A walk with my friend

It was around 9:30 pm. I was sitting in my room studying. Mid-sems are only after a week. Chandra came to my room and said - "Chalo." He is not that kind of a guy from which you can expect something like this. He can actually refuse when you tell him something highly 'unspecific' like this! I nodded. We went outside the hostel. I was expecting something from him. Surely he wants to tell me something. Strange of him! It was full-moon. I love strolling in nights illuminated by moon. We just kept walking. To initiate some talking I asked - "Do you wanna go to the musical night?". "No" was the plain reply. Nothing after that.

He took the longer route to the main gate, that's the route normally used by vehicles; another strange thing from his side. He is the one who is the first to deny whenever I suggest walking rather than taking a rickshaw to the gate anytime we go outside the campus. I felt awkward: you can't just walk, together with a friend, in dumb silence. At the crossroad, he turned left. We reached the lower ground. He wanted to sit for sometime on the stairs beside the ground. Another strange behaviour, I mean, nobody does that at quarter to 10 in the night. I nodded anticipating something from him. No reaction again. We sat quitely for sometime. I was appreciating the decorations of all the buildings glittering with different colours for Sunday's Basant - annual alumni meet of ISM. He remarked just once about a couple seen distantly near the Ruby Hostel - "Watch out, the guy has accompanied her to the hostel and they are stealing a final few moments!" I replied back - "Yup! The last fifteen minutes before the girls hostel entry closes at 10." Silence after that. I kept gazing the stars. A few minutes later he called back - "Lets go." I nodded.

We took the normal route back. This meant almost a full circle of the campus. I thought I must ask him straight - "What's the matter buddy? Are you OK?". I kept silent. We reached the hostel gate. This time I couldn't resist - "Did you took me out only for a stroll?" He nodded. I knew he wasn't telling the truth. I tried again - "I would have accompanied you even if you had told that in my room." Nothing again I knew he was hiding something. What? A confession, a decision, a thought, a problem, or something else?