It wasn't long before Aashna came out of her room after ending the call.
"You're out early today?" Muskan asked.
"He just abruptly got up and asked me to end the call. Must be something at home... I don't know. Anyway, why does this numbskull keep coming here?" She pointed towards Kartik.
"HAH! NOT LIKE I'M DYING TO!" Kartik took offence and dashed towards Aashna while pointing a finger back at her. "Numbskulls don't deal with half-sleepy pandas like you."
She held his hand before it could touch her. "Then stop interrupting my calls." She pushed him lightly, making him sit beside Abeer. They kept glaring at each other.
"Okay, well. Abeer is here for the first time so..." Muskan tried to cut off in between. She looked at Abeer to say something. "That's a journal supplies kit. That day she told me she likes journaling so... hehe."
"DAMN THAT'S! SO COOL!" Kartik took the box from Muskan's hands and opened it. The kit included all kinds of cute stuff- notebook covers, material papers, paper pockets, folding labels, coated paper cards, calendar stickers, washi tapes and paper photo frames. All of them loved the contents.
"Thank you!! That's an amazing, amazing gift!" Muskan couldn't form words for her gratitude.
"I know! And everything is so pretty." Aashna added, standing beside Kartik, still looking into the box.
"Oh, I've got something for you too. Here." Abeer gave Aashna another box, a smaller one. Aashna opened it to see a pack of fist-sized cloth cones. Abeer continued, "They're camphor cones. You can hang them in your room, or anywhere else, for vapour diffusion. Also, this one... is for Kartik." He took out another packet from the bag and kept it on Kartik's palm. It was a silver-coloured bracelet, with 3 loops around the wrist, and a metal pendant of the Psychology symbol attached to it. The glow it carried was nothing compared to the glow of Kartik's happiness.
(Reference picture of the pendant is attached at the top!)
(A/N: I had thought of much better gifts, I swear! But while writing this, I forgot all of them. Help. Might edit this once my brain decides to cooperate)
All three of them were very happy with the gifts they had just received. They thanked Abeer with all their hearts and sat down with some cold drinks and snacks. While Muskan and Abeer kept talking about his canvas, Kartik was back to his phone, clicking pictures of his bracelet, and then probably scrolling his time away on social media. Aashna couldn't resist her phone as well. She kept staring at her last texts to Girisha and how she still hadn't received any reply from her. Her thumbs danced before the keyboard, thinking of something to type that would make Girisha text back.
Muskan saw both of them completely immersed in their phones, and got up to suddenly snatch them away. She took Abeer's and her phones, too and walked towards Girisha's room. Still surprised, Kartik and Aashna gasped at her courage in holding four phones in one hand. Muskan came back and looked at them with annoyed eyes. "No phones for some time," She said and sat down.
Meanwhile, Abeer remembered something. "Ah! By the way, I got this for that child... Umm... I forgot his name..."
"Kush," Aashna said.
"Right! I want to give this sketchbook to Kush. Does he like drawing?"
"Oh, he does. I'll give it to him tomorrow at the centre."
"Great! Thanks!"
Now the only thing left in his bag was a pouch. Muskan saw that and curiously asked, "And whose is that?"
"What? Oh. Those are flowers. I'll make paints from them." Abeer replied while opening the pouch to let her see the flowers.
"Damn! You're an impressive guy in all ways, you know that?" Muskan was fascinated by the idea of someone being so skilled at arts. She had always liked doing such stuff and luckily, she had found a worthy person to talk to.
Kartik was quiet throughout the conversations. He got a sudden urge to look into his phone again. So slowly stood up and went in to get his phone. There, he saw that Aashna's phone was ringing. "Aashna, Girisha's calling you. Here." Aashna ran towards him and quickly picked up the call.
As soon as the call went through, Girisha shouted, "PICK UP THE CALL WHEN IT'S URGENT YOU BRICKHEAD!!"
"Hello- WOAH WOAH, there, what- what is it?" Aashna wasn't ready for a loud voice like that.
"Your parents are coming home. Now. In 10 minutes. Less than that. You're meeting them. And we are talking to them. Together. Let's end this today." Girisha said and hung up.
"WHAT?! WH- NOW? NO! WAIT! LISTEN- HEL- HELLO? GIRI- AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" Aashna panicked upon hearing the news.
Girisha had purposely informed her so late so that she wasn't left with any option other than actually meeting her parents. She didn't want to do so. So, she started jumping and running around the apartment. After a good couple of minutes of bugging Muskan and Kartik, ran back into Girisha's room. She opened the cupboard and started emptying Muskan's belongings. Girisha had taken away most of her things, and Muskan was there just for some time, so she had less stuff in there. "I'm gonna hide. I'm gonna hide." She kept mumbling while bringing out all the clothes and the wooden plants from the cupboard, making space for herself. The other three had no idea what was going on with her. "Muskan, cover up for me. I'm not here okay!"
Before she could close the cupboard door, Kartik pulled her out. "What's with all this? What did Girisha say that-" The doorbell rang. Kartik went out to open the door when Aashna covered her face and went inside the cupboard again. Muskan guessed it was because of the guest, so she ran out and peeked in to see who was at the door. She saw Aashna's parents talking to Kartik. Her eyes widened seeing all the mess the house was and all which her parents were about to witness. She ran back and opened the cupboard door. She turned to see Abeer still trying to process all the happenings around him. Without any second thoughts, she pushed Abeer into the cupboard and closed the door.
Aashna saw Abeer getting pushed to be right beside her. But, she couldn't care less and was too busy covering up her face in dread. Abeer, on the other hand, was startled to suddenly be so close to her. The thought of simply opening the door to get out of there didn't even occur to him. Even in a cramped space, he managed to adjust himself and her so that her back was now barely touching his chest.
After a while of silence in the room, Aashna finally put her hands down from her face and realised her surroundings. Abeer saw this and immediately stiffened and put his hand behind himself, trying not to make her uncomfortable there.
Suddenly, Aashna whispered, "Don't breathe like that, it tickles!"
He realised he was breathing too fast and loud. "Ok..."
"Now don't stop breathing completely!!" She said as she sensed him controlling his breath too hard.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO-"
"SHHH!!"
"Shhh."
___________________________________________
A/N: OK bye, see you in the next chapter! Do vote and comment if you liked it :)
My Instagram handle: @thechaiscript. Happy reading! <3
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General Fiction*MATURE BECAUSE*: It contains serious, sensitive and triggering topics like self-harm, unhealed trauma, assault, murders, etc. Reader discretion is advised. We are all flawed in some way or another, aren't we? How far can we go into our real persona...
