Stranger
The bushes next to them rustled as they heard the sound of someone coughing.
Guiltily, Ravi snatched his hand back, and pulled back from Rathiga. He cursed silently at the intruder. His friends would laugh their heads off at him now.
‘Rave doesn’t even know how to touch a girl.’ He could almost imagine their taunts.
Rathiga, next to him, looked a little dazed from all that kissing, he noted with satisfaction. None felt like going home early after dinner, and Rathiga agreed when Ravi suggested a walk in Bishan Park. They were having a good talk, while seated under the tree. One thing led to another, and before Ravi knew it, he was kissing Rathiga.
“Who is that?” He called out, a little irritated. It was quite dark under that secluded tree, and Ravi could not see clearly.
The bushes shook as a Chinese girl came out. She looked young. Ravi estimated her to be sixteen years old. However, he noted her slim figure, and long sexy legs beneath her tight cheongsam. He feld something poking in this arm. It was Rathiga’s fingers.
‘My girlfriend’s jealous.’ He thought to himself. Rathiga must have seen him ogling at the girl.
“Oh, sorry, I was looking for my boyfriend. You guys continue with what you were doing. Don’t let me disturb you.” The girl smiled at them, and walked off, sashaying her hips. Ravi watched her go with fascination.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure her boyfriend will find her. If not, someone else will.” Rathiga said acidly, her eyes following Ravi’s gaze.
“What are you talking about?” Ravi tried to act nonchalant.
The girl was some distance down the path. Suddenly, she stopped near another tree, and disappeared into the bushes.
“The girl’s a peeping Tom!” Ravi tried to sound indignant.
“Rathiga, you stay here. I’ll go and tell that girl off.” With that, he got up quickly before Rathiga could say anything.
The girl had appeared from the bushes. She seemed oblivious to his approach, as she continued walking down the path. Just as Ravi was about to catch up with her, he heard Rathiga calling.
“Ravi, where are you going?”
Turning around, he put his fingers to his lips, in a sign of silence. As he turned back, he saw that the girl was already a distance ahead of him.
‘How did she move so fast?’ He wondered, as he put more speed into his walk.
No matter how fast he walked, the girl remaining well ahead of him. Even when he broke eventually into a run, the girl remained ahead, as she continued her sashaying walk down the path.
Ravi had begun to worry. He knew himself to be a good runner in school. However, that girl had no difficulty staying ahead of him. Even when he was running to keep up with her, all she was doing was walk. Something was wrong.
He turned back, and quickly ran back to Rathiga. However, his girlfriend was not under the tree. Ravi looked around and saw her waiting for him at his motorbike.
“What happened?”
“My run? I was chasing after the girl we saw.” Ravi was trying to catch his breath.
“I saw you running away from me, for the girl.”
“She was just ahead of me but I could not catch her.”
“I don’t believe you,” she laughed at me.
“Yes, I know I am a good runner but the girl is spooky.”
“Don’t scare me. The nice girl came over and asked me where you were running to. She told me that she had found her boyfriend already. Quite a nice girl. We had a nice chat while watching you run.”
Ravi looked at Rathiga with wide eyes. There was silence.
Without much ado, he put on his helmet and sent Rathiga home. That was the last time Ravi went to the Bishan Park.