Pitter Patter Of Hearts

Chapter eleven

The next day at school, I find myself zoning out constantly. I don't even know how it's already lunch, but I only notice it because Aarav is digging through my bag but I barely say a word to him. I'm still trying to process what the fuck I was thinking last night.

Aarav's coffee brown eyes stir trouble in my heart the moment they meet mine. "Are you not hungry? Why aren't you running after me?"

"Because you're sitting beside me," I try to retort cleverly, avoiding his gaze as I lay my head down on my desk.

I can hear the frown in his voice. "What's wrong, Swara?"

Before I can come up with a lie, a shadow looms over me as if coming to my rescue. I can feel Aarav's body tensing up next to me and my fists ball at the thought of how well I know him, better than I know myself and yet, here I am, struggling to read his expressive eyes as if I'm illiterate. Or rather avoiding to, but at this point, I'm not even sure.

I can see him gritting his teeth just by hearing his voice. "What do you want, Thakur?"

"Aarav, come with me for a moment," Laya's small yet soothing voice speaks for Varsh. I don't lift my head like a bratty child, mostly because I don't know how to act or react.

"Laya-"

"Aarav," And just like that, Aarav is tugged away from his seat beside me as she drags him with her.

Varsh sighs as he looms over me, his low voice slicing through the ice. "You didn't even listen to my answer yesterday."

"I didn't need to." I don't lift my head, keeping my eyes trained on someone's messy bag with zips open, books threatening to fall out. "It's okay, I'm not sad about it."

"I still owe you an explanation." My shoulders slump at those words and I inhale a deep breath as I look up at him. He smiles sadly at me. "I like someone else and it wouldn't be fair to you if I date you."

I shrug. "That's okay. Is it Laya?"

His smile turns even more sad. "You know that?"

"You're not that good at hiding," I frown, "Why hide though?"

He looks at the seat next to mine. "I think you know why too."

"Laya likes Aarav?" I ask, my nails digging into my palms. I didn't see that coming. I did expect her to be a better friend than I am and steal him, I just didn't really picture what kind of friend. Aarav never mentions her though. "I don't think Aarav likes her though, he never mentioned it."

He bit his lower lip as he looked torn, more like pained, I don't know. "I see the way he looks at her, I'll tell you that much. Since their feelings seem reciprocated, I'm not going to confess mine."

"Oh." Though that's all I say, my mind could barely comprehend every thought that churns me inside. And even though nothing felt right, though I didn't even process it, I gave him a sympathetic smile. "I can understand…"

I didn't. I don't think I would, till I process it and make sense out of it. The situation is simple and Varsh is going through probably a lot more than I am. It didn't make me feel better though. We exchanged sad smiles as if we understand each other though we, at least I couldn't be farther away from it.