? Our favourite rock band is coming. "I have to go to my grandparents' house in the evening." Suddenly, the bell rang, and both of us went to the class. The moment I entered, my eyes started searching for AJ, and then I finally saw her! She was sitting next to my seat. She was wearing a black dress with high black heels, and her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail. She looked stunning. "Hey, AJ!" I greeted her. "Hey, Sid," she replied. "You remember my name?" "Of course, I do," she said. I was delighted because she remembered my name. I was on the top of the world! Just then, Mr. Roy arrived in the class. During the whole lecture, I was looking only at AJ. Her hair had come loose from the confines of the ponytail and had cascaded over her shoulder, and her face was emanating a radiant glow. This time she noticed that I was watching her, but she did not say anything. At that moment, the bell rang loudly. As we were about to leave, Mr. Roy caught hold of me and started scolding me about 8 Ekta Renu Chandna We sat there for one whole hour. We talked to each other about school and our family backgrounds. She seemed a little dejected while she was talking about her family, I noticed. She told me her father was an engineer and her mother was a homemaker; she also had a younger brother. I also told her about my parents. We both kept talking to each other about all things under the sun. I soon realized that Al was not like other girls. She was quiet, calm, and there was something mysterious about her. I could not place my finger on it, though. I was so immersed in talking to her that I did not notice that everybody was staring at us. I thought both of us looked great together and that is why everybody was staring like that. Al's food tray was lying untouched. She had not even opened her can of soda. "Why are you not eating your lunch?" I inquired. "I am not hungry." "So, what do you like besides the History class? I mean, what are your hobbies?" "I like playing basketball." "Really? That's my favourite game, and I am also the Vice Captain of our school basketball team." "Oh, that's good. That's why you look so fit." I could not help but blush at her comment. I was so nervous, but I did not let it show on my face. "I also love to listen to romantic Hindi songs," Al said. "Me too! Oh my God! Our choices are so similar." "Do you like reading also?" I asked. "Oh, yes. Although romance novels are my favourite." I beamed with happiness on hearing that. "I also love to read romantic novels," I said. 10 Invisible Girlfriend Eventually, I found that Al and I had lots of things in common. I was feeling a strong connection with her already. A strange affinity which I could not really explain. It was time to go to our next class now that the lunch break was over. Al sat next to me as usual. The English class was my favourite, but I was not able to pay attention because of Al's presence so close to me. I was feeling transported to some other world altogether. "Sid! Sid!" I could vaguely hear a male voice coming from afar. I shook my head to jolt me back to reality. "Yes, sir!" "Where are you lost?" All the students started laughing. "Sorry, sir." "It's okay, but please pay attention now." "Yes, sir." After school, AJ and I walked to the parking area. My driver was waiting for me there. The weather was getting cold and chilly. I took out a black jacket from my bag and wore it. "AJ, can I drop you somewhere?" "Oh! No! No!" She looked shocked at the mere thought of me dropping her home. So, I did not insist. "Okay, as you say." I did not want to make her uncomfortable. I sat in my car and rolled down the window to wave goodbye to AJ. As the driver started the car, I turned to take one last look at AJ, but to my surprise, she was not there. It was as if she had disappeared like smoke in the air. 11 Chapter 3 Love Confession As s I opened my eyes the next morning, I felt like something had changed inside me. I jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face and went back to my room where the sunlight was streaming inside through the window. I looked out of the window and found that it was a pleasant and sunny day. Then, I noticed that someone was standing below the tree just outside my house. As I paid close attention, I realized to my utter shock that it was none other than AJ! I was astonished and happy to see her there. I ran downstairs and flung the gates open to go outside. But till the time I reached there, she was gone. I made my way back to my house, dejected. I was very perturbed. I did not know why she came and then left without meeting me. It was a very unsettling experience. I do not know why, but I was suspicious that something was not right. "Sid!" Rita emerged from the dining room. "Yes, Rita." "Your parents have left early today. They had an urgent meeting at the hospital." "Oh! Okay." 12 Invisible Girlfriend "So, what do you want to eat?" Rita asked politely. "I want a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice." "Okay, sure." Rita said and went to the kitchen. My phone rang loudly. My friend John was calling. I was not in the mood to talk to him, but I answered the phone anyway. "Hey, Sid. What's your plan for today?" "Plan for what? Don't you want to go to school today?" "It's Sunday, you i***t! Who goes to school on a Sunday?" John laughed. I got so lost in my thoughts about the incident that had just transpired that I totally forgot that it was Sunday, John and Nikita were going to the mall for bowling. I did not want to go anywhere. I just wanted to sit and laze around at home. "I am not well," I lied. "Oh, in that case, you should take rest. See you at school tomorrow then." I hung up the phone. Rita served me the breakfast. After finishing my meal, I went to my room and let my mind wander. Why did she come? Why did she leave without meeting me? I wanted to meet her, but I did not know where she lived. The rest of my day went in obsessing over my thoughts. In the evening, when my parents came back from the hospital, we all went outside for dinner in my dad's black BMW. When we reached the restaurant, it was virtually empty. The ambiance of the restaurant was quiet and classy. The background music was soft and peaceful. It was one of the most famous restaurants in the town. We usually go there on Sundays. We all got seated at our usual table near the window. My mom excused herself to go to the restroom. I got lost in my thoughts once again. 13 Ekta Renu Chandna "Sid, why do you seem so lost?" Dad asked. I shook my head in denial. "Nothing, Dad. I just have a headache. Don't tell this to Mom though. She worries too much." "Okay, I will not, but here, take this tablet." My dad handed me a painkiller that he pulled out from his bag. Mom came back from the restroom. A tall, skinny tired-looking boy appeared in front of us with a menu card to take our orders. The designer silver glasses and plates placed on the table in front of us looked extravagant. "What will you like to order?" he asked. "I will have a Chinese platter and a diet soda," I replied. Mom and Dad also ordered for themselves. After about twenty minutes, the waiter appeared with our order and also served the same on to our expensive plates. The Chinese platter which came on a hot sizzler plate looked very appetizing. After finishing the lovely meal, we went to an ice-cream parlour. "What will you have, sir?" the lady at the counter asked my dad. I ordered a chocolate ice-cream sundae, and my parents ordered a mango sundae. After finishing up, our driver who was waiting for us in the parking area drove us back home. Next day I got up very early. I took a long relaxing bath and went downstairs after dressing up. After having breakfast with my parents, I left for school. As I reached the parking area, I spotted AJ. I thought of probing her about yesterday's incident. "Hi Sid, how are you?" she said graciously. "I am fine. How are you? How did you spend your weekend?" I asked with curiosity. 14 Invisible Girlfriend "I went out of town with my parents and brother for a picnic." "What! But... I don't understand...I... I saw you outside my house on Sunday!" "No, that cannot be! You must have seen somebody else.". "Hmm... Maybe." I mumbled, unconvinced. "Should we go to the class?" Al asked politely. As we walked to the class, I kept replaying the incident in my mind. I was sure that I saw Aj in the morning, but then, I figured why would she lie to me? There was a possibility that I had seen somebody else. Al was looking at me quietly all this while. "Al, could you please give me your mobile number?" 1 asked cordially. "Err... I don't have a phone, sorry," Al replied. "Oh, No problem. Give me your landline number in that case." "Sorry, I can't. My parents are very strict. They do not allow me to talk on the phone with boys." She seemed uncomfortable. "Oh." I did not want to make her more uncomfortable. So, I changed the topic. "Have you done your homework?" "Yes, have you?" "Nope, I don't like History at all. It's the worst subject. Whenever I open the History book, I feel either sick or sleepy." AJ sputtered out a laugh. 15 Ekta Renu Chandna As the days went by, we became close to each other. We used to go everywhere together-the classes, the cafeteria, etc. Our bond was growing stronger. One day, she was sitting in the classroom all alone. Hardly anyone had come to the school that day because of the heavy rain. She was wearing a simple pink t-shirt and blue jeans, yet she looked so beautiful. She was looking out of the window and seemed to be gloomy and desolate. "Hey, AJ. How are you today?" I asked, politely, "Hey, I am fine. How are you?" Al asked, graciously. "I am fine," I replied. "Sid, I want to tell you something about me." "Is that so? But Al, if you don't mind, I want to confess something first." I said cautiously. "Sid, listen to me first." "No, please let me speak first, or I would not be able to speak later." "Alright. What do you want to confess, Sid?" My heart was pounding, and I had sweat all over my body, but still, I gathered all my courage, and I said, "AJ, I love you." Suddenly, Mr. Roy entered the classroom with some other students. Everybody started to stare at me like I was an i***t and started mumbling and giggling among themselves. I did not understand why they were making fun of me like that. Perhaps they had heard my confession of love to AJ. It was a very awkward moment for both of us. Mr. Roy started his lecture, and I kept thinking about how AJ would respond to my declaration of love. She was sitting right next to me, but she was avoiding eye contact 16 Invisible Girlfriend with me. I tried to talk to her after the class, but she totally ignored me. I felt awful. In the free period, I went to the library. I saw Al there. She was sitting alone at a corner table, reading. I waved to her, but she did not see me. I was waving my hand like mad, but she never once looked in my direction. I felt it was deliberate. It broke my heart, and I headed back home feeling despondent Chapter 4 Awkward Silence "We elcome home, son," my mom said. She was beaming. "Good evening, Mom." She was saying something to me, but I did not pay any attention. I straight away went to my room. I threw my bag on the couch, took off my shoes and threw them in the corner. I wore my pajamas with a white t-shirt, and I lay down on my bed and did not realize when I passed out. In the evening, Rita came to my room with dinner. "Where is Mom, Rita?" I was feeling dreadful because I did not listen to her when she was saying something to me in the afternoon. "She went to the hospital. Your father had called her in the evening from there, and she told me that they would come late at night." "Oh." "Do you need anything else?" she asked while serving me the dinner." "Please, get me a cup of coffee." 18 Invisible Girlfriend "Okay, right away." She closed the door while going out. I ate the dinner alone. Rita brought a cup of coffee in my favourite black ceramic mug, and after cleaning my bed, she left. At night, I was lying on my bed thinking about AJ. What have I done? Why did I confess my feelings for her? 1 should have waited for some more days. I kept tossing and turning in my bed. I felt awful. I got up and drank a glass of water. I switched on the television to distract myself from my thoughts, but it did not help. The next day, I apologized to my mother for my bad behaviour. She forgave me instantly. After eating breakfast, my driver dropped me at school. I saw Al in the hallway in school on my way to the classroom, but she did not even notice me. She was totally ignoring me as if I was invisible! That really hurt me a lot. Some more days passed in this manner; she did not talk to me at all, she was still totally ignoring me. I was distraught. Then one day, I saw her in the cafeteria. She was sitting alone in the corner like she always did. The whole cafeteria was empty because of the music competition going on in the school basement. I thought this was the right time to talk to her. "Hey, Al," I said, as I sat on the chair. "Hey, Sid," she said in a fragile voice. "Why are you ignoring me, AJ? What is the matter?" I asked her somewhat meekly. "No... I am not," she replied, without making any eye contact. "But you have been ignoring me since the day I confessed my feelings for you." 19 Ekta Renu Chandna "No, I am not ignoring you. Actually, I did not have the courage to talk to you." Her tone was weak. "Courage? But for what?" I asked her, surprised. "I didn't have the courage to accept my feelings for you," she replied. For a minute, I was stunned into silence. I could not believe my ears! I was ecstatic and so relieved but also a bit frustrated because I had been silently suffering for so many days thinking that she utterly hated me. "But... But why?" I asked. "Al, I love you, and you already know that; then why were you afraid to accept your love for me?" I demanded. She seemed so disheartened. It was as if she was internally struggling with something. "You love me because you don't know my reality. If you knew the truth about me, you would never have fallen in love with me." She was almost sobbing now. "What reality?! You're wrong, AJ. I love you no matter what your reality is," I said in a firm voice. "Sid! Just listen to me!" she requested, earnestly. "No, you listen to me!" I went on to assure her further. "There is nothing that would make me change my mind. Please, AJ... Please, accept my love. Give me a chance at least? I will prove to you how much I love you. "I know you love me, but I don't deserve you." "What are you saying? It doesn't make any sense. Please AJ, just give me a chance." After much ado, Al finally agreed and made me very happy. I promised her that I would never ever hurt her and would always take care of her. I wanted to hold her hand and reassure her of my love, but I hesitated and thought she might find it inappropriate. So, I contented myself 20 Invisible Girlfriend by just looking at her. After school, we were standing and chatting in the parking area. Suddenly, my phone rang. My driver was calling me. I answered the call. "What happened, Sid?" Al asked. "Nothing, it's just my driver calling to tell me that he will not be able to pick me up today. My car has broken down," I said while putting my phone in my pocket. "Oh, so how will you go?" "I will walk." "Okay." "AJ, let me walk you to your house. After that, I will head home." "Oh, no you don't have to do this. I will go on my own. I don't want my parents to see you with me, actually," AJ said. She looked nervous. "Okay, at least have a coffee with me before you leave?" Al stood there silently. Her behavior was odd. Her parents must be very strict. That is why she is behaving like this, I thought to myself. "Al, it's just a coffee. You don't have to worry. Your parents will not come to know. Let's go. C'mon!" After a lot of persuading, she finally agreed to have coffee with me. We walked up to the coffee house in the cool Mussoorie weather. I used to go there on a regular basis with John. The atmosphere inside was warm and cozy. The coffee house was nearly empty. So, we sat at the corner table near a big window that overlooked the beautiful valley. In front of me was lying a menu card. "AJ, what will you have?" I asked her, scanning the menu. 21