Canvas of Destiny

Chapter sixteen

So.. no targets this time since the previous chapter's target was not accomplished.

Happy reading.

~~~

Ishika's POV

The continuous ringing of my phone broke my deep slumber. Groggily, I reached out for it on the bedside table and saw Nitya's name flashing on the screen. I answered the call but didn't say anything.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" Nitya exclaimed, but I stayed quiet, not ready to speak yet.

"Freshen up and come out. I've ordered Schezwan rice for dinner," she says again.

"Dinner already?" I ask, not too shocked. I sleep like a log...

"What's new? You sleep like a log," she says in a 'duh' tone.

And she hangs up.

I stretch my body, contemplating staying in, but then I remember she's ordered Schezwan rice. It's my favorite, and she knows it.

It's like my comfort food, second only to the cheesy Maggie I make, obviously.

With a sigh, I finally drag myself out of bed and make my way to the bathroom to freshen up.

After a nice, relaxing shower, I slip into my favorite oversized mint green tee and black shorts. I tie my hair back in a ponytail and grab my phone before heading out of the room.

As I'm about to step into the kitchen, I hear the main door open. Curiously, I turn to see Nitya entering with takeout in her hand.

"It just arrived? You called me like half an hour ago," I say, puzzled.

"Yeah, I didn't want dinner to get cold knowing you'd take your sweet time, little princess," she teases, giving me a playful courtesy.

Grinning back at her, I hurry towards her and snatch the takeout from her hand before rushing excitedly to the kitchen. "Fooood!!!" I exclaim eagerly.

"How thoughtful of you," Nitya mocks, coming up behind me. I chuckle in response.

"Oh my god, Veg Manchurian? Ice cream?" I exclaim, pleasantly surprised. A wide grin spreads across my face. "You're the best, Nini." I blow her a flying kiss.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she says, flipping her hair. A moment later, we both burst into laughter.

As we settle down to eat, suddenly today's turn of events hits me like a wave.

He didn't even come after me. No calls, no texts, no nothing. He didn't try to apologize.

Or did he?

"Nini," I call out.

"Hmm," she hums, looking up as she continues to chew.

"Did someone come to see me?" I ask hesitantly. "While I was sleeping."

"Siddhant didn't come," she states plainly.

"I didn't mean him," I mutter under my breath.

"Yeah, sure," she mocks.

The rest of dinner, we eat quietly.

"Okay, let's talk about yesterday," Nitya begins, as we lounge in the living room, indulging in our ice creams. "What's the plan with that guy?"

Taking a spoonful of ice cream, I ponder for a moment before replying, "I'll take care of it."

"I have no doubt about that," Nitya replies with a knowing smile. "But how?"

"You'll find out soon enough!"

"What about Siddhant?" Nitya inquires.

I squirm slightly. "What about him?"

She gives me an incredulous look. "He practically saved your life!"

I shrug nonchalantly. "He would have done it regardless."

"What do you mean?" she asks, puzzled.

"He's just the type to rescue the damsel in distress," I explain with a hint of sarcasm.

"Okay, Ishika," Nitya sits up and takes hold of my hand. "You dashed out in the morning towards Siddhant like you couldn't survive a minute without him."

I maintain eye contact with her. "And then, just 20 minutes later, you hurried back, with tears streaming down your face." My vision blurs as tears well up in my eyes, memories of his words flooding back to me.

"Did he scold you that harshly?" Nitya asks softly, wiping away the tears that escaped my eyes with a gentle touch.

I nod vigorously in response.

"Do I need to give him a piece of my mind?" She asks, raising her eyebrows with a hint of fierceness.

I chuckle despite my tears. "Yes, please!" We share a laugh, finding solace in each other's company.

After regaining my composure, I confide in her, "I just need some time. He said some hurtful things, and even though I know he didn't mean it, it still stung." I glance down at my melted ice cream. "But it still got to me."

"Alright, it's between you and him. Figure it out together," she says reassuringly, offering a smile. "I have faith in him."

I roll my eyes playfully and chuckle. "You see, my ice cream melted because of you," I tease, pointing a finger at her.

"So did mine, you ungrateful brat," she retorts, lightly tapping my head and making me giggle.

---

"Wake up, you fool! It's nine already!" I hear Nitya's voice pierce through my sleep, causing me to jolt upright in bed.

"What?!" I scramble out of bed and dash towards the bathroom in a panic.

"I was just kidding," she calls out after me.

I stop abruptly and pivot to face her, my expression a mix of disbelief and irritation. Glancing at the bedside clock, then back at her, I shoot her a pointed glare, wordlessly conveying my annoyance.

"What? It's my first day at my dream company. Shouldn't we celebrate?" Nitya suggests, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

I meet her gaze, understanding her intentions perfectly. "Bring it on, my love."

Before long, the lively beats of 'kudi nu nachne de' fill the room, and we lose ourselves in a whirlwind of dance. Our exuberance undoubtedly wakes up the entire neighborhood.

"Oh my god, let's call it quits," I declare, flopping down onto the couch after an hour of non-stop dancing. "It's Monday, and I'm fasting today."

"Oh, right," she acknowledges, settling down beside me. "How many Mondays do you have to fast, anyway?"

"Sixteen," I reply.

"Ooohhh, solah somwar," she teases, giving my shoulder a playful shove. "No wonder you're attracting Siddhant Joshi."

I roll my eyes at her remark. "You should start fasting too," I suggest as I rise from the couch. "Maybe then you'll catch Rishi-"

"DON'T!" she interrupts sharply.

I raise an eyebrow, realizing he must have given her a hard time about what happened on Saturday night. With a shrug, I head off to get ready for work.

~~~

I wanted to write more on Ishika's and Nitya's bonding. So that's what I did in this chapter. I hope you all like it. Let me know, how was it.

Thank you for reading.

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