Ghostly Girl

Sharon Mathew
Aug 25, 2023
23 min read

Updated: Feb 26

I: Friends

I stood beside a bicycle parked before an entrance. Around me were houses with lawns before them, and I could not recollect no matter how much I tried as to where I was. The nearest sign was out of my sight, and there was no one to ask.

Out of nowhere, the door to the nearest house opened, and a neatly dressed boy in a white shirt, hand-stitched black pants, and polished formal shoes appeared with a rose in his hand.

I hurriedly asked, “Excuse me, could you tell me where I am?”

Not only did he not answer, but it seemed like he did not even hear me. He just walked to the bicycle and drove off. I shouted my question again, but he did not respond.

Looking around, I realised there was no one else and started running behind his bike. As I did, I continued shouting, and he continued his silence. I was losing him, and if he took the corner, I would be left in the middle of nowhere without a soul to answer my questions.

I sprinted but failed to be heard, and when I took the turn, rather than losing him, I saw him fly dashed by a car. I could not believe what I was seeing, and the moment he landed, I was sweating and breathing heavily. With my eyes wide open, I searched for him all around, but all I could see was the window wide open.

Even when the night’s cold wind brought chills all over my body, I kept staring at the moon and thinking about the boy; I told myself, “It’s just a dream, Sakshi, just a dream."

The following day, I woke up late. It took me some time to fall asleep again, and as usual, I freshened up with no greetings at home. My parents have always been disinterested in me. They do the bare minimum and expect me to grow all by myself. I wondered, if they were so uninterested in parenting, why bother creating me, or why did they only choose to do it once? I mean, why don't they do it again to give me company?

Honestly, to date, I don’t know my father's working hours and why my mother is so silent. Our house is as quiet as a graveyard. However, it is clean, beautiful and scented every nook & corner. Walking to the kitchen to pick up my box, I saw raw veggies and fruits in my pack, just like any other day.

I was about to leave when my mother, a tall, lean woman whose face was covered with deep dark circles, passed me an umbrella. Paying back a smile, I walk in the rain, wondering if something exciting would ever happen in my life rather than be stuck in this endless cycle.

I come from a small town, and we just had one school. I would have loved to throw away all my friends from high school and make new ones in college, but there were hardly any new faces. Everyone knew each other, and after the many episodes of me being a cranky companion in school, many of my classmates not only walked away from me but even gifted me the reputation that I was a know-it-all.

That attached to my sickening appearance and piss-poor communication skills ensured that I would never make a friend, and with every passing year, that task just got impossible. For years, right from the start of the day to the end of the day, it was just me moving on in life silently.

Shaking my umbrella and shoes as I reached class, I passed through all two-seater benches until the last. Settling down, I awaited another dull day. The rain just made it even worse, but just when I was all out of happiness, he arrived. The boy who lit up almost all the girls in our class, "Vedh!"

It turns out that our beloved college had an admission for Vedh but not a bench. Introducing himself and pointing to the seat beside me, Vedh questioned, “Is this seat occupied?”

When I nodded my head, indicating a no, with nowhere else to go, he had to share the bench with none other than me. And boy, oh boy, the number of stares I got on that day was more than what I had gotten for years.

He was tall, fair, and had a fruity smell lingering all over him. He asked, "Could you please tell me something about this class I should know before shaking hands?"

I honestly wasn't expecting that. I mean, if that is the first thing Vedh would want to know, I did not want him to be lied to. So, I whispered, "Most in this room have two faces. Don't dig deep to see the other face of anyone unless you are truly ready."

He looked at me, a little freaked out. He whispered, "You don't truly mean that, do you?"

I just smiled and stayed silent, recollecting my previous encounters in such discussions. I mean, honestly, this part I never understood this. People come to me for honest opinions and advice & when I give them, they look at me like I'm possessed.

In the following days, Vedh spread across the room and greeted one after another. Listening to their delightful conversations and thundering laughter, I presumed Vedh would move on, and I would be stuck in my place as anticipated. He did. For just the first two days, he sat beside me, and later, he moved on, and I was back to being my best companion.

That did not mean he never spoke to me. We spoke. He was perhaps the only one in class who took my words as they should be and reaped the benefit. I think he said, "You're an odd egg at the sight of it, but when you taste it, you are no different from any others."

For a while, I did not know what to make of it, but the more I thought about it, I started believing the more it encapsulated my personality. As weeks passed, Vedh asked me, "Would you like to play basketball?"

When I looked hesitant, he promised to teach if I was willing to give it a shot. Not intending to alienate the only chance to have a pleasant evening hangout, I agreed, and my Tuesday & Thursday were never more exciting.

I never thought anything could beat my excitement until a couple of weeks later, Vedh asked, "Sakshi, will you go on a date with me?"

If there was one thing I was never prepared for, it was this. I had never even anticipated such an occasion would happen anytime soon, and life threw it at me when I least expected it. So, putting together what I had at the last minute, I wore a black frock, a sleek silver chain with a diamond around her neck and red high heels. Vedh wore a red slim-fit shirt, black jeans and formal shoes.

The restaurant he picked had dim lights, and each table had candles in the centre. Placing the bouquet of white flowers, he gave me when I entered, we settled and ordered our starters. While tasting the sweet corn soup, Vedh said, “Maybe this would be the right time to apologise for not continuing to sit beside you, Sakshi.”

While I nodded, there was no need for such an apology. Vedh continued, “However, it was because of this decision that I realised your worth."

As much as I wanted to believe him, my gut told me he was buttering me. However, before the main course was served, he confessed, “As you might have presumed, I have moved in here because my father has recently joined the local steel factory. Unfortunately, that is far from reality. I am studying here only because I wish to leave home & be at peace. So I choose this place where I would know no one.”

Baffled, I asked, “But why?”

"Because I did not belong there, Sakshi. My existence there made no difference to anyone; I am a nobody in a big town & my parents love my elder brother more than anything else."

For once, I felt terrible for him. Beyond all that facade of a personality, he was nothing more than a boy seeking to be loved just like me. Thinking briefly about his last sentence, he asked, "How much do you think my parents took to say yes to send me here?"

Hoping to be kind, I guessed, "A night?"

He just smirked at my response. He whispered, "I know how you feel, Sakshi. I have no one just like you."

I could see him lost, and hoping to assure him, I held his hand. When he looked at me, I whispered, "We have each other..."

After a moment of silence, a faint smile appeared on his face.

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II: Partners

Honestly, I never thought my life would be exciting, forget interesting. I had not looked forward to attending college in a long time, and everything was going smoothly. I played basketball, laughed and had someone to talk to now. We could share all our insecurities, fears, and dreams with each other without worrying about judgements. There was a tangible bond between us & though it raised eyebrows occasionally, neither of us bothered about it.

Freshening up, I rushed to the kitchen to pick up my box, and before I did, I saw my father skimming through the newspaper, sipping his coffee. Looking at me, he folded the paper and put it down before asking me to sit with him. When I obeyed, he asked, “How is school Saki?”

I knew something was up. I was afraid my later evening arrivals would come to bite me, but my mother’s silence for about two weeks convinced me that I was safe. Apparently not. Noticing my silence, my father, a tall man with a coarse voice that more often than not scared me, gently asked, “Mumma tells me you are dating a boy...”

As I replied with a yes with my eyes, my father leaned towards me before asking, “Why don’t you let us meet him?”

Seeing my eyebrows narrowed in confusion, my father patted me on my shoulder and assured me, saying, “We want you to be happy, Saki & if this boy makes you happy, he is most welcome to join us & maybe even become one of us.”

This was the first time my father said something that filled my heart. I rushed & hugged him. Embracing me back, he smiled.

With my father’s request still ringing in my mind, I rushed to college. My excitement knew no bounds about the thought of sharing the information that my parents were inclined to welcome Vedh. Reaching the class a little late, I took my seat and sipped water while searching for him. When I found him, I waved, but he didn’t respond. I thought he did not see me. So I waved again; he saw me this time but did not react.

Baffled, I waited until the first class was done and rushed to him as soon as a break was issued. He looked at me as if some stranger was charging towards him. When I was almost about to ask what his problem was, he silenced me first, asking, “Are you searching for something or do you need anything?”

Stunned, I stood silent, not knowing how to respond. For the love of God, I could not comprehend if he was acting or being severe. When it kicked in that he was serious, I could not help but wonder why he was pretending like he was talking to me as if this was his first time. Realising the others were gawking at me about bothering him, I retreated without saying anything.

During the lunch break, I stuffed my food as quickly as possible. When no one was around him, and he was checking his phone, I hesitantly walked towards him. Just when I was about to reach him, Vedh stood up without realising I was behind him and left.

I was confused, broken & beaten. I did not know what to do, and I was so angry that I did not even stay that evening to play. All I did was do what I always have. Sit in my room alone & idle.

Lying on my bed, I saw the radium-painted solar system on the ceiling in the dark & cold room. Whenever I’m hurt, I end up alone, hoping to heal myself, and here, I am in charge. This is my world and domain. I remember the first time I spent the evening in silence. I shared my honest thoughts with a friend, but she used it against me. She wanted to be one of the cliques, and my reputation was the price tag. All she had to do was prove that I was a self-righteous snob asking for attention, and the rest was history. A history of an entire class outcasting me.

Over the years, I have ended up here more often than not. Every time I felt the lack of companionship or every time a friend shook their hand only to stab me in the gut. Over time, I thought I would become strong and would be able to take the betrayal, but even today, I realise I am not ready yet. I am the same needy girl looking for friends who always take her for granted.

I could not help but feel so with Vedh. He walked into my life. He asked me for a date and made me believe he cared only to trash me before everyone. Forget trashing; he was worse by pretending he did not even know me. Why would he do that? Why harm someone who is already beaten?

Anyway, enough is enough. I’m done & he isn’t a friend anymore. He fooled me once, and that should be the end of it. I mean, it’s better I stay alone than have friends like this who put me down when I trust them. Saying that to myself, I lay on the bed as my eyes filled.

On one of these days, my parents would not even knock on my door to check on me. It is usually the following day they ask me how I am doing. So, thinking about how to proceed starting tomorrow, I closed my eyes and slid into the night.

The following day, I freshened up & calmly exited my room. When I reached the kitchen, my mother kept staring at me with pity & honestly, I preferred if she asked me what happened than presume everything. However, I am in no position to tell her anything, and she is in no place to change how she operates. So, I silently picked up my box and rushed to school.

Like every other day, I sat in my spot, and unlike yesterday, this morning, Vedh waved at me the moment he entered the classroom. I did not understand why he was playing with me, but I just kept calm. Surprised at the lack of excitement, he waved again, and I just chose to remain silent. Shocked, he settled in his place, and the first class started. During the break, I turned to pick up my water bottle from my bag and felt a tap on my right shoulder. Turning around, I saw Vedh with a beaming smile, asking, “What's up with you today?”

Tired of being played with, I remained quiet and stared at him, and his smile slowly faded as he realised I was angry with him. I kept staring at him, wondering how does he not remember embarrassing me. The fact that he forgot his actions infuriated me even more, and my eyes were giving away how I certainly felt. Staring into them, he retreated, wondering what could have happened, I suppose.

At lunch, he turned around to look at me, and I could see regret on his face. However, I guessed that he was struggling to realise what he had done to anger me. I honestly felt bad for a moment about being so harsh, but if I let my guard down, I am setting myself to burn again. So I continued my silence, and we spent the entire day just speaking through our eyes.

Though we were supposed to play that evening, I did not want to. So I just packed my bag and started walking towards the exit. Seeing me go, Vedh ran towards me in the corridor. Holding my hand, he said, panting, “There is something I wish to tell you. Could you please come with me?”

My curiosity got the best of me, and I followed him to our spot, the bench beside the basketball court. We settled under lights and decorations that were being done for the school’s annual day celebrations, and Vedh did not say a word for the next couple of minutes.

I turned to look at him as to what was happening, and I could see him struggling to put his emotions into words. After much thought, the first thing he said spiked my feelings, and it was him whispering, “Firstly, I’m sorry about yesterday. I honestly did not anticipate such behaviour from my victim.”

My curiosity turned to confusion when he touched my hand before confessing as faintly as possible, “I am not who you think I am.”

Sacred and even mildly terrified, I tried grasping what he meant while hesitantly asking him, “What do you mean?”

He brought his lips near my ear and whispered, “I am not Vedh... I am a spirit that has possessed him.”

III: Well-wishers

I did not know what I was doing. I walked home, lost in my thoughts, as it drizzled. Though I was getting wet, I neither used the umbrella I held in my right hand nor rushed home, trying to escape the rain. I did not know how to react to the confession. I could not believe it, and at the same time, I could not discredit it.

At first, I looked at Vedh in disbelief, but his eyes kept telling me he was not joking. I moved a little further, and he understood I feared him and immediately assured me, “I’m harmless.”

My voice shivered as I asked, “Why?”

To which he responded, “I don’t know. One moment, I had a form; the next, I didn’t. I was surfing through the abyss, and it was dark and haunting. I wanted to live. Live at any cost...”

And then he admitted, “Fortunately, I found him. I found a self-doubting soul weaker than any mortal I have come across. Scared of being bound to wander in the eternal darkness, I seized the opportunity to live in his form.”

I still remember the pain I could see in his eyes. He seemed like he did not like to possess but only did so because he had no other choice. He even put it across when he said with a faint smile, “I did not want to take over him. However, when I met you, I could not leave...”

Truly broken about what to feel and how to take it, I told myself, “I’m done!”

I could not take it any longer. So I stood up, said, “I need some time,” and started walking home. To Vedh’s credit, he did give me my space and all through the journey, I was lost. I do not know what to do. I don’t know if any of this makes sense, but after all I have seen, Vedh seemed like two different personalities when he was possessed & when he was not.

That evening, I could not live with myself. There was so much to process, and I did not know where to start. There was no person I could talk to; even if I did, who would believe me? Who in their right mind would believe a ghost possessed a boy just to go on a date?

I spent nearly three hours trying to think of something rational that could make me live through this whole thing without breaking down, but the more I thought about it, the more I questioned. Bugged and unable to do it alone, I walked to Vedh’s home. He lived with his extended family because he denied moving with his parents, and when I knocked on the door, an older man opened it.

I presumed he was Vedh’s grandpa, and without even asking who I was, the old man faintly said, “I thought of reaching out to you, Sakshi. Good that you are here. He is upstairs. Go on…”

Walking past the lean man in his night robes. As I ascended the stairs, I saw him close the door & walk towards the sofa to continue watching television. Turning around to see ahead, I found Vedh’s room door open. Approaching the door, I saw Vedh working on his computer. From that distance, it seemed like he was journaling & when I knocked on the door, he looked back, and his eyes lightened up.

Approaching me, he exclaimed, “I knew you would come back to visit me. I knew it…”

Pretending to smile, I whispered, “I have a few questions.”

Asking me to follow him by waving his hand, Vedh took me to their kitchen. He offered me cake, cookies, and drinks, and I declined all of them. He realised I was only there for answers, so we settled on either side of their small dinner table. Since we were far enough from the living room, I asked without lowering my voice, “Do you remember what happened to you before you died?”

With a disappointed sigh, Vedh immediately confessed, “Trust me. I tried my best to recall it, but I do not remember. Not even a second of what happened.”

I could see him feeling bad at the thought of it, and not intending to hurt him, I said, “If what you say is true about possessing and as much as you like me, I think you should… go.”

Looking into my eyes, he smirked. I could not understand what he was thinking, but I felt I must certainly mention, “No matter how good you are compared to what the real Vedh is, this state of existence isn’t good.”

To which he retorted, “I did not choose this Sakshi. I was forced into this. If they dragged me to hell or heaven, I might not have been here in the first place.”

Watching his face fuming, I nodded in agreement and said, “Yes… but this state of existence cannot be there forever. I’m certain there is a solution. I’m certain there is a way out of this.”

I wasn’t expecting a glad sign from him, but watching his face fold like a dying flower pained me. After a moment of silence, he asked me in a broken voice, “Do you want me to be gone?”

I could not take it. I could not believe that I felt for a ghost, but trying my best not to reveal any of my emotions, I nodded a yes.

To which he replied, “Then I shall.”

I felt the heat when I opened my eyes to see the sunlight hit my face. Stepping out of my bed, I could see my room cleaned and hear my mother toying with our blender early in the morning. Freshening up, I walked to the kitchen to pick up my box, and I could see my mother looking at me as if I owed her some tea.

Not bothering about it, I picked my box, and right when I was about to leave, she asked me, ”I am a fan of late-night outings too, Saki, but I would want you to be cautious. Just let it be once every fortnight.”

Pretending to be obedient, I nodded in acceptance. My mother smiled momentarily, making me think I was off the hook. Turning around, I continued my journey until I reached the kitchen door. The late-night thing made me think, why don't I ask my mom about the solution if I had nowhere else to go?

So, turning around again, I hesitantly asked, "Maa, can you clear something out for me?"

Continuing to chop veggies for her smoothie, she nodded in acceptance, and I asked, "How do we liberate ghosts that are trying to possess us? Assuming there are ghosts."

Holding herself up from work and raising an eyebrow, my mother immediately doubted, "Where is this coming from? Are your classmates making you play summoning games now?"

While I nodded in disagreement, she waited for a moment for an answer and realising I was not going to give her one, she gave up and just replied, "I'm no expert, but as far as I know, every ghost has a wish that is unfulfilled, and that could be fulfilled, or a priest should liberate the spirit."

There was a moment of silence where I was thinking about how to move ahead, and my mother took advantage of the opportunity to ask again, "On the other hand, I ask again, where is this coming from?"

Realising she would not give up, I cooked up an answer and confidently replied, "It was a discussion in our class, and when they asked me if I knew a solution, I was out of one. So I asked you."

Though I tried to sell it to the best of my ability with my expressions, my mother still felt I was hiding something, and I knew it. So before she could speak her mind, I rushed out of the kitchen, "Bye-bye, maa!"

Rather than rush to school, I ran in the opposite direction to the only church in our small town two lanes away. Stepping into the nearly empty nave, I looked around for the priest. When I could not find him, I asked the servants of the Lord where their master was, and they pointed me to a chamber on one of the corners of the room. Seeing the messenger at work behind his desk, I knocked on the door.

Raising his hand to welcome me, the man in his fifties adorned in white robes asked me, “How can I help you, child?”

When I did not reply, he pointed his hand to ask me to sit down facing him. When I sat in the chair facing him and still hesitated to explain what happened, he assured me, "You can trust me, little one. I am here to help."

Though that did not do much to my thoughts and fears, it did give me time to sequence my thoughts and express them as slowly and clearly as possible. Throughout my efforts, the priest did not interrupt me once. When I finished, he looked at me with a face that asked, “Are you certain you are not cooking all of this up in your mind?”

Getting self-conscious a moment later, he changed his expression. However, he was silent, chewing on what I had just said, and I presumed he was hoping to ask how I was taking all of this. So I confessed, “I suppose I do not want my friend to go, but I believe possessing someone isn’t... right.”

A kind smile appeared on his face. Leaning back in his chair, he softly said, “I like you child. Though you know you will lose your companion, you wish to do the right thing.”

And that did not make me feel any better, too. I knew if my efforts came to fruition, I might never see the lovable Vedh ever again, but at the same time, how fair is it that I bound a spirit into a boy’s body for my greed?

While I was lost in my thoughts, the priest hesitantly continued, “If the boy volunteered & kneeled before the father, I could... try to liberate him.”

We were silent momentarily before he repeated, “I must admit that I could only try & the rest we shall see...”

I instantly nodded yes, knowing Vedh would surrender himself, but then again, I could not help but wonder if I was doing the right thing. Noticing me hesitate, the priest assured me, “The Lord always pays us twofold for our efforts, child. Do not burden yourself over your choice.”

Looking into his endearing eyes, I smiled back.

IV: Soulmates

That evening, Vedh and I hiked to look at the night sky. He requested that we lay down to see the magnificent beauty of the enormous and never-ending universe with him. I loved the idea so much that I agreed instantly.

The view of the clear sky with studded stars was just magnificent. We lay there silently, trying to map patterns, and realising there were so many of them, I whispered, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Vedh nodded in silence, and I heard the grass, so I turned to see his eyes filled with tears. Approaching him, I promised, trying to act confident, “It is going to be fine.”

Looking into my eyes, he replied, “You have no idea how terrified one can get in the darkness, Sakshi. What calms me is my memory that even the darkness from a distance is nothing but a beautiful picture painted by the Gods.”

What could I say to that? I was devastated that I was throwing a kid into a darkroom he could never unlock himself from. I was abandoning my only friend and well-wisher. Maybe I was the monster many of my girls told me about. My thoughts got the best of me, and I knew I was getting emotional. So I rushed back to my spot and laid down. Vedh noticed tears in my eyes and held my hand.

We once again lay underneath the gigantic canvas in silence, lost in our thoughts, until Vedh broke it by asking, “Do you think my short afterlife makes any sense?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t know if it genuinely did. I was the first person he revealed his true self to, and I might not be an ass, but I wasn’t a companion too. I forced him to leave and pretentiously claimed to be the white knight who saved everyone. Meanwhile, he continued, “I think all of this meant nothing.”

And those words rang in my mind throughout the evening. The feeling of not being wanted. The sense of existing with no one bothering about you. I might have built my loneliness thanks to my big mouth, but I often regret my choices and could relate to what Vedh was going through.

Before the Sun woke up the following day, Vedh and I met at the church. I waited for his signal as it was him who must be brave. He took a deep breath of the early morning fresh air and nodded. I offered him a smile before we entered the silent prayer hall together.

At a distance, we could see the priest standing before Christ. Feeling a little tense, Vedh held my hand, and I locked our fingers. I could hear his breath, feel his cold hands, and sense his fear. When we reached the podium, he turned to me to say, "Thank you for everything, Sakshi."

I said nothing in return, as it did not strike my mind that it was happening even though I had heard him. Taking another deep breath, he let go of my hand and walked ahead when a sense of realisation hit that I had something to say. I called his name out loud, and it echoed in the chamber.

When he turned, I whispered, "I have thought a lot about your afterlife not making a difference and wanted to mention that it did. You have altered my life in ways you cannot comprehend... thank you for everything!"

It felt that he was relieved and even pleased as a smile appeared on his face. He threw a flying kiss at me for the first time and walked confidently. It seemed like nothing could stop him, and as he kneeled, I could not see anymore. Tears flooded my eyes, and I turned not to see what was happening and wiped my tears. Before long, I heard him collapse onto the floor.

When I pivoted to the priest, he said, "I will send him home in my car. Go on, child & do not carry this weight on you."

I left the church alone, only to meet the cloudy morning. Throughout the way, I wept, and so did the clouds. Unburdening myself from the wet clothes, I took a hot shower and crashed onto my bed. There was not a single thing I bothered about anymore. Neither my parents, classmates, school or anything in this world for that matter.

I stood again beside a bicycle parked before an entrance. Around me were houses with lawns before them, and this time, I could recollect this was the place I visited in the past through my dreams. Rather than wait for anyone, I paced to the nearest sign that was out of my sight to read the street name, and it rang a bell.

I had heard the name somewhere before. As in the past, the door of the home nearest to the bicycle opened, and a neatly dressed boy in a white shirt, hand-stitched black pants, and polished formal shoes appeared with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

I rushed back to him, and I did not ask anything this time. Meanwhile, he placed his flowers in his basket and started riding away. When he did, a letter from his pocket slipped and knowing I could not reach him, I stopped at a distance.

Looking around, I realised no one else was around, so I walked towards the letter, sliding away with the wind. To my surprise, the letter was addressed to “Sakshi Tulsi,” I could not believe it. How could it be addressed to me? I did not know what was happening, but as in the past, the boy was again hit by a car.

Looking at his uniform, it struck me that I had seen the street sign on one of our inter-school trips. As a student in high school, I recalled how our basketball team visited the nearest school from the neighbouring village to play an interschool tournament. The uniforms in our competitor’s school impressed us the most.

I now recognised seeing the sign during this trip, but I never knew someone hoped to reach out to me. As it dawned on me that this soul tried to reach out to me through Vedh, I heard a voice from my back saying, “Hey Sakshi!”

Trembling, I turned around to see the boy’s spirit and woke up gasping.

That dream pushed me off the edge, and I could no longer live with myself. The very thought that I shipped off the boy twice to his afterlife, even when he wanted me, was mind-boggling to me. What is wrong with me? I could not sleep the whole night, and not wanting to stay in my room anymore, I dragged myself to school.

Even Vedh was in class, and he was just like how he was before. He looked as if nothing happened. I tried to make myself believe once again that it was over, and no matter how many times I told that to myself, my mind was not willing to accept it.

It was me all alone again, and life was reset to a point from the past. The brief autumn was over, and itss time for a long winter. However, I couldn’t turn off my memories like he did and forget him and, I kept staring at him all day, but he did not turn to look at me once. That evening, when I was sitting alone in the playground, Vedh walked towards me.

My heart paced as to why he was approaching me. My fear got me, my hands trembled, and my temperature lowered as he greeted me. Observing my silence and presuming it was my shyness, he asked hesitantly yet passionately, “Would you like to go on a date with me, Sakshi?”

Now, I did not know which Vedh I was dealing with.