I stepped closer to him and asked, ‘Why did you do this?’

Parth turned towards me. There was a lit cigarette in his hand. He was not wearing his spectacles that day and seemed like a completely different person to me. He blew a puff of smoke in my face.

‘Why did you do this?’ he repeated my question, harshly. The school premises had gone quiet by then. Dusk was slowly approaching.

‘What do you mean, Parth? What did I do?’ I had no idea why he was so spiteful.

‘You did it deliberately!’ he said.

‘I still don’t get it, Parth. Be clear for God’s sake!’

‘You knew I loved Shriya!’ he shrieked. I didn’t know my gentle friend was capable of such anger. He tossed the cigarette on the grass and his eyes blazed with rage.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. His words shook me to the core. I had no idea that Parth felt that way about Shriya. Although I had noticed a few awkward moments, like him deliberately holding her hand, asking her to spend time with him in the library or defending her in front of me, I’d always thought it was only because he was jealous that Shriya and I were close and that he also wanted to bond with her. How insanely naïve of me!

Parth struggled to get into his wheelchair. I stepped forward to help but he waved his hand in refusal.

‘You knew everything. Yet, just to demean me, to rub my disability in my face, to show that all my academic achievements don’t matter, to show off, you did this, Madhav!’ He screamed so loud that the birds scattered from the tree.

‘Are you out of your mind, Parth? I never knew this was what you thought of me and I definitely didn’t know you loved Shriya. In fact, I thought you’d always known how we felt about each other! I thought you’d be happy to know that we were in a relationship.’

‘Don’t act smart, Madhav, because I am smarter than you and you know it. You knew I followed the two of you yesterday. I knew why you were going with her to the gym. I couldn’t let you both make love. I knew that you liked her but I also knew that she liked me more than you. I was going to tell her how I felt once I was able to walk properly and get out of this damned wheelchair.’ He punched the wheels as he rambled on like a madman.

‘You cheated me!’ I yelled, my eyes moistening.

‘No, you cheated me! You’re a cheater!’ he replied.

‘I can’t believe this, Parth. We were like brothers. I was there whenever you needed me. I thought no one would better understand my feelings than you,’ I said. I was devastated.

‘Oh come on! I also helped you whenever you needed it. The only reason you are still in school is because I got you through. God may have given you the looks, but He gave me the brains. I know you did all this to prove that I am nothing compared to you. I am just a helpless, disabled idiot to you! You were always jealous of my grades, of my credentials, and you were afraid that Shriya would love me more than you. Do you think she likes your poems? Nobody likes your pathetic poetry! It means nothing. People love me and praise me; you were always jealous of that. You trapped Shriya!’ He blurted out all the warped ideas and delusions that had been brewing in his mind for all these years.