𝐑𝐚𝐚𝐛𝐭𝐚:- 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

♡ Chapter-4 ♡

The door of Aishi's room opened with a loud noise and, before she could even react, Avni burst inside and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Aishi staggered back a step, startled, then broke into a laugh as she felt the familiar warmth of her friend's embrace.

"I missed you soo much, my baby!!!" Avni exclaimed and buried her face in Aishi's hair. With a tone full of enthusiasm and energy, she added jokingly "I'm a lawyer now!!! Ab tu jee bhar ke kisi bhi bank mein daka daal, mai tera case leke bacha lungi."

"Shut up, idiot! Tujhe mai gundi dikhti hu kya?" Aishi laughed light heartedly and ruffled Avni's hair.

[Do you think, I'm a goon?!]

"Oh haan! Tu banks mein thodi na daake daalegi. Tu toh seedhe ladko ke dilon mein daake daalegi," Avni said with a wide smirk.

[Oh, please! You're hardly the type to rob banks. You'd go straight for breaking into boys' hearts instead.]

"Shut up," Aishi chuckled softly and Avni released her from the tight embrace.

Avni and Aishi drifted into their own little world, their voices tumbling over one another like a pair of restless sparrows. At first, they talked of nothing-tiny fragments of school gossip, silly observations about the neighbors, the color of the sky that evening. Then, with her usual curiosity, Aishi leaned closer, eyes glimmering with mischief.

"Tell me everything about Bangalore," she demanded, her tone half-serious, half-playful. "Not just the boring stuff. Everything."

Avni's face lit up as though someone had turned a key inside her. Words rushed out of her, carried by excitement she couldn't bottle up. She painted the city in bright strokes-its bustling streets alive with honking horns and impatient crowds, the aroma of filter coffee drifting from tiny roadside cafés, the sprawling parks where families gathered under ancient trees. Her hands danced in the air as she spoke, as if trying to sketch the city midair for Aishi to see.

"You know? There, just beside my college was my favourite coffee house. I used to sit there with my other friends and study for the exams. I used to call you from there sometimes. That coffee shop was so simple yet beautiful from both outside and inside. I bet if you were there, you would never even want to leave that place!" Avni laughed, spilling the sound free. Before she could catch her breath, she jumped on to another memory- late night food stalls, bustling streets, cool and fragrant air.

Aishi listened with her chin resting on her palm, utterly absorbed. Every now and then, she interrupted with little questions-"Wait, what's dosai?" or "You actually went out in the rain?"-only to make Avni's answers gush out even faster.

By the time she was done, Aishi felt as though she'd already walked those streets herself. And yet, looking at Avni's glowing face, she realized the city had been described less like a place and more like a memory Avni was unwilling to let slip.

Avni leaned back on the bed, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling after the torrent of words she had just unleashed. A faint smile lingered on her lips, as though she were still lost in the streets of Bangalore. The ceiling fan whirred lazily above, carrying strands of her hair across her forehead. For a moment, she simply lay there, eyes half-closed, savoring the aftertaste of her own stories, as if speaking them aloud had brought the city closer than ever.

Beside her, Aishi was still propped up on one elbow, eyes wide, drinking in every detail.

After a short break, Avni straightened her back and sat on the bed, tucking her legs beneath her. The glow of excitement hadn't quite left her face; her eyes still sparkled as if a dozen unspoken stories hovered on the tip of her tongue. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, glanced at Aishi with a grin that carried both mischief and warmth, and asked, almost conspiratorially, "So... Let's play truth and dare now!"