~The Way You Hate Me~ SHAKHI FF

Part 19 Masked Pain

"Anokhi where are you lost? Pehle toh tum itne days se gayab thi aur ab jab se aayi ho pta nhi kahan khoyi rehti ho, kuchh batati bhi nahi! Is everything alright?" Asked Naina as they were sitting in the cafeteria.

"Anokhi??" She called her a little louder to bring her attention.

"Hmm??" Anokhi's gaze shifted from her plate to Naina.

"What has happened?" Asked Naina

"Nothing!" Anokhi replies coldly

"If anything is bothering you! You can talk to me!" Naina said softly, pressing her palm over Anokhi's left hand.

"Mai thik hu!" Anokhi gave her a faint smile and averted her eyes back to the plate.

"Okay but remember I'm here for you!" Naina said giving her an assuring smile.

Anokhi nodded when her eyes caught on her classmate; Kitty who was crying and her friend was trying to console her.

"What happened to her?" Anokhi asked, concerned

"She's crying over spilled milk." Naina rolled her eyes.
Anokhi crunches her eyebrows, not getting her words.

"Break up!...and again the same old tale...he doesn't love her but she is not ready to accept it. Hence she's suffering."

"But I pity her. It doesn't seem like she can cry for someone."

"He's not Someone, Maybe! She truly loves him." Anokhi mumbled under her breath, lost.

"But how is it possible that someone can go so far in love. Look at her, she is literally ruining herself."

"To be honest! I don't get This selfless idea of love. I mean How can you love someone if they don't love you? what kind of love is this?" Naina asked, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

Anokhi was staring at her blankly. Her question hit her hard.
But She was too numb to react, His face flashed before her eyes, Even after enduring all the hate and pain, he did not stop loving her. The way he has stood by her through thick and thin without expecting her to shower the same amount of love on him...Makes him the one she can never replace and her heart knows it very well. No matter how hard she tried, she could never hate this man. She will fail every time. but how long is this gonna continue? will she ever love him like he does?

She has no answer to Naina's questions. How can she know? When she is already searching for the answer herself? When she's herself unable to understand, why does he love her? STILL? No! He would not.
He must be hating her now.
There is no reason. She has nothing to offer him.

"Anokhi?" Naina snapped before her eyes, finding her friend drowned in memory lane.

"He didn't come yet?" Naina asked following her moist gaze, which were stuck at his chair in the canteen.

"You are missing him? Don't you?" Asked Naina with a soft smile.
And Anokhi's heart skipped a beat. She took in a large gulp of air.
'is it so easy to see through her or Her eyes has made her vulnerability obvious to everyone?'
Anokhi looks at her in amazement.

"You know Anokhi! You're blessed to have him!" Naina pressed her hand with a soft smile.
"There are very few people who love you unconditionally!" Naina looked at Anokhi, seeing her uneasiness one could say how much his absence was affecting her and Naina was not wrong. Her eyes are screaming how much Shaurya Sabharwal means to this stubborn girl.

"When is he coming?" Naina asked.

"Hmm??" Anokhi looked at her blankly.

"I...I don't know!" Saying that She hurriedly got up to leave, trying to hide her pain behind the veil of her stern face.