His Favourite Book

Chapter 35 - Up Against Them

Trigger Warning: Mild cuss words

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Aashna was standing there, with a grocery bag in her left hand, waiting for the girl and her parents to start a conversation. Her replies, behaviour and attitude towards them would be highly based on what note they decide to strike up a conversation with her.

As soon as they heard someone shouting Aashna's name, all of them looked in the person's direction, to find a guy running towards them. He stopped right beside Aashna, facing her, and catching his breath to bring out words from his mouth.

"Aashna," He said while panting, "We'll talk it out okay?" He was slowly getting to normal breaths, "Let's not create a scene on the road..."

"Kartik! What are you doing here?" Aashna had not expected Kartik to be there on a Sunday morning. "Well, that depends on them. If they are here to just 'talk it out' no scene would be created. If not then..." She looked into the girl's eyes first and then glanced at the parents, fully turning towards them.

The girl's mother definitely was not there to let things go so easily. "We didn't consider legal actions because we thought you would be smart enough to not mess with us. I think we'll change our plans." The lady said, shooting swords towards Aashna through her eyes.

"You didn't consider legal actions because you knew it had chances of backfiring real bad. Whom are you kidding here?" Aashna took a step forward and snapped back.

"You do realise whom you are talking to right now, right?"

"Absolutely, ma'am, you see how I didn't use any bad words here?"

The lady scoffed at Aashna's replies. She was not the the mood of small talk or stretching their conversation. "How are you repaying for the slap on my daughter's face?" She got to the point.

"Exactly how she would like to repay for the accident that cost a kid his physical and mental health." Aashna was visibly trying her best not to burst out with a massive bundle of screams and cuss words.

Kartik noticed Aashna's hands forming fists as she said every word in the most formal way possible in that situation. He quickly took off his bag from his back and put it in Aashna's right hand's fist. With both her hands busy with bags, she had fewer chances of raising them. "Relax- control- Aashna- don't-" He didn't know what to say that would stop her from getting out of hands. It was not like Aashna was wrong. Only the idea of resolving the conflict in an extreme manner was what didn't sit right with Kartik.

"Oh look, you've got a third boy right there." The girl saw her chance and took it. "These boys make you hold their bags... and whatnot!"

"Excuse- WHAT!?" Aashna pointed her right hand's index finger at the girl and dashed towards her. The girl stepped back instinctively.

Kartik grabbed Aashna before she could touch anyone else, "Aashna-" He whispered near her.

"BEHAVE YOURSELF!" Aashna almost screamed at the girl who had just crossed her limits.

The girl had no reason to be afraid of Aashna. Her parents were standing right there, after all. "Oh no! Did I say something wrong? Doesn't seem like it, though."

"Hey you-" Kartik tried speaking in between to stop her but failed.

She continued, "You really thought I would let you go after that demeaning slap in front of my friends, on a working roadside? Oldie, you're forgetting your place. I can be the reason for much worse than that, for you. Because, hey! Unlike you, I'm not some random street person. I always get whatever I want. I can do whatever I want with you and I'll get away easily. I don't lick behind people for regular stuff like you guys.

"Stop-" Kartik was still trying to interrupt her, while Aashna was standing there, wondering how far a spoiled teenager could go with her words.

"My parents would do that, and everything else that would get the world at my feet. Remember I can kick it away anytime. I won't lose against girls like you who always end up in a marriage, and working in the house till death. I always have these people behind m-"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Aashna's eyes were piercing through the girl's soul. She had heard enough. "NOT. A. WORD."

The girl's mother was shocked to hear such words from her daughter. Did her daughter think of her mother as a loser housewife with no respect? Were her parents only luxury providing puppets for her? That was all her mother could infer from her tone. "Shivika-" Her mother looked at her to ask her something.

"Oh god! Mom, please! Do not look at me! Just do your job and throw this dirt away," She referred to Aashna. "I got no time for your useless emotions-"

"SHIVIKA!" Her mother felt insulted. "Stop ordering me around! What do you think of yourself-"

"Oh shut up and take care of it quickly. I'll wait in the car." Shivika, the girl, made a disgusted face and pretended to fan her face while leaving to sit in the car.

"That's what I get for taking your side and saving you," Her mother mumbled.

"No, that's what you get for not raising her right." Aashna heard her mumbling and replied. "You saw that didn't you?"

"YOU WON'T BE SPEAKING IN OUR MATTER!" Shivika's mother suddenly raised her voice and raised her hand to slap Aashna.

Aashna quickly dropped the grocery bag and stopped the slap. Kartik was baffled while Shivika's father was leaning against the car, waiting for the scene to end.

"Then bloody control your matter and do not bring it out of your pathetic house." Aashna threw the lady's hand back in its place. "Only earning huge sums of money for your children will not make you eligible to be called 'parents'. Teach them manners, etiquette, and ways of living in this world, and raise children who grow up to be humans, not brainless monsters and heartless devils. What she and her friends did was wrong. So instead of getting offended, accept the fact and focus on bringing them on the right track."

"Listen, girl. Consider this the last warning. The next time I find you messing up, you'll pay a high price for it. I'll make sure that your punishment will be merciless in all mannerisms." Shivika's father said. He was holding back because the conversation was between women. But he couldn't bear any more with Aashna's attitude.

"So that's the punishment I get for slapping your daughter because she misbehaved with me? Then you can imagine the kind of punishment your daughter and her friends should be getting for almost killing a kid, and not even feeling a bit guilty about it. I won't hold back, too. Get lost from my neighbourhood."

"MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!" He raised his voice.

"YOU MIND YOUR CHILD, SIR!" Kartik finally spoke up, in the same tone as the man. "We all know who's the wrong one here. Show this attitude where you're feared."

Kartik picked up the grocery bag from the ground and held Aashna's free hand to get her out of that place. Without giving any chance to Shivika's parents to speak, Kartik and Aashna left from there.

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A/N: I feel I could've written the argument scene much better. If I get some ideas to make it look and sound better in text, I'll edit it.

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