Our Entangled Hearts.

10. A CATALYST

Author's POV

Crack, the sound echoed through the garden as Shivansh got up, the armrest of his chair broken.
If looks could kill, then Sarthak would've been six feet under, he smirked getting the reaction he had wanted, whereas Shivansh left the garden and Niharika ran behind him.

" Ansh what happened? " She asked as she followed him.
" Don't follow me. " He said to her without looking back, his steps not faltering for even a second.

" But—" She wanted to continue but he interrupted her, " Stop it. "
The look in his eyes scared her, this was the first time she was seeing him angry, genuinely angry, at other times he's just an emotionless man, who knows no other expression than that poker face.

She stopped, her feet glued in their place as he resumed his exit, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Her heart broke for the umpteenth time at his ignorance, and for the first time she accepted it, accepted that it would never be her.
Not just her, it would never be anyone other than his Ira.

Eight years since she first saw him, seven since they became friends, and five since she knew he was the one but in all these years, the only time she saw him expressing anything, even a fleck of emotion was when he received the call from bade rana sa.

She had thought it was his nature but today she saw it, saw how affected he was by her presence and that irked her, that is why she argued with Adhira, she wanted to see if he'll defend her and when he didn't it gave her a hope but it got crushed the second Sarthak did that.

She wanted to console herself but she knew she lost, lost something that was never hers, something that would never be hers.
Tears started to stream down her face as she wiped them and left the Palace.

Meanwhile in the garden after Adhira left, Saloni smacked Sarthak hard on his head.
" What the hell was that? " She shouted at him, clearly angry at his behaviour.
" A Catalyst. " Sarthak replied, taking a step away from her.

" A what? " Saloni shrieked, not believing his nonsense, and took a step forward, making him take two backwards.
" Stop there you idiot. " She told him as he continued to back away from her.
" You stop first. "
" You— fine. " She stopped in her place and folded her arms, " Explain. "

" You really think he'll do something unless we push him. " Sarthak asked and Saloni and Akhilesh both shook their heads.
" So I just gave him a push. " He shrugged and Saloni finally realised the reason behind his actions.

" Thank god, I thought you liked her too, it would be so messed up then. " She said as she sighed and went back to sit with Akhilesh and leaned against him.
Melancholy flashed through Sarthak's eyes too quickly for anyone to notice and he quickly covered it with mirth.

" Pagal ho gyi hai kya? Aise kuvachan na bol. " He said, making a horrified expression and she tsked at his behaviour before looking away.

' Have you gone mad? Don't spout such nonsense. '

Akhilesh looked at his friend and a few seconds passed between the guys, a silent communication of a kind before both of them returned back to normal.

" Where do you think he went now? " Saloni asked after a minute of silence, not liking the way Shivansh had stormed off.

Both guys looked at each other and smiled before shaking their heads.
" Hey, tell me too. " Saloni said realising both of them knew where Shivansh is.

Akhilesh got up and forwarded his hand to her, " Come, let's go. "

" She could've gotten up by herself. " Sarthak mumbled beneath his breath but they heard him.