Falling for You

Chapter 1 - Childhood Frenemies

Abhimanyu, aged 13
Akshara, aged 10

*

"Abhimanyu. It's time for them to leave." Manjiri informed her son, sitting beside him, caressing the hair on his head.

"Whatever." Abhimanyu grumbled, knocking Manjiri's hand away from his head.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

Abhimanyu grunted, "No. I don't want to."

Manjiri glanced at her son one more time, shaking her head at his stubbornness before deciding it was best to just let him be. Without saying a word, Manjiri got up from the bed they were sitting on and went to the door, looking back teary eyed at her son's silent hurt.

He hated it. He hated every bit of it.

Because of her —Akshara Goenka —he was going to have to say goodbye to his childhood best friend. His chaddi buddy. All because of Akshara. The loner —the nerdy girl with braces and her inability to make friends. Because she had a hard time opening up to the kids at school.

Because of her, he was going to lose his best friend. All because she was the cursed little sister of his best friend. And he had come to resent her. Did he hate her? No. Because did he feel bad for her. But he truly could never come to hate her. Ever.

After Akshara had come home crying one day, complaining about some kids at school making fun of her, Kartik uncle and Naira aunty had decided then and there that this place —this city —this school was of healthy for Akshara's mental and emotional well being. And just like that, they had made plans overnight to move to Dehradun, far into the hills, away from this city, away from them...away from him.

A honk was heard and Abhimanyu knew the Goenka's were on their way out. Wanting to catch a last glimpse of the family, uncle, aunty, the kids, Abhimanyu let go of his resolve to not say goodbye to Kairav and ran outside.

Abhimanyu reached the the parking lot just in time to see the Goenka's car drive off. Just as Abhimanyu was about to turn around —disheartened by his own stubbornness, that's when he caught a glimpse of her.

Glasses.

Akshara leaned out, sticking her head out of the open car window, glancing back at the one person she'd miss the most.

Her older brother's best friend.

Abhimanyu Birla.

No one was telling her the reason they were moving. Mama had told her it was because of their company's new branch opening up in Dehradun whilst Papa had informed her it was because her mom loved mountains and Dehradun was home to some of the country's best schools.

But she knew they were lying.

They were moving because of her. Because she had been bullied by some of the kids at school. Because she had come home crying one day —being unable to withstand the bullying only to have her father find out. Her tears had driven her father into overprotect papa bear mode —which had then resulted in them moving states —away from all the negative energy which threatened to hinder her academic growth.

But there was one thing she would miss about Udaipur. And she was staring right at him.

Abhimanyu.

Akshara held out her hand and waved him goodbye, smiling whilst simultaneously trying to keep her unshed tears at bay.

Abhimanyu fisted one hand to his side as he watched Akshara wave him goodbye. A part of him didn't want to wave her goodbye —because that meant he may never see her again. A part of him didn't want her to leave. She was tiny. She was nerdy. She was annoying. Clingy. But no, he didn't want her to leave.