Dil Jaanta Hai | ✔

fifty-eight

"Rumour has it that the power couple's giving each other a cold shoulder. 'Sup?"

I had a strong urge to roll my eyes. There were so many levels of wrong in his statement. "Don't you ever go to class? Why do you even come to school? There are places where you could smoke weed and take drugs without CCTV surviellance."

"What's the fun in that?" He scoffed.

"I don't need to know."

"I surely hope so too."

That's how Mickey out of all people, made me laugh.

"You seem sad," he noticed after my laughter subsided.

"You just made me laugh, oxymoron."

"Because you seem sad. Something wrong with Mehra?"

I heaved out a long breath through my nose. "Go away, Mikesh. I'm not spouting any secrets."

"Just asking."

"Sympathy is always the first step to betrayal."

He let out a low chuckle. "Don't you know it?"

I didn't let his statement get to me. "Exactly. Why are you even bothering?"

"You don't seem to be too bad of a person."

"And yet the wolf had dressed as the grandmother."

He mused. "We don't know the wolf's story. Who cares if he hadn't had a meal in a year, right? Just because he gobbled up a granny, he is the bad guy. Won't that be a funny fable for the wolf kingdom?"

He didn't wait for me to reply, he had had the desired effect. I watched him leave before the bell rang.

All of us were murderers of side stories.

¿¤?

Students of the fifth and sixth grades were lined up in the corridoors of the third floor, awaiting their turns to go on stage. Mysticised, Mystic International School's Annual Function practices had officially begun, which meant three weeks of free periods after the recess, and the secondary sections on minding duties. Normally, this was fun when I was in Mumbai. I could see similar enthusiasm in the faces of my fellow classmates, but this year, even the allotment of duties didn't lift my spirits.

"Okay, so you, you and you," a twelfth grader pointed at Arnav, Vansh and Ritwik, "get the second floor. Third C, and Fifth B have scene 6. Half an hour after you hear the first song, get them ready in lines. After the end of fourth scene, someone will send a message, and you have to bring them up."

Arnav raised a hand in doubt. "Can I get a duty on this floor instead?"

So it seemed Arnav wasn't buddies with his bestfriend anymore. Both of them had ignored each other since morning.

"Umm," the twelfth grader checked her list. "Nope. Schedule's tight."

Ishita and I had been assigned the third floor, where we were responsible for sending each scene inside the auditorium. A few of our classmates had occupied a corner of the corridoor, painting on a few chart papers for the exhibition that was to be held during the event. I should have actually stayed at home.

"Tu batayegi ab mujhe tum logo ko hua kya hai?" Ishita said in a quite voice after we had sent in the first scene. "Subah se tum theeno ke chehre utre huye hai."

I played with the hem of my tie. "Just having a bad day dude. Don't look so worried."

"I know these boys for four years now, okay?" She held my arm. "And it's the first time that Arnav and Vansh are not even looking at each other. Jhagde pehele bhi huye hai, par jab bhi hua hai, aadhe ghante me mar-peet ke suljhaya hai. What has happened, Vickey?"

Now I was feeling really bad. "Un dono ke beech ki baat hai, unhe pooch na. Mujhey kya pata?"

Liar, liar.

"Vickey."

"I'm going to the washroom. You'll be alright with these kids?"

I didn't wait for her response, I ran off to the washroom.

No one was inside, which was good. I turned the tap on to full speed, splashing my face with water. Why was I crying so much? How did my tear glands get so active? Turning the water off. I rested my hands on either side of the sink.

The door opened, and from the reflection of the small white stain of a whitener on the checkered skirt, I knew it was Ishita. She had got it when we were playing with Ritwik's broken whitener last week. The dry cleaners couldn't get it out.

With her back facing the mirror, she stood against the counter. I was biting my lips to stop the tears from falling further. She handed me a facewash that she carried around everyday.

I was biting the inside of my cheeks when she came near me and hugged my shoulders tightly, placing her cheek on my left shoulder. "It's okay, Vickey. Everything will be alright. Bad days don't last for too long."

I turned to hug her tighter.

¿¤?

I hid myself in the storeroom with my laptop to video call my mother. Contrary to my usual self, I did feel the need to talk to her. She picked up on the fourth ring. "Arvika? Beta kya hua?"

She was in the parking lot of one of the Offices she owned near Bandra. I knew, because I had often been there. The lot was nearly deserted, with the exception of a few cars. "Arvika?"

I waited for her to get inside her cherry red car. "Mamma..."

"Arvika, kya hua? You alright?"

I fixed my gaze on the dust covered brown boxes inside the store-room. Why did I even call her? I knew how the conversation would go. I'd end up asking her to come visit me here, and she'd have another excuse not to. Better yet, she'd make me shift back to Mumbai, which I wasn't ready for. Life was a strategically designed boomerang.

"Tum bologi nahi tho mujhe kaise samajh ayega tumne call kyoo kiya?"

I breathed out through my mouth, letting out the frustration. Then I smiled. "Aise hi. Pata nahi thha ki ab aapko call karne ke liye bhi reason chahiye hoga. Good night, Mrs. Oberoi."

_____

Namoshtaii!!

I know I said 24 hours, and this is more like 27+ hourse and I am sorry. After November, I think consistency has gone on a vacation.  Idk, really sorry.

Also, the chapters I was referring to in mh previous AN are 10 and 12. You can check them out to understand what I meant.

Also, I don't think I'd be updating anytime before April 12 now, because JEE okay, life sucks, someone please give me chocolate icecream.

(I really wanted to add one of the scenes from this chapter in the sneak-peeks but I couldn't, because I updated.)

Anyways  read, vote, comment, and promote!

~chaashnee