S. Midnight Circus

Sitting in the car, I let out a small sigh, adjusting my seatbelt. The night air filtered in through the window, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant chai stalls. I tapped my fingers against my knee and asked,

"How much is there to see around here?" I inhaled deeply, letting the breeze brush against my face. "The breeze feels nice."

Kailash glanced at me, raising a brow. "Is this your first time going to Pune?" His tone was casual, but his fingers drummed on the steering wheel, betraying mild curiosity.

I nodded. "Yes, I've never been before."

Kailash turned slightly, resting an arm on the window frame. "Where were you before? I thought you were in Mumbai..."

Before I could answer, Vishwas cut in, waving a dismissive hand. "Kailash, I told you, she was with me in Kolkata." He leaned back with a smirk, nudging me with his elbow. "She's my best friend. If anyone ever bothered me, she would save me."

Kailash scoffed, shifting in his seat. "You? From boys? What do you need saving for?"

Vishwas flipped his hand dramatically. "She used to save me from girls. I don't hit girls."

Kailash rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "You and hitting someone? Come on, Vishwas. You're one of those guys who cry—soft guys. You're such a weird guy."

Vishwas' expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Who asked you?" His voice was edged with irritation. "What have you achieved acting all 'sigma male'?" His fingers clenched into fists momentarily before he crossed his arms.

Kailash smirked, exhaling through his nose. "A sigma male has power. They don't have soft hearts like yours."

Vishwas let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "My heart? Soft?" He let the words hang in the air before smirking. "Actually, it is. I like being this way, which is why I like Divya and not you."

I blinked, tilting my head. "Not him?" I asked, confused.

Vishwas' brows furrowed. He threw his hands in the air, clearly annoyed. "I rejected him. Back in school, he came to propose to me."

Kailash jerked his head toward him, exasperated. "How many times do I have to say it? That letter was for some girl! You always bring this up to annoy me." His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

I narrowed my eyes, my curiosity piqued. Wait, what's this new angle now? I thought it was Kailash and Shraddha?

Shraddha, who had been silent until now, suddenly turned toward Vishwas, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Vishwas, even if Kailash had actually given you that letter, would you have rejected him?"

Vishwas scoffed, rubbing his temples. "Of course. I can be many things, but I'm ...not gay ..Not gay" He took a pause, tapping his fingers on his knee.

Kailash snapped his head toward him. "Huh? Many things?" His voice was sharp.

I shrugged, inhaling sharply before asking, "But Vishwas, seriously, who would want to be gay?"

Shraddha's head whipped toward me so fast I thought she might get whiplash. Her eyes widened, lips parting in shock. "WhaTTTTTT?"

I raised my hands defensively. "No? Would you be ready to date me? Come on... These are all useless conversations you'll have, but later you'll still want a guy like..." I pointed at Kailash. "...Kailash for marriage, right?"

Shraddha's face twisted in frustration. "Wait, your thinking is so small."

Vishwas nodded, crossing his arms. "I agree. So tell me, Shraddha, would you?"

Kailash scoffed. "She's not gay. Why are you forcing her? The conversation was about us, Vishwas. Sorry, Shraddha, these people are crazy. They don't understand anything. They just speak whatever comes to mind. They have no idea what it feels like to be gay."

I waved my hand, exhaling sharply. "There's nothing to it. Don't take so much tension. Feelings aren't a big deal."

Vishwas turned toward me, grinning. "Tui ekdom kichhu feel korish na?(Do you even feel anything?) You're a rock! No Bhaab (feelings). In college, you rejected three guys, and God knows how many dates you went on just for free food. Did you ever like anyone? And now you're talking about feelings?"

The car fell silent. The tension in the air was thick, suffocating. I ran a hand through my hair, debating whether to lighten the mood with a joke. But seeing their expressions, I hesitated.

Instead, I asked, "Shraddha, what even are feelings? Kailash, you tell me. Ei bhalobasha-tahalobasha shob ekta bokami. (I don't understand, This love stuff at all.)"

Kailash closed his eyes for a moment, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel. Feeling pain or I do not know. He is hiding something. "Love is nothing."

The weight in his voice made everyone pause. I expected poetry, some grand speech. Even Vishwas, usually full of comebacks, was silent.

I frowned. "You guys kill each other, will you? How much will you fight? I don't want to know about your love lives. We're friends here. And listen, I'm not against gays. So stop fighting with me. All I'm saying is, the person we're arguing about—none of us are even that. We're all straight people arguing over a gay topic. Why?"

I took a deep breath, ready to relax, but then Vishwas said suddenly to stopped the car.

"I'm also gay."

Silence. Kailash turned to him, his face blank. Shraddha stared at him, unblinking. "Since when?" she asked, voice quiet.

Vishwas hesitated before exhaling. "Since I saw Divya."

Shraddha's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Divya is a boy?" Her gaze flickered toward me, scanning me up and down as if she were trying to see something hidden.

I groaned, throwing up my hands. "I'm a girl! Do I have to prove that too?"

Kailash sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Everyone quiet quiet, Vishwas, why didn't you say anything?"

Vishwas lowered his gaze. "Before seeing Divya, I thought I liked her more. But the one I really liked was a boy in my class—his name was Sandeep. He was such a good guy, but I couldn't say anything. And Divya used to sit near him."

I gasped. "Wait, is this the same Sandeep? He didn't even bathe! Sometimes he'd say, 'I survive on air alone! The one who listened to ghazals all day? I thought he'd go mad listening to those songs. He slept in class all the time. "

Kailash stared at him. "If you loved Sandeep, then why did you propose to Divya?"

Vishwas let out a bitter laugh. "Because Sandeep never said anything to me, and I never had the courage to. One time, I gathered the courage to tell Divya to pass my message to him. But after talking to Divya, I fell in love with her instead."

Kailash suddenly stepped out of the car, fists clenched. "Yes! Yes!" He punched the air.

I blinked. "What happened now? Did India win the World Cup? Why is he dancing?"

Vishwas groaned, leaning back. "No one even remembers my coming out."

"I said, 'Happy LGBTQ day to you! I'll paint a rainbow on your cheek tomorrow. Now start the car, I'm bored. They look like such a boring couple.'"

Music played softly in the car, lulling me to sleep. I drifted off, missing a tea break and waking up only when we finally—finally—reached Pune by dinnertime.

Not that it was a smooth journey. Vishwas, in all his genius, took scenic detours that no one asked for, getting us lost multiple times. I swear, if They ever becomes a taxi driver, thier passengers will need therapy.

Once we reached, we got rooms—barely enough for everyone to have their own. Shraddha, out of nowhere, nudged me and whispered, "Isn't Kailash kinda cute?"

I stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "Then go sleep in his room. Seriously, I do not want to know that Kailash is cute. Gosh!"

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they'd fall out.

Vishwas, lounging nearby, suddenly declared, "I don't need a partner. I can live alone." His eyes locked onto mine, and for some reason, the moment felt weirdly intense.

Kailash opened his mouth, probably to say something wise (or unnecessary), but before he could, Shraddha blurted, "Stay with me, Kailash!"

Kailash, like an obedient puppy, nodded. "Okay."

Vishwas grabbed a room for himself, and I watched as Shraddha and Kailash paired up. Honestly, it annoyed me. Shraddha had zero experience, and she didn't even know what she was getting into. But why do I care? Not my problem.

Vishwas, meanwhile, was in his room, chilling like he had just won a battle against loneliness. I, on the other hand, collapsed onto my bed without even changing my clothes.

At 3 a.m., a knock on my door jolted me awake. My half-asleep brain went: Who the hell knocks at this hour?

I opened the door to find Vishwas standing there, looking tragically helpless.

"Hey, idiot, what are you doing in my room?" I grumbled.

"I can't sleep alone," Vishwas admitted like it was a perfectly valid excuse.

Before I could roast him properly, another knock came. I groaned. What now? Are thieves taking appointments these days?

I opened the door again—Shraddha, this time, suitcase in hand.

I smirked. "Told you, you'd get stuck."

"When did you say that?" she frowned.

"Just now."

She peeked into my room, spotted Vishwas sitting on my bed, and looked at me like I was hiding a secret scandal. "He's here?"

Vishwas, as if this was a rehearsed line, repeated, "I can't sleep alone."

She blinked. "Tame be ek sathe? (You two together?) Heyyyyy bhagwaaaaan! Hu ahiya shu karva aavi? Hu kai beech ma avayi gayi chu ke su?! (Oh goDDDDD, Why did I even come here? Am I disturbing you?)"

First of all, she speaks Gujarati, and I don't even understand it. Good thing her expressions are like a mirror. everything is clearly visible.

Anyways, I saw another dimension. Shraddha, how much flop movie-level overacting are you gonna do? Even Anupamaa isn't this dramatic! Do you even have a brain, or did you forget it in Kailash's room?!   "It's not what you're thinking! Vishwas, get out of my room!"

Shraddha turned to leave, and honestly, I thought, Good. Let her go. I'm happy alone. But then she paused dramatically and asked, "Should I do the formal ritual of stopping, or will you?"

I crossed my arms. "Why would I stop you? We're not even friends. Go spend the night with your cute boy and leave me alone."

She huffed. Then she actually left. My head started throbbing. Why did that annoy me?

Annoyed beyond belief, I turned to Vishwas and snapped, "Get out. Nowwwww!"

And just when I thought my nightmare was over, there was another knock at the door.

Vishwas sighed. "I'll check this time."

It was Kailash. He looked at me. Then at Vishwas. Then back at me. His brain cells seemed to short-circuit.

"You two?" he blurted, looking like he'd walked into a dramatic soap opera.

Vishwas sighed dramatically. Again! "I can't sleep alone."

Kailash ignored him and held out his palm. "Give me the key to your room. That's why I came here. You can enjoy sleeping with your CRUSH."

I nearly lost it. "Excuse me? It is 3:30 in the freaking morning. You have ruined my sleep. BOTH of you, get out!"

I shoved them both out, slammed the door, and face-planted back onto my bed.

Next time, I'm getting a room in another hotel. I am feeling, Midnight Circus: Room Full, Sleep Null.