Eklavya

Chapter XLIII

He watched as Anamika's eyes rounded as she finally nodded her head in understanding. "Although I had doubted it in the beginning but now, I understand."

"Rudra was a rowdy brat." He said with a scowl on his well sculpted face, "Not even a few days and we could be found wrestling over my toys. Rudra loved to lay claim on my toys and I –

"And you never share what's yours," Anamika provided with a silly smile, looking at her curled up lips Eklavya too smiled and nodded his head.

"I don't. But with him annoying the life out of both me and Chuski, I realised it was better to share things with him then him bawling his eyes over them. Trust me he truly was a little jackass."

"But he loves you," Anamika whispered in adoration at the strong bond of both brothers.

"I know." he stated with a smirk, "I have that charm, people can't help falling in love with me," he winked at her and Anamika scoffed at his conceit.

"What about your school life?" she asked eagerly.

"It wasn't boring but it wasn't interesting either. I had long back realised that people approached me because I was my father's son. Although it was a prestigious academy and practically everyone came from influential families. But I knew all that mattered was money. So, I never had a single decent friend in school. Thankfully Rudra was in the same class as me or I would've died of boredom."

He ended and Anamika after a moment finally said, "That's... pretty boring. You seriously had no friends in Lucknow?!" she asked in bafflement.

Eklavya laughed at her bewildered expression, "Believe it or not Anamika. But that's the truth."

Anamika said in an exasperated voice, "I guess even rich people don't have it easy,"

"No one ever has it easy Anamika," he corrected her gently.

Anamika stuck out her tongue and gave a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry. Did I sound judgmental?"

"A little bit," Eklavya grinned at her and she giggled back. Her cheeks flushed when his intent gaze refused to left her face.

Eklavya had a tender look on his majestic face as he took in her enchanting visage greedily. It has almost been close to three months and he still found himself baffled at how she easily she had made her own space in his life.

Many a times, late in the nights he had find himself contemplating just what she had seen in him. He certainly wasn't your regular, easy-going lad. If anything, his life itself was a complete mess.

Then what good did she perceive in him that he still wasn't able to see it?

He came out of his thoughts when Anamika waved her hand in front of his face, "What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously, putting the weight of her face on her right palm.

Eklavya simply shook his head and answered, "Nothing."

Anamika shot him a distrustful look before huffing and slumping her shoulders, "You seriously had no friends in Lucknow? Not even someone you could trust?"

"There was one. His name was Mohak. But as his father had a job where he frequently got transferred, he too left Lucknow when we finished our eighth grade." Eklavya replied after raking his mind.

"Did you tried to contact him again?" she asked in wonder.

"Not really. As just after this Maa and Papa... left us." He told her and suddenly he had her complete attention. Anamika sucked in a sharp breath, realising very well where the conversation could steer now.