** special thanks to JackBellend41 for the help with editing **
(all characters in this story are 18 years or older)
It was my step-sister's first day at college. I passed the campus on my way to work so I offered her a ride. We didn't have a close bond but living in the same city, away from our parents, I felt a brotherly obligation. My step-sister, Rhea, didn't even thank me for it. The entire ride, she subjected me to utter silence, her face buried in her phone as I chauffeured. To be fair, she wasn't the only one who took me for granted. At work, my bosses treated me the same. I'd become used to it by then, so I didn't mind. I was happy to keep working for the salary I received and felt I had no right to complain.
I stopped the car in front of the college gates. Rhea looked up from her phone screen for the first time since she'd sat in the car. I turned my head to wish her luck on her first day, but she scrambled out of the car. She didn't bother to close the car door, she was in such a hurry to get away. As I told you, I expect to be treated this way, so I didn't voice a note of disapproval.
I exited the car to shut the door. I walked around and glanced at a group of girls. One girl caught my eye. She moved in the middle of a herd of people but held the spotlight all to herself. Even from far away, I could feel a glow emanating from her. She had straight black hair and a smile that radiated warmth and seductiveness. The real treat for the eyes was the curvy body she carried so gracefully. Her leather jacket couldn't hide the breasts underneath. I came out of my trance and realized I wasn't the only one who'd been enticed. Every guy's face turned as this charming girl walked past.
"Quit having pervy thoughts! She's your baby sister's age!" I scolded myself and slammed the car door.
I never paid attention to my carnal needs. Like most Indians from small towns, I expected to lose my virginity on my wedding night with my bride from an arranged marriage. I could have had a relationship on my own, but I never had the opportunity to meet a girl. My childhood was spent in an all-boys boarding school. All I ever did was study to get into the best college. Instead of chasing girls, I spent my college life chasing good grades to land the best job and earn a 7-digit salary. When I reached that goal, I was stuck working 100 hours a week in an investment bank. The only real human interaction I had in my life was with my horrible bosses.
-*-*-*-
Life went on like that for a couple of weeks. I toiled in the office so my boss could steal the credit for my work. One late Friday night I scrolled through the news on my computer to monitor the share price of my firm's investments. A strange news article caught my attention. Some scientists claimed a rare astronomical anomaly would occur that night as a comet passed near the earth's atmosphere. Such a close comet sighting had never been observed before. The news article warned that unexplainable events may occur. The comet was officially named C0NF1D3NC3.
"Is there a meaning behind this name, or did scientists bang their heads against the keyboard to come up with it? What a load of useless clickbait news," I thought to myself and switched off the computer.
Sudden ringing from my phone broke the eerie silence of the office. It was Rhea. I picked it up but could barely understand what she was saying. Loud screeching music played in the background and she uttered some incoherent sequence of words. She was drunk at some pub and needed me to pick her up. That explained the music and her incoherent state.
"Does she expect you to just drop off everything and become her chauffeur? Well, you don't have better plans for Friday night anyway," I comforted myself and let my step-sister again take me for granted.
I left the office and drove to the pub where Rhea said she would be. I reached the destination at 11:30 pm. I parked the car and headed inside the place. The loud throbbing music of the club gave me a headache. I felt old and unable to relate to the college generation which enjoyed that kind of music. Thankfully for me, it didn't take me long to find Rhea. She barely stood on her two feet and was held upright by her friend. I walked towards them but stopped dead in my tracks when I caught a glimpse of her friend. It was the same girl whom I had spotted the day I had dropped off my step-sister at her college.
I didn't realize how long I remained frozen, but the girl figured out who I was. She walked towards me. I hoped she would come and introduce herself but her first words to me were abrasive and ungrateful.
"Are you going to come and lend me a hand, or are you going to keep standing there?" She said and furiously pointed towards Rhea who was on the verge of passing out. I listened to the girl and ushered from the other side to help her out. I put Rhea's hand around my shoulder to keep her from falling.
"Can you please tell your sister she shouldn't drink if she can't hold her liquor? Now get me back to our apartment! Your sister has ruined my clothes by spilling her drink all over them." The girl stormed off towards the exit and left me to support Rhea all alone.
I pieced it together in my mind. The girl shared an apartment with my step-sister. Though she claimed Rhea had spoiled her clothes, the girl looked flawless to me. She wore a sleeveless black dress with a V-neck that barely covered her thighs, and looked even more seductive than she did on her first day of college. I realized how pretty she looked from up close. The three of us got out of the pub and I unlocked my car. My half-passed out step-sister and her flatmate climbed into the back of the vehicle.
I sat in the driver's seat and switched on the ignition. I glanced at the girl through the rear-view mirror but she buried her face in her phone. She treated me like a chauffeur just like my step-sister did. I drove towards the girls' place in awkward silence. Several times, I tried to strike up a conversation with the new girl but couldn't find anything to say. I didn't even know her name. I rummaged through my brain to come up with a conversation starter but couldn't think of anything to pique her interest. Then I recalled the peculiar news article.
"Do you know a strange comet is passing overhead tonight? Scientists are warning people to remain indoors to stay protected." I glanced at the rear-view mirror again and hoped the girl would say something in response. The girl didn't even look up from her phone.
"You're a damned fool! Why would she be interested in talking to you? She is just like everyone else who treats you the same way," I thought to myself. Disappointed but not surprised, I drove for the remaining journey in silence.
-*-*-*-
We reached the destination at 12:30 am. I parked the car and pulled out the keys. The girl exited the car and assisted Rhea. She turned around to shut the car door, but I didn't look at her. I stared out of my window at the shining bright light that moved through the sky. It was the comet.
It looked so mesmerizing I couldn't shift my gaze from the flaming bullet that shot through the heavens. The longer I looked at it, the more hooked I felt. Something inside me changed. I experienced a tingling sensation flowing through my body. All the neurons inside my brain fired at the same time, and my being received a jolt of energy. I could not find words to describe the strange feeling. After a few seconds, the comet disappeared into the same sky it first emerged from. I could have stared at it forever.
I came out of my reverie and turned around to see the girls headed towards their apartment entrance. I was about to let go of a precious opportunity. If they stepped inside, I would lose my only chance of befriending the girl. My meekness always got the better of me. I let everyone mistreat me, but I needed to finally turn my life around.
"Enough is enough, man! You couldn't even ask her name. It is time for you to stand up for yourself and be more assertive," I convinced myself.
I got out of the car and waved my hands as I shouted at the girls. "Heyyy, stop! Can I get a glass of water before leaving?"
The new girl turned around and looked at me reluctantly. I pretended to cough and hollered again. "I've been on the road for nearly two hours, please, I need some water for my throat."
She reluctantly nodded, so I followed them inside. I entered their place and registered a quick look around. It wasn't a lavish place, but something I expected from freshman year students.
The girl led Rhea into a room and she crashed straight onto the bed. I figured it was my step-sister's room. The girl came out and threw her phone and purse onto the couch. She then proceeded to the kitchen to fetch me a glass of water.
That was my opportunity. I hurriedly picked up the girl's phone and went through her recent chat messages.
"This is your chance! Learn everything about her and you can get lucky," I encouraged myself.
I learned the girl's name was Harshita. She studied fashion design at college. Her most recent chat was with a group of peers. They had designed a portfolio of womenswear for a project and planned to hire a photographer and model for their designs. Her second chat was with some guy from college. They were dating each other but the chat indicated dissatisfaction in their relationship. Harshita had messaged the guy to appreciate her more for all the things she did and act maturely.
I read between the lines from the chats. Harshita was a girl desperate for APPROVAL. Neither her boyfriend nor her peers offered her the validation she sought. I had learned enough to go on. I quietly put back the phone and waited for Harshita to return.