One Shots #VariaSquad

Hum Aapke Hain Koun

'Go on then.'

'Why do cemeteries have walls?' he asks.

'I don't know. Why?'

'Because people are dying to get in!' She can't hold back the laughter despite the fact that it's a lame joke. 

'You're terrible!' she tells him between giggles.

'You're the one laughing.' he points out. 'Wanna hear a joke about a cat?'

'Um, okay.'

'Just kitten.' The giggles that had just subsided start again and he grins, proud of himself for making her laugh. She's laughing so loud that her sister hears it from across the hall and comes into her room, thoroughly annoyed at the disturbance because she had been so close to falling asleep.

Varun hears some muffled words as Alia takes the phone away from her ear to talk to Shaheen. 'I'm gonna have to call you later. Apparently I laugh too loud.' she tells him when she comes back on the line.

'Did you wake Shaheen up?' he asks knowingly.

'Not entirely but apparently she was just about to fall asleep.' she sighs.

'It's pretty late anyway Alu. We should probably both get some sleep now.'

'Okay fine. Talk to you later.' she says.

'Good night.'

'Night.' Neither hangs up nor do they say anything else until Alia eventually breaks the silence with a quiet giggle. 'You gonna hang up?' she questions, feeling like a typical high school girl who's on the phone to her boyfriend.

'Maybe. Maybe not.'

'Why not?'

'Don't feel like it. Why don't you hang up?' There's no way she's going to get into one of these you hang up first arguments with Varun because that's just not something you do with your best friend.

'Alright. Bye.' She doesn't cut the call immediately, waiting for his response first because otherwise she'd feel weird all night and end up calling him again at something like 5 a.m.

'Bye.' She hangs up the phone and puts it on charge. Just as she's about to fall asleep, her phone buzzes, screen lighting up and Varun's name appearing. She unlocks the phone and sees his message is one last joke. What do you call it when a banana eats another banana?
Canabananalism. She has to hold back the laughter, literally covering her mouth with her hand to stop the noise from escaping.

'Pagal.' she murmurs, even though he's not there to hear it, shaking her head slightly and smiling widely. Deciding it would be better not to answer because that'll just start a text conversation, she puts the phone on silent before settling down to go to sleep.

The Confession.

Somehow, though they spend so much time together that it seems the two are joined at the hip, both Varun and Alia manage to keep their feelings hidden from the other. Astonishingly, it's not a difficult feat to accomplish; the thought is not there, constantly burning in their minds, itching to get out whenever they are in each other's company. It is a feeling they both are aware of in their own selves but there is no conscious effort that goes into keeping it secret, neither ever even thinks that they should voice their feelings.

Maybe it's because there's not really a need for them to say anything that they don't, actions speak louder than words after all. Whatever the reason, those words aren't exchanged between them for months.

And then, 2 States start and everywhere he looks, Varun sees Alia's name paired with Arjun's and something burns in the pit of his stomach. Everytime he sees anything that presents the two of them as the next it-jodi, he feels like punching something, possibly Arjun's face. His entire being screams that it shouldn't be allowed, that Alia cannot be that close to anyone else, that Arjun has no right to take her from him.