Teri Meri Chemistry. 📚 ✔

Chapter 14

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The week came to an end and so was the term heading to an end. I couldn't believe we had come this far. From being annoyed by him to not being able to spend a single day without talking to him. From being enemies to being best friends. From not being able to tolerate each other's presence to not being able to tolerate a distance. From not talking at all to constant chattering whenever we were together. From having so many misunderstandings to understanding each other like nobody else. From him being a dumbass to revealing himself as a brilliant mind, I couldn't believe it was actually Zack. Zackariya Khan - the boy who made my last three years miserable just by his mere presence was the same boy who made me fall in love with my life all over again. He was the same boy who made me want to have friends and have fun with them and the same boy who gave me memories worth a lifetime in a few months.

He had been acting too cute sometimes. He was always around and I never complained. Whenever I needed him, he was there to help. He never judged me or made fun of my insecurities. He understood and made me feel home for the first time in forever. He understood me better than my family or anyone else. He helped me overcome my fears. I was no longer a scared silent girl who could be bullied or harassed. I was a fighter. Zack made me a fighter. After witnessing the incident in library, he had come to my house the day after and taken me to the same boy. He stood there watching as I punched that douchè in the face. I wasn't able to stop myself and so he interfered and dragged me away, chuckling.
"Enough now, cupcake."

We later laughed about it but the good thing was that his gang never bothered me again. The bullying and racist comments had died down ever since we started hanging out. He had an aura of his own in the school and everybody feared the BBH squad. I was a part of them now so I showed it off proudly. Surely, his ex-bimbos troubled me sometimes and threatened me to stay away but I knew better than to take them seriously.

He had always protected me throughout highschool even when we were enemies. The only difference was that he didn't know that he was protecting me back then and now he did that knowingly.

It was just yesterday when I was at the guys' apartment for the final part of the project now. After finishing our work, he cooked us a bowl of instant noodles and we sat in his room, talking about how life was going to change now. We would be heading to different colleges and universities and perhaps never meet again.

"You know I always wondered why you were so distant with everyone." He had said.

"Well I had my reasons." I shrugged.

"Yeah. But isn't it weird? Our dads are practically best friends but our moms, well they were like us." He chuckled and I laughed too.

"My mom didn't like your mom because she was too brown and your mom didn't like mine because she was too pretentious. Such kids." He laughed.

"Yeah. My mom said you had an identity crises and that's the only thing we ever agreed on." I laughed

"What?" He was suprised.

"Well yeah. I didn't like it as well. You never owned your true identity. What was so difficult in admitting that you were a brown desi?"

"You really think only you had to deal with racism. I was your senior remember?" He spoke solemnly and I realised that there was still so much more that I didn't know about him. "Vivaan and I bonded over this issue only and then came Steve and Tom. Those two were the only ones who weren't like the others. Hence, the pact was created. Bros before Hoes." He chuckled making me giggle too. "No but seriously. We swore never to betray each other. It was fun."

"I can imagine you guys as 14-15 year old kids making that pact." I chuckled.

"Zack?" I called him.

"You can call me Zackariya if you like. It sounds good when you say it." He smiled making me blush slightly.

"Zackariya, can I ask you one thing?"

"No." He said seriously and then burst out laughing. "Ofcourse."

"You know a lot about me now. Even though I intended to maintain a low profile but yeah, shit happens. But I know nothing about you."

"You know everything about me, cupcake. Trust me. You know better than everyone else." He smiled.

"How?" I was confused.

"Well if you really want to know the reasons. Here you go, today is your lucky day." He began. "Ever since I was a kid, my parents had their issues. You know better how is it like to grow up in a problematic household and how it affects your mental health. So yeah, my parents never really bonded and I was neglected always. When I came to this highschool, I first met Vivaan because of you know what. Then we met Steve and became friends. But somehow, things got pretty bad between my parents and they filed for a divorce. I couldn't take it. I was already neglected and that was okay with me but I couldn't afford to lose any of my parent. I was going crazy. I was failing tests. I was absent minded. I was losing my shit. Dad realised what it was doing to me and he asked me to take a break. Steve and Vivaan were promoted to next year and I was left behind. Mom and Dad sorted out their issues just for my sake and decided to live together like civil people. I met Tom then who came as a Fresher, the same year as you. Our group of four formed that pact. However, as I grew up I realised that I was being selfish. I was asking my parents for a huge favour. It was better for everyone's sake it they divorced but still I couldn't tell them that directly because no matter what, I always feared the thought of them being away from me. I was distant with them and there was a huge communication gap between us but that doesn't change the fact that they are my parents and I love them. So we decided to rent an apartment and live there. We all had our own issues and that was the root cause of our bonding. Our secretive nature and loyalty to each other earned us the badboy title. And the rest is in front of you. Now I wouldn't mind if Mom and Dad get separated as long as it makes them happy but I guess they have learnt to live with each other as well."

I was lost in a trance. How similar were we yet we had our own wars to win and our own demons to fight.

"So you don't believe in love because of them?" I had asked him and he shook his head.

"I think love is nothing else but a temporary habit. It's as easy to fall out of love as falling in love. The thing with love is that it's such a weak emotion. We always fall in its trap. Hate is such a strong emotion. You never stop hating. Do you?"

I nodded in agreement and smiled at him. No wonder he was so careless. He never nurtured any feelings in his heart. And that wasn't entirely his fault as well. Maybe!

"I want to ask you one thing as well." He began.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you hate me?" He asked genuinely curious.

"I never hated you. You yourself said that one never stops hating. I disliked you. There's a difference."

"Why did you dislike me then?"

"Some other time!" I chuckled. Because honestly, I wasn't disliking him at all at that moment. I was afraid that I was developing a huge crush on him. I was getting trapped more and more because now I had grown attached to him unaware of the fact that he was battling with the same emotions at that moment.

Way to go Faara! You are crushing on your former enemy! Run!!!!

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Well well!