Pranbir Short Stories

Best friends (2)

Here is the second part.
Hope you will like it ❤️

Next update of either stories will be during the weekend as I am having terrible headaches.
Will update as soon as it gets better.

Also this part is not edited so please overlook the mistake❤️
Don't forget to comment ♥️

Next day in college:
Ranbir was practising hard for his upcoming match after his classes and Prachi was waiting for him on the bleachers. She was engrossed in
her book when she heard the coach's voice.

Coach: 'It will be a great opportunity for Ranbir...'
Hearing her best friend's name, she couldn't help but listen to what the coach was saying.
Coach, continuing: 'If they are impressed by his game, they will offer him a scholarship as well.
He will play professionally and also move to another city...'

Prachi's eyes moved to Ranbir as she registered what the coach said. None of them realised that this opportunity will separate them. Because Prachi wouldn't be able to move from here.

The thought of Ranbir leaving perturbed her and a wave of sadness loomed around her. She could no longer concentrate on her book and closed it. She needed some air to process that thought so she just left from there.

She walked back to her house lost in her thoughts. Her childhood memories of Ranbir flashed in front of her eyes but also his happiness on receiving that mail came to her.
Recalling his happiness, she realised how much this opportunity meant to him and she couldn't be selfish.

She entered her house and heard angry voices in the hall. She rushed there and saw some thugs holding her father's collar threateningly.
Prachi, worriedly: 'Papa... what's going on?'
Her father: 'Prachi, you have the money, right? Hand it over to them...'
She eyed the men wearily and then looked at her father.
One of the thugs: 'Do you have the money or not?'
She nodded at him and retrieved the money from her bag. She forwarded it to the thug who held her father.

The thug, dangerously: 'That's it?'
Prachi: 'I will get more next week... I promise...'
He turned to her father: 'Be thankful for your daughter or otherwise you would have been dead by now...'
He released her father and approached Prachi. She didn't budge from her place and faced him bravely.

Thug: 'Make sure that the payment increases next week as your father took more this week.'
Prachi looked at her father disappointedly. He avoided eye-contact with her.
The thugs left from there.

Prachi, angrily: 'Why did you take more money from them, Papa?'
Her father: 'Because you don't give me anything... If you don't give me, I would have to ask them only...'
Prachi: 'You realised that every money I earn goes to them... We don't have a cent to buy us food... Everything goes to the loans you took from them.'
Her father: 'I don't care... I need the money...'
Prachi: 'Why for? Drinks and gambling...Didn't you hear me? We don't have money for food... '

Her father: 'I don't need it... I just need money. If you can't give me, I will continue to take from them.'
Prachi: 'At least now understand.... you should be the parent and working to get us food, not me...'

Her father: 'I didn't ask you to do that. It was you who said that you will arrange for the money...'
Prachi, angrily but also teary eyed: 'They would have killed you if I didn't pay them back...'
He brushed it off while she was disappointed.

The door opened just then and Ranbir came in. He was worried about not finding her after his practice and came to check on her. But on hearing the arguing voices, he knew something was wrong and invited himself inside.

Prachi, calming down: 'Please Papa... stop with your bad habits...'
Ranbir felt bad to see her pleading to her father. His heart clenched more to see that her father brushed her away like she meant nothing to him.