Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

1.11 | Five People + If It Looks Like A Brownie

"Who's Armaan?"

The question caused me to stop fretting over the weather. "Hmm? Armaan? My brother. Why?"

"Oh." He gave the smart reply that had me smile for a second. I didn't realize he cared that much to be bothered by who Armaan was.

"Who's Lavanya?" I surprised myself by asking for I had decided earlier to not intrude.

"And why do you want to know?"

I felt the urge to roll my eyes. I hadn't asked him any questions when he asked who Armaan was. I gave a straight answer. Why couldn't he return the favor and simply answer? "That phone call obviously bothered you. So, you can say I am curious to learn there are more than two people in this world you get worried for."

"FYI, there are a total of five people in the world I would do anything for - not including the girls at the shelter, ofcourse."

I nodded along, "Good to know for future but that wasn't my original question."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued walking. I almost gave up on hoping for an answer when he surprised me, "She's my best friend."

I raised a brow. Can you blame me? It's hard to imagine. "A girl, who is nothing more than a friend to you?"

He had to have heard the disbelief in my tone and yet the smile he gave seemed sincere. "As hard as it might be to believe, yes. She is just my best friend. Don't let Kripa tell you anything else about her. Other than Kripa and Anjali, she is the only girl I have allowed in my life who knows everything there is to know about me."

"Including the shelter?"

Why is there this unsettling feeling that is starting to overshadow my heart?

He nodded with a hum, "She's never been there but yes," and that was the final straw I needed to believe him.

At the shelter, I had heard how he never brought anyone with him there so I had imagined it was something he kept hidden about himself from everyone. I was wrong.

Whatever this feeling is, I forced a smile to cover it up and said to lighten it, "Well then, what do you know? There just is hope for you, Raizada."

He smiled back, "Are you not going to ask who the other people are?"

He was talking about the five people he mentioned. Kripa, Anjali and Lavanya are the three, I deduced that much. "Nope," I answered and because he didn't look away, I added. "None of my business, is it?"

If he wanted me to know, he wouldn't ask me to ask him. He would just tell it. And I had learnt already, he hardly gave answers. I wasn't going to embarrass myself by asking only for him to not answer.

I could live without knowing.

Besides, it was safe to conclude: he's a private person. In a way, he knew a bunch of people at university and could strike up a conversation with just about any passing by stranger and yet, none of the people who could otherwise claim to know him really knew anything about his life. They just know the type of person he is - and even that, it is the person Arnav shows them - not his real self. He makes them see what he wants them to see, not what is beneath the surface. His friends don't know any personal details, any fond memories he may have growing up that he'd have shared, the kind of things he thinks about just moments before going to bed, his true thoughts, etc.

It made him mysterious. I had no intention of breaking that aura either. They old-me would have done everything in her power to get it out of him, break him vulnerable and learn every smallest bit of information regarding him.